Abstract:
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating user interface tools are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes identifying a resource (e.g., a web page) for display in an interface, identifying one or more user interface elements in the resource, generating a tool based on the one or more user interface elements, and combining the tool and the resource for display in the interface.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This subject matter is generally related to user interface tools for electronic devices. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Resources, such as but not limited to web pages, text documents, and databases may be too large to be practically displayed in their entirety in a display of an electronic device. For example, a database may include too many records to display at once on a screen of a computer monitor, such that a size of text in the records is readable by a user. As another example, a search engine web page displayed in a web browser may include multiple search options that fill the screen, and a “submit” button to proceed with a search may not be displayed on the screen. It may be difficult or inconvenient for a user to navigate to other portions of a resource (e.g., the database or search engine web page), for example, so that other information or objects (e.g., input fields, controls, tools) are displayed on the display. Furthermore, as a size of the display or screen resolution (e.g., screen real estate) of the electronic device decreases, the difficulty or inconvenience of navigating to the other portions of a resource may increase. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of identifying a resource (e.g., a web page) for display in an interface, identifying one or more user interface elements in the resource, generating a tool based on the one or more user interface elements, and combining the tool and the resource for display in the interface. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products. 
         [0004]    Particular embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. Superimposing a toolbar on an interface can improve an ease of navigating in a user interface by: (i) reducing an amount of screen real estate used, and (ii) improve an ease of locating tools (e.g., that may not exist in the resource, or may not be currently displayed); thereby improving a user&#39;s experience. Because tools can be presented in a known location, the time user&#39;s spend searching for the tools can be decreased. In addition, the dynamic nature of the toolbar (e.g., ability to adaptively present tools based on context, such as the user&#39;s input) also improves the user&#39;s experience. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  illustrates an example mobile device. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example network operating environment for the mobile device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example architecture for the mobile device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example interface that includes a toolbar. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5A  illustrates an example interface that includes a toolbar presented at a location based on a first user input. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5B  illustrates an example interface that includes a toolbar presented at a location based on a second user input. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example interface that includes a heads up display. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of an example process for superimposing a toolbar on an interface. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8A  illustrates an example interface that includes a toolbar. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8B  illustrates the example interface of  FIG. 8A  that further includes a heads up display. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Example Mobile Device 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example mobile device  100 . The mobile device  100  can be, for example, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a network appliance, a camera, a smart phone, an enhanced general packet radio service (EGPRS) mobile phone, a network base station, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, or a combination of any two or more of these data processing devices or other data processing devices. 
       Mobile Device Overview 
       [0016]    In some implementations, the mobile device  100  includes a touch-sensitive display  102 . The touch-sensitive display  102  can implement liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, light emitting polymer display (LPD) technology, or some other display technology. The touch-sensitive display  102  can be sensitive to haptic and/or tactile contact with a user. 
         [0017]    In some implementations, the touch-sensitive display  102  can comprise a multi-touch-sensitive display  102 . A multi-touch-sensitive display  102  can, for example, process multiple simultaneous touch points, including processing data related to the pressure, degree, and/or position of each touch point. Such processing facilitates gestures and interactions with multiple fingers, chording, and other interactions. Other touch-sensitive display technologies can also be used, e.g., a display in which contact is made using a stylus or other pointing device. Some examples of multi-touch-sensitive display technology are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,323,846, 6,570,557, 6,677,932, and 6,888,536, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
         [0018]    In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can display one or more graphical user interfaces on the touch-sensitive display  102  for providing the user access to various system objects and for conveying information to the user. In some implementations, the graphical user interface can include one or more display objects  104  and  106 . In the example shown, the display objects  104  and  106 , are graphic representations of system objects. Some examples of system objects include device functions, applications, windows, files, alerts, events, or other identifiable system objects. 
       Example Mobile Device Functionality 
       [0019]    In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can implement multiple device functionalities, such as a telephony device, an e-mail device, a network data communication device, a Wi-Fi base station device (not shown), and a media processing device. In some implementations, particular display objects  104  can be displayed in a menu bar  118 . In some implementations, device functionalities can be accessed from a top-level graphical user interface, such as the graphical user interface illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Touching one of the display objects  104  can, for example, invoke corresponding functionality. For example, touching the display object  189  would invoke an email application on the mobile device  100 , for example. 
