Displaying a selectable item over a blurred user interface

• US 9,389,756 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2015
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran A., Madden, Thomas Michael, Forstall, Scott J., Kerr, Duncan Robert, King, Nicholas V., Lemay, Stephen O., Fabrick, Richard W. II, Ording, Bas, Seymour, Eric Taylor, van Os, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US14/809,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Techniques and systems for centralized access to multimedia content stored on or available to a computing device are disclosed. The centralized access can be provided by a media control interface that receives user inputs and interacts with media programs resident on the computing device to produce graphical user interfaces that can be presented on a display device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device that is in communication with a display device and one or more input devices;

providing, for display on a screen of the display device a first user interface;

while the first user interface is displayed on the display device, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a first input associated with the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first input, updating the first user interface on the display device by blurring the first user interface and displaying a first selectable item disposed over the blurred first user interface;

while the first selectable item is displayed disposed over the blurred first user interface, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input that corresponds to selection of the first selectable item; and

in response to receiving the second input;

updating the display screen on the display device by ceasing to display the first selectable item and unblurring the first user interface; and

performing an operation associated with the first selectable item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first user interface includes a first plurality of selectable items;

the first selectable item is one of a second plurality of selectable items of a second user interface; and

the displaying of the first selectable item comprises providing the second user interface that includes the second plurality of selectable items disposed over the blurred first user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first user interface and the second user interface relate to the same application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

while the second user interface is displayed over the blurred first user interface, one or more of the first plurality of selectable items are visible through one or more of the second plurality of selectable items.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the ceasing to display the first selectable item includes a transition effect including fading out the first selectable item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second input includes an activation of a button on a remote control that is separate from the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the ceasing to display the first selectable item and unblurring the first user interface includes a transition effect including cross dissolving the first selectable item and the first user interface.

8. A system comprising:

a display device;

one or more input devices;

an electronic device comprising one or more processors in communication with the display device and the one or more input devices, the one or more processors being configured to;

provide, for display on a screen of the display device a first user interface;

while the first user interface is displayed on the display device, receive, via the one or more input devices, a first input associated with the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first input, update the first user interface on the display device by blurring the first user interface and displaying a first selectable item disposed over the blurred first user interface;

while the first selectable item is displayed disposed over the blurred first user interface, receive, via the one or more input devices, a second input that corresponds to selection of the first selectable item; and

in response to receiving the second input;

update the display screen on the display device by ceasing to display the first selectable item and unblurring the first user interface; and

perform an operation associated with the first selectable item.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the first user interface includes a first plurality of selectable the first selectable item is one of a second plurality of selectable items of a second user interface; and

the displaying of the first selectable item comprises providing the second user interface that includes the second plurality of selectable items disposed over the blurred first user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the first user interface and the second user interface relate to the same application.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein:

while the second user interface is displayed over the blurred first user interface, one or more of the first plurality of selectable items are visible through one or more of the second plurality of selectable items.

12. The method system of claim 8, wherein:

the ceasing to display the first selectable item includes a transition effect including fading out the first selectable item.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the second input includes an activation of a button on a remote control that is separate from the electronic device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the ceasing to display the first selectable item and unblurring the first user interface includes a transition effect including cross dissolving the first selectable item and the first user interface.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

providing, for display on a screen of a display device a first user interface;

while the first user interface is displayed on the display device, receiving, via one or more input devices, a first input associated with the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first input, updating the first user interface on the display by blurring the first user interface and displaying a first selectable item disposed over the blurred first user interface;

while the first selectable item is displayed disposed over the blurred first user interface, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a second input that corresponds to selection of the first selectable item; and

in response to receiving the second input;

updating the display screen on the display device by ceasing to display the first selectable item and unblurring the first user interface; and

performing an operation associated with the first selectable item.

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

the first user interface includes a first plurality of selectable items;

the first selectable item is one of a second plurality of selectable items of a second user interface; and

the displaying of the first selectable item comprises providing the second user interface that includes the second plurality of selectable items disposed over the blurred first user interface.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein:

the first user interface and the second user interface relate to the same application.

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

while the second user interface is displayed over the blurred first user interface, one or more of the first plurality of selectable items are visible through one or more of the second plurality of selectable items.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the ceasing to display the first selectable item includes a transition effect including fading out the first selectable item.

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

the second input includes an activation of a button on a remote control that is separate from the machine.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the ceasing to display the first selectable item and unblurring the first user interface includes a transition effect including cross dissolving the first selectable item and the first user interface.