Virtual stack button for software having a branched task structure

• US 10,627,978 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2017
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dodles, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dodles, Inc.
• Inventors: Doriot, Craig W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatia, Ajay M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Mong-Shune
• Application Number:
  US15/832,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20190171355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/04886 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 9/448 Execution paradigms, e.g. implementations of programming paradigms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Navigation tools and techniques for software are disclosed. Various types of virtual buttons can be used in the GUI of a software program to make it easier for a user to navigate across or through different branched or hierarchical tasks defined by the software. The virtual button can function to accept, execute, close, or exit a given open, active branched task, as well as save or store a setting of the active branched task for use by another branched task. The virtual button includes a visual indicator that is indicative of how many of the branched tasks are currently open. The virtual button may represent a stack of buttons, or a stack of branched, open tasks, but where only one of such branched tasks may be active, i.e., subject to user input and interaction, at a given time. Related methods, storage media, devices, and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for a number N of simultaneously open branched tasks in a software program, N being at least 2, the method comprising:

designating a first task of the simultaneously open branched tasks as active, and designating remaining one(s) of the simultaneously open branched tasks as suspended;

displaying a first GUI when the first task is active, the first GUI comprising a first virtual button;

providing the first virtual button with a visual indicator that is indicative of N; and

configuring the first virtual button such that, when it is triggered by a user, the first task closes such that there are only N−

1 simultaneously open branched tasks, and a second task of the suspended, remaining one(s) of the simultaneously open branched tasks becomes active, and a second GUI is displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is carried out by a device having a display, and wherein each GUI of the simultaneously open branched tasks, when displayed, fills a same major space on the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display has a characteristic dimension less than 9 inch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is carried out by a device having a display, and wherein the first virtual button fills a first minor space on the display, and wherein the second GUI comprises a second virtual button that fills a second minor space on the display and which, when triggered by the user, closes the second task, and wherein the first minor space overlaps the second minor space.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each GUI of the simultaneously open branched tasks has a respective virtual button that fills a respective minor space on the display and which, when triggered by the user, closes its respective task, and wherein the respective minor spaces overlap.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the respective minor spaces fills a same minor space on the display.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein for any two of the respective minor spaces, one such minor space is encompassed by and underfills another such minor space.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein triggering of the first virtual button by the user also causes a setting of the first task to be stored and used by one or more of the remaining one(s) of the simultaneously open branched tasks.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises bar-shaped elements located on the first virtual button.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a layered border of the first virtual button.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator comprises a brightness of at least a portion of the virtual button.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator does not comprise any numerical character.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual button includes a first non-alphanumeric symbol associated with the first task.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is carried out by a processing device in connection with a display and a user input device that interacts with the display.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions that, when executed by a processing device coupled to a display screen, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

providing a plurality of branched tasks including at least a first and second branched task configured such that when the first branched task is active and the second branched task is initiated, the second branched task becomes active and the first branched task becomes suspended until the second branched task is closed, the plurality of branched tasks optionally also including a third branched task configured such that when the first branched task is suspended and the second branched task is active and the third branched task is initiated, the third branched task becomes active, the second branched task becomes suspended until the third branched task is closed, and the first branched task remains suspended until the second branched task is closed;

providing a plurality of GUIs associated respectively with the plurality of branched tasks, the plurality of GUIs including a first GUI for the first branched task, a second GUI for the second branched task, and optionally a third GUI for the third branched task; and

displaying on the display screen at any given time an active GUI selected from the plurality of GUIs in accordance with which one of the branched tasks is currently active;

wherein the first and second GUIs include respective first and second virtual buttons, configured such that selection by a user of the second virtual button closes the second branched task, and selection by the user of the first virtual button closes the first branched task;

wherein the first and second virtual buttons occupy respective first and second minor spaces on the display screen, the first minor space overlapping the second minor space; and

wherein at least the second virtual button includes a visual indicator that is indicative of how many of the branched tasks are currently open.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second virtual buttons each include the visual indicator, and the visual indicator comprises a number of bar-shaped elements equal to how many of the branched tasks are currently open.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second virtual buttons each include the visual indicator, and wherein the visual indicator comprises a layered border, the layered border having a number of apparent layers equal to how many of the branched tasks are currently open.

18. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second virtual buttons each include the visual indicator, and wherein the visual indicator comprises a brightness characteristic.

19. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second virtual buttons each include the visual indicator, and wherein the visual indicator does not comprise any numerical character.

20. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second virtual button includes a non-alphanumeric symbol associated with the second task.