Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Navigating User Interface Hierarchies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016004429-A1
Application number	US-201514856522-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2012
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface, a display, and one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts displaying a lower-level user interface that is part of a user interface hierarchy, where the hierarchy includes at least three levels, including the lower-level user interface, an intermediate-level user interface and a higher-level user interface. The device also, while displaying the lower-level user interface, detects an input on a portion of the device that is associated with user interface hierarchy navigation and, in response to detecting the input, in accordance with a determination that the input meets first transition criteria, the device replaces display of the lower-level user interface with display of the intermediate-level user interface and in accordance with a determination that the input meets second transition criteria, the device replaces display of the lower-level user interface with display of the higher-level user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface and a display, wherein the device includes one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface:
displaying, on the display, a lower-level user interface that is part of a user interface hierarchy, wherein:
the hierarchy includes at least three levels, including the lower-level user interface, an intermediate-level user interface and a higher-level user interface;
the intermediate-level user interface is above the lower-level user interface in the hierarchy; and
the higher-level user interface is above both the intermediate-level user interface and the lower-level user interface in the hierarchy;

while displaying the lower-level user interface, detecting an input on a portion of the device that is associated with user interface hierarchy navigation;
in response to detecting the input:
in accordance with a determination that the input has a duration shorter than a respective time threshold, replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of the higher-level user interface; and
in accordance with a determination that the input has a duration longer than the respective time threshold, replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of a respective user interface in the user interface hierarchy selected in accordance with an intensity of the input.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the device on which the input is detected is a physical button.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the device on which the input is detected is a portion of the touch-sensitive surface that is associated with hierarchy navigation.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the device on which the input is detected is a portion of a touch screen display that includes an icon associated with hierarchy navigation.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is a contact on a touch-sensitive surface.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input includes a contact detected on a touch-sensitive surface; and the input is a stationary gesture that does not include lateral movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hierarchy includes exactly three levels in order from highest to lowest:
the higher-level user interface; the intermediate-level user interface; and the lower-level user interface.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the higher-level user interface is adjacent to the intermediate-level user interface in the hierarchy; and the intermediate-level user interface is adjacent to the lower-level user interface in the hierarchy.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the hierarchy includes more than three levels.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the lower-level and intermediate-level user interfaces are user interfaces in a single application; and the higher-level user interface is an application launch user interface.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the lower-level, intermediate-level and higher-level user interfaces are user interfaces in a single application.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the lower-level user interface is a media presentation interface; the intermediate-level user interface is a media collection display interface of a media player application; and the higher-level user interface is an application launch user interface that includes an icon representing the media player application.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the lower-level user interface is a subfolder; the intermediate-level user interface is a folder containing the subfolder; and the higher-level user interface is an application launch interface that includes an icon representing the folder.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of the respective user interface selected in accordance with the intensity of the input includes displaying an animated transition between the lower-level user interface and the respective user interface where the animated transition progresses at a rate that corresponds to the intensity of the input.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of the respective user interface selected in accordance with the intensity of the input includes displaying an animated transition between the lower-level user interface and the respective user interface where the animated transition progresses in accordance with the intensity of the input.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of the respective user interface selected in accordance with the intensity of the input, such that the respective user interface is the higher level user interface, includes displaying an animated transition between the lower-level user interface and the higher-level user interface that includes displaying a representation of the intermediate-level user interface.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of the respective user interface selected in accordance with the intensity of the input includes:
in accordance with a determination that the input has an intensity above a first intensity threshold and below a second intensity threshold higher than the first intensity threshold, replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of the intermediate-level user interface; and in accordance with a determination that the input has an intensity above the second intensity threshold, replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of the higher-level user interface.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein, when the input has a duration longer than the respective time threshold, and replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of a respective user interface includes replacing display of the lower-level user interface with the higher-level user interface, the method includes displaying a transition between the lower-level user interface and the higher-level user interface that includes displaying a representation of the intermediate-level user interface.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein, when the input has a duration longer than the respective time threshold and replacing display of the lower-level user interface with display of a respective user interface includes replacing display of the lower-level user interface with the higher-level user interface, the method comprises displaying a transition between the lower-level user interface and the higher-level user interface that does not include displaying a representation of the intermediate-level user interface.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, when the input has a duration shorter than the respective time threshold, the method comprises displaying a transition between the lower-level user interface and the higher-level user interface that does not include displaying a representation of the intermediate-level user interface.

21 . An electronic device, comprising:
a display; a touch-sensitive surface; one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface; 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 proces

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Bernstein Jeffrey Traer
• Missig Julian
• Cieplinski Avi E

Classifications

• G06F3/0483

  Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

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

• G06F3/04883 Primary

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

• G06F3/0482 Primary

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