Scalable and tabbed user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016103573-A1
Application number	US-201213527456-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2012
Priority date	Jun 19, 2012
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

System and methods of providing more space to present data in a graphical user interface which uses tabs, are presented. A GUI including a plurality of tabs in a first portion of the GUI and a tab adjustment element, is provided to the user. User input indicating an activation of the tab adjustment element is received. In response to the user input, the size of the first portion of the graphical user interface is modified, and the plurality of tabs is adjusted to fit within the modified size of the first portion of the GUI.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
providing, by a processing device, a graphical user interface comprising a menu bar, a tab context portion and a content portion, the menu bar having a plurality of tabs and a menu bar adjustment element, wherein one of the plurality of tabs comprises a selected tab that is visually differentiated from other tabs of the plurality of tabs, wherein the selected tab is associated with a video presented in the content portion, and wherein the tab context portion displays tab context data specifying a plurality of actions pertaining to playback of the video in the content portion corresponding to the selected tab; receiving a first user input indicating an activation of the menu bar adjustment element; and in response to the first user input:
reducing a size of the menu bar and adjusting the plurality of tabs to fit within the reduced size of the menu bar, wherein the selected tab remains visually differentiated from the other tabs of the plurality of tabs; and
increasing the size of the tab context portion to present additional actions pertaining to the playback of the video in the content portion corresponding to the selected tab.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected tab is positioned to provide an unobscured view of data presented in the selected tab.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving a second user input selecting a different tab from the plurality of tabs; and adjusting the plurality of tabs to provide an unobscured view of data presented in the different tab, based on the second user input.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of actions in the tab context portion comprise one or more user interface elements associated with the content portions corresponding to the selected tab.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the size of the menu bar is automatically reduced after selecting one of the plurality of tabs or after a period of inactivity.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical user interface is displayed within a screen of a smartphone, a personal digital assistance (PDA), or a cellular phone.

7 . A system comprising:
a processing device configured to:
provide a graphical user interface comprising a menu bar, a tab context portion and a content portion, the menu bar having a plurality of tabs and a menu bar adjustment element, wherein one of the plurality of tabs comprises a selected tab that is visually differentiated from other tabs of the plurality of tabs, wherein the selected tab is associated with a video presented in the content portion, and wherein the tab context portion displays tab context data specifying a plurality of actions pertaining to playback of the video in the content portion corresponding to the selected tab;
receive a first user input indicating an activation of the menu bar adjustment element; and
in response to the first user input:
reduce a size of the menu bar and adjusting the plurality of tabs to fit within the reduced size of the menu bar, wherein the selected tab remains visually differentiated from the other tabs of the plurality of tabs; and
increase the size of the tab context portion to present additional actions pertaining to the playback of the video in the content portion corresponding to the selected tab.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the selected tab is positioned to provide an unobscured view of data presented in the selected tab.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processing devices is further configured to:
receive a second user input selecting a different tab from the plurality of tabs; and adjust that the plurality of tabs to provide an unobscured view of data presented in the different tab, based on the second user input.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of actions in the tab context portion comprise one or more user interface elements associated with the content portions corresponding to the selected tab.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the size of the menu bar is automatically reduced after selecting one of the plurality of tabs or after a period of inactivity.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the graphical user interface is displayed within a screen of a smartphone, a personal digital assistance (PDA), or a cellular phone.

13 . A method comprising:
providing, by a processing device, a graphical user interface comprising a plurality of tabs in a first portion of the graphical user interface and a tab adjustment element, the plurality of tabs comprising a tab selected by a user that is visually differentiated from other tabs of the plurality of tabs; receiving a first user input indicating an activation of the tab adjustment element; and in response to the first user input, modifying a size of the first portion of the graphical user interface and adjusting the plurality of tabs to fit within the modified size of the first portion of the graphical user interface, wherein adjusting the plurality of tabs to fit within the modified size of the first portion of the graphical user interface comprises increasing a size of the tab selected by the user, wherein the increased size of the tab selected by the user is larger than sizes of other tabs of the plurality of tabs and provides for an unobscured view of data within the tab selected by the user, wherein the tab selected by the user remains visually differentiated from the other tabs of the plurality of tabs.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving a second user input selecting a different tab from the plurality of tabs; and adjusting the plurality of tabs to provide an unobscured view of the data presented by the different tab when the first portion is minimized, based on the second user input.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a context portion, wherein a size of the context portion is based on the modified size of the first portion, and wherein the context portion comprises one or more user interface elements associated with the tab selected by the user.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the size of the first portion is automatically reduced after selecting one of the plurality of tabs or after a period of inactivity.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the graphical user interface is displayed within a screen of a smartphone, a personal digital assistance (PDA), or a cellular phone.

Assignees

• Jones Timothy Charles
• Google Inc

Inventors

• Jones Timothy Charles

Classifications

• G06F3/0483 Primary

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

• G06F3/0482

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

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

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