System and method for providing a plurality of graphical user interfaces to a user

• US 9,851,893 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kamagames Entertainment Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Zotobi Management Limited
• Inventors: Olomskiy, Evgeny
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): FILOSI, TERRI L
• Application Number:
  US13/449,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20130275909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 715781, 715767, 715802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Management by a user of a plurality of graphical user interfaces associated with different activities may be facilitated on a computing platform. This management may be achieved by providing an intuitive way to change operation of an electronic display between a first mode, in which a single graphical user interface may be prominently displayed, and a second mode, in which an array of graphical user interfaces corresponding to ongoing activities may be displayed. Selection of one of the graphical user interfaces presented in the array may result in the electronic display transitioning back to the first mode with the selected graphical user interface as the active graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A computing platform configured to facilitate management by a user of a plurality of user interfaces associated with different activities, the platform comprising:

a touch sensitive surface configured to generate output signals conveying information related to contact with the touch sensitive surface made by the user, the touch sensitive surface being configured to detect a plurality of concurrent touches at different locations on the touch sensitive surface;

a touchscreen comprising an electronic display integrated into with the touch sensitive surface; and

one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

generate graphical user interfaces associated with different activities being presented to the user on the computing platform;

generate a first graphical user interface associated with a first activity;

generate a second graphical user interface associated with a second activity;

detect, based on the output signals generated by the touch sensitive surface, input to the touch sensitive surface of a first control input and a second control input, wherein detecting the input is based on detecting specific gestures based on parameters of contact including on one or more of a timing, a location, a motion direction, a motion length, or a pressure, wherein the second control input includes one or more of a single contact tap, a double contact tap, or a triple contact tap; and

control the electronic display in (i) a first mode in which an active graphical user interface is displayed prominently on the electronic display to facilitate the user to interact with an active activity associated with the active graphical user interface such that by virtue of the first graphical user interface being the active graphical user interface, the first graphical user interface includes a first enhanced set of information about the first activity presented to the user and a first enhanced set of commands associated with the first activity provided through the first graphical user interface to facilitate the user to interact with the first activity, and by virtue of the second graphical user interface being the active graphical user interface, the first graphical user interface becomes inactive, wherein the first graphical user interface is less prominently displayed when inactive and includes a second reduced set of information about the first activity presented to the user and a second reduced set of commands associated with the first activity provided through the first inactive graphical user interface such that the second reduced set of commands includes fewer commands available to the user than the first enhanced set of commands and can be selected by the user to facilitate interaction by the user with portions of the first activity when the first graphical user interface is inactive and wherein the first graphical user interface remains inactive including persistent presentation of the second reduced set of commands in response to interaction by the user with portions of the first activity when the first graphical user interface is inactive; and

(ii) a second mode in which an array of non-overlapping adjacent graphical user interfaces, having a predefined layout, are displayed substantially concurrently, the array of non-overlapping adjacent graphical user interfaces including the first graphical user interface, the first graphical user interface in the second mode reflecting interactions of other users in the first activity, and the first graphical user interface in the second mode updating dynamically in real time as interactions of the other users occur in the first activity;

and wherein when the electronic display is being operated in the first mode, responsive to detection of the first control input, operation of the electronic display is switched to the second mode, the first control input including a plurality of concurrent touches at different locations on the touchscreen maintained for more than a threshold duration of concurrent contact;

wherein when the electronic display is being operated in the second mode, responsive to detection of the second control input, operation of the electronic display is switched back to the first mode to display in the first mode a selected one of the graphical interfaces in the array of non-overlapping adjacent graphical interfaces; and

wherein the touch sensitive surface receives control inputs that cause the array of non-overlapping adjacent graphical user interfaces to scroll so that additional graphical user interfaces are viewable.

2. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the graphical user interface presented as the active graphical user interface is the graphical user interface corresponding to a location on the touch sensitive surface at which the second control input was input by the user.

3. The computing platform of claim 2, wherein the electronic display and the touch sensitive surface are implemented as a touch screen, and wherein locations on the touch sensitive surface corresponding to individual ones of the graphical user interfaces in the array are the locations on the touch screen at which the individual ones of the graphical user interfaces are displayed.

4. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the first control input includes a double contact tap to the touch sensitive surface.

5. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the second control input includes a single contact tap to the touch sensitive surface.

6. The computing platform of claim 1, further comprising a common application, and wherein the graphical user interfaces facilitate interaction with different activities within the common application.

7. The computing platform of claim 1, further comprising two or more different applications, and wherein the graphical user interfaces facilitate interaction with the different applications.

8. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the first activity is an activity participated in by the user with a plurality of other users via a network, and wherein, responsive to the electronic display being operated in the second mode and displaying the array of graphical user interfaces including the first graphical user interface, the first graphical user interface reflects the interactions of the other users in the first activity.

9. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein where the second graphical user interface is the active graphical user interface, the one or more hardware processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to detect, based on the output signals generated by the touch sensitive surface, input by the user with the second reduced set of commands associated with the first activity to control portions of the first activity.

10. The computing platform of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen is a pressure sensitive touchscreen configured to indicate an amount of pressure with which contact is made, and wherein the first control input is a gesture detected based on the amount of pressure.

11. A computer-implemented method of facilitating management by a user of a plurality of user interfaces associated with different activities, the method being implemented in a computer platform, including a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, the computer platform comprising a touch sensitive surface, an electronic display, and one or more hardware processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

generating output signals conveying information related to contact with a touch sensitive surface made by a user, the touch sensitive surface being configured to detect a plurality of concurrent touches at different locations on the touch sensitive surface;

generating graphical user interfaces for display to the user on an electronic display integrated into the touch sensitive surface, the graphical user interfaces being associated with different activities being presented to the user on the computing platform, the graphical user interfaces comprising;

a first graphical user interface associated with a first activity; and

a second graphical user interface associated with a second activity;

detecting, based on the generated output signals, input to the touch sensitive surface of a first control input and a second control input, wherein detecting the input is based on detecting specific gestures based on parameters of contact including on one or more of a timing, a location, a motion direction, a motion length, or a pressure, wherein the second control input includes one or more of a single contact tap, a double contact tap, or a triple contact tap; and

controlling the electronic display in (i) a first mode in which an active graphical user interface is displayed prominently on the electronic display to facilitate the user to interact with an active activity associated with the active graphical user interface, such that by virtue of the first graphical user interface being the active graphical user interface, the first graphical user interface includes a first enhanced set of information about the first activity presented to the user and a first enhanced set of commands associated with the first activity provided through the first graphical user interface to facilitate the user to interact with the first activity, and by virtue of the second graphical user interface being the active graphical user interface, the first graphical user interface becomes inactive, wherein the first graphical user interface is less prominently displayed when inactive and includes a second reduced set of information about the first activity presented to the user and a second reduced set of commands associated with the first activity provided through the first inactive graphical user interface such that the second reduced set of commands includes fewer commands available to the user than the first enhanced set of commands and can be selected by the user to facilitate interaction by the user with portions of the first activity when the first graphical user interface is inactive and wherein the first graphical user interface remains inactive including persistent presentation of the second reduced set of commands in response to interaction by the user with portions of the first activity when the first graphical user interface is inactive; and

(ii) a second mode in which an array of non-overlapping adjacent graphical user interfaces, having a predefined layout, are displayed substantially concurrently, the array of non-overlapping adjacent graphical user interfaces including the first graphical user interface, the first graphical user interface in the second mode reflecting interactions of the other users in the first activity, and the first graphical user interface in the second mode updating dynamically in real time as interactions of the other users occur in the first activity;

wherein such control comprises, as the electronic display is being operated in the first mode and responsive to detection of the first control input, switching operation of the electronic display to the second mode, the first control input including a plurality of concurrent touches at different locations on the touchscreen maintained for more than a threshold duration of concurrent contact;

wherein as the electronic display is being operated in the second mode and responsive to detection of the second control input, switching operation of the electronic display back to the first mode so as to display in the first mode a selected one of the graphical interfaces in the array of non-overlapping adjacent graphical interfaces; and

wherein the touch sensitive surface receives control inputs that cause the array of non-overlapping adjacent graphical user interfaces to scroll so that additional graphical user interfaces are viewable.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein as operation of the electronic display is switched to the first mode, the graphical user interface presented as the active graphical user interface is the graphical user interface corresponding to a location on the touch sensitive surface at which the second control input was input by the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic display and the touch sensitive surface are implemented as a touch screen, and wherein locations on the touch sensitive surface corresponding to individual ones of the graphical user interfaces in the array are the locations on the touch screen at which the individual ones of the graphical user interfaces are displayed.

14. The method platform of claim 11, wherein the first control input includes a double contact tap to the touch sensitive surface.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second control input includes a single contact tap to the touch sensitive surface.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interfaces presented by the electronic display in the second mode facilitate interaction with different activities within a common application.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interfaces presented by the electronic display in the second made facilitate interaction with two or more different applications.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first activity is an activity participated in by the user with a plurality of other users via a network, and wherein, responsive to the electronic display being operated in the second mode and displaying the array of graphical user interfaces including the first graphical user interface, the first graphical user interface reflects the interactions of the other users in the first activity.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the second graphical user interface is the active graphical user interface, the method further comprises:

detecting, based on the output signals generated by the touch sensitive surface, input by the user with the second reduced set of commands associated with the first activity to control portions of the first activity.

20. The method 11, wherein the touch sensitive surface is configured to indicate an amount of pressure with which contact is made, and wherein the first control input is a gesture detected based on the amount of pressure.