Arranging tiles

• US 8,935,631 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Leonard, Chantal M., Kuehnle, Holger, Whytock, John C., Deutsch, Rebecca, Miner, Patrice L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parker, Jeanette J
• Application Number:
  US13/657,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 715/788, 715/769
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for arranging tiles. These techniques and apparatuses enable users to quickly and easily arrange tiles within an interface, such as an application-launching interface. In some cases, users may arrange tiles in an interface with as little as one continuous gesture.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving selection, through a single continuous gesture from a user, of a selected tile of multiple tiles displayed in a first view in a user interface, the selection moving the selected tile from a current location among the multiple tiles to a designated region of the user interface including receiving a first dragging portion of the single continuous gesture that drags the selected tile to the designated region,

the designated region being one of a top edge of the user interface, a bottom edge of the user interface, or a marked area within the user interface separated from the multiple tiles, said marked area configured to display tiles at a smaller size than the size at which the multiple tiles are displayed;

responsive solely to the selection moving the selected tile to the designated region and without receiving another gesture from the user, zooming out from the first view to a second view during reception of the single continuous gesture, the second view including at least a portion of the multiple tiles displayed in the first view and multiple other tiles not displayed in the first view;

receiving another selection through the single continuous gesture, the other selection moving the selected tile to a new location in the second view, the other selection including receiving a second dragging portion of the single continuous gesture that drags the selected tile from the designated region to the new location;

zooming into the new location during reception of the single continuous gesture, the zooming in presenting a third view, the third view including the new location and one or more of the multiple other tiles, the new location occupied by a current tile of the multiple other tiles;

indicating that the new location is valid by altering an appearance of a tile above the new location or the current tile;

placing the selected tile at the new location; and

automatically reflowing one or more of the multiple other tiles.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein tiles of the portion of the multiple tiles included in the second view are presented at a lower resolution or smaller than the tiles of the portion of the multiple tiles when presented in the first view.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the moving the selected tile to the designated region and the moving the selected tile to the new location shows the selected tile connected to a selector of the single continuous gesture.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising receiving a third portion of the single continuous gesture, the third portion a dwell or hover of the single continuous gesture received:

over the designated region of the user interface;

after the first dragging portion of the single continuous gesture; and

before the second dragging portion of the single continuous gesture.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the selection moving the selected tile to the new location in the second view moves the selected tile between the tile above the new location and the current tile.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the selections are received through a touch-sensitive display.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 3, wherein the selector is a mouse pointer.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein altering the appearance of the tile above the new location or the current tile tilts the tile above the new location or tilts the current tile.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the selection moving the selected tile to the new location includes a dwell or hover over the new location, and wherein zooming into the new location is responsive to the dwell or the hover.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the user interface, when in the first view, enables selection to launch an application on selection of another of the multiple tiles and, when in the third view and after placing the selected tile at the new location, enables selection to launch another application on selection of one of the multiple other tiles in the third view.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the multiple tiles displayed in the first view are grouped into an array having multiple columns and rows.

12. A computing device comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, perform operations comprising;

receiving selection, through a single continuous gesture from a user, of a selected tile of multiple tiles displayed in a first view in a user interface, the selection moving the selected tile from a current location among the multiple tiles to a designated region of the user interface including receiving a first dragging portion of the single continuous gesture that drags the selected tile to the designated region,

the designated region being one of a top edge of the user interface, a bottom edge of the user interface, or a marked area within the user interface separated from the multiple tiles, said marked area configured to display tiles at a smaller size than the size at which the multiple tiles are displayed;

responsive solely to the selection moving the selected tile to the designated region and without receiving another gesture from the user, zooming out from the first view to a second view during reception of the single continuous gesture, the second view including at least a portion of the multiple tiles displayed in the first view and multiple other tiles not displayed in the first view;

receiving another selection through the single continuous gesture, the other selection moving the selected tile to a new location in the second view, the other selection including receiving a second dragging portion of the single continuous gesture that drags the selected tile from the designated region to the new location;

zooming into the new location during reception of the single continuous gesture, the zooming in presenting a third view, the third view including the new location and one or more of the multiple other tiles, the new location occupied by a current tile of the multiple other tiles;

indicating that the new location is valid by altering an appearance of a tile above the new location or current tile;

placing the selected tile at the new location; and

automatically reflowing one or more of the multiple other tiles.

13. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein tiles of the portion of the multiple tiles included in the second view are presented at a lower resolution or smaller than the tiles of the portion of the multiple tiles when presented in the first view.

14. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the moving the selected tile to the designated region and the moving the selected tile to the new location shows the selected tile connected to a selector of the single continuous gesture.

15. A computing device as described in claim 12, further comprising receiving a third portion of the single continuous gesture, the third portion a dwell or hover of the single continuous gesture received:

over the designated region of the user interface;

after the first dragging portion of the single continuous gesture; and

before the second dragging portion of the single continuous gesture.

16. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the selection moving the selected tile to the new location in the second view moves the selected tile between the tile above the new location and the current tile or adjacent to the current tile.

17. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the selections are received through a touch-sensitive display.

18. A computing device as described in claim 14, wherein the selector is a mouse pointer.

19. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein altering the appearance of the tile above the new location or the current tile tilts the tile above the new location or tilts the current tile.

20. One or more computer-readable storage memories storing instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving selection, through a single continuous gesture from a user, of a selected tile of multiple tiles displayed in a first view in a user interface, the selection moving the selected tile from a current location among the multiple tiles to a designated region of the user interface including receiving a first dragging portion of the single continuous gesture that drags the selected tile to the designated region,

the designated region being one of a top edge of the user interface, a bottom edge of the user interface, or a marked area within the user interface separated from the multiple tiles, said marked area configured to display tiles at a smaller size than the size at which the multiple tiles are displayed;

responsive solely to the selection moving the selected tile to the designated region and without receiving another gesture from the user, zooming out from the first view to a second view during reception of the single continuous gesture, the second view including at least a portion of the multiple tiles displayed in the first view and multiple other tiles not displayed in the first view;

receiving another selection through the single continuous gesture, the other selection moving the selected tile to a new location in the second view, the other selection including receiving a second dragging portion of the single continuous gesture that drags the selected tile from the designated region to the new location;

zooming into the new location during reception of the single continuous gesture, the zooming in presenting a third view, the third view including the new location and one or more of the multiple other tiles, the new location occupied by a current tile of the multiple other tiles;

indicating that the new location is valid by altering an appearance of a tile above the new location or the current tile;

placing the selected tile at the new location; and

automatically reflowing one or more of the multiple other tiles.