Account switching

• US 9,880,717 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Persson, Erik Viktor, Lee, Jonathan, Denis, Jean-Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Nunez, Jordany
• Application Number:
  US14/598,981
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to effortlessly switching between user accounts. For example, a user may access an application on their computing device. Within the application the user may have multiple user accounts. The application may display a plurality of indicators that signify each user account associated with that application. In this regard, the user may perform a swiping or tapping motion to select a particular user account to switch to. A transitional stage may take place that changes a first background and details associated with a first user account to a second background and details associated with a second user account. When the transition is complete, the user is able to access and perform functions associated with the second user account. The user may switch to another user account using a similar swiping or tapping motion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by one or more processors on a display interface of a computing device, a plurality of indications, each indication of the plurality representing a different user account of a plurality of user accounts, each user account of the plurality being associated with user account details specific to that respective user account, and each user account of the plurality being associated with a background, the indications being displayed in a first region of the display interface, a first one of the plurality of indications being located at a selected position of the first region of the display interface and a second of the plurality of indications being located at a different selected position of the first region of the display interface;

displaying in a preselected background position using the one or more processors, a first background associated with the first indication on the display interface;

displaying on the display interface using the one or more processors, first user account details of a first one of the plurality of user accounts, the first user account details being associated with the first one of the plurality of indications, the first user account details being located at a selected position in a second region of the display interface;

receiving, at the display interface, a swipe in a given direction, the swipe causing each of the plurality of indications to move in a predetermined direction along the first region of the display interface;

transitioning, using the one or more processors, from the first user account details to second user account details, the second user account details being associated with the second indication displayed in the first region of the display interface and a second background, by presenting a transitional stage illustrating interim positions of the first and second indications, illustrating interim positions of the first and second user account details, and illustrating interim positions of the first and second backgrounds on the display interface;

wherein, during the transitional stage, the first background associated with the first indication remains in the preselected background position while the second background associated with the second indication is interposed on the first background at the preselected background position, and

wherein, during the transitional stage, the first user account details associated with the first indication remain in the selected position of the second region of the display interface, and the second user account details associated with the second indication are interposed on the first user account details at the preselected position in the second region of the display interface;

upon transitioning, displaying, on the display interface using the one or more processors, the second background associated with the second indication in the preselected background position and not displaying the first background associated with the first indication;

displaying, on the display interface using the one or more processors, the second indication in the selected position of the first region of the display interface and the first indication at the different selected position in the first region of the display interface; and

displaying, on the display interface using the one or more processors in response to the swipe, the second user account details in the second region of the display interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the given direction of the swipe generates a carousel movement of the plurality of indications along the first region of the display interface while the user account details remain in the preselected position in the second region of the display interface and the first background remains in the selected background position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account details includes e-mail account information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account details includes cloud storage information or prior search history.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second indications change size and location within the first region of the display interface in response to the swipe.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the display interface further includes a third region adjacent to the first and second regions, in which the third region does not move in response to the swipe.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first background associated with the first indication moves off the display interface in response to the swipe and the second background associated with the second indication appears on the screen.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein during the transitioning the first background associated with the first indication begins as a saturated color image and gradually turns to a black and white image while the second background associated with the second indication begins as a black and white image and gradually turns to a saturated color image.

5. A method comprising:

displaying, on an interface of a computing device, a plurality of indications, each indication of the plurality representing a different user account, the indications being displayed in a first region of the display interface, each user account including one or more user account details specific to that respective user account, and each user account being associated with a respective background, the indications being displayed in a first region of the display interface, a first one of the plurality of indications being located at a selected position of the first region of the display interface and a second of the plurality of indications being located at a different selected position of the first region of the display interface;

displaying in a preselected background position, using one or more processors, a first background associated with the first indication on the display interface;

displaying first user account details, the first user account details being associated with a first one of the plurality of indications, the first user account details being located at a selected position in a second region of the display interface;

receiving, at the display interface, a tap on a second one of the plurality of indications;

transitioning, using the one or more processors of the computing device in response to the tap, from the first user account details to second user account details, the second user account details being associated with the second indication displayed in the first region of the display interface and with a second background, by presenting a transitional stage illustrating interim positions of the first and second indications, illustrating interim positions of the first and second user account details, and illustrating interim positions of the first and second backgrounds on the display interface;

wherein, during the transitional stage, the first background associated with the first indication remains in the preselected background position while the second background associated with the second indication is interposed on the first background at the preselected background position;

wherein, during the transitional stage, the first user account details associated with the first indication remains in the selected position of the second region of the display interface, and the second user account details associated with the second indication is interposed on the first user account details at the selected position in the second region of the display interface;

upon transitioning, displaying on the display interface using the one or more processors, the second background associated with the second indication in the preselected background position and not displaying the first background associated with the first indication;

displaying on the display interface, using the one or more processors, the second indication in the selected position of the first region of the display interface with the first indication at the different position in the first region of the display interface; and

displaying the second user account details at the selected position in the second region of the display interface.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein upon receiving a tap, a placeholder indication for the first indication appears while the first indication is transitioning to a new location within the first region of the display interface and while the second indication is moving to the selected position in the first region of the display interface.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein during the transition the first background associated with the first indication begins as a saturated color image and gradually turns to a black and white image while the second background associated with the second indication begins as a black and white image and gradually turns to a saturated color image.

