Card Metaphor For Activities In A Computing Device

• US 20100095240A1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shiplacoff, Daniel Marc Gatan, Duarte, Matias Gonzalo, Lyon, Jeremy Godfrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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 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

Abstract

In various embodiments, a card metaphor is established, in which each activity can be represented within an area of the screen referred to as a card. In various embodiments, any of several display modes are available for viewing, interacting with, manipulating, initiating, and dismissing cards. A persistent positional relationship can be established among cards, represented by a one-dimensional sequence. Newly opened cards are generally placed at the end of the sequence, although a new card that bears a relationship to an already open card may, in some embodiments, be placed adjacent to the already open card. In various embodiments, cards may be grouped, with such groups being represented as stacks of cards or by other visually distinctive means.

Claims

1. A system for navigating among a plurality of open activities in an electronic device, the activities being ordered in a sequence, comprising:

a processor, for running at least two activities concurrently;

a display screen, coupled to the processor, having at least three modes,

wherein;

in a first display mode, the display screen displays a user interface for a single one of the activities;

in a second display mode, the display screen displays;

a first card having focus and corresponding to a first activity, the first card being displayed at a first size; and

adjacent to the first card, a portion of at least a second card comprising output for at least a second activity, wherein the first and second activities are adjacent to one another in the sequence; and

in a third display mode, the display screen displays;

at least two cards adjacent to one another in the sequence, each card comprising output for an activity, the cards being displayed at a second size smaller than the first size; and

adjacent to at least one of the displayed cards, a portion of another card comprising output for an activity; and

an input device, coupled to the processor, for receiving user input;

wherein;

responsive to user input indicating a mode switch, the display screen switches from one of the display modes to another of the display modes; and

in at least the second and third display modes, responsive to user input indicating a switch to another card, the display screen repositions the cards.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a touch-sensitive layer for the display screen;

a pointing device;

a touch-sensitive surface;

a stylus;

a track-ball;

a rocker switch;

a directional keypad;

a mouse; and

a touchpad.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, in at least the second and third display modes, the cards are constrained to move along a single axis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each activity comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a software application;

a task;

a message;

a document;

a web page;

a desk accessory;

a widget;

an applet; and

a function.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, responsive to the input device detecting user input indicating a change in the order of activities in the sequence, the display screen changes the order of activities in the sequence.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the input device comprises a touch-sensitive surface, and wherein:

when the display screen is in the second display mode, the user input device detects user input indicating a change in the order of activities in the sequence by detecting a tap-hold-drag command with respect to at least one of a displayed card and a displayed portion of a card; and

when the display screen is in the third display mode, the user input device detects user input indicating a change in the order of activities in the sequence by detecting at least one selected from the group consisting of;

a tap-hold-drag command with respect to at least one of a displayed card and a displayed portion of a card; and

a drag command with respect to at least one of a displayed card and a displayed portion of a card, wherein the drag command commences in a predetermined direction.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, in at least the second and third display modes, the cards are constrained to move along a single axis, and wherein the predetermined direction is substantially perpendicular to the axis.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein, in at least the second and third display modes, the cards are constrained to move horizontally, and wherein the predetermined direction is substantially downwards.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, in the third display mode, the display screen displays at least three cards adjacent to one another in the sequence.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the display screen, in a fourth display mode, displays a plurality of cards in a grid arrangement, each card corresponding to an activity.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, in the fourth display mode, the display screen displays the cards at a size that is determined based on the number of cards to display and the size of the display screen.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein, in the fourth display mode, the display screen scales the displayed cards so that the displayed cards substantially fill the display screen.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein, in the fourth display mode:

the display screen scales the cards to display the cards at a size determined as the maximum of;

a size that would enable cards for all open activities to be displayed contemporaneously on the screen; and

a predetermined minimum card size;

and wherein, responsive to the display screen displaying cards for fewer than all open activities, the display screen enables scrolling of the displayed cards.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the display screen maintains a persistent positional relationship among cards in all display modes.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the display screen maintains a persistent positional relationship among cards in all display modes.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein, in each mode, each card comprises a user interface for a corresponding activity, wherein the user interface is adapted to display output for the corresponding activity and to receive input for the corresponding activity.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

in at least one mode, each card comprises a user interface for a corresponding activity, wherein the user interface is adapted to display output for the corresponding activity and to receive input for the corresponding activity; and

in at least one other mode, each card comprises a static representation of a user interface for a corresponding activity.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input indicating a mode switch comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a gesture;

keyboard input;

a selection from a menu;

a button press;

activation of an onscreen user interface element; and

a change in orientation of the electronic device.

