Overlay user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10551995-B1
Application number	US-201414499079-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 26, 2014
Priority date	Sep 26, 2013
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

In a general aspect, a computer-implemented method can include displaying a first user interface window on a touchscreen display of a computing device, where first user interface window includes a plurality of application icons associated with respective applications available for execution by the computing device. The computer-implemented method can further include detecting a touch input on the touchscreen display at a location associated with a first application icon from the plurality of application icons. The computer-implemented method can also include, in response to the touch input, displaying concurrently on the touchscreen display of the computing device a first portion of the first user interface window and a second portion of a second user interface window, wherein the second user interface window displays a user interface of the application associated with the first application icon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
displaying a first user interface window on a touchscreen display of a computing device, wherein the first user interface is displayed to occupy the full-screen of the touchscreen display, wherein the first user interface window includes a plurality of single instances of different application icons, each application icon associated with a respective different application available for execution by the computing device upon selection of the application icon in the first user interface window via a touch input on the touchscreen display;
detecting, when the first user interface is displayed to occupy the full-screen of the touchscreen display, a touch input on the touchscreen display at a location at which a first application icon from the plurality of different application icons is displayed and a first dragging gesture of the touch input on across the touchscreen display; and
in response to the first dragging gesture of the touch input:
displaying concurrently on the touchscreen display of the computing device a first portion of the first user interface window, wherein the first portion includes the different application icons, and a second portion of a second user interface window, wherein the second user interface window displays a user interface of the application associated with the first application icon including a screenshot depicting a state of the application when the application was last executing in a non-low-power hibernation mode on the computing device, and wherein the first portion includes an edge that moves, along with the different application icons that all move synchronously with the edge away from a first edge of the display, in response to the first dragging gesture to reveal the second portion in a portion of the display over which the edge has moved;
launching the application associated with the first application icon, wherein launching the application includes beginning execution of the application or resuming execution of the application from the non-low-power hibernation mode;
updating the second portion of the second user interface window, while the first portion of the first user interface window and the second portion of the second user interface are concurrently displayed, to include content provided from the application since a previous time that the application was launched;

displaying the second portion of the updated second user interface;
detecting a second dragging gesture on the touch input surface, the second dragging gesture occurring after the first dragging gesture and performed toward, the first edge of the display;
in response to the second dragging gesture, moving the first user interface window toward the first edge of the display; and
in response to the second dragging gesture, concealing the increasing portion of the second user interface window under the first user interface window as the first user interface window is moved toward the first edge of the display.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the first dragging gesture, displaying a decreasing portion of the first user interface window on the display and displaying an increasing portion of the second user interface window on the display.

3. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the first dragging gesture is performed in a direction that is perpendicular to, and away from, the first edge of the display,
wherein displaying the decreasing portion of the first user interface window on the display includes moving the first user interface window away from the first edge of the display, and
wherein displaying the increasing portion of the second user interface window includes revealing the increasing portion of the second user interface window under the first user interface window as the first user interface window is moved.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
detecting, after the first dragging gesture, a release of the touch input from the touch input surface; and
in response to the detected release of the touch input from the touch input surface, removing the first user interface window from the display and displaying the entire second user interface window on the display.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the second dragging is performed perpendicular to the first edge of the display.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
detecting that the second dragging gesture is performed within a predetermined distance from the first edge of the display;
in response to detecting that the second dragging gesture is performed within the predetermined distance, maximizing the first user interface window on the display and closing the second user interface window on the display.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
in response to the second dragging gesture:
placing the application into a limited execution mode.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the second portion of the second user interface window on the display includes displaying a portion of a screenshot of a most recently used user interface to the application associated with the first application icon.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the first user interface window on the display includes launching an application associated with the first interface window, wherein the launching of the application causes a currently running application to be placed into a limited execution mode.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the launched application includes a transparent window.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of application icons displayed in the first user interface window each are circular shaped and include a graphical image.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the revealed second portion is proportional to an extent of the first dragging gesture.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first dragging gesture of the touch input on the touchscreen display, includes a dragging gesture in a direction that corresponds to a direction in which the edge moves in response to the first dragging gesture.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the first user interface to occupy the full-screen of the touchscreen display includes displaying the first user interface on all of the display area of the touchscreen display.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:
display a first user interface window on a touchscreen display of a computing device, wherein the first user interface is displayed to occupy the full-screen of the touchscreen display, wherein the first user interface window includes a plurality of single instances of different application icons, each application icon associated with a respective different application available for execution by the computing device upon selection of the application icon in the first user interface window via a touch input on the touchscreen display;
detect, when the first user interface is displayed to occupy the full-screen of the touchscreen display, a touch input on the touchscreen display at a location at which a first application icon from the plurality of different application icons is displayed and a first dragging gesture of the touch input on the touchscreen display; and
in response to the first dragging gesture of the touch input:
display concurrently on the touchscreen display of the computing device a first portion of the first user interface window, wherein the first portion includes the different application icons, and a second po

Assignees

• Twitter Inc

Inventors

• Ho Edward
• Luk Gordon
• Jackson Todd

Classifications

• G06F3/04817 Primary

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/0486

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

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