6. A system comprising:

a computing device comprising one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

display, on a display interface of a computing device, a plurality of indications in a first region of the display interface, each indication of the plurality representing a different user account of a plurality of user accounts, each user account of the plurality being associated with user account details specific to the respective user account, and each user account of the plurality being associated with a background specific to the respective user account;

display, on the display interface, a first one of the plurality of indications in a selected position in the first region of the display interface;

display, on the device interface, a first background associated with the first indication in a preselected background position;

display, in a second region of the display interface, first user account details of a first one of the plurality of user accounts, the first user account details being associated with a first one of the plurality of indications;

receive, at the display interface, a swipe in a given direction along the first region of the display interface, the swipe causing each of the plurality of indications to move in a predetermined direction;

transition from the first user account details to second user account details, the second user account details being associated with a second indication displayed in the first region of the display interface and a second background, by presenting a transitional stage illustrating interim positions of the first and second indications, illustrating interim positions of the first and second user account details, and illustrating interim positions of the first and second backgrounds on the display interface;

wherein, during the transition, the first background associated with the first indication remains in the preselected background position while the second background associated with the second indication is interposed on the first background at the preselected background position, and

wherein, during the transition, the first user account details associated with the first indication remain in the selected position of the second region of the display interface, and the second user account details associated with the second indication are interposed on the first user account details at the selected position in the second region of the display interface;

upon transitioning, display, on the display interface, the second background associated with the second indication in the preselected background position and not displaying the first background associated with the first indication;

display on the display interface, the second indication in the selected position of the first region of the display interface and the first indication at the different position in the first region of the display interface; and

display, on the display interface in response to the swipe, the second user account in the second region of the display interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the given direction of the swipe generates a carousel movement of the plurality of indications along the first region of the display interface while the user account details remain in the selected position in the second region of the display interface and the first background remains in the preselected background position.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the user account details includes e-mail account information.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the user account details includes cloud storage information or prior search history.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second indications change size and location within the first region of the display interface in response to the swipe.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein during the transition the first background associated with the first indication begins as a saturated color image and gradually turns to a black and white image while the second background associated with the second indication begins as a black and white image and gradually turns to a saturated color image.

10. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display interface of a computing device, a plurality of indications, each indication of the plurality representing a different user account of a plurality of user accounts, each user account of the plurality being associated with user account details specific to that respective user account, and each user account of the plurality being associated with a background, the indications being displayed in a first region of the display interface, a first one of the plurality of indications being located at a selected position of the first region of the display interface and a second of the plurality of indications being located at a different selected position of the first region of the display interface;

displaying, in a preselected background position, a first background associated with the first indication on the display interface;

displaying, on the display interface, first user account details of a first one of the plurality of user accounts, the first user account details being associated with a first one of the plurality of indications, the first user account details being located at a selected position in a second region of the display interface;

receiving, at the display interface, a swipe in a given direction, the swipe causing each of the plurality of indications to move in a predetermined direction along the first region of the display interface;

transitioning from the first user account details to a second user account details, the second user account details being associated with the second indication displayed in the first region of the display interface and a second background, by presenting a transitional stage illustrating interim positions of the first and second indications, illustrating interim positions of the first and second user account details, and illustrating interim positions of the first and second backgrounds on the display interface;

wherein, during the transitional stage, the first background associated with the first indication remains in the preselected background position while the second background associated with the second indication is interposed on the first background at the preselected background position, and

wherein, during the transitional stage, the first user account details associated with the first indication remain in the selected position of the second region of the display interface, and the second user account details associated with the second indication is interposed on the first user account details at the selected position in the second region of the display interface;

upon transitioning, displaying on the display interface the second background associated with the second indication in the preselected background position and not displaying the first background associated with the first indication;

displaying on the display interface the second indication in the selected position of the first region of the display interface with the first indication at the different selected position in the first region of the display interface; and

displaying on the display interface, in response to the swipe, the second user account in the second region of the display interface.

11. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the given direction of the swipe generates a carousel movement of the plurality of indications along the first region of the display interface while the user account details remain in the selected position in the second region of the display interface and the first background remains in the preselected background position.

20. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first and second indications change size and location within the first region of the display interface in response to the swipe.