Method and apparatus for displaying a window for a user interface

• US 9,552,131 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US14/061,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20140157162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to display windows. In more than one embodiments of the invention, a window is closed automatically (e.g., after a timer expires, or when a condition or criterion is met, or a system input is received) without user input. In some examples, the window is translucent so that the portion of another window, when present, is visible under the window. In some examples, the image of the window is faded out before the window is closed and destroyed. In some examples, the window does not close in response to any input from a user input device. In some examples, the window is repositioned (or hidden) automatically when another translucent window is displayed. The degree of translucency, the speed for fading out, the discrete levels of translucency for fading out, the time to expire, and/or other parameters for controlling the display of the window may be set by the user or adjusted by the system (or application software programs) automatically according to system conditions or other criteria.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a device with one or more input devices including a display;

displaying a user interface on the display, wherein the user interface includes one or more user interface regions that are responsive to user inputs detected on the display;

while displaying a first user interface region of the one or more user interface regions on the display, detecting an occurrence of a first event that changes a current value of a system parameter;

in response to detecting the occurrence of the first event, displaying an overlay window that corresponds to the first event on top of the first user interface region, the overlay window including information about the current value of a parameter that adjusts an output level of a hardware component of the device;

while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region;

detecting an input by a user to change the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device, wherein the input by the user is detected by a function key that is separate from the overlay window; and

,

in response to receiving the input by the user to change the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device;

changing the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device in accordance with the input; and

updating the overlay window to indicate the change in the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device;

after updating the overlay window to indicate the change in the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device, while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region and without detecting input corresponding to the overlay window;

determining whether a set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have been met, wherein the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria are configured to be met in the absence of user input corresponding to the overlay window; and

,

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have been met, ceasing to display the overlay window.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region and without detecting input corresponding to the overlay window, in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have not been met, maintaining display of the overlay window over the first user interface region.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, while maintaining display of the overlay window over the first user interface region:

detecting an input from one of the one or more input devices; and

in response to detecting the input, forwarding the input to the first user interface region without adjusting the overlay window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting the occurrence of the first event includes detecting a request to adjust a volume level of the device, and wherein

the overlay window includes information about the volume level of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting the occurrence of the first event includes detecting a request to adjust a brightness level of the display, and wherein

the overlay window includes information about the brightness level of the display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting the occurrence of the first event includes detecting a battery level of the device is below a predefined threshold, and wherein

the overlay window includes information about the battery level of the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the system parameter is a volume level of the device; and

the overlay window includes a graphical indication that audio is not muted for the device; and

the method further includes;

replacing a display of the graphical indication that audio is not muted for the device with another graphical indication that the audio is muted for the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria are met when a timer associated with the overlay window expires; and

the method further includes, while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region;

in response to receiving the input, resetting the timer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay window is at least partially translucent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein ceasing to display the overlay window includes gradually increasing a translucency of the overlay window over time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the output level of the hardware component of the device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is a volume level of a speaker of the device and the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the volume of the speaker of the device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is a brightness level of a display of the device and the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the brightness of the display of the device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a touchscreen display.

15. A system, comprising:

one or more input devices including a display;

one or more processors; and

one or more computer readable storage media including instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

displaying a user interface on the display, wherein the user interface includes one or more user interface regions that are responsive to user inputs detected on the display;

while displaying a first user interface region of the one or more user interface regions on the display, detecting an occurrence of a first event that changes a current value of a system parameter;

in response to detecting the occurrence of the first event, displaying an overlay window that corresponds to the first event on top of the first user interface region, the overlay window including information about the current value of a parameter that adjusts an output level of a hardware component of the device;

while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region;

detecting an input by a user to change the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device, wherein the input by the user is detected by a function key that is separate from the overlay window; and

,

in response to receiving the input by the user to change the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device;

changing the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device in accordance with the input; and

updating the overlay window to indicate the change in the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device;

after updating the overlay window to indicate the change in the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device, while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region and without detecting input corresponding to the overlay window;

determining whether a set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have been met, wherein the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria are configured to be met in the absence of user input corresponding to the overlay window; and

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have been met, ceasing to display the overlay window.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including, while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region and without detecting input corresponding to the overlay window, in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have not been met, maintaining display of the overlay window over the first user interface region.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including, while maintaining display of the overlay window over the respective user interface region:

detecting an input from one of the one or more input devices; and

in response to detecting the input, forwarding the input to the first user interface region without adjusting the overlay window.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

detecting the occurrence of the first event includes detecting a request to adjust a volume level of the device, and wherein

the overlay window includes information about the volume level of the device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

detecting the occurrence of the first event includes detecting a request to adjust a brightness level of the display, and wherein

the overlay window includes information about the brightness level of the display.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria are met when a timer associated with the overlay window expires, the system further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including, while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region:

in response to receiving the input, resetting the timer.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the output level of the hardware component of the device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the parameter is a volume level of a speaker of the device and the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the volume of the speaker of the device.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the parameter is a brightness level of a display of the device and the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the brightness of the display of the device.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the display is a touchscreen display.

25. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with a set of instructions that when executed causes one or more processors, in a device with one or more input devices including a display, to perform operations including:

displaying a user interface on the display, wherein the user interface includes one or more user interface regions that are responsive to user inputs detected on the display;

while displaying a first user interface region of the one or more user interface regions on the display, detecting an occurrence of a first event that changes a current value of a system parameter;

in response to detecting the occurrence of the first event, displaying an overlay window that corresponds to the first event on top of the first user interface region, the overlay window including information about the current value of a parameter that adjusts an output level of a hardware component of the device;

while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region;

detecting an input by a user to change the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device, wherein the input by the user is detected by a function key that is separate from the overlay window; and

,

in response to receiving the input by the user to change the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device;

changing the current value of the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device in accordance with the input; and

updating the overlay window to indicate the change in the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device;

after updating the overlay window to indicate the change in the parameter that adjusts the output level of the hardware component of the device, while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region and without detecting input corresponding to the overlay window;

determining whether a set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have been met, wherein the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria are configured to be met in the absence of user input corresponding to the overlay window; and

,

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have been met, ceasing to display the overlay window.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including, while displaying the overlay window over the first user interface region and without detecting input corresponding to the overlay window, in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria have not been met, maintaining display of the overlay window over the first user interface region.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including, while maintaining display of the overlay window over the first user interface region:

detecting an input from one of the one or more input devices; and

in response to detecting the input, forwarding the input to the first user interface region without adjusting the overlay window.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein:

detecting the occurrence of the first event includes detecting a request to adjust a volume level of the device, and wherein

the overlay window includes information about the volume level of the device.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein:

detecting the occurrence of the first event includes detecting a request to adjust a brightness level of the display, and wherein

the overlay window includes information about the brightness level of the display.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the set of one or more overlay-termination criteria are met when a timer associated with the overlay window expires, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including, while displaying the overlay window over the respective first user interface region:

detecting an input to change the system parameter; and

in response to receiving the input, resetting the timer.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the output level of the hardware component of the device.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the parameter is a volume level of a speaker of the device and the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the volume of the speaker of the device.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the parameter is a brightness level of a display of the device and the function key is a hardware key that is designated for adjusting the brightness of the display of the device.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the display is a touchscreen display.