Reduced complexity user interface

• US 8,762,869 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dunton, Randy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): TITCOMB, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US12/343,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162176A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/861, 715/862, 715/821
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A reduced complexity user interface is described. In an embodiment, a user interface module causes an animation of a pile of objects on a user interface display. The pile of objects is configured to expand from a contracted form when a pointer approaches a boundary of the pile on the user interface display. The user interface module is configured to determine two closest objects in the pile of objects that correspond with the pointer on the user interface display and to move the two closest objects to the pointer to visually indicate an insertion point into the pile. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a user interface module configured to operate via at least one electronic processing system and to cause an animation of a pile of objects on a user interface display, wherein the pile of objects is configured to expand from a contracted form when a pointer approaches a boundary of the pile on the user interface display, wherein the boundary is invisible to a user, and wherein the user interface module is configured to render a pre-insertion animation that, as the pointer moves along the boundary;

dynamically determines two closest objects in the pile of objects that correspond with the pointer on the user interface display;

moves the two closest objects closer to the pointer; and

presents the two closest objects in non-obstructed full view to the user optimizing visual feedback in limited display space to visually indicate an insertion point into the pile between the two closest objects.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the insertion point is configured to represent where a new object will be inserted into the pile.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pile of objects may be searched by moving the pointer along the boundary.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pile of objects is configured to expand to allow the user to more easily view the objects in the pile.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pile of objects is configured to expand to allow the user to extract an object from the pile or insert the object into the pile.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pile of objects is configured to return to the contracted form when the pointer moves away from the boundary.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface module is configured to receive movement information from a remote control, and to move the pointer in response to the movement information, wherein the remote control is a free-form pointing device.

8. A method, comprising:

causing an animation of a pile of objects on a user interface display, the animation comprising;

expanding the pile of objects from a contracted form when a pointer approaches a boundary of the pile on the user interface display, wherein the boundary is invisible to a user; and

as the pointer moves along the boundary,

dynamically determining two closest objects in the pile of objects that correspond with the pointer on the user interface display;

moving the two closest objects closer to the pointer; and

presenting the two closest objects in non-obstructed full view to the user optimizing visual feedback in limited display space to visually indicate an insertion point into the pile between the two closest objects.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the insertion point is configured to represent where a new object will be inserted into the pile.

10. The method of claim 8, the animation further comprising allowing the user to search the pile of objects by moving the pointer along the boundary.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the pile of objects is configured to expand to allow the user to more easily view the objects in the pile.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pile of objects is configured to expand to allow the user to extract an object from the pile or insert the object into the pile.

13. The method of claim 8, the animation further comprising returning the pile of objects to the contracted form when the pointer moves away from the boundary.

14. The method of claim 8, the animation further comprising:

receiving movement information from a remote control; and

moving the pointer in response to the movement information, wherein the remote control is a free-form pointing device.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform instructions for:

causing an animation of a pile of objects on a user interface display, the animation comprising;

expanding the pile of objects from a contracted form when a pointer approaches a boundary of the pile on the user interface display, wherein the boundary is invisible to a user; and

as the pointer moves along the boundary,

dynamically determining two closest objects in the pile of objects that correspond with the pointer on the user interface display;

moving the two closest objects closer to the pointer; and

presenting the two closest objects in non-obstructed full view to the user optimizing visual feedback in limited display space to visually indicate an insertion point into the pile between the two closest objects.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the insertion point is configured to represent where a new object will be inserted into the pile.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, the animation further comprising allowing the user to search the pile of objects by moving the pointer along the boundary.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the pile of objects is configured to expand to allow the user to more easily view the objects in the pile.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the pile of objects is configured to expand to allow the user to extract an object from the pile or insert the object into the pile.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, the animation further comprising returning the pile of objects to the contracted form when the pointer moves away from the boundary.