         [0020]    In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can implement network distribution functionality. For example, the functionality can enable the user to take the mobile device  100  and provide access to its associated network while traveling. In particular, the mobile device  100  can extend Internet access (e.g., Wi-Fi) to other wireless devices in the vicinity. For example, mobile device  100  can be configured as a base station for one or more devices. As such, mobile device  100  can grant or deny network access to other wireless devices. 
         [0021]    In some implementations, upon invocation of device functionality, the graphical user interface of the mobile device  100  changes, or is augmented or replaced with another user interface or user interface elements, to facilitate user access to particular functions associate d with the corresponding device functionality. For example, in response to a user touching a phone object, the graphical user interface of the touch-sensitive display  102  may present display objects related to various phone functions; likewise, touching of an email object may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various e-mail functions; touching a Web object may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various Web-surfing functions; and touching a media player object may cause the graphical user interface to present display objects related to various media processing functions. 
         [0022]    In some implementations, the top-level graphical user interface environment or state of  FIG. 1  can be restored by pressing a button  120  located near the bottom of the mobile device  100 . In some implementations, each corresponding device functionality may have corresponding “home” display objects displayed on the touch-sensitive display  102 , and the top-level graphical user interface environment of  FIG. 1  can be restored by pressing the “home” display object. 
         [0023]    In some implementations, the top-level graphical user interface can include additional display objects  106 , such as a short messaging service (SMS) object  187 , a calendar object, a photos object, a camera object, a calculator object, a stocks object, a weather object, a maps object  144 , a notes object, a clock object, an address book object, and a settings object. Touching the maps object  144  can, for example, invoke a mapping and location-based services environment and supporting functionality; likewise, a selection of any of the display objects  106  can invoke a corresponding object environment and functionality. 
         [0024]    Additional and/or different display objects can also be displayed in the graphical user interface of  FIG. 1 . For example, if the device  100  is functioning as a base station for other devices, one or more “connection” objects may appear in the graphical user interface to indicate the connection. In some implementations, the display objects  106  can be configured by a user, e.g., a user may specify which display objects  106  are displayed, and/or may download additional applications or other software that provides other functionalities and corresponding display objects. 
         [0025]    In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can include one or more input/output (I/O) devices and/or sensor devices. For example, a speaker  160  and a microphone  162  can be included to facilitate voice-enabled functionalities, such as phone and voice mail functions. In some implementations, an up/down button  184  for volume control of the speaker  160  and the microphone  162  can be included. The mobile device  100  can also include an on/off button  182  for a ring indicator of incoming phone calls. In some implementations, a loud speaker  164  can be included to facilitate hands-free voice functionalities, such as speaker phone functions. An audio jack  166  can also be included for use of headphones and/or a microphone. 
         [0026]    In some implementations, a proximity sensor  168  can be included to facilitate the detection of the user positioning the mobile device  100  proximate to the user&#39;s ear and, in response, to disengage the touch-sensitive display  102  to prevent accidental function invocations. In some implementations, the touch-sensitive display  102  can be turned off to conserve additional power when the mobile device  100  is proximate to the user&#39;s ear. 
         [0027]    Other sensors can also be used. For example, in some implementations, an ambient light sensor  170  can be utilized to facilitate adjusting the brightness of the touch-sensitive display  102 . In some implementations, an accelerometer  172  can be utilized to detect movement of the mobile device  100 , as indicated by the directional arrow  174 . Accordingly, display objects and/or media can be presented according to a detected orientation, e.g., portrait or landscape. In some implementations, the mobile device  100  may include circuitry and sensors for supporting a location determining capability, such as that provided by the Global Positioning System (GPS) or other positioning systems (e.g., systems using Wi-Fi access points, television signals, cellular grids, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)). In some implementations, a positioning system (e.g., a GPS receiver) can be integrated into the mobile device  100  or provided as a separate device that can be coupled to the mobile device  100  through an interface (e.g., port device  190 ) to provide access to location-based services. 
         [0028]    In some implementations, a port device  190 , e.g., a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, or a docking port, or some other wired port connection, can be included. The port device  190  can, for example, be utilized to establish a wired connection to other computing devices, such as other communication devices  100 , network access devices, a personal computer, a printer, a display screen, or other processing devices capable of receiving and/or transmitting data. In some implementations, the port device  190  allows the mobile device  100  to synchronize with a host device using one or more protocols, such as, for example, the TCP/IP, HTTP, UDP and any other known protocol. 
