Device, method, and graphical user interface for managing folders

• US 8,881,060 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, van Os, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, DAEHO D
• Application Number:
  US12/888,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715/770, 715/748
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A multifunction device displays a plurality of selectable user interface objects on the display. In response to detecting the first input, the device moves a first object in the plurality of selectable user interface objects across the display to a location on the display that is proximate to a second object in the plurality of selectable user interface objects. In response to detecting that the first input meets predefined folder-creation criteria while the first object is proximate to the second object, the device creates a folder that contains the first object and the second object.

Claims

1. A multifunction device, comprising:

a 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;

receiving an input that corresponds to a request to create a folder that contains a first item and a second item, the first item having a name and a plurality of category descriptors and the second item having a name and a plurality of category descriptors;

in response to receiving the input;

creating the folder that contains the first item and the second item;

determining a first plurality of category descriptors that are associated with the first item;

determining a second plurality of category descriptors that are associated with the second item;

determining that the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share at least a first common category descriptor;

in response to determining that the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share at least a first common category descriptor;

automatically generating a folder name for the folder based on the first common category descriptor; and

displaying an icon for the folder with the automatically generated folder name on the display.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors includes a plurality of tags that were previously assigned to the first item;

the second plurality of category descriptors includes a plurality of tags that were previously assigned to the second item; and

the first common category descriptor is a tag that is included in the first plurality of tags and in the second plurality of tags.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors includes a first hierarchy of categories;

the second plurality of category descriptors includes a second hierarchy of categories; and

the first common category descriptor is a category that is included in the first hierarchy of categories and in the second hierarchy of categories.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein:

the first hierarchy of categories is a set of categories to which the first item has been assigned within an application database;

the second hierarchy of categories is a set of categories to which the second item has been assigned within the application database.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the application database is a database of applications in an application store.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share a set of one or more category descriptors;

category descriptors in the shared set of one or more category descriptors have varying levels of specificity; and

a most specific category descriptor in the shared set of one or more category descriptors is selected as the first common category descriptor.

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

when the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors do not share any common category descriptors;

automatically generating a folder name for the folder based on a category descriptor from the first plurality of category descriptors; and

displaying an icon for the folder with the automatically generated folder name on the display.

8. A method comprising:

at a multifunction device with a display;

receiving an input that corresponds to a request to create a folder that contains a first item and a second item, the first item having a name and a plurality of category descriptors and the second item having a name and a plurality of category descriptors;

in response to receiving the input;

creating the folder that contains the first item and the second item;

determining a first plurality of category descriptors that are associated with the first item;

determining a second plurality of category descriptors that are associated with the second item;

determining that the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share at least a first common category descriptor;

in response to determining that the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share at least a first common category descriptor;

automatically generating a folder name for the folder based on the first common category descriptor; and

displaying an icon for the folder with the automatically generated folder name on the display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors includes a plurality of tags that were previously assigned to the first item;

the second plurality of category descriptors includes a plurality of tags that were previously assigned to the second item; and

the first common category descriptor is a tag that is included in the first plurality of tags and in the second plurality of tags.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors includes a first hierarchy of categories;

the second plurality of category descriptors includes a second hierarchy of categories; and

the first common category descriptor is a category that is included in the first hierarchy of categories and in the second hierarchy of categories.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first hierarchy of categories is a set of categories to which the first item has been assigned within an application database;

the second hierarchy of categories is a set of categories to which the second item has been assigned within the application database.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the application database is a database of applications in an application store.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share a set of one or more category descriptors;

category descriptors in the shared set of one or more category descriptors have varying levels of specificity; and

a most specific category descriptor in the shared set of one or more category descriptors is selected as the first common category descriptor.

14. The method of claim 8, including:

when the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors do not share any common category descriptors;

automatically generating a folder name for the folder based on a category descriptor from the first plurality of category descriptors; and

displaying an icon for the folder with the automatically generated folder name on the display.

15. 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 display, cause the device to:

receive an input that corresponds to a request to create a folder that contains a first item and a second item, the first item having a name and a plurality of category descriptors and the second item having a name and a plurality of category descriptors;

in response to receiving the input;

create the folder that contains the first item and the second item;

determine a first plurality of category descriptors that are associated with the first item;

determine a second plurality of category descriptors that are associated with the second item;

determine that the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share at least a first common category descriptor;

in response to determining that the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share at least a first common category descriptor;

automatically generate a folder name for the folder based on the first common category descriptor; and

display an icon for the folder with the automatically generated folder name on the display.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors includes a plurality of tags that were previously assigned to the first item;

the second plurality of category descriptors includes a plurality of tags that were previously assigned to the second item; and

the first common category descriptor is a tag that is included in the first plurality of tags and in the second plurality of tags.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors includes a first hierarchy of categories;

the second plurality of category descriptors includes a second hierarchy of categories; and

the first common category descriptor is a category that is included in the first hierarchy of categories and in the second hierarchy of categories.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the first hierarchy of categories is a set of categories to which the first item has been assigned within an application database;

the second hierarchy of categories is a set of categories to which the second item has been assigned within the application database.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the application database is a database of applications in an application store.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors share a set of one or more category descriptors;

category descriptors in the shared set of one or more category descriptors have varying levels of specificity; and

a most specific category descriptor in the shared set of one or more category descriptors is selected as the first common category descriptor.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, including instructions which cause the device to:

when the first plurality of category descriptors and the second plurality of category descriptors do not share any common category descriptors;

automatically generate a folder name for the folder based on a category descriptor from the first plurality of category descriptors; and

display an icon for the folder with the automatically generated folder name on the display.