Application user interface with an interactive overlay

• US 9,026,935 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rasmussen, Jens Eilstrup, Ramsussen, Lars Eilstrup, Adams, Cameron Knox
• Primary Examiner(s): Kujundzic, Dino
• Application Number:
  US13/094,785
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790, 715/764, 715/779, 715/796
• US Class Current: 715/779
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A client system displays a user interface with a display region and a minimized window region. A plurality of windows are displayed in the display region, including a first window and a second window. The client system detects a first input that corresponds to a request to change a state of one or more of the windows; and in response to detecting the first input, the client system ceases to display the first window in the display region, and displays a representation of the first window in the minimized window region. After ceasing to display the first window, the client system detects a second input that corresponds to a request to view content of the first window; and in response to detecting the second input, the client displays an interactive overlay that includes content of the first window and partially overlaps the display region.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a client system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors so as to perform the method;

displaying a user interface with a display region and a minimized window region, wherein the user interface is for a single-web application, and wherein a plurality of windows are displayed in the display region of the single web-application, the plurality of windows including a plurality of command windows displayed in a predefined order, wherein a successively ordered first and second window in the plurality of command windows are displayed adjacent to each other, and one or more content windows, wherein each command window corresponds to a predetermined action that is operable on the user interface;

detecting a first input that corresponds to a request to change a state of one or more of the content windows; and

in response to detecting the first input, ceasing to display the plurality of command windows in the display region, and displaying a representation of the plurality of command windows in the minimized window region in accordance with the predefined order, wherein representations of the successively ordered first and second window are displayed adjacent to each other;

after ceasing to display the plurality of command windows, detecting a second input that corresponds to a request to view content of a respective command window; and

in response to detecting the second input, displaying an interactive overlay including content of the respective command window, wherein the interactive overlay is displayed so as to partially overlap the display region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, while the interactive overlay that includes content of the respective command window is displayed:

detecting a third input that corresponds to a request to modify the content of the respective command window; and

in response to detecting the third input, modifying the content of the respective command window within the interactive overlay.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, while the interactive overlay that includes content of the respective command window is displayed:

detecting a third input that corresponds to a request to interact with an element of the user interface outside of the interactive overlay; and

in response to detecting the third input, ceasing to display the interactive overlay.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the respective command window was not displayed in the minimized window region at the time that the first input was detected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive overlay is displayed at a location that is proximate to the representation of the respective command window in the minimized window region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input is a request to maximize a respective content window.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, prior to detecting the first input, a third window is displayed in the display region, and the method includes, in response to detecting the first input:

ceasing to display the third window in the display region; and

displaying a representation of the third window in the minimized window region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second input includes selection of the representation of the respective command window in the minimized window region.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second input includes selection of an element in a second window that is linked with content of the respective command window.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a representation of a third window is displayed in the minimized window region and the method further comprises, while the interactive overlay that includes content of the respective command window is displayed:

detecting a third input that corresponds to selection of an element in the interactive overlay that is linked with content of the third window; and

in response to detecting the third input, displaying an interactive overlay including content of the third window, wherein the interactive overlay is displayed so as to partially overlap the display region.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, in response to detecting the third input, ceasing to display the interactive overlay including content of the respective command window.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is for a single window or tab of a web browser.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while displaying the representation of the respective command window in the minimized window region, detecting a third input that corresponds to a request to restore the respective command window; and

in response to the third input, redisplaying the respective command window in the display region and ceasing to display the representation of the respective command window in the minimized window region.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, within the display region, a boundary between a second window and a third window and a fourth window;

detecting a third input that corresponds to moving the boundary; and

in response to detecting the third input, resizing the second window, the third window and the fourth window in accordance with movement of the boundary.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying in the display region the plurality of command windows from top to bottom, left to right; and

displaying a representation of the plurality of command windows in the minimized window region from left to right.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the single-web application is an email application.

17. A computer system, comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

non-transitory 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 hardware processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a user interface with a display region and a minimized window region, wherein the user interface is for a single-web application, and wherein a plurality of windows are displayed in the display region of the single web-application, the plurality of windows including a plurality of command windows displayed in a predefined order, wherein a successively ordered first and second window in the plurality of command windows are displayed adjacent to each other, and one or more content windows, wherein each command window corresponds to a predetermined action that is operable on the user interface;

detecting a first input that corresponds to a request to change a state of one or more of the content windows; and

in response to detecting the first input, ceasing to display the plurality of command windows in the display region, and displaying a representation of the plurality of command windows in the minimized window region in accordance with the predefined order, wherein representations of the successively ordered first and second window are displayed next to each other;

after ceasing to display the plurality of command windows, detecting a second input that corresponds to a request to view content of a respective command window; and

in response to detecting the second input, displaying an interactive overlay including content of the respective command window, wherein the interactive overlay is displayed so as to partially overlap the display region.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium and one or more computer programs embedded therein, the one or more computer programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

display a user interface with a display region and a minimized window region, wherein the user interface is for a single-web application, and wherein a plurality of windows are displayed in the display region of the single web-application, the plurality of windows including a plurality of command windows displayed in a predefined order, wherein a successively ordered first and second window in the plurality of command windows are displayed adjacent to each other, and one or more content windows, wherein each command window corresponds to a predetermined action that is operable on the user interface;

detect a first input that corresponds to a request to change a state of one or more of the content windows; and

in response to detecting the first input, cease to display the plurality of command windows in the display region, and display a representation of the plurality of command windows in the minimized window region in accordance with the predefined order, wherein representations of the successively ordered first and second window are displayed adjacent to each other;

after ceasing to display the plurality of command windows, detect a second input that corresponds to a request to view content of a respective command window; and

in response to detecting the second input, display an interactive overlay including content of the respective command window, wherein the interactive overlay is displayed so as to partially overlap the display region.