Device, method, and graphical user interface for managing concurrently open software applications

• US 9,658,740 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huertas Torres, Ayesha
• Application Number:
  US14/183,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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
• 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

An electronic device displays a first row in a multitasking user interface that includes a plurality of representations of open applications. The device concurrently displays a second row that is spaced apart from the first row and includes application icons for the open applications. While concurrently displaying the first row and the second row, the device detects a first input that corresponds to movement in a second direction. In response, the device moves the respective representation out of the first row in the second direction in accordance with a progression of the first input without moving the application icon for the respective application in the second direction. When application-close criteria have been met for the respective application by the first input, the device closes the respective application, ceases to display the respective representation in the first row and ceases to display the application icon in the second row.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

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 a first row in a multitasking user interface that includes a plurality of representations of open applications on the display, wherein the first row is configured to move in a first direction on the display;

concurrently displaying a second row in the multitasking user interface with the first row, wherein;

the second row is spaced apart from the first row at a separate location from a location of the first row; and

the second row includes a plurality of application icons that correspond to the representations of open applications;

while concurrently displaying the first row and the second row, detecting a first input that corresponds to movement of a respective representation of a respective open application in a second direction that is different from the first direction; and

in response to detecting the first input;

moving the respective representation out of the first row in the second direction in accordance with a progression of the first input without moving the application icon for the respective application in the second direction; and

in accordance with a determination that application-close criteria have been met for the respective application by the first input;

closing the respective application;

ceasing to display the respective representation in the first row; and

ceasing to display the application icon for the respective application in the second row.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for, in accordance with a determination that the application-close criteria have not been met by the first input, moving the respective representation back into the first row without closing the application and maintaining display of the application icon for the respective application in the second row.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device includes a touch-sensitive surface;

the first input is a swipe gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the contact has a velocity above a predetermined threshold at a predetermined point in the swipe gesture.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the device includes a touch-sensitive surface;

the first input is a drag gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the contact has moved a distance above a predetermined threshold at a predetermined point in the drag gesture.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the respective representation has moved more than a predetermined distance in the second direction in response to the first input.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for, after ceasing to display the respective representation, moving one or more representations of applications that were previously displayed adjacent to the respective representation to fill in an area on the display that was occupied by the respective representation immediately prior to detecting the first input.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first input includes movement of a contact on a touch-sensitive surface; and

moving the respective representation out of the first row in the second direction in accordance with a progression of the first input includes;

determining a magnitude of a respective component of movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to movement in the second direction on the display; and

moving the respective representation in the second direction by an amount that is proportional to the magnitude of the respective component of movement of the contact.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

while concurrently displaying the first row and the second row, detecting a second input that corresponds to movement of a respective representation of a respective open application in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction; and

in response to detecting the second input, moving the respective representation out of the first row in the third direction in accordance with a progression of the second input without moving the application icon for the respective application in the third direction; and

after detecting an end of the second input, moving the respective representation back into of the first row.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of representations of open applications include one or more representations that are fully-displayed on the display and one or more representations that are partially-displayed on the display; and

the respective representation is a representation that is partially-displayed on the display.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of representations of open applications include reduced-scale representations that indicate a current state of an application; and

the first row includes a reduced scale representation of an application launch interface that, when selected, causes the device to display the application launch interface on the display.

11. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a display;

displaying a first row in a multitasking user interface that includes a plurality of representations of open applications on the display, wherein the first row is configured to move in a first direction on the display;

concurrently displaying a second row in the multitasking user interface with the first row, wherein;

the second row is spaced apart from the first row at a separate location from a location of the first row; and

the second row includes a plurality of application icons that correspond to the representations of open applications;

while concurrently displaying the first row and the second row, detecting a first input that corresponds to movement of a respective representation of a respective open application in a second direction that is different from the first direction; and

in response to detecting the first input;

moving the respective representation out of the first row in the second direction in accordance with a progression of the first input without moving the application icon for the respective application in the second direction; and

in accordance with a determination that application-close criteria have been met for the respective application by the first input;

closing the respective application;

ceasing to display the respective representation in the first row; and

ceasing to display the application icon for the respective application in the second row.

12. The method of claim 11, including, in accordance with a determination that the application-close criteria have not been met by the first input, moving the respective representation back into the first row without closing the application and maintaining display of the application icon for the respective application in the second row.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the device includes a touch-sensitive surface;

the first input is a swipe gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the contact has a velocity above a predetermined threshold at a predetermined point in the swipe gesture.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the device includes a touch-sensitive surface;

the first input is a drag gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the contact has moved a distance above a predetermined threshold at a predetermined point in the drag gesture.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the respective representation has moved more than a predetermined distance in the second direction in response to the first input.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a display, cause the device to:

display a first row in a multitasking user interface that includes a plurality of representations of open applications on the display, wherein the first row is configured to move in a first direction on the display;

concurrently display a second row in the multitasking user interface with the first row, wherein;

the second row is spaced apart from the first row at a separate location from a location of the first row; and

the second row includes a plurality of application icons that correspond to the representations of open applications;

while concurrently displaying the first row and the second row, detect a first input that corresponds to movement of a respective representation of a respective open application in a second direction that is different from the first direction; and

in response to detecting the first input;

move the respective representation out of the first row in the second direction in accordance with a progression of the first input without moving the application icon for the respective application in the second direction; and

in accordance with a determination that application-close criteria have been met for the respective application by the first input;

close the respective application;

cease to display the respective representation in the first row; and

cease to display the application icon for the respective application in the second row.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed, cause the device to, in accordance with a determination that the application-close criteria have not been met by the first input, move the respective representation back into the first row without closing the application and maintaining display of the application icon for the respective application in the second row.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the device includes a touch-sensitive surface;

the first input is a swipe gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the contact has a velocity above a predetermined threshold at a predetermined point in the swipe gesture.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the device includes a touch-sensitive surface;

the first input is a drag gesture that includes movement of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the contact has moved a distance above a predetermined threshold at a predetermined point in the drag gesture.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the application-close criteria include a criterion that is met when the respective representation has moved more than a predetermined distance in the second direction in response to the first input.