Single-handed approach for navigation of application tiles using panning and zooming

• US 8,819,569 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zumobi Incorporated (Aclate, Inc.)
• Inventors: SanGiovanni, John, Robbins, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, William
• Application Number:
  US11/061,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,476 Days
• Field of Search: 715/767, 715/864, 715/778, 715/798, 715/801, 715/763, 715764-766, 715810-838, 715/792, 715/840, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites

Abstract

The subject invention provides a unique interactive system and method that facilitate single-handed navigation and interaction with applications within a display space on any type of mobile computing device. The system and method include or employ scalable application tiles corresponding to applications, whereby the application tiles can provide or indicate the current state of the corresponding application. The state information provided in each tile can vary as well depending on the current size of the tile. The tiles can be arranged into a plurality of zones such that a user can view one particular zone at a time and obtain more context and information from the application tiles in that zone rather than working with all tiles and all zones at the same time. The view of the display space can be of the world or all application tiles, zone, or application. Panning and zooming among the zones, application tiles and/or views can be performed single-handedly using designated on or off screen controls.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device comprising:

means for displaying a current view of a display space comprising a plurality of zones,

said current view including one of;

a zone view which shows a single zone of the plurality of zones;

an application view which shows a particular application tile of one of the plurality zones; and

a world view which shows the plurality of zones,

each zone of the plurality of zones comprising a plurality of application tiles and a central action control, the central action control distinct from the plurality of application tiles,

each application tile of the plurality of application tiles corresponding to and operable to launch an individual application,

said central action control configured to facilitate functions comprising zooming out from the zone view to the world view, zooming in from the world view to the zone view, and panning from a current zone of the plurality of zones when the current view is the zone view to a second zone of the plurality of zones,

wherein said zooming in is performed when said central action control is touched by a user when the current view is the world view,

wherein said zooming out is performed when said central action control is touched by the user when the current view is the zone view, and

wherein said panning is performed when said central action control is dragged by the user when the current view is the zone view, wherein said panning comprises animated panning of the plurality of application tiles in said current zone along at least one of an x-axis or a y-axis to facilitate a single-handed drag gesture through the plurality of application tiles; and

means for displaying position indicator controls that indicate a location of the current view within the display space.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further comprising means for displaying a zoom depth gauge that indicates a current zoom level corresponding to the current view.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of keys mapped to said plurality of zones, said plurality of keys allowing selection of said plurality of zones by pressing one or more of said plurality of keys.

4. A navigation method for allowing a user to interact with applications on mobile computing devices, said method comprising:

displaying, on a mobile device, a current view of a display space comprising a plurality of zones,

said current view including one of;

a zone view which shows a single zone of the plurality of zones;

an application view which shows a particular application tile of one of the plurality zones; and

a world view which shows the plurality of zones,

each zone of the plurality of zones comprising a plurality of application tiles and an on screen control, the on screen control distinct from the plurality of application tiles,

each application tile of the plurality of application tiles corresponding to and operable to launch an individual application

said on-screen control central to each zone of said plurality of zones, said on-screen control configured to facilitate functions comprising zooming out from the zone view to the world view, zooming in from the world view to the zone view, and panning from a current zone of the plurality of zones when the current view is the zone view to a second zone of the plurality of zones;

performing said zooming in when said on-screen control is touched by a user when the current view is the world view;

performing said zooming out when said on-screen control is touched by the user when the current view is the zone view;

performing said panning when said on-screen control is dragged by the user when the current view is the zone view, wherein said panning comprises animated panning of the plurality of application tiles in said current zone along at least one of an x-axis or a y-axis to facilitate a single-handed drag gesture through the plurality of application tiles; and

displaying position indicator controls that indicate a location of the current view within the display space.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising mapping said plurality of applications tiles to a standard keypad to facilitate single-handed interaction and navigation with respect to said plurality of applications tiles.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a zoom depth gauge that indicates a current zoom depth corresponding to the current view within the display space, wherein the plurality of position indicator controls provide visual indication of application tiles or zones not in the current view.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein user interaction is single-handed.

8. A navigation method for allowing a user to interact with applications on mobile computing devices, said method comprising:

uploading a plurality of applications;

displaying a current view of a display space of a mobile computing device, the display space comprising a plurality of zones,

said current view including one of;

a zone view which shows a single zone of the plurality of zones;

an application view which shows a particular application tile of one of the plurality zones; and

a world view which shows the plurality of zones,

each zone of the plurality of zones comprising a plurality of scalable application tiles and a centrally located on-screen control, the centrally located on-screen control distinct from the plurality of scalable application tiles,

each scalable application tile of the plurality of scalable application tiles corresponding to and operable to launch an individual application of the plurality of applications,

said centrally located on-screen control configured to facilitate functions comprising zooming out from the zone view to the world view, zooming in from the world view to the zone view, and panning from a current zone of the plurality of zones when the current view is the zone view to a second zone of the plurality of zones;

performing said zooming in when said centrally located on-screen control is touched by a user when the current view is the world view;

performing said zooming out when said centrally located on-screen control is touched by the user when the current view is the zone view;

performing said panning when said centrally located on-screen control is dragged by the user when the current view is the zone view, wherein said panning comprises animated panning of the plurality of scalable application tiles in said current zone along at least one of an x-axis or a y-axis to facilitate a single-handed drag gesture through the plurality of scalable application tiles; and

displaying position indicator controls that indicate a location of the current view within the display space.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein user interaction is single-handed.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

allowing the user to zoom in to the current zone, thereby expanding said current zone, said centrally located on-screen control of said current zone remaining visible within said current zone after said expanding; and

receiving user input to pan to the second zone of said plurality of zones after the user has expanded the current zone, thereby transitioning from said current zone to said second zone.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said centrally located on-screen control snaps the zone view to the second zone when panning.

12. A mobile computing device comprising:

a screen for displaying a current view of a display space

a processor for executing instructions; and

a memory storing said instructions, which when executed by said processor, perform;

displaying the current view of the display space comprising a plurality of zones,

said current view including one of;

a zone view which shows a single zone of the plurality of zones;

an application view which shows a particular application tile of one of the plurality zones; and

a world view which shows the plurality of zones,

each zone of the plurality of zones comprising a plurality of application tiles and an on-screen control, the on-screen control distinct from the plurality of application tiles,

each application tile of the plurality of application tiles corresponding to and operable to launch an individual application;

receiving user input and performing functions comprising zooming out from the zone view to the world view, zooming in from the world view to the zone view, and panning from a current zone of the plurality of zones when the current view is the zone view to a second zone of the plurality of zones based, at least in part, on said user input via the on-screen control, the on-screen control centrally located within each zone of said plurality of zones, wherein said receiving user input is further operable to launch one or more applications in response to user interaction with said plurality of application tiles;

performing said zooming in when said on-screen control is touched by a user when the current view is the world view;

performing said zooming out when said on-screen control is touched by the user when the current view is the zone view;

performing said panning when said on-screen control is dragged by the user when the current view is the zone view, wherein said panning comprises animated panning of the plurality of application tiles in said current zone along at least one of an x-axis or a y-axis to facilitate a single-handed drag gesture through the plurality of application tiles; and

displaying position indicator controls that indicate a location of the current view within the display space.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 12 wherein said on-screen control comprises:

a hit target allowing user interaction therewith without using a stylus.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 12 wherein said on-screen control is configured to snap the zone view to the second zone when panning.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of keys mapped to said plurality of zones, said keys allowing for selection of said plurality of zones by pressing one or more of said plurality of keys.