Portable electronic device and method therefor

• US 9,684,444 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: 2236008 Ontario Inc. (Blackberry Limited), Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lazaridis, Mihal, Dodge, Danny Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US13/240,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: 715200, 715201, 715203, 715243, 715246, 715247, 715251, 715252, 715273, 715277
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/449 Object-oriented method invocation or resolution

Abstract

An electronic device is provided including a display, a processor and a memory. The processor is coupled to the display and the memory to carry out a method of facilitating user interface navigation in the electronic device. In a first view shown on the display, a first application interface provides a visual representation of a first application. In response to receiving a navigational command to access a second application visually represented by a second application interface, a transitional view is displayed including a transition between the first application interface and the second application interface. The displayed transition can be dependent on a property of the received navigational command. The first and second application interfaces can be displayed to appear in a non-overlapping arrangement on a planar surface, and can have sheet-like properties or behaviors.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the display and the memory, the memory storing statements and instructions for execution by the processor to carry out a method of;

displaying, in a first view on the display, a first application interface providing a visual representation of a first application;

receiving a navigational command to access a second application visually represented by a second application interface;

displaying, in a transitional view on the display and in response to the received navigational command, a transition between the first application interface and the second application interface, the transitional view including the first and second application interfaces displayed as appearing in a non-overlapping arrangement on a planar surface, and the transitional view further including the first and second application interfaces displayed as moving translationally along the planar surface; and

displaying, in a second view on the display, the second application interface.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the displayed transition between the first application interface and the second application interface is dependent on a property of the received navigational command.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the displayed transition between the first application interface and the second application interface comprises a portion of the first application interface and a portion of the second application interface.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first and second application interfaces have sheet-like properties.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the method carried out by the processor further comprises:

prior to displaying, in a first view on the display, the first application interface providing a visual representation of a first application, providing a user interface comprising the first application interface and the second application interface, the first application interface and the second application interface being in a non-overlapping arrangement.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the method carried out by the processor further comprises:

prior to displaying, in a first view on the display of the portable electronic device, a first application interface providing a visual representation of a first application, rendering on an application space on the display, a plurality of application interfaces in a non-overlapping arrangement on the planar surface, each of the plurality of application interfaces providing a visual representation of an associated application user interface.

7. A method comprising:

displaying, in a first view on a display of a portable electronic device, a first application interface providing a visual representation of a first application;

receiving a navigational command to access a second application visually represented by a second application interface;

displaying, in a transitional view on the display and in response to the received navigational command, a transition between the first application interface and the second application interface, the transitional view including the first and second application interfaces displayed as appearing in a non-overlapping arrangement on a planar surface, and the transitional view further including the first and second application interfaces displayed as moving translationally along the planar surface; and

displaying, in a second view on the display, the second application interface.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein displaying the transition between the first application interface and the second application interface is dependent on a property of the received navigational command.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein displaying the transitional view comprises displaying a portion of the first application interface and a portion of the second application interface.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the first and second application interfaces have sheet-like properties.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

prior to displaying, in a first view on a display of a portable electronic device, the first application interface providing a visual representation of a first application, providing a user interface comprising the first application interface and the second application interface, the first application interface and the second application interface being in a non-overlapping arrangement such that the first application interface and the second application interface are represented as a sheet laid out on a two-dimensional surface.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

prior to displaying, in a first view on a display of a portable electronic device, a first application interface providing a visual representation of a first application, rendering on an application space on the display, a plurality of application interfaces in a non-overlapping arrangement on the planar surface, each of the plurality of application interfaces providing a visual representation of an associated application user interface.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable memory storing statements and instructions for execution by a processor to perform a method of:

displaying, in a first view on a display of a portable electronic device, a first application interface providing a visual representation of a first application;

receiving a navigational command to access a second application visually represented by a second application interface;

displaying, in a transitional view on the display and in response to the received navigational command, a transition between the first application interface and the second application interface, the transitional view including the first and second application interfaces displayed as appearing in a non-overlapping arrangement on a planar surface, and the transitional view further including the first and second application interfaces displayed as moving translationally along the planar surface; and

displaying, in a second view on the display, the second application interface.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable memory of claim 13 wherein the displayed transition between the first application interface and the second application interface is dependent on a property of the received navigational command.

15. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display;

a memory;

a graphics memory;

a graphics engine;

a processor coupled to the display, the memory, the graphics memory and the graphics engine, the memory storing statements and instructions for execution by the processor to carry out a method of;

configuring the graphics engine to render in the graphics memory a content including a plurality of application interfaces in a non-overlapping arrangement on a planar surface, each application interface providing a visual representation of an associated application user interface;

displaying on the display a first view comprising a portion of the content rendered in the graphics memory containing portions of one or more of the application interfaces;

responsive to a navigation command, transitioning to a second view comprising a different portion of the content rendered in the graphics memory containing portions of one or more of the application interfaces, the transition from the first view to the second view providing an appearance that two or more of the plurality of application interfaces are translating along the planar surface; and

on completion of the transition, displaying the second view on the display.