         [0029]    The mobile device  100  can also include a camera lens and sensor  180 . In some implementations, the camera lens and sensor  180  can be located on the back surface of the mobile device  100 . The camera can capture still images and/or video. 
         [0030]    The mobile device  100  can also include one or more wireless communication subsystems, such as an 802.11b/g communication device  186 , and/or a Bluetooth™ communication device  188 . Other communication protocols can also be supported, including other 802.x communication protocols (e.g., WiMax, Wi-Fi, 3G), code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), etc. 
       Network Operating Environment 
       [0031]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an example network operating environment for the mobile device of  FIG. 1 . Mobile devices  202   a  and  202   b  can, for example, communicate over one or more wired and/or wireless networks  210  in data communication. For example, a wireless network  212 , e.g., a cellular network, can communicate with a wide area network (WAN)  214 , such as the Internet, by use of a gateway  216 . Likewise, an access device  218 , such as an 802.11g wireless access device, can provide communication access to the wide area network  214 . In some implementations, both voice and data communications can be established over the wireless network  212  and the access device  218 . For example, the mobile device  202   a  can place and receive phone calls (e.g., using VoIP protocols), send and receive e-mail messages (e.g., using POP3 protocol), and retrieve electronic documents and/or streams, such as web pages, photographs, and videos, over the wireless network  212 , gateway  216 , and wide area network  214  (e.g., using TCP/IP or UDP protocols). Likewise, in some implementations, the mobile device  202   b  can place and receive phone calls, send and receive e-mail messages, and retrieve electronic documents over the access device  218  and the wide area network  214 . In some implementations, the mobile device  202   a  or  202   b  can be physically connected to the access device  218  using one or more cables and the access device  218  can be a personal computer. In this configuration, the mobile device  202   a  or  202   b  can be referred to as a “tethered” device. 
         [0032]    The mobile devices  202   a  and  202   b  can also establish communications by other means. For example, the wireless device  202   a  can communicate with other wireless devices, e.g., other mobile devices  202   a  or  202   b , cell phones, etc., over the wireless network  212 . Likewise, the mobile devices  202   a  and  202   b  can establish peer-to-peer communications  220 , e.g., a personal area network, by use of one or more communication subsystems, such as the Bluetooth™ communication devices  188  shown in  FIG. 1 . Other communication protocols and topologies can also be implemented. 
         [0033]    The mobile device  202   a  or  202   b  can, for example, communicate with one or more services  230 ,  240 ,  250 ,  260 , and  270  over the one or more wired and/or wireless networks  210 . For example, one or more navigation services  230  can provide navigation information, e.g., map information, location information, route information, and other information, to the mobile device  202   a  or  202   b . A user of the mobile device  202   b  can invoke a map functionality, e.g., by pressing the maps object  144  on the top-level graphical user interface shown in  FIG. 1 , and can request and receive a map for a particular location, request and receive route directions, or request and receive listings of businesses in the vicinity of a particular location, for example. 
         [0034]    A messaging service  240  can, for example, provide e-mail and/or other messaging services. A media service  250  can, for example, provide access to media files, such as song files, audio books, movie files, video clips, and other media data. In some implementations, separate audio and video services (not shown) can provide access to the respective types of media files. A syncing service  260  can, for example, perform syncing services (e.g., sync files). An activation service  270  can, for example, perform an activation process for activating the mobile device  202   a  or  202   b . Other services can also be provided, including a software update service that automatically determines whether software updates exist for software on the mobile device  202   a  or  202   b , then downloads the software updates to the mobile device  202   a  or  202   b  where the software updates can be manually or automatically unpacked and/or installed. 
         [0035]    The mobile device  202   a  or  202   b  can also access other data and content over the one or more wired and/or wireless networks  210 . For example, content publishers, such as news sites, RSS feeds, web sites, blogs, social networking sites, developer networks, etc., can be accessed by the mobile device  202   a  or  202   b . Such access can be provided by invocation of a web browsing function or application (e.g., a browser) in response to a user touching, for example, a Web object. 
       Example Mobile Device Architecture 
       [0036]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example architecture for the mobile device of  FIG. 1 . The mobile device  100  can include a memory interface  302 , one or more data processors, image processors and/or central processing units  304 , and a peripherals interface  306 . The memory interface  302 , the one or more processors  304  and/or the peripherals interface  306  can be separate components or can be integrated in one or more integrated circuits. The various components in the mobile device  100  can be coupled by one or more communication buses or signal lines. 
