Device, method, and graphical user interface for manipulating information items in folders

• US 8,692,780 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lemay, Stephen O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leiby, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US12/789,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20110163970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-181
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method includes: displaying a group of selectable objects in a first region of a display, each selectable object corresponding to a respective information item; detecting selection of a plurality of selectable objects in the group of selectable objects; in response to detecting selection of the plurality of selectable objects, displaying a pile of two or more information items corresponding to the plurality of selectable objects at a first location in a second region of the display, each information item having a partially overlapping position with a neighboring information item in the pile; detecting a gesture on the pile on the display; in response to detecting the gesture on the pile, moving the pile away from the first location in the second region; detecting lift-off of the gesture from the pile; and in response to detecting the lift-off, moving the pile back to the first location in the second region.

Claims

1. A multifunction device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a group of selectable objects in a first region of the display, each selectable object corresponding to only a single respective information item;

detecting selection of a plurality of selectable objects in the group of selectable objects;

in response to detecting selection of the plurality of selectable objects, displaying a pile of two or more information items corresponding to the plurality of selectable objects at a first location in a second region of the display, each information item having a partially overlapping position with a neighboring information item in the pile, wherein the second region is displayed without a pile of information items if no selectable objects in the first region are selected;

detecting a gesture on the pile of information items on the display;

in response to detecting the gesture on the pile of information items, moving the pile of information items away from the first location in the second region;

while the pile of information items is located away from the first location in the second region, detecting lift-off of the gesture from the pile of information items; and

in response to detecting lift-off of the gesture, moving the pile of information items back to the first location in the second region.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a respective information item in the pile is oriented in one of N predefined orientations in the pile, where N is an integer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one selectable object displayed in the first region overlaps a portion of the pile of information items, the device including instructions for:

in response to detecting the gesture on the pile of information items, moving the pile of information items away from the first location in the second region such that the portion of the pile of information items moves away from the at least one overlapping selectable object.

4. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

in response to detecting the gesture on the pile of information items, moving the pile of information items away from the first location in the second region such that at least a portion of the pile of information items overlaps at least one selectable object displayed in the first region.

5. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

in response to detecting a respective gesture on a respective selectable object, displaying an animation that adds a corresponding information item to the pile.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the animation includes moving the corresponding information item into a position in the second region such that the corresponding information item partially overlaps a neighboring information item in the pile.

7. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

continuously moving the pile of information items on the display in accordance with the gesture on the pile of information items.

8. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting a gesture on a selectable object that represents a folder; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture on the selectable object that represents the folder;

displaying an animation of the pile of information items moving from the second region into the selectable object that represents the folder; and

moving information items that correspond to the pile into the folder.

9. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting a gesture on a previously selected object in the group of selectable objects in the first region, the previously selected object having a corresponding information item in the pile; and

in response to detecting the gesture on the previously selected object;

displaying an animation that removes from the pile the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object; and

deselecting the previously selected object.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the animation includes:

when the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object is at a location in the pile other than the top of the pile;

curling at least a portion of the information items in the pile that are above the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object to expose at least a portion of the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object;

removing from the pile the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object; and

,

uncurling the curled portion of the information items in the pile.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the single respective information item is an email item.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first region covers a part of the pile of information items.

13. A method, comprising:

at a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display;

displaying a group of selectable objects in a first region of the display, each selectable object corresponding to only a single respective information item;

detecting selection of a plurality of selectable objects in the group of selectable objects;

in response to detecting selection of the plurality of selectable objects, displaying a pile of two or more information items corresponding to the plurality of selectable objects at a first location in a second region of the display, each information item having a partially overlapping position with a neighboring information item in the pile, wherein the second region is displayed without a pile of information items if no selectable objects in the first region are selected;

detecting a gesture on the pile of information items on the display;

in response to detecting the gesture on the pile of information items, moving the pile of information items away from the first location in the second region;

while the pile of information items is located away from the first location in the second region, detecting lift-off of the gesture from the pile of information items; and

in response to detecting lift-off of the gesture, moving the pile of information items back to the first location in the second region.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the single respective information item is an email item.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first region covers a part of the pile of information items.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display, cause the device to:

display a group of selectable objects in a first region of the display, each selectable object corresponding to only a single respective information item;

detect selection of a plurality of selectable objects in the group of selectable objects;

in response to detecting selection of the plurality of selectable objects, display a pile of two or more information items corresponding to the plurality of selectable objects at a first location in a second region of the display, each information item having a partially overlapping position with a neighboring information item in the pile, wherein the second region is displayed without a pile of information items if no selectable objects in the first region are selected;

detect a gesture on the pile of information items on the display;

in response to detecting the gesture on the pile of information items, move the pile of information items away from the first location in the second region;

while the pile of information items is located away from the first location in the second region, detect lift-off of the gesture from the pile of information items; and

