Gesture-based navigation among content items

• US 9,477,642 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Decker, Kevin W., Zambetti, Nicholas, Bernstein, Jeffrey Traer, Sepulveda, Raymond, Kerr, Duncan R., Missig, Julian, Melton, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): BADAWI, ANGIE M
• Application Number:
  US13/750,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20130205244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 715/784
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40

Abstract

In any context where a user can view multiple different content items, switching among content items is provided using an array mode. In a full-frame mode, one content item is visible and active, but other content items may also be open. In response to user input the display can be switched to an array mode, in which all of the content items are visible in a scrollable array. Selecting a content item in array mode can result in the display returning to the full-frame mode, with the selected content item becoming visible and active. Smoothly animated transitions between the full-frame and array modes and a gesture-based interface for controlling the transitions can also be provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computer system with a display;

displaying, in a tab display area of a browser, a plurality of tabs that correspond to open pages, wherein the plurality of tabs include;

a first tab that is a currently active tab that corresponds to a currently active page;

a first pile of overlapping non-active tabs to the left of the currently active tab, wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the first pile includes more than an upper limit of tabs, displaying the first pile includes displaying a first pile indicator that indicates that hidden tabs exist in the first pile without indicating how many hidden tabs exist in the first pile; and

in accordance with a determination that the first pile does not include more than the upper limit of tabs, displaying the first pile includes displaying a first pile indicator that indicates the number of tabs in the first pile; and

a second pile of overlapping non-active tabs to the right of the currently active tab;

receiving an input that selects a second tab from the plurality of tabs as the currently active tab; and

,

in response to receiving the input that selects the second tab from the plurality of tabs as the currently active tab;

changing the currently active tab from the first tab to the second tab;

displaying the second tab as the currently active tab;

displaying a second page that corresponds to the second tab as the currently active page;

increasing the number of tabs in the first pile; and

,

decreasing the number of tabs in the second pile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the currently active tab is displayed on top of and between the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs and the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

within the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs, tabs are ordered such that tabs closest to the currently active tab are nearest the top of the first pile, and

within the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs, tabs are ordered such that tabs closest to the currently active tab are nearest the top of the second pile.

4. The method of claim 1, including:

receiving an input that selects a rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab; and

,

in response to receiving the input that selects the rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab;

changing the currently active tab to the rightmost tab in the tab display area;

displaying the rightmost tab as the currently active tab; and

ceasing to display the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs.

5. The method of claim 4, including:

in response to receiving the input that selects the rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab;

increasing a size of the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer system with a display, cause the computer system to:

display, in a tab display area of a browser, a plurality of tabs that correspond to open pages, wherein the plurality of tabs include;

a first tab that is a currently active tab that corresponds to a currently active page;

a first pile of overlapping non-active tabs to the left of the currently active tab, wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the first pile includes more than an upper limit of tabs, displaying the first pile includes displaying a first pile indicator that indicates that hidden tabs exist in the first pile without indicating how man hidden tabs exist in the first pile; and

in accordance with a determination that the first pile does not include more than the upper limit of tabs, displaying the first pile includes displaying a first pile indicator that indicates the number of tabs in the first pile; and

a second pile of overlapping non-active tabs to the right of the currently active tab;

receive an input that selects a second tab from the plurality of tabs as the currently active tab; and

,

in response to receiving the input that selects the second tab from the plurality of tabs as the currently active tab;

change the currently active tab from the first tab to the second tab;

display the second tab as the currently active tab;

display a second page that corresponds to the second tab as the currently active page;

increase the number of tabs in the first pile; and

,

decrease the number of tabs in the second pile.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the currently active tab is displayed on top of and between the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs and the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein:

within the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs, tabs are ordered such that tabs closest to the currently active tab are nearest the top of the first pile, and

within the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs, tabs are ordered such that tabs closest to the currently active tab are nearest the top of the second pile.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, including instructions that, when executed by the computer system with the display, cause the computer system to:

receive an input that selects a rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab; and

,

in response to receiving the input that selects the rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab;

change the currently active tab to the rightmost tab in the tab display area;

display the rightmost tab as the currently active tab; and

cease to display the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, including instructions that, when executed by the computer system with the display, cause the computer system to:

in response to receiving the input that selects the rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab;

increase a size of the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs.

11. A computer system, 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;

displaying, in a tab display area of a browser, a plurality of tabs that correspond to open pages, wherein the plurality of tabs include;

a first tab that is a currently active tab that corresponds to a currently active page;

a first pile of overlapping non-active tabs to the left of the currently active tab, wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the first pile includes more than an upper limit of tabs, displaying the first pile includes displaying a first pile indicator that indicates that hidden tabs exist in the first pile without indicating how many hidden tabs exist in the first pile; and

in accordance with a determination that the first pile does not include more than the upper limit of tabs, displaying the first pile includes displaying a first pile indicator that indicates the number of tabs in the first pile; and

a second pile of overlapping non-active tabs to the right of the currently active tab;

receiving an input that selects a second tab from the plurality of tabs as the currently active tab; and

,

in response to receiving the input that selects the second tab from the plurality of tabs as the currently active tab;

changing the currently active tab from the first tab to the second tab;

displaying the second tab as the currently active tab;

displaying a second page that corresponds to the second tab as the currently active page;

increasing the number of tabs in the first pile; and

,

decreasing the number of tabs in the second pile.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the currently active tab is displayed on top of and between the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs and the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein:

within the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs, tabs are ordered such that tabs closest to the currently active tab are nearest the top of the first pile, and

within the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs, tabs are ordered such that tabs closest to the currently active tab are nearest the top of the second pile.

14. The computer system of claim 11, including instructions for:

receiving an input that selects a rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab; and

,

in response to receiving the input that selects the rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab;

changing the currently active tab to the rightmost tab in the tab display area;

displaying the rightmost tab as the currently active tab; and

ceasing to display the second pile of overlapping non-active tabs.

15. The computer system of claim 14, including:

in response to receiving the input that selects the rightmost tab in the tab display area as the currently active tab;

increasing a size of the first pile of overlapping non-active tabs.