         [0037]    Sensors, devices, and subsystems can be coupled to the peripherals interface  306  to facilitate multiple functionalities. For example, a motion sensor  310 , a light sensor  312 , and a proximity sensor  314  can be coupled to the peripherals interface  306  to facilitate the orientation, lighting, and proximity functions described with respect to  FIG. 1 . Other sensors  316  can also be connected to the peripherals interface  306 , such as a positioning system (e.g., GPS receiver), a temperature sensor, a biometric sensor, or other sensing device, to facilitate related functionalities. 
         [0038]    A camera subsystem  320  and an optical sensor  322 , e.g., a charged coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) optical sensor, can be utilized to facilitate camera functions, such as recording photographs and video clips. 
         [0039]    Communication functions can be facilitated through one or more wireless communication subsystems  324 , which can include radio frequency receivers and transmitters and/or optical (e.g., infrared) receivers and transmitters. The specific design and implementation of the communication subsystem  324  can depend on the communication network(s) over which the mobile device  100  is intended to operate. For example, a mobile device  100  may include communication subsystems  324  designed to operate over a GSM network, a GPRS network, an EDGE network, a Wi-Fi or WiMax network, and a Bluetooth™ network. In particular, the wireless communication subsystems  324  may include hosting protocols such that the device  100  may be configured as a base station for other wireless devices. 
         [0040]    An audio subsystem  326  can be coupled to a speaker  328  and a microphone  330  to facilitate voice-enabled functions, such as voice recognition, voice replication, digital recording, and telephony functions. 
         [0041]    The I/O subsystem  340  can include a touch screen controller  342  and/or other input controller(s)  344 . The touch-screen controller  342  can be coupled to a touch screen  346 . The touch screen  346  and touch screen controller  342  can, for example, detect contact and movement or break thereof using any of a plurality of touch sensitivity technologies, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contact with the touch screen  346 . 
         [0042]    The other input controller(s)  344  can be coupled to other input/control devices  348 , such as one or more buttons, rocker switches, thumb-wheel, infrared port, USB port, and/or a pointer device such as a stylus. The one or more buttons (not shown) can include an up/down button for volume control of the speaker  328  and/or the microphone  330 . 
         [0043]    In one implementation, a pressing of the button for a first duration may disengage a lock of the touch screen  346 ; and a pressing of the button for a second duration that is longer than the first duration may turn power to the mobile device  100  on or off. The user may be able to customize a functionality of one or more of the buttons. The touch screen  346  can, for example, also be used to implement virtual or soft buttons and/or a keyboard. 
         [0044]    In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can present recorded audio and/or video files, such as MP3, AAC, and MPEG files. In some implementations, the mobile device  100  can include the functionality of an MP3 player, such as an iPod™. The mobile device  100  may, therefore, include a 36-pin connector that is compatible with the iPod. Other input/output and control devices can also be used. 
         [0045]    The memory interface  302  can be coupled to memory  350 . The memory  350  can include high-speed random access memory and/or non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, one or more optical storage devices, and/or flash memory (e.g., NAND, NOR). The memory  350  can store an operating system  352 , such as Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks. The operating system  352  may include instructions for handling basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks. In some implementations, the operating system  352  can be a kernel (e.g., UNIX kernel). 
         [0046]    The memory  350  may also store communication instructions  354  to facilitate communicating with one or more additional devices, one or more computers and/or one or more servers. The memory  350  may include graphical user interface instructions  356  to facilitate graphic user interface processing; sensor processing instructions  358  to facilitate sensor-related processing and functions; phone instructions  360  to facilitate phone-related processes and functions; electronic messaging instructions  362  to facilitate electronic-messaging related processes and functions; web browsing instructions  364  to facilitate web browsing-related processes and functions; media processing instructions  366  to facilitate media processing-related processes and functions; GPS/Navigation instructions  368  to facilitate GPS and navigation-related processes and instructions; camera instructions  370  to facilitate camera-related processes and functions; and/or other software instructions  372  to facilitate other processes and functions, e.g., security processes and functions, and processes and functions related to the systems and techniques described in this specification (e.g., process  700 ). The memory  350  may also store other software instructions (not shown), such as web video instructions to facilitate web video-related processes and functions; and/or web shopping instructions to facilitate web shopping-related processes and functions. In some implementations, the media processing instructions  366  are divided into audio processing instructions and video processing instructions to facilitate audio processing-related processes and functions and video processing-related processes and functions, respectively. An activation record and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)  374  or similar hardware identifier can also be stored in memory  350 . 
