Desktop system object removal

• US 8,839,142 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran A., Louch, John O.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US11/760,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,657 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790, 715/788, 715/797
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A graphical user interface includes a first system object, e.g., a window. The first system object is removed from the graphical user interface when the first system object remains inactive for a period of time, and the first system object is substantially overlapped by a second system object, e.g., a second window.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

providing a first graphical object and a second graphical object for display in a graphical user interface;

determining that a threshold area of the first graphical object is overlapped by the second graphical object for a threshold period of time; and

then

removing the first graphical object from the graphical user interface, including providing the first graphical object for display gradually more transparently in a fading manner until the first graphical object is no longer displayed in the graphical user interface.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, the operations comprising scaling the first graphical object down in size.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, the operations comprising moving the first graphical object laterally or vertically off of the graphical user interface.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the first graphical object comprises a window having window content and a window outline, and

providing the first graphical object for display gradually more transparently comprises;

displaying the window content of the first graphical object gradually more transparently in a fading manner; and

when the window content becomes transparent, instantly ceasing to display the window outline.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the first graphical object has a contextual relationship with the second graphical object, the contextual relationship being determined based on at least one of an origin, content, creation, or a name, the origin, content, creation, and name relating the first graphical object to the second graphical object, and

the operations comprise;

receiving an input indicating that the second graphical object is used; and

in response to receiving the input, causing, based on the contextual relationship between the first graphical object and the second graphical object, the first graphical object to reappear in the user interface.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the threshold area is approximately 50% of the first graphical object'"'"'s area.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first graphical object represents a first document, the second graphical object represents a second document, wherein both the first document and the second document are associated with an email application by virtue of being attached to a same email message.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second graphical object is a window that is inactive prior to a selection of using the second graphical object.

9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a first graphical object and a second graphical object for display in a graphical user interface

determining that a threshold area of the first graphical object is overlapped by the second graphical object for a threshold period of time and then

removing the first graphical object from the graphical user interface, including providing the first graphical object for display gradually more transparently in a fading manner until the first graphical object is no longer displayed in the graphical user interface.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, comprising scaling the first graphical object down in size until the first graphical object ceases to be displayed.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, comprising moving the first graphical object laterally or vertically off of the graphical user interface.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 wherein:

the first graphical object comprises a window having window content and a window outline, and

providing the first graphical object for display gradually comprises;

displaying the window content of the first graphical object gradually more transparently in a fading manner; and

when the window content becomes transparent, instantly ceasing to display the window outline.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein:

the first graphical object has a contextual relationship with the second graphical object, the contextual relationship being determined based on at least one of an origin, content, creation, or a name, the origin, content, creating, and name relating the first graphical object to the second graphical object, and

the method comprises;

receiving an input indicating that the second graphical object is used; and

in response to receiving the input, causing, based on the contextual relationship between the first graphical object and the second graphical object, the first graphical object to reappear in the user interface.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the threshold area is approximately 50% of the first graphical object'"'"'s area.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the first graphical object represents a first document, the second graphical object represents a second document, wherein both the first document and the second document are associated with an email application by virtue of being attached to a same email message.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the first graphical object is a window, and the second graphical object is a window that is different from the window of the first graphical object.

17. A system, comprising:

one or more data processing devices configured to perform operations comprising;

providing a first graphical object and one or more second graphical objects for display in a graphical user interface;

determining that a number of second graphical objects overlapping the first graphical object exceeds a threshold limit number; and

then

removing the first graphical object from the graphical user interface, including providing the first graphical object for display gradually more transparently in a fading manner until the first graphical object is no longer displayed in the graphical user interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the threshold limit number is configurable by a user.

19. The system of claim 17, the operations comprising:

receiving an input indicating that a second graphical object is being used; and

in response to receiving the input, causing, based on a contextual relationship between the first graphical object and the second graphical object, the first graphical object to reappear in the graphical user interface.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the first graphical object is a window representing a first document; and

the second graphical object is a window representing a second document, the first document and the second document being related by a subject matter included in both the first document and the second document.