Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Navigating and Previewing Content Items

• US 20130055083A1
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fino, Jorge
• Granted Patent: US 9,244,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

A portable electronic device displays concurrently a first predefined scrollable area and a second predefined scrollable area distinct from the first predefined scrollable area. The first predefined scrollable area includes a plurality of graphical objects and is configured to scroll in a first direction. Each of the plurality of graphical objects represents a respective set of content items. The second predefined scrollable area includes a list of content items and is configured to scroll in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction. The device detects a gesture that corresponds to selection of a first graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects in the first predefined scrollable area; and, in response to detecting the gesture, plays respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items that correspond to the selected first graphical object.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying concurrently on the display;

a pointer object; and

a predefined scrollable area, wherein;

the predefined scrollable area includes a plurality of graphical objects;

each of the plurality of graphical objects represents a respective set of content items; and

the predefined scrollable area is configured to scroll in a first direction;

detecting a finger drag gesture or a finger swipe gesture; and

,

in response to detecting the finger drag gesture or the finger swipe gesture;

scrolling the plurality of graphical objects such that the pointer object coincides with at least a portion of a first graphical object in the plurality of graphical objects; and

playing respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items that correspond to the first graphical object.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the graphical objects in the predefined scrollable area are displayed in a single row.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the graphical objects in the predefined scrollable area are digital images, genre identifiers, artist identifiers, album identifiers, or playlist identifiers.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a respective set of content items is an album, and the respective graphical object representing the respective set of content items is album art associated with the album.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the predefined scrollable area is displayed in response to detecting a scrolling gesture on another predefined scrollable area that is configured to scroll in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the pointer object is located at a fixed position.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a respective portion of a respective content item is played for a predefined duration.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a respective portion of a respective content item starts playing from a predefined location in the respective content item.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the predefined location in the respective content item is the beginning of the content item, the quarter point in the content item, or the halfway point in the content item.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the respective portions are played in an order that corresponds to an order of the content items within the set of content items.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the respective portions are played in a shuffled order.

12. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

while playing a portion of a first content item in the set of content items that corresponds to the first graphical object, detecting a scrolling gesture; and

,

in response to detecting the scrolling gesture;

scrolling the plurality of graphical objects in the predefined scrollable area in accordance with the scrolling gesture;

ceasing to play the portion of the first content item in the set of content items that corresponds to the first graphical object;

playing respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items that correspond to the first graphical object, other than the first content item, while the pointer object coincides with at least a portion of the first graphical object; and

playing respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items that correspond to a second graphical object, distinct from the first graphical object, while the pointer object coincides with at least a portion of the second graphical object.

13. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting an input while playing a respective portion of a content item in the set of content items that corresponds to the first graphical object; and

,

in response to detecting the input, playing the entire content item in the set of content items that corresponds to the first graphical object.

14. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting a gesture that corresponds to selection of a second graphical object of the plurality of graphical objects in the predefined scrollable area; and

in response to detecting the gesture that corresponds to selection of the second graphical object, playing respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items that correspond to the selected second graphical object.

15. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting a gesture to expand the predefined scrollable area from a first predefined size to a second predefined size larger than the first predefined size; and

in response to detecting the gesture to expand the predefined scrollable area;

expanding the predefined scrollable area from the first predefined size to the second predefined size; and

displaying an array of graphical objects, each respective graphical object representing a set of content items, in the predefined scrollable area at the second predefined size.

16. The device of claim 15, including instructions for:

detecting a gesture on a graphical object in the array of graphical objects; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture on the graphical object, playing respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items corresponding to the graphical object in the array of graphical objects.

17. A method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface;

displaying concurrently on the display;

a pointer object; and

a predefined scrollable area, wherein;

the predefined scrollable area includes a plurality of graphical objects;

each of the plurality of graphical objects represents a respective set of content items; and

the predefined scrollable area is configured to scroll in a first direction;

detecting a finger drag gesture or a finger swipe gesture; and

,

in response to detecting the finger drag gesture or the finger swipe gesture;

scrolling the plurality of graphical objects such that the pointer object coincides with at least a portion of a first graphical object in the plurality of graphical objects; and

playing respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items that correspond to the first graphical object.

18. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

display concurrently on the display;

a pointer object; and

a predefined scrollable area, wherein;

the predefined scrollable area includes a plurality of graphical objects;

each of the plurality of graphical objects represents a respective set of content items; and

the predefined scrollable area is configured to scroll in a first direction;

detect a finger drag gesture or a finger swipe gesture; and

,

in response to detecting the finger drag gesture or the finger swipe gesture;

scroll the plurality of graphical objects such that the pointer object coincides with at least a portion of a first graphical object in the plurality of graphical objects; and

play respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items that correspond to the first graphical object.

19. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

concurrently displayed;

a pointer object; and

a predefined scrollable area, wherein;

the predefined scrollable area includes a plurality of graphical objects;

each of the plurality of graphical objects represents a respective set of content items; and

the predefined scrollable area is configured to scroll in a first direction;

wherein;

in response to detecting a finger drag gesture or a finger swipe gesture;

the plurality of graphical objects is scrolled such that the pointer object coincides with at least a portion of a first graphical object in the plurality of graphical objects; and

respective portions of one or more content items in the set of content items that correspond to the first graphical object are played.