Browsing or searching user interfaces and other aspects

• US 8,713,462 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Robert, Julien, Bray, Cedric, Goossens, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US12/903,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 715/767
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

User interfaces for browsing and/or searching are described. In one embodiment, a method includes displaying a first display area for display representations of documents matching a search query, the first display area configured to display content of the documents which can have a plurality of different types of content including at least one of text-based content and a folder, and displaying a second display area for selecting a selected document to be displayed in the first display area. Other embodiments are also described, and computer readable media and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a plurality of concurrent requests to generate previews of a plurality of files, wherein the previews include pre-determined content or dynamically generated content, and wherein the plurality of files each have an associated file type;

determining an order of the plurality of concurrent requests to generate the previews;

determining the associated file types for the plurality of files;

determining that an associated file type for a first file in the plurality of files is associated with pre-determined content;

generating a preview of the first file, wherein the preview of the first file includes the predetermined content;

determining that an associated file type for a second file in the plurality of files is not associated with pre-determined content;

matching the file type for the second file with a plug-in, wherein the plug-in is capable of processing content in the second file;

using the plug-in for the second file to process the content in the second file and to dynamically generate content for a preview of the second file, wherein dynamically generating the content includes translating the second file, using the plug-in, from a native format to a format different than the native format, wherein the generated preview of the second file includes the dynamically generated content, and wherein the previews of the first and second files are generated in accordance with the determined order of the plurality of concurrent requests; and

displaying the previews of the first and second files in an overlapping manner in a preview view area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the preview of the first file causes the preview of the first file to become a focal point, and wherein selecting the preview of the second file causes the preview of the second file to become the focal point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the preview of the second file is interactive.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews of the plurality of files are arranged in an overlapping manner, and wherein using the displayed previews of the plurality of files includes moving backwards or forwards through the displayed previews.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting a particular preview of a particular file in the plurality of files causes the particular preview of the particular file to become a focal point among the displayed previews.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews include a center preview, and wherein other previews are displayable to the left or the right of the center preview.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews include a main preview, wherein the main preview is currently interactive, and wherein other previews are displayable to the left or the right of the main preview.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable memory containing instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including;

receiving a plurality of concurrent requests to generate previews of a plurality of files, wherein the previews include pre-determined content or dynamically generated content, and wherein the plurality of files each have an associated file type;

determining an order of the plurality of concurrent requests to generate the previews;

determining the associated file types for the plurality of files;

determining that an associated file type for a first file in the plurality of files is associated with pre-determined content;

generating a preview of the first file, wherein the preview of the first file includes the predetermined content;

determining that an associated file type for a second file in the plurality of files is not associated with pre-determined content;

matching the file type for the second file with a plug-in, wherein the plug-in is capable of processing content in the second file;

using the plug-in for the second file to process the content in the second file and to dynamically generate content for a preview of the second file, wherein dynamically generating the content includes translating the second file, using the plug-in, from a native format to a format different than the native format, wherein the generated preview of the second file includes the dynamically generated content, and wherein the previews of the first and second files are generated in accordance with the determined order of the plurality of concurrent requests; and

displaying the previews of the first and second files in an overlapping manner in a preview view area.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein selecting the preview of the first file causes the preview of the first file to become a focal point, and wherein selecting the preview of the second file causes the preview of the second file to become the focal point.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the preview of the second file is interactive.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

displaying previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews of the plurality of files are arranged in an overlapping manner, and wherein using the displayed previews of the plurality of files includes moving backwards or forwards through the displayed previews.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein selecting a particular preview of a particular file in the plurality of files causes the particular preview of the particular file to become a focal point among the displayed previews.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

displaying previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews include a center preview, and wherein other previews are displayable to the left or the right of the center preview.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

displaying previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews include a main preview, wherein the main preview is currently interactive, and wherein other previews are displayable to the left or the right of the main preview.

15. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a plurality of concurrent requests to generate previews of a plurality of files, wherein the previews include pre-determined content or dynamically generated content, and wherein the plurality of files each have an associated file type;

determine an order of the plurality of concurrent requests to generate the previews;

determine the associated file types for the plurality of files;

determine that an associated file type for a first file in the plurality of files is associated with pre-determined content;

generate a preview of the first file, wherein the preview of the first file includes the predetermined content;

determine that an associated file type for a second file in the plurality of files is not associated with pre-determined content;

match the file type for the second file with a plug-in, wherein the plug-in is capable of processing content in the second file;

use the plug-in for the second file to process the content in the second file and to dynamically generate content for a preview of the second file, wherein dynamically generating the content includes translating the second file, using the plug-in, from a native format to a format different than the native format, wherein the generated preview of the second file includes the dynamically generated content, and wherein the previews of the first and second files are generated in accordance with the determined order of the plurality of concurrent requests; and

display the previews of the first and second files in an overlapping manner in a preview view area.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein selecting the preview of the first file causes the preview of the first file to become a focal point, and wherein selecting the preview of the second file causes the preview of the second file to become the focal point.

17. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the preview of the second file is interactive.

18. The computer-program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews of the plurality of files are arranged in an overlapping manner, and wherein using the displayed previews of the plurality of files includes moving backwards or forwards through the displayed previews.

19. The computer-program product of claim 18, wherein selecting a particular preview of a particular file in the plurality of files causes the particular preview of the particular file to become a focal point among the displayed previews.

20. The computer-program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews include a center preview, and wherein other previews are displayable to the left or the right of the center preview.

21. The computer-program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display previews of the plurality of files, wherein the previews include a main preview, wherein the main preview is currently interactive, and wherein other previews are displayable to the left or the right of the main preview.