Method and apparatus for operation of a computing device

• US 9,285,952 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Andersson Reimer, Nils Roger, Jeppsson, Tim Kjell
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US13/630,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20130187957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 715/963, 715/762
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

A method and computing device are provided for showing affordance of list scroll-ability within a display of a computing device. As part of the rendering process of the graphical user interface a user is prompted through the provision of additional data to that ultimately displayed to consider that the final displayed list is a subset of data which may be accessed through the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method of generating a graphical user interface on a display of a computing device, the method comprising in response to an input to the device:

receiving a user selection of a field;

in response to the selection, displaying a drop down menu including a plurality of columns, where each of the plurality of columns independently move vertically in response swipe gestures on that column;

for each of the columns;

selecting a first set of data from a first data source for display within that column;

selecting a subset of the first set of data from the first data source, the subset being selected based on the available area of the display;

displaying the subset within that column;

detecting a swipe gesture across a portion of that column;

selecting a portion of the first set of data comprising more data of the first set of data than the selected subset; and

prior to receiving user input within that column, displaying at least said portion of the first set of data as a moving image within that column to indicate to the user that more data is available in the first set of data than in the subset of the first set of data; and

displaying data in the field corresponding to data in a predefined row of the plurality of columns.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the display of at least a portion of the first set of data as a moving image prompts a user to subsequently scroll through the displayed subset to access data fields within the first set but not initially displayed in the displayed subset.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the subset of the first set is selected from within the first set such that the first set of data comprises data that sequentially leads into and follows the displayed subset.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

retrieving data from a second data source, the data from the second data source being time-related to the data from the first data source;

displaying a representation of the data from the second data source within one of the plurality of columns.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising concurrently displaying the representation of data from the second data source with data from the first data source.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising subsequent to the concurrent display of the representation of data from the first and second data sources and, in response to an input to the device, permitting a writing of data to the first data source.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the display of the representation of data from the second data source is adjacent a display of data from the first data source such that the graphical user interface correlates the data from the first and second data sources to provide contextual data.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the representation of data from the second data source is simultaneously visible with a representation of data displayed from the first data source.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the representation of data from the second data source is located within a same field of view as a representation of data displayed from the first data source.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the representation of data from the second data source is located to at least one side of a representation of data displayed from the first data source.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein the first data source is scheduler module of the computing device and wherein the second data source is a calendar module of the computing device.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein the displayed data from the first data source comprises first and second data input fields.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second data input fields define time and date fields respectively.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the data from the second data source is displayed as a color, the color providing a visual indicator to the presence of pre-stored data from second data source relevant to the displayed time and date fields.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the first data source is scheduler module of the computing device, the second data source is a calendar module of the computing device and the first and second data input fields define time and date fields respectively

wherein the data from the second data source includes previously stored data from a calendar relating to the displayed time and date fields and indicating availability of a user within the displayed time and date fields.

16. The method of claim 4 wherein the first data source is scheduler module of the computing device, the second data source is a calendar module of the computing device

wherein the data from the second data source includes previously stored data from a plurality of calendars and indicating availability of a plurality of users within the displayed time and date fields.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the first data source is scheduler module of the computing device.

18. An electronic device comprising a display and a processor, the processor being configured, in response to an input to the device, to execute the method of:

receiving a user selection of a field;

in response to the selection, displaying a drop down menu including a plurality of columns, where each of the plurality of columns independently move vertically in response swipe gestures on that column;

for each of the columns;

selecting a first set of data from a first data source for display within that column;

selecting a subset of the first set of data from the first data source, the subset being selected based on the available area of the display;

displaying the subset within that column;

detecting a swipe gesture across a portion of that column;

prior to receiving user input within that column, displaying at least said portion of the first set of data as a moving image within that column to indicate to the user that more data is available in the first set of data than in the subset of the first set of data; and

displaying data in the field corresponding to data in a predefined row of the plurality of columns.

19. An electronic device-readable medium bearing code which, when executed by one or more processors comprised in an electronic device, causes the electronic device to:

receive a user selection of a field;

in response to the selection, display a drop down menu including a plurality of columns, where each of the plurality of columns independently move vertically in response swipe gestures on that column;

for each of the columns;

select a first set of data from a first data source for display within that column;

select a subset of the first set of data from the first data source, the subset being selected based on the available area of the display;

display the subset within that column;

detect a swipe gesture across a portion of that column;

prior to receiving user input within that column, display at least said portion of the first set of data as a moving image within that column to indicate to the user that more data is available in the first set of data than in the subset of the first set of data; and

display data in the field corresponding to data in a predefined row of the plurality of columns.