         [0047]    Each of the above identified instructions and applications can correspond to a set of instructions for performing one or more functions described above. These instructions need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures, or modules. The memory  350  can include additional instructions or fewer instructions. Furthermore, various functions of the mobile device  100  may be implemented in hardware and/or in software, including in one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits. 
       Example Toolbar Implementations 
       [0048]    Toolbar Overview 
         [0049]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example interface  400  (e.g., a user interface) that includes a toolbar  410 . In some implementations, the interface  400  can be a user interface for a mobile device (e.g., mobile device  100 ), for example. The interface  400  can include a browser  420 . The browser  420  can be used to view and/or edit resources. For example, the browser  420  can be a web browser such as Safari™ that can display resources, such as but not limited to web pages, images, audio, video, and text. 
         [0050]    Other implementations are possible. For example, the browser  420  can be a software application for viewing and/or editing other types of electronic documents. An electronic document (which for brevity will simply be referred to as a document) does not necessarily correspond to a file. A document may be stored in a portion of a file that holds other documents, in a single file dedicated to the document in question, or in multiple coordinated files. 
         [0051]    The browser  420  can receive and display a web page  430 . In some implementations, the web page  430  can be identified by the web browsing instructions  364 , for example. The web page  430  can include objects (e.g., user interface elements) that allow a user to interact with the web page  430 . For example, the web page  430  includes input fields that allow a user to search “Movie Personnel Instances” by specifying criteria such as a movie personnel&#39;s name, function, and/or personnel ID. The web page  430  may support interactions such as submitting search criteria, resetting input fields, changing settings, and navigating to certain portions of the web page  430  (e.g., directly to the top or bottom of the web page). 
         [0052]    In some implementations, the web page  430  can include objects (e.g., controls) that are related to interactions supported by the web page  430 . The controls can be disposed in different portions of the web page  430 , such that the controls are not always visible in the interface  400 . For example, a “submit” button may be included in a portion of the web page  430  that is not currently displayed in the interface. In some implementations, the web page  430  may not even include controls that are related to interactions supported by the web page  430 . For example, the web page  430  may not include navigation controls for navigating to certain portions of the web page  430 . 
         [0053]    The toolbar  410  can be generated to include tools that correspond to the interactions. The toolbar  410  can be superimposed on the interface  400 , such that the tools are available to the user regardless of the portion of the web page  430  or controls that are currently being displayed by the browser  420 . 
         [0054]    Generating Tools and the Toolbar 
         [0055]    In some implementations, a resource can be automatically analyzed or parsed to determine interactions supported by the resource, or identify user interface elements in the resource. For example, HTML code of the web page  430  can be parsed to determine that the web page  430  supports interactions such as submission of search criteria, reset of the input fields, changes in the settings, and navigation directly to the top of the web page  430 . A type of the browser  420  can also be determined to ensure that the interactions are also supported by the browser  420 . Examples of types of browsers include Safari™, and Mozilla Firefox™. Tools corresponding to the determined interactions can be generated and used to generate a toolbar  410 . 
         [0056]    In some implementations, a resource can be manually analyzed or parsed (e.g., by a user) to determine interactions supported by the resource. A toolbar can be generated for interactions supported by the resource. For example, a user that generated the resource (e.g., a web page developer that coded the web page  430 ) can configure the resource, such that the resource includes information that specifies interactions supported by the resource. A type of the browser  420  can also be determined to ensure that the interactions are also supported by the browser  420 . A toolbar with tools corresponding to the specified interactions can be generated (e.g., by the web page developer) based on the interactions supported by the resource and the browser  420 . 
         [0057]    After the toolbar  410  is generated, the toolbar  410  can be superimposed or overlaid on the interface  400 , such that it is “floating” over the interface  400 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the toolbar  410  can be superimposed on the browser  420 . Because the toolbar  410  is superimposed on the interface  400 , the user can interact with the resource without navigating to particular portions of the resource that include objects that correspond to the interactions. For example, the browser  420  is not currently displaying objects corresponding to resetting the input fields, changing the settings, or navigating to the top of the web page  430 . In addition, although the web page  430  includes input fields to specify search criteria, a “submit” button is also not visible in the portion of the web page  430  displayed in the interface  400 . 
