Methods and apparatuses for operating a data processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9552141-B2
Application number	US-201314096717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2013
Priority date	Jun 21, 2004
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for operating data processing systems. One exemplary method of operating a data processing system which includes a display device includes receiving an input from a user, the input specifying an object to be represented in a user configurable portion of a window which is displayable on a display device, and displaying the window with the user configurable portion wherein the user configurable portion is present in an open interface window or a save interface window. Other methods are also described, and data processing systems are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a data processing system having a display device, the method comprising:
at the data processing system having the display device:
configuring a user configurable side bar portion in a file management system user interface, the configuring including:
displaying the file management system user interface on the display device, wherein:
the file management system user interface includes a window having the user configurable side bar portion and a content display portion,
the user configurable side bar portion includes representations of multiple folders that have been placed in the user configurable side bar portion in response to separate prior inputs from a user, and
a displayed arrangement of the representations of the multiple folders in the user configurable side bar portion is independent of an arrangement of the multiple folders in a file system hierarchy at the data processing system;

while displaying the window having the user configurable side bar portion and the content display portion on the display device:
receiving a first input from the user, wherein:
 the first input specifies an object to be represented in the user configurable side bar portion of the window,
 the object is a first folder containing one or more first items, and
 the user configurable side bar portion does not include a representation of the first folder before the first input is received from the user; and
in response to receiving the first input, placing the representation of the first folder in the user configurable side bar portion, wherein:
 the representation of the first folder is concurrently displayed in the user configurable side bar portion with the representations of the multiple folders that have been placed in the user configurable side bar portion in response to separate prior inputs from the user, and
 a displayed arrangement of the representation of the first folder and the representations of the multiple folders in the user configurable side bar portion is independent of an arrangement of the first folder and the multiple folders in the file system hierarchy at the data processing system;

after configuring the user configurable side bar portion in the file management system user interface, receiving an instruction for opening a file, saving a file, or printing a file;
in response to receiving the instruction for opening a file, saving a file, or printing a file, displaying the window with the user configurable side bar portion and the content display portion, wherein:
the user configurable side bar portion is present in an open interface window or a save interface window or a print interface window, and
the user configurable side bar portion includes the representation of the first folder and the representations of the multiple folders.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the user configurable side bar portion is displayed in an expanded version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window,
the expanded version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window includes a mode switching affordance, and
the method includes:
while displaying the window with the user configurable side bar portion and the content display portion:
receiving a second user input from the user, wherein the second user input selects the mode switching affordance displayed in the expanded version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window; and
in response to receiving the second user input, displaying a compact version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window, wherein the compact version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window includes the mode switching affordance.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the compact version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window is configured to display a pull down menu that corresponds to the user configurable side bar portion.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the compact version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window is configured to display the pull down menu that corresponds to the user configurable side bar portion without concurrently displaying the content display portion.

5. The method of claim 2 , including:
while displaying the compact version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window, receiving a third user input from the user, wherein the third user input selects the mode switching affordance displayed in the compact version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window; and
in response to receiving the third user input, redisplaying the expanded version of the open interface window, save interface window, or print interface window.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user configurable side bar portion is displayed in a save interface window.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user configurable side bar portion is displayed in a print interface window.

8. 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 device, cause the electronic device to:
configure a user configurable side bar portion in a file management system user interface, the configuring including:
displaying the file management system user interface on the display device, wherein:
the file management system user interface includes a window having the user configurable side bar portion and a content display portion,
the user configurable side bar portion includes representations of multiple folders that have been placed in the user configurable side bar portion in response to separate prior inputs from a user, and
a displayed arrangement of the representations of the multiple folders in the user configurable side bar portion is independent of an arrangement of the multiple folders in a file system hierarchy at the data processing system;

while displaying the window having the user configurable side bar portion and the content display portion on the display device:
receiving a first input from the user, wherein:
the first input specifies an object to be represented in the user configurable side bar portion of the window,
the object is a first folder containing one or more first items, and
the user configurable side bar portion does not include a representation of the first folder before the first input is received from the user; and

in response to receiving the first input, placing the representation of the first folder in the user configurable side bar portion, wherein:
the representation of the first folder is concurrently displayed in the user configurable side bar portion with the representations of the multiple folders that have been placed in the user configurable side bar portion in response to separate prior inputs from the user, and
a displayed arrangement of the representation of the first folder and the representations of the multiple folders in the user configurable side bar portion is independent of an arrangement of the first folder and the multiple folders in the file system hierarchy at the data processing system;

after configuring the user configurable side bar portion in the file management system user interface, receive an instruction for opening a file, saving a file, or printing a file;
in response to receiving the instruction for opening a file, saving a file, or printing a file, display the window with the user configurable side bar portion and the content display portion, wherein:
the user con

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ording Bas
• Lindsay Donald

Classifications

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F3/0486 Primary

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  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

• G06F3/0484 Primary

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title