19. A system for displaying a sequence of cards comprising output for open activities in an electronic device, the sequence of cards having a beginning and an end, the system comprising:

a processor, for running at least two activities concurrently;

a display screen, coupled to the processor, having at least two modes,

wherein;

in a first display mode, the display screen displays output corresponding to a single one of the activities; and

in a second display mode, the display screen displays;

a first card having focus and comprising output for a first activity; and

adjacent to the first card, a portion of at least a second card comprising output for at least a second activity, wherein the first and second cards are adjacent to one another in the sequence; and

an input device, coupled to the processor, for receiving user input;

wherein;

responsive to a command to launch an activity that is not currently running;

the processor launches the activity and adds a corresponding card to the end of the sequence of cards; and

the display screen changes focus to the added card; and

responsive to a command to launch an activity that is currently running;

the display screen changes focus to a card corresponding to the activity specified by the command.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein, responsive to a command to launch an activity that is currently running:

the processor rearranges the sequence of cards to position the card corresponding to the activity at the end of the sequence.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the beginning of the sequence of cards comprises the leftmost position in the sequence of cards, and the end of the sequence of cards comprises the rightmost position in the sequence of cards.

22. A system for displaying a sequence of cards comprising output for open activities in an electronic device, the sequence of cards having a beginning and an end, the system comprising:

a processor, for running at least two activities concurrently;

a display screen, coupled to the processor, having at least two modes,

wherein;

in a first display mode, the display screen displays output corresponding to a single one of the activities; and

in a second display mode, the display screen displays;

a first card having focus and comprising output for a first activity; and

adjacent to the first card, a portion of at least a second card comprising output for at least a second activity, wherein the first and second cards are adjacent to one another in the sequence; and

an input device, coupled to the processor, for receiving user input;

wherein;

the processor is adapted to add a new card to the sequence of cards, by;

responsive to the new card being unrelated to an open activity, adding the new card to the end of the sequence of cards; and

responsive to the new card being related to an open activity, adding the new card to the sequence of cards at a position adjacent to a card corresponding to the related open activity; and

responsive to the processor adding a new card, the display screen changes focus to the new card.

23. A system for displaying cards for a plurality of open activities in an electronic device, the activities being ordered in a sequence, the system comprising:

a processor, for running at least two activities concurrently, and for establishing a card sequence, the card sequence comprising a plurality of cards in a defined order, wherein each card in the sequence comprises a user interface corresponding to one of the activities, and wherein one of the cards in the sequence has focus, and wherein at least one card group is defined as comprising a subset of the cards;

a display screen, coupled to the processor, the display screen having at least two modes, wherein;

in a first display mode, the display screen displays a user interface for a single one of the activities; and

in a second display mode, responsive to the card having focus being a member of a card group, the display screen displays a representation of the card group comprising the card having focus; and

in the second display mode, responsive to the card having focus not being a member of a card group, the display screen displays the card having focus; and

an input device, coupled to the processor, for receiving user input;

wherein;

responsive to user input indicating a mode switch, the display screen switches from one of the display modes to another of the display modes; and

responsive to user input indicating a switch to another card, the display screen repositions the cards and the processor changes focus to another card.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the representation of the card group comprises a representation of a stack of cards.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor defines a subset of cards as a card group responsive to the subset of cards being associated with a common activity.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor defines a subset of cards as a card group responsive to user input defining a group comprising at least two cards.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein:

responsive to user input specifying addition of a card to a group, the processor adds the card to the group; and

responsive to user input specifying removal of a card from a group, the processor removes the card from the group.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the user input specifying addition of a card to a group comprises user input dragging the card to a location corresponding to the group; and

the user input specifying removal of a card from a group comprises user input dragging the card away from a location corresponding to the group.

29. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

responsive to user input specifying a change to the order of cards in a group, changing the order of cards in the group.

30. A system for displaying cards for a plurality of open activities in an electronic device, the activities being ordered in a sequence, the system comprising:

a processor, for running at least two activities concurrently, and for establishing a card sequence, the card sequence comprising a plurality of cards in a defined order, wherein each card in the sequence comprises a user interface corresponding to one of the activities, and wherein one of the cards in the sequence has focus, and wherein at least one card group is defined as comprising a subset of the cards;

a display screen, coupled to the processor, for displaying at least one card, the display screen having at least two modes, wherein;

in a first display mode, the display screen displays a user interface for a single one of the activities; and

in a second display mode, the display screen displays the card having focus and at least a portion of at least one card adjacent to the card having focus; and

an input device, coupled to the processor, for receiving user input;

wherein;

in at least one of the display modes, the display screen displays at least one card belonging to a card group in a visually distinctive manner with respect to at least one card not belonging to a card group;

responsive to user input indicating a mode switch, the display screen switches from one of the display modes to another of the display modes; and

responsive to user input indicating a switch to another card, the display screen repositions the cards and the processor changes focus to another card.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the display screen displays the at least one card belonging to a card group at a first vertical position, and displays the at least one card belonging to a card group at a second vertical position different from the first vertical position.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the display screen displays the at least one card belonging to a card group at a first size, and displays the at least one card belonging to a card group at a second size different from the first size.