User Interface for Electronic Backup

• US 20160246458A1
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hart, David, Matas, Michael, Cisler, Pavel, Tiene, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 10,891,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for storing and restoring digital data. A method includes receiving, a first user input requesting that a backup interface be displayed, displaying the backup interface, the backup interface including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of a current view and a visual representation of the current view, the earlier version including a first element, receiving, while the backup interface is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view be modified according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element, animating the modification of the first element as moving from the visual representation of the earlier version to the visual representation of the current view, and modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a backup interface, the backup interface being different from a user interface window and including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window and a visual representation of a current view of the user interface window, the backup interface further including a timeline, where the timeline represents a plurality of visual representations of earlier versions of the user interface window each representing a particular point in time, and where the timeline is a condensed timeline that includes a plurality of condensed tick marks, where each condensed tick mark represents multiple individual tick marks,

wherein the timeline animates in response to user input based on cursor position including determining an identified tick mark, the identified tick mark having a shortest distance from a cursor position; and

spatially expanding the timeline to display individual tick marks relative to the identified tick mark.

2. The method of claim 1, where displaying the backup interface including the timeline includes displaying the timeline as a vertical column of tick marks.

3. The method of claim 1, where displaying the individual tick marks includes magnifying the identified tick mark.

4. The method of claim 1, where a date is displayed corresponding to the earlier version of the user interface window represented by the identified tick mark.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the cursor position has moved;

determining a next identified tick mark relative to the cursor position; and

magnifying the next identified tick mark.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input selecting the identified tick mark;

displaying the visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window corresponding to the identified tick mark; and

compressing the timeline to the condensed timeline.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises increasing a size of at least one individual tick mark relative to at least one other individual tick mark.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises magnifying a first portion of the timeline by a first magnification, and magnifying a second portion of the timeline by a second magnification, wherein the first magnification is different than the second magnification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises extending a length of an axis of the timeline.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors operable to interact with a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium in order to perform operations comprising;

displaying a backup interface, the backup interface being different from a user interface window and including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window and a visual representation of the current view of the user interface window, the backup interface further including a timeline, where the timeline represents a plurality of visual representations of earlier versions of the user interface window each representing a particular point in time, and where the timeline is a condensed timeline that includes a plurality of condensed tick marks, where each condensed tick mark represents multiple individual tick marks,

wherein the timeline animates in response to user input based on cursor position including determining an identified tick mark, the identified tick mark having a shortest distance from a cursor position; and

spatially expanding the timeline to display individual tick marks relative to the identified tick mark.

11. The system of claim 10, where displaying the backup interface includes displaying the timeline as a vertical column of tick marks.

12. The system of claim 10, where displaying the individual tick marks includes magnifying the identified tick mark.

13. The system of claim 10, where a date is displayed corresponding to the earlier version of the user interface window represented by the identified tick mark.

14. The system of claim 10, where the operations further comprise:

determining that the cursor position has moved;

determining a next identified tick mark relative to the cursor position; and

magnifying the next identified tick mark.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an input selecting the identified tick mark;

displaying the visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window corresponding to the identified tick mark; and

compressing the timeline to the condensed timeline.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises increasing a size of at least one individual tick mark relative to at least one other individual tick mark.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises magnifying a first portion of the timeline by a first magnification, and magnifying a second portion of the timeline by a second magnification, wherein the first magnification is different than the second magnification.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises extending a length of an axis of the timeline.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

displaying a backup interface, the backup interface being different from a user interface window and including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window and a visual representation of the current view of the user interface window, the backup interface further including a timeline, where the timeline represents a plurality of visual representations of earlier versions of the user interface window each representing a particular point in time, and where the timeline is a condensed timeline that includes a plurality of condensed tick marks, where each condensed tick mark represents multiple individual tick marks,

wherein the timeline animates in response to user input based on cursor position including determining an identified tick mark, the identified tick mark having a shortest distance from a cursor position; and

spatially expanding the timeline to display individual tick marks relative to the identified tick mark.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, where displaying the backup interface includes displaying the timeline as a vertical column of tick marks.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, where displaying the individual tick marks includes magnifying the identified tick mark.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, where a date is displayed corresponding to the earlier version of the user interface window represented by the identified tick mark.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by the one or more processes, further causes:

determining that the cursor position has moved;

determining a next identified tick mark relative to the cursor position; and

magnifying the next identified tick mark.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by the one or more processes, further causes:

receiving an input selecting the identified tick mark;

displaying the visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window corresponding to the identified tick mark; and

compressing the timeline to the condensed timeline.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises increasing a size of at least one individual tick mark relative to at least one other individual tick mark.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises magnifying a first portion of the timeline by a first magnification, and magnifying a second portion of the timeline by a second magnification, wherein the first magnification is different than the second magnification.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein spatially expanding the timeline comprises extending a length of an axis of the timeline.