Interacting with digital content using multiple applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10503453-B2
Application number	US-201414580189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

One or more embodiments facilitate a user experience in which a user can conveniently switch between different applications on a mobile device for capturing and interacting with digital content. For example, a content navigation system can identify an application installed on a mobile device having content capturing functionality. In addition, the content navigation system can detect that a graphical user interface associated with the identified content capturing application is displayed via a touch screen on the mobile device. Further, based on detecting that the graphical user interface associated with the content capturing application is displayed, the content navigation system can overlay a graphical element associated with a content management application over the graphical user interface. The graphical element can facilitate convenient switching between different applications on the mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, by at least one processor, that a content capturing application and a separate content management application are installed on a mobile device;
monitoring, by the at least one processor, display activity corresponding to a touch screen of the mobile device;
detecting, based on the display activity, that the touch screen of the mobile device is displaying a graphical user interface of the content capturing application; and
in response to detecting that the touch screen is displaying the graphical user interface of the content capturing application, overlaying a graphical element associated with the content management application over the display of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the content capturing application is a digital camera application; and
the content management application is a video and photo management application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical element associated with the content management application is overlaid on only a portion of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying one or more characteristics of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application; and
determining, based on the one or more characteristics, a location void of user interaction elements within the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising positioning the graphical element associated with the content management application at the location void of user interaction elements.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, via the touch screen, a user interaction with respect to the graphical element associated with the content management application.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising changing, in response to detecting the user interaction with respect to the graphical element, from the touch screen displaying the graphical user interface of the content capturing application to the touch screen displaying a graphical user interface of the content management application.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, by the at least one processor, that one or more digital content items have been captured using the content capturing application while simultaneously displaying the graphical element associated with the content management application.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
detecting a user interaction with the graphical element associated with the content management application after detecting that one or more digital content items have been captured using the content capturing application;
in response to the user interaction, presenting a graphical user interface of the content management application; and
selecting, without further user interaction, each of the one or more captured digital content items.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
providing a display of the selected one or more digital content items within the graphical user interface of the content management application; and
enabling a user to delete or save at least one of the selected digital content items.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer device to:
determine that a content capturing application and a separate content management application are installed on a mobile device;
monitor display activity corresponding to a touch screen of the mobile device;
detect, based on the display activity, that the touch screen of the mobile device is displaying a graphical user interface of the content capturing application; and
in response to detecting that the touch screen is displaying the graphical user interface of the content capturing application, overlay a graphical element associated with the content management application over the display of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:
the content capturing application is a digital camera application; and
the content management application is a video and photo management application.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the graphical element associated with the content management application is overlaid on only a portion of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to:
identify one or more characteristics of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application; and
determine, based on the one or more characteristics, a location void of user interaction elements within the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer device to position the graphical element associated with the content management application at the location void of user interaction elements.

16. A mobile device comprising:
at least one processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the mobile device to:
determine that a content capturing application and a separate content management application are installed on a mobile device;
monitor display activity corresponding to a touch screen of the mobile device;
detect, based on the display activity, that the touch screen of the mobile device is displaying a graphical user interface of the content capturing application; and
in response to detecting that the touch screen is displaying the graphical user interface of the content capturing application, overlay a graphical element associated with the content management application over the display of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein:
the content capturing application is a digital camera application; and
the content management application is a video and photo management application.

18. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the graphical element associated with the content management application is overlaid on only a portion of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

19. The mobile device of claim 16 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the mobile device to:
identify one or more characteristics of the graphical user interface of the content capturing application; and
determine, based on the one or more characteristics, a location void of user interaction elements within the graphical user interface of the content capturing application.

20. The mobile device of claim 19 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the mobile device to position the graphical element associated with the content management application at the location void of user interaction elements.

Assignees

• Dropbox Inc

Inventors

• Weinberg Daniel
• Grue Anthony

Classifications

• H04M2250/52

  including functional features of a camera · CPC title

• G06F3/14 Primary

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G09G2340/12

  Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title