User Interface with Parallax Animation

• US 20120212495A1
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Butcher, Larry R., Friedman, Jonathan D., Voss, Chad Aron, Kruzeniski, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,223,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/474
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 : for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

User interface animation techniques are described. In an implementation, an input having a velocity is detected that is directed to one or more objects in a user interface. A visual presentation is generated that is animated so a first object in the user interface moves in parallax with respect to a second object. The presentation is displayed so the first object appears to moves at a rate that corresponds to the velocity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an input, the input comprising a velocity and a direction, that is directed to one or more objects displayed on a display device, generating a presentation that includes a parallax animation of the one or more objects; and

displaying the presentation that includes the parallax animation on the display device, the parallax animation displaying such that as the animation nears termination at least one of the one or more object'"'"'s motion appears to dampen.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the presentation is displayed when at least one of the one or more objects is available for selection to access additional information for display in the user interface.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more objects include:

a photograph;

an icon;

a shortcut;

a label;

or

visual content.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the input is a gesture received via touchscreen functionality of the computer; and

the displaying is performed so the one or more objects move in a direction of the gesture.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the computer is configured as a mobile communications device that includes telephone functionality.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the one or more objects appear in a corresponding one of a plurality of layers according to type; and

each said layer is assigned a different speed in the parallax animation for moving respective said objects that are included in the layer.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the plurality of layers includes a first said layer exclusively comprising text object type and another said layer exclusively comprising images object type.

8. A mobile communications device comprising:

a display device having touchscreen functionality; and

a user interface module to generate a user interface that includes objects for output on the display device, the user interface module being configured to;

generate a presentation of the objects included in a respective one of a plurality of layers based on object type in response to detection of a gesture; and

display the presentation including a parallax animation so that a first said layer is exclusively comprised of a text object type and second said layer is exclusively comprised of an image object type, the parallax animation configured to continue after completion of the gesture.

9. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein a third said layer is exclusively comprised of:

a label or

a border.

10. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein the first said layer appears closer to the screen than the said second layer.

11. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein the gesture includes a pan-and-drag of a user'"'"'s finger.

12. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, wherein the parallax animation displays such that as the animation nears termination at least one of the one or more object'"'"'s motion appears to dampen.

13. A mobile communications device as described in claim 8, further comprising one or more modules to provide telephone functionality and wherein the user interface includes objects that relate to the telephone functionality.

14. One or more computer-readable media comprising multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

provide, on a mobile communications device, a user interface;

generate a presentation for the user interface that includes a parallax animation to follow a gesture comprised of a velocity and direction, the parallax presentation including a plurality of objects in a respective one of a plurality of layers; and

display the presentation on a display device of the mobile communications device to include the parallax animation, the parallax animation displaying such that as the animation nears termination a least one of the plurality of object'"'"'s motion appears to dampen.

15. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 14, wherein said objects included in a respective layer are perceived as having a different distance from a surface of the display device than other said objects in a different layer.

16. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 14, wherein each said object is included in a respective one of the plurality of layers based on object type and at least one said object type is text that is assigned to a first said layer comprised exclusively of text objects and another said object type is images assigned to another said layer comprised exclusively of image objects.

18. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 14, wherein the presentation is generated in response to detection of the gesture and a first said object is associated with information available for display in the user interface.

19. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 14, wherein the parallax motion comprises further displaying at least one of the said objects appearing to bounce off an edge of the display device before the said object'"'"'s motion is terminated.

20. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 18, wherein the first said object is an image associated with an update that is available for display in the user interface.