Browsing or searching user interfaces and other aspects

• US 8,185,839 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jalon, Julien, Robert, Julien, Paterson, Toby
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONG, ANDREA NATAE
• Application Number:
  US11/760,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,809 Days
• Field of Search: 715/730, 715/757, 715/836, 715/838, 715/976, 715/769
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/976 3-D Icon

Abstract

User interfaces for browsing and/or searching are described. In one embodiment, a method includes displaying a first display area for display representations of documents matching a search query, the first display area configured to display content of the documents which can have a plurality of different types of content including at least one of text-based content and a folder, and displaying a second display area for selecting a selected document to be displayed in the first display area. Other embodiments are also described, and computer readable media and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, using one or more processing units, a request to generate a content preview for each file in a plurality of files stored in a folder, wherein each file has an associated file type, and wherein at least two files are of a different file type;

determining, using the one or more processing units, the associated file type for each file in the folder;

matching, using the one or more processors, the determined file type for each file with a plug-in capable of processing content in the file associated with that file type;

using, using the one or more processing units, the plug-in for each file to process the content for that file and dynamically generate a content preview for that file, wherein the content preview includes a display of the content of the file or an icon representing the content of the file; and

causing, using the one or more processing units, the content previews for the plurality of files stored in the folder to be animated, wherein the animation includes changing the display of the content previews in the folder over a period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the folder is in a hierarchical file system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the folder is in another folder or a subdirectory within a hierarchical file system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein file types include text files, PDF files, picture files, web page files, document files, spreadsheet files, sound files, music files, and movie files.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the animation occurs continuously.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the animation includes displaying each file once.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of files are displayed in a stack, and wherein changing the display includes randomly shuffling the stack.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of files are displayed in a stack, and wherein changing the display includes sorting the stack according to a pre-selected order.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the folder is configured to be displayed in an icon view, a list view, a column view, or a cover flow view.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the folder is transparent and the plurality of files are visibly displayed in a stack.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the folder is opaque and each file in the plurality of files is individually displayed on top of the folder.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein animating occurs automatically when the folder is displayed.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein animating occurs in response to an input.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each file type is associated with a pre-determined icon, and wherein the content preview includes the pre-determined icons.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a content preview is configured to be interactive or non-interactive, and wherein when a content preview is interactive, the content preview includes one or more interactive controls.

16. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including;

receiving a request to generate a content preview for each file in a plurality of files stored in a folder, wherein each file has an associated file type, and wherein at least two files are of a different file type;

determining the associated file type for each file in the folder;

matching the determined file type for each file with a plug-in capable of processing content in the file associated with that file type;

using the plug-in for each file to process the content for that file and dynamically generate a content preview for that file, wherein the content preview includes a display of the content of the file or an icon representing the content of the file; and

causing the content previews for the plurality of files stored in the folder to be animated, wherein the animation includes changing the display of the content previews in the folder over a period of time.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the folder is in a hierarchical file system.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the folder is in another folder or a subdirectory within a hierarchical file system.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein file types include text files, PDF files, picture files, web page files, document files, spreadsheet files, sound files, music files, and movie files.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the animation occurs continuously.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the animation includes displaying each file once.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of files are displayed in a stack, and wherein changing the display includes randomly shuffling the stack.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of files are displayed in a stack, and wherein changing the display includes sorting the stack according to a pre-selected order.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the folder is configured to be displayed in an icon view, a list view, a column view, or a cover flow view.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the folder is transparent and the plurality of files are visibly displayed in a stack.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the folder is opaque and each file in the plurality of files is individually displayed on top of the folder.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein animating occurs automatically when the folder is displayed.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein animating occurs in response to an input.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein each file type is associated with a pre-determined icon, and wherein the content preview includes the pre-determined icons.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein a content preview is configured to be interactive or non-interactive, and wherein when a content preview is interactive, the content preview includes one or more interactive controls.

31. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a request to generate a content preview for each file in a plurality of files stored in a folder, wherein each file has an associated file type, and wherein at least two files are of a different file type;

determine the associated file type for each file in the folder;

match the determined file type for each file with a plug-in capable of processing content in the file associated with that file type;

use the plug-in for each file to process the content for that file and dynamically generate a content preview for that file, wherein the content preview includes a display of the content of the file or an icon representing the content of the file; and

cause the content previews for the plurality of files stored in the folder to be animated, wherein the animation includes changing the display of the content previews in the folder over a period of time.

32. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the folder is in a hierarchical file system.

33. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the folder is in another folder or a subdirectory within a hierarchical file system.

34. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein file types include text files, PDF files, picture files, web page files, document files, spreadsheet files, sound files, music files, and movie files.

35. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the animation occurs continuously.

36. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the animation includes displaying each file once.

37. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the plurality of files are displayed in a stack, and wherein changing the display includes randomly shuffling the stack.

38. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the plurality of files are displayed in a stack, and wherein changing the display includes sorting the stack according to a pre-selected order.

39. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the folder is configured to be displayed in an icon view, a list view, a column view, or a cover flow view.

40. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the folder is transparent and the plurality of files are visibly displayed in a stack.

41. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein the folder is opaque and each file in the plurality of files is individually displayed on top of the folder.

42. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein animating occurs automatically when the folder is displayed.

43. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein animating occurs in response to an input.

44. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein each file type is associated with a pre-determined icon, and wherein the content preview includes the pre-determined icons.

45. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein a content preview is configured to be interactive or non-interactive, and wherein when a content preview is interactive, the content preview includes one or more interactive controls.