Progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface

• US 9,146,670 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2011
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zaman, Nazia, Donahue, Tyler J., Ray, Ethan Nelson, Velasco, Maverick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/229,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,480 Days
• Field of Search: 345/473, 345/548
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/156 Query results presentation
• 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: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

This document describes techniques for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface. These techniques permit a user to view indications of new content for applications progressively, rather than all at one time. By so doing, the techniques may avoid mentally or visually overloading or over-stimulating a user viewing the indications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting, at a computing device and in a visible region of an interface, a set of tiles associated with a set of applications;

determining, at the computing device, a subset of the set of tiles, the subset comprising at least two tiles, each tile of the subset;

associated with an application; and

having new content available for presentation;

determining, at the computing device, that the determined subset of tiles comprises a quantity of tiles that exceeds a pre-determined threshold, the pre-determined threshold comprising a number of tiles or a fraction of tiles of the set of tiles;

indicating, in a first tile of the subset of tiles within the visible region, that new content is available for the first tile;

delaying indication of the availability of new content in a second tile of the subset of tiles based on the determination that the subset of tiles exceeds the pre-determined threshold, the delaying effective to avoid visually overloading or over-stimulating a user of the computing device; and

indicating, in the second tile of the subset of tiles within the visible region, that new content is available for the second tile.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising, after presenting the set of tiles associated with applications, ceasing to present the visible region and, prior to determining the subset of the set of tiles, receiving selection to re-present the visible region.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 2, wherein determining the subset is responsive to receiving selection to re-present the visible region.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein delaying indication of the availability of new content in the second tile comprises creating the visual effect of cascading, from one side of the visible region to another side of the visible region, animations across the subset of tiles.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein delaying indication of the availability of new content in the second tile comprises creating the visual effect of cascading, from one corner of the visible region to an opposite-most corner of the visible region, animations across the subset of tiles.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein indicating that new content is available in the first tile and the second tile visually alters an appearance of the first tile and second tile without presenting the new content, the altering of the appearance including a glossing, shimmering, color changing, tilting, shape-changing, or highlighting the first tile and the second tile.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein indicating in the first tile of the subset of tiles that new content is available alters the appearance of the first tile by presenting new content or an indicator indicating that new content is available.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein delaying indication of the availability of new content in the second tile comprises creating the visual effect of animating the subset of tiles in two or more stages.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the visual effect of animating the subset of tiles by presenting a rotation of portions of new content within each tile of the subset of tiles.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 9, wherein presenting the rotation of portions of the new content rotates text and an image.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 9, wherein the visual effect of animating the subset of tiles by cycling presentation of multiple new content within one of the tiles.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the visual effect of animating the subset of tiles visually alters the tiles without presenting the new content.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, reports associated with two or more applications and indicating new content or updates to the two or more applications, the two or more applications having associated tiles of an interface through which the new content or the update can be indicated;

determining, at the computing device, which of the associated tiles are in a region of the interface;

determining, at the computing device, an order in which to indicate the new content or the updates, the order including a delay to indicate at least one of the new content or the updates in the region of the interface; and

indicating, in a first tile of the associated tiles, that new content or an update is available for the first tile;

delaying indication of the availability of new content or an update in a second tile of the associated tiles, the delaying effective to avoid visually overloading or over-stimulating a user of the computing device; and

indicating, in the second tile of the associated tiles, that new content or an update is available for the second tile.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein indicating the availability of the new content or the updates in the first tile and the second tile presents a first rotation, within the first tile, of portions of the new content and visually alters the second tile altering a third of the associated tiles without presenting the new content or the update by glossing, shimmering, color changing, tilting, shape-changing, or highlighting the second tile.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein one or more of the two or more applications is not executing during the method.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein determining the order is based on a layout of the associated tiles in the region.

17. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein determining the order is based on a number of reports or notifications received for each of the two or more applications.

18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein the delay is determined based on:

an amount of time to complete an animation indicating the new content or the update in the first tile;

a number of the associated tiles in the region;

or

a fraction of the associated tiles in the region relative to a total number of tiles in the region.

19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein indicating the new content or the updates in the first tile and the second tile presents the new content within the first tile and the second tile.

20. A computing device comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage memories having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, perform operations comprising;

determining, for an interface having a visible region in which visible, selectable tiles associated with applications are presented and a non-visible region in which tiles associated with applications are included but not currently presented, a pre-render portion of the non-visible region;

pre-rendering animations for tiles in the pre-render portion and for which reports indicating new content have been received;

receiving an input selecting to view the pre-render portion of the non-visible region;

determining that a number of the tiles in the pre-render portion for which reports indicating new content have been received or a fraction defined by the number of the tiles in the pre-render portion relative to a total number of tiles in the pre-render portion exceeds a pre-determined threshold;

indicating, in a first tile in the pre-render portion, that new content is available for the first tile;

delaying indication of the availability of new content in a second tile of the tiles in the pre-render portion based on the determination that the number of tiles in the pre-render portion exceeds the pre-determined threshold, the delaying effective to avoid visually overloading or over-stimulating a user of the computing device; and

indicating, in the second tile in the pre-render portion, that new content is available for the second tile.