Browsing or searching user interfaces and other aspects

• US 8,607,166 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jalon, Julien, Robert, Julien, Bray, Cedric, Carlhian, Alexandre, Moha, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): ITURRALDE, ENRIQUE W
• Application Number:
  US12/189,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20090307626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 715/835, 715/836, 715/837, 715/838
• US Class Current: 715/838
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

User interfaces for browsing and/or searching are described. In some embodiments, an icon representing a file is displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI), where the icon includes one or more predefined decorations. The decorations may be chosen based on the file type, such as slide decorations for presentations, a foldover for documents, etc. This may also be referred to as type conformance. A preview of the content of the file is presented within the icon without launching an application which has created the file (also referred to as the creator application). The pre-defined decorations on the icon may be maintained on the icon while the preview of the content of the file is presented. The format of the icon (e.g., shape of the icon, size of the icon, etc.) may be maintained as well during presentation of the preview. Other embodiments are also described, and computer readable media and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining a file type of a file;

selecting one or more pre-defined decorations for the file based on the file type of the file;

displaying a dynamic icon representing the file in a graphical user interface (GUI), the dynamic icon including the one or more pre-defined decorations and an initial preview of content of the file, wherein the initial preview of content of the file includes at least a portion of visual content from the file displayed at a reduced size;

displaying a first user interface control on the dynamic icon, the first user interface control configured to receive a user command to initiate an interactive preview of content of the file within the dynamic icon, wherein functionality of the first user interface control is based on the file type of the file;

changing the initial preview to an interactive preview of content of the file within the dynamic icon in response to receiving the user command to initiate the interactive preview, the interactive preview performed without launching an application which has created the file and without modifying a size format of the dynamic icon; and

maintaining the one or more pre-defined decorations on the dynamic icon while presenting the interactive preview of the content of the file, wherein one of the one or more pre-defined decorations is removable from the dynamic icon in response to user input on the first user interface control while maintaining the size of the dynamic icon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the file includes a document, and the first user interface control is separate from the one or more predefined decorations and is configured to receive a user command to page through pages of the document until the last page of the document is presented, at which point one of the one or more pre-defined decorations is removed to indicate that the last page of the document is being presented.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a second user interface control on the dynamic icon, the second user interface control configured to receive a user command to zoom into a portion of the document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the file includes a video, and the first user interface control is configured to receive a user command to play a preview of the video;

and the method further comprises;

displaying a second user interface control on the dynamic icon, the second user interface control configured to receive a user command to stop playing the preview while the preview is being played.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the file includes an image, and the first user interface control is configured to receive a user command to zoom into a portion of the image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the file includes a document and the one or more decorations include a spiral book spine along a side of the dynamic icon.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user command to manage a hierarchical file system (HFS) via the GUI.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying in the GUI one or more dynamic icons representing one or more files found by a search across metadata of a plurality of files in a computing system.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

determining a file type of a file;

selecting one or more pre-defined decorations for the file based on the file type of the file;

displaying a dynamic icon representing a file in a graphical user interface (GUI), the dynamic icon including one or more pre-defined decorations and an initial preview of content of the file, wherein the initial preview of content of the file includes at least a portion of visual content from the file displayed at a reduced size;

displaying a first user interface control on the dynamic icon the, first user interface control configured to receive a user command to initiate an interactive preview of content of the file within the dynamic icon, wherein functionality of the first user interface control is based on the file type of the file;

changing the initial preview to an interactive preview of content of the file within the dynamic icon in response to receiving the user command to initiate the interactive preview, the interactive preview performed without launching an application which has created the file and without modifying a size format of the dynamic icon; and

maintaining the one or more pre-defined decorations on the dynamic icon while presenting the interactive preview of the content of the file, wherein one of the one or more pre-defined decorations is removable from the dynamic icon in response to user input on the first user interface control while maintaining the size of the dynamic icon.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the file includes a document, and the first user interface control is separate from the one or more predefined decorations and is configured to receive a user command to page through pages of the document until the last page of document is presented, at which point one of the one or more pre-defined decorations is removed to indicate that the last page of the document is being presented.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a second user interface control on the dynamic icon, the second user interface control configured to receive a user command to zoom into a portion of the document.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the file includes a video, and the first user interface control is configured to receive a user command to play a preview of the video;

and the method further comprises;

displaying a second user interface control on the dynamic icon, the second user interface control configured to receive a user command to stop playing the preview while the preview is being played.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the file includes an image, and the first user interface control is configured to receive a user command to zoom into a portion of the image.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the file includes a document and the one or more decorations include a spiral book spine along a side of the dynamic icon.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a user command to manage a hierarchical file system (HFS) via the GUI.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying in the GUI one or more dynamic icons representing one or more files found by a search across metadata of a plurality of files in a computing system.

