Remote Access to Layer and User Interface Elements

• US 20090187841A1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew M. Grignon, Gregory N. Christie, Imran A. Chaudhri, John Louch
• Original Assignee: Andrew M. Grignon, Gregory N. Christie, Imran A. Chaudhri, John Louch
• Inventors: Louch, John, Grignon, Andrew M., Christie, Gregory N., Chaudhri, Imran A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A user-activatable dashboard (also referred to as a unified interest layer) contains any number of user interface elements, referred to herein as “widgets,” for quick access by a user. In response to a command from a user, the dashboard is invoked and the widgets are shown on the screen. The user can activate the dashboard at any time, causing the dashboard to temporarily replace the existing user interface display on the user'"'"'s screen. Once the dashboard has been activated, the user can interact with any or all of the widgets, and can configure the dashboard by adding, deleting, moving, or configuring individual widgets as desired. When the user wishes to return to the normal user interface he or she was working with, the user issues a command causing the dashboard to be dismissed. Once the dashboard has been dismissed, the previous user interface state is restored, allowing the user to resume normal interactions with the operating system.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface of the computer system, a computer-implemented method for presenting a layer, the method comprising:

responsive to a trigger event by a user of the computer system, activating, in the area displaying the user interface, a layer configured for the user that is separate from the user interface, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer; and

wherein the layer displayed on the display screen of the computer system may be accessed by the user from a location remote from the computer system display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is accessible from a remote device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of widgets are accessible from the location remote from the computer system display screen.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to receiving a user selection of a widget, displaying an animation associated with the selected widget.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a widget selected from the group is capable of being instantiated a plurality times.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one widget comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar widget;

a calculator widget;

a music player widget;

an address book widget;

a notes widget;

a stock quote widget;

a weather widget;

a traffic widget;

a package tracking widget;

a contact manager widget; and

a clock widget.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of widgets are not necessarily part of a single application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a second trigger event, dismissing the layer, thereby removing access to the group of widgets.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the trigger event, displaying a first transitional animation for activating the layer; and

responsive to a second trigger event, displaying a second transitional animation for dismissing the layer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each widget in the group is associated with a functionality performed by each widget.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an icon within the layer for launching a configuration bar; and

responsive to user input at the icon, displaying the configuration bar for adding widgets to the layer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is accessed via logging into a webpage associated with the layer.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the layer comprises displaying the layer such that it partially obscures the user interface.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the layer comprises displaying the layer such that it replaces the user interface.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the layer comprises displaying the layer such that it overlays the user interface.

34. A system of claim 1 for presenting a layer on a display screen of a device comprising an area displaying a user interface, comprising:

a processor;

a layer activation means for activating, in the area displaying the user interface, a layer configured for the user that is separate from the user interface responsive to a trigger event by a user of the device, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer; and

a remote access means for enabling access by the user to the layer displayed on the display screen of the device from a location remote from the device.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the layer activation means is further configured for:

displaying a first transitional animation for activating the layer responsive to the trigger event; and

displaying a second transitional animation for dismissing the layer responsive to a second trigger event.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the layer activation means is further configured to display the layer such that it partially obscures the user interface.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the layer activation means is further configured to display the layer such that it replaces the user interface.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the layer activation means is further configured to display the layer such that it overlays the user interface.

16. A computer-implemented method for remotely accessing a layer, the method comprising:

accessing a user-activatable dashboard layer associated with a remote computer system, the layer providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein the accessing is from a location remote from the computer system; and

wherein the remote computer system includes a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface of the remote computer system, the user-activatable dashboard layer is activated in the area displaying the user interface responsive to a trigger event, and wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer is separate from the user interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the accessing displays at the location remote from the computer system a duplicate of the user-activatable dashboard layer associated with the remote computer system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one widget comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar widget;

a calculator widget;

a music player widget;

an address book widget;

a notes widget;

a stock quote widget;

a weather widget;

a traffic widget;

a package tracking widget;

a contact manager widget; and

a clock widget.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the group of widgets are not necessarily part of a single application.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to a second trigger event, dismissing the user-activatable layer, thereby removing access to the group of widgets.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

responsive to the trigger event, displaying a first transitional animation for activating the user-activatable layer; and

responsive to a second trigger event, displaying a second transitional animation for dismissing the user-activatable layer.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein each widget in the group is associated with a functionality performed by each widget.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the user-activatable layer is accessed via logging into a webpage associated with the user-activatable layer.

24. A computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for presenting a layer on a device display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, comprising:

a layer module configured to activate, in the area displaying the user interface, a layer configured for a user that is separate from the user interface responsive to a trigger event, wherein the activation of the layer provides access to a group of widgets contained by the layer; and

a remote access module configured to enable access by the user to the layer displayed on the display screen from a location remote from the computer system display screen.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, further comprising:

responsive to the trigger event, displaying a first transitional animation for activating the layer; and

responsive to a second trigger event, displaying a second transitional animation for dismissing the layer.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the layer module is further configured to display the layer such that it partially obscures the user interface.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the layer module is further configured to display the layer such that it replaces the user interface.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the layer module is further configured to display the layer such that it overlays the user interface.

29. A computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for remotely accessing a layer, comprising:

an access module configured to access a user-activatable dashboard layer associated with a remote computer system, the layer providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein the accessing is from a location remote from the computer system; and

wherein the remote computer system includes a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface of the remote computer system, the user-activatable dashboard layer is activated in the area displaying the user interface responsive to a trigger event, and wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer is separate from the user interface.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the accessing displays at the location remote from the computer system a duplicate of the user-activatable dashboard layer associated with the remote computer system.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, further comprising:

responsive to the trigger event, displaying a first transitional animation for activating the user-activatable layer; and

responsive to a second trigger event, displaying a second transitional animation for dismissing the user-activatable layer.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein each widget in the group is associated with a functionality performed by each widget.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the layer is accessed via logging into a webpage associated with the user-activatable layer.

39. A system for remotely accessing a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:

a layer remote access means for accessing the user-activatable dashboard layer associated with a remote computer system, the layer providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein the accessing is from a location remote from the computer system; and

wherein the remote computer system includes a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface of the remote computer system, the user-activatable dashboard layer is activated in the area displaying the user interface responsive to a trigger event, and wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer is separate from the user interface.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the accessing displays at the location remote from the computer system a duplicate of the user-activatable dashboard layer associated with the remote computer system.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the layer remote access means is further configured for:

displaying a first transitional animation for activating the layer responsive to the trigger event; and

displaying a second transitional animation for dismissing the layer responsive to a second trigger event.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein each widget in the group is associated with a functionality performed by each widget.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the layer is accessed via logging into a webpage associated with the layer.