in response to detecting lift-off of the gesture, move the pile of information items back to the first location in the second region.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein a respective information item in the pile is oriented in one of N predefined orientations in the pile, where N is an integer.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein at least one selectable object displayed in the first region overlaps a portion of the pile of information items, the computer readable storage medium including instructions, which when executed by the multifunction device, cause the device to:

in response to detecting the gesture on the pile of information items, move the pile of information items away from the first location in the second region such that the portion of the pile of information items moves away from the at least one overlapping selectable object.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, including instructions, which when executed by the multifunction device, cause the device to:

in response to detecting the gesture on the pile of information items, move the pile of information items away from the first location in the second region such that at least a portion of the pile of information items overlaps at least one selectable object displayed in the first region.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, including instructions, which when executed by the multifunction device, cause the device to:

in response to detecting a respective gesture on a respective selectable object, display an animation that adds a corresponding information item to the pile.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the animation includes moving the corresponding information item into a position in the second region such that the corresponding information item partially overlaps a neighboring information item in the pile.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, including instructions, which when executed by the multifunction device, cause the device to:

continuously move the pile of information items on the display in accordance with the gesture on the pile of information items.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, including instructions, which when executed by the multifunction device, cause the device to:

detect a gesture on a selectable object that represents a folder; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture on the selectable object that represents the folder;

display an animation of the pile of information items moving from the second region into the selectable object that represents the folder; and

move information items that correspond to the pile into the folder.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, including instructions, which when executed by the multifunction device, cause the device to:

detect a gesture on a previously selected object in the group of selectable objects in the first region, the previously selected object having a corresponding information item in the pile; and

in response to detecting the gesture on the previously selected object;

display an animation that removes from the pile the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object; and

deselect the previously selected object.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions to display the animation include instructions to:

when the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object is at a location in the pile other than the top of the pile;

curl at least a portion of the information items in the pile that are above the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object to expose at least a portion of the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object;

remove from the pile the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object; and

uncurl the curled portion of the information items in the pile.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the single respective information item is an email item.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first region covers a part of the pile of information items.

28. A multifunction device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a group of selectable objects in a first region of the display, each selectable object corresponding to only a single respective information item;

detecting selection of a plurality of selectable objects in the group of selectable objects;

in response to detecting selection of the plurality of selectable objects, displaying a pile of two or more information items corresponding to the plurality of selectable objects in a second region of the display, each information item having a partially overlapping position with a neighboring information item in the pile, wherein the second region is displayed without a pile of information items if no selectable objects in the first region are selected;

detecting a gesture on a previously selected object in the group of selectable objects in the first region, the previously selected object having a corresponding information item in the pile; and

in response to detecting the gesture on the previously selected object;

displaying an animation that removes from the pile the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object; and

deselecting the previously selected object.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the animation includes:

when the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object is at a location in the pile other than the top of the pile;

curling at least a portion of the information items in the pile that are above the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object to expose at least a portion of the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object;

removing from the pile the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object; and

,

uncurling the curled portion of the information items in the pile.

30. The device of claim 28, wherein the single respective information item is an email item.

31. The device of claim 28, wherein the first region covers a part of the pile of information items.

32. A method, comprising:

at a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display;

displaying a group of selectable objects in a first region of the display, each selectable object corresponding to only a single respective information item;

detecting selection of a plurality of selectable objects in the group of selectable objects;

in response to detecting selection of the plurality of selectable objects, displaying a pile of two or more information items corresponding to the plurality of selectable objects in a second region of the display, each information item having a partially overlapping position with a neighboring information item in the pile, wherein the second region is displayed without a pile of information items if no selectable objects in the first region are selected;

detecting a gesture on a previously selected object in the group of selectable objects in the first region, the previously selected object having a corresponding information item in the pile; and

in response to detecting the gesture on the previously selected object;

displaying an animation that removes from the pile the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object; and

deselecting the previously selected object.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the single respective information item is an email item.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the first region covers a part of the pile of information items.

35. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display, cause the device to:

display a group of selectable objects in a first region of the display, each selectable object corresponding to only a single respective information item;

detect selection of a plurality of selectable objects in the group of selectable objects;

in response to detecting selection of the plurality of selectable objects, display a pile of two or more information items corresponding to the plurality of selectable objects in a second region of the display, each information item having a partially overlapping position with a neighboring information item in the pile, wherein the second region is displayed without a pile of information items if no selectable objects in the first region are selected;

detect a gesture on a previously selected object in the group of selectable objects in the first region, the previously selected object having a corresponding information item in the pile; and

in response to detecting the gesture on the previously selected object;

display an animation that removes from the pile the information item that corresponds to the previously selected object; and

deselect the previously selected object.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the single respective information item is an email item.

37. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the first region covers a part of the pile of information items.