17. A computer implemented method comprising:

generating a decorated dynamic icon to represent a file in a graphical user interface (GUI), said generating comprising;

determining a file type of the file,

selecting one or more predefined decorations based on the file type of the file, and

locating the one or more predefined decorations on the dynamic icon, wherein the dynamic icon includes an initial preview of content of the file, and

wherein the initial preview of content of the file includes at least a portion of visual content from the file for display at a reduced size;

displaying a user interface control on the dynamic icon, the user interface control configured to receive a user command to initiate an interactive preview of content of the file within the dynamic icon,

wherein functionality of the user interface control is based on the file type of the file; and

changing the initial preview to an interactive preview of content of the file within the decorated dynamic icon without modifying a size format of the dynamic icon in response to receiving a user command to initiate the interactive preview, wherein the interactive preview provides a preview without launching an application which created the file, and wherein the one or more pre-defined decorations are maintained on the dynamic icon during presentation of the interactive preview of content of the file;

wherein one of the one or more predefined decorations is removable from the dynamic icon in response to user input on the user interface control while maintaining the size of the dynamic icon.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the file includes a document, and the user interface control comprises one or more arrows which are separate from the one or more predefined decorations to receive a user command to page through the document until the last page of the document is presented, at which point one of the one or more pre-defined decorations is removed to indicate that the last page of the document is being presented.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the file includes a video, and the user interface control comprises a play button to receive a user command to initiate playing of the video and a stop button to receive a user command to stop playing the video.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of plug-ins available to an application displaying the GUI based on metadata of the file; and

executing the selected one of the plurality of plug-ins to present the interactive preview within the decorated dynamic icon.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the GUI is associated with a hierarchical file system (HFS).

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the GUI is associated with a search application.

23. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

generating a decorated dynamic icon to represent a file in a graphical user interface (GUI), said generating comprising;

determining a file type of the file,

selecting one or more predefined decorations based on the file type of the file, and

locating the one or more predefined decorations on the dynamic icon,

wherein the dynamic icon includes an initial preview of content of the file, and

wherein the initial preview of content of the file includes at least a portion of visual content from the file for display at a reduced size;

displaying a user interface control on the dynamic icon, the user interface control configured to receive a user command to initiate an interactive preview of content of the file within the dynamic icon,

wherein functionality of the user interface control is based on the file type of the file; and

changing the initial preview to an interactive preview of content of the file within the decorated dynamic icon without modifying a size format of the dynamic icon in response to receiving a user command to initiate the interactive preview, wherein the interactive preview provides a preview without launching an application which created the file, and wherein the one or more pre-defined decorations are maintained on the dynamic icon during presentation of the interactive preview of content of the file;

wherein one of the one or more pre-defined decorations is removable from the dynamic icon in response to user input on the user interface control while maintaining the size of the dynamic icon.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the file includes a document, and the user interface control comprises one or more arrows which are separate from the one or more predefined decorations to receive a user command to page through the document until the last page of the document is presented, at which point one of the one or more pre-defined decorations is removed to indicate that the last page of the document is being presented.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the file includes a video, and the user interface control comprises a play button allows to receive a user command to initiate playing of the video and a stop button to receive a user command to stop playing the video.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting one of a plurality of plug-ins available to an application displaying the GUI based on metadata of the file; and

executing the selected one of the plurality of plug-ins to present the interactive preview within the decorated dynamic icon.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the GUI is associated with a hierarchical file system (HFS).

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the GUI is associated with a search application.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a display device; and

a processor to determine a file type of a file, the processor to execute an application to display a decorated dynamic icon to represent the file in a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display device, the decorated dynamic icon including one or more pre-defined decorations selected based on the file type of the file and an initial preview of content of the file, wherein the initial preview of content of the file includes at least a portion of visual content from the file at a reduced size, and

the processor to further execute a preview generator to change the initial preview to an interactive preview of content of the file within the decorated dynamic icon without modifying a size format of the dynamic icon in response to receiving a user command to initiate the interactive preview, and to display a user interface control on the dynamic icon, the user interface control configured to receive the user command to initiate the interactive preview of content of the file within the dynamic icon, wherein functionality of the user interface control is based on the file type of the file, wherein the interactive preview is performed without launching an application which has created the file, and wherein the one or more pre-defined decorations are maintained on the dynamic icon during presentation of the interactive preview of content of the file; and

wherein one of the one or more pre-defined decorations is removable from the dynamic icon in response to user input on the user interface control while maintaining the size of the dynamic icon.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the preview generator selects one of a plurality of plug-ins to present the interactive preview within the decorated dynamic icon based on metadata of the file.