         [0058]    The toolbar  410  includes tools  412 ,  414 ,  416 , and  418  that can provide the interactions of submitting search criteria, resetting the input fields, changing settings, and navigating directly to the top, respectively. Other implementations are possible. For example, tools on the toolbar  410  can be generated to perform actions, such as but not limited to navigation within and between resources, opening/closing new interface elements, performing other actions, and automatically performing actions that a user may otherwise perform manually. 
         [0059]    As another example, if the resource is a database of records, the toolbar  410  can include tools that correspond to interactions such as, navigating to a first record, navigating to a previous record, navigating to a next record, navigating a last record, changing the sorting options, and navigating to a top of a current record. Other implementations are possible. For example, the tools can be generated based on the orientation of the interface (e.g., portrait display, landscape display). In addition, the tools can be generated based on a type of gesture (e.g., double-tap, pinch, multi-touch, single-touch) and a direction of the gesture. 
         [0060]    Toolbar Configurations 
         [0061]    In some implementations, the toolbar  410  can be superimposed on a portion of the interface  400  that is not displaying the browser  420 . Furthermore, a user could also adjust a configuration of the toolbar  410 . For example, the user can adjust the size or position of the toolbar  410 . The user can also rearrange positions of the tools on the toolbar. In addition, the user can adjust an opacity of the toolbar  410  (e.g., the toolbar can be translucent). In some implementations, the user can configure the toolbar  410  such that the toolbar  410  is normally hidden, and the toolbar is shown in response to a specified user input (e.g., a particular gesture, activating the browser, pressing a button). 
         [0062]    In some implementations, the tools that are presented in the toolbar  410  can be determined and generated based on user input (e.g., gestures). For example, a user may perform a gesture analogous to pinching the user&#39;s fingers on a touch-sensitive display. The pinching may be associated with zooming in on a resource being displayed in the interface. Based on the gesture (e.g., the pinching), tools related to zooming (e.g., zooming in, zooming out, centering the display) can be generated and disposed in the toolbar  410 . Other implementations are possible. 
         [0063]    Because the toolbar  410  and its tools can be presented on the interface, regardless of the portion of the resource being displayed, a user can more easily perform interactions that correspond to the tools. The user does not have to navigate to a specific portion of the resource that includes an object that corresponds to an interaction. Furthermore, as described previously, some tools correspond to interactions that may not have corresponding objects in the resource. Because the toolbar can be displayed in a stationary position on the interface, the user can more easily perform the interaction, because a corresponding tool can be in a known location on the interface. 
         [0064]    In some implementations, the position of the toolbar  410  in the interface can also be automatically adjusted based on user input. For example, the position of the toolbar  410  can be adjusted if the user changes the orientation of the interface from a portrait display to a landscape display, such that the toolbar is superimposed on the interface either horizontally or vertically across the interface. Other implementations are possible. For example, the user can pan across tools (e.g., tools not currently displayed) in the toolbar  410  by sliding the user&#39;s finger across the toolbar. 
         [0065]      FIG. 5A  illustrates an example interface that includes a toolbar  510  presented at a location based on a first user input  520 . The toolbar includes tools “A”, “B”, and “C”. Based on the first user input  520  (e.g., a gesture represented by the dotted line), the toolbar  510  is positioned at the top of the interface. The toolbar  510  can be placed at the top of the interface, for example, so that the user&#39;s input is not impeded by the toolbar  510  (e.g., if the toolbar were placed adjacent to the location of the gesture). 
         [0066]      FIG. 5B  illustrates an example interface that includes a toolbar  550  presented at a location based on a second user input  560 . Note that the toolbar  550  includes the tools “X”, “B”, and “Z”. Because the second user input  560  can be different from the first user input  520  (e.g., different objects are selected by user input  560 ), the tools generated for the toolbar  510  in  FIG. 5B  can be different from the tools generated for the toolbar  550  in  FIG. 5A . In addition, as shown in  FIG. 5B , based on the second user input  560 , the toolbar  550  can be presented at a location (e.g., at the bottom of the interface) different from the location in  FIG. 5A . Presenting the toolbar  550  at the top of the interface in this example would be more likely to impede the user&#39;s input. 
         [0067]    Additional Tools 
         [0068]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example interface that includes a heads up display  600 . When a user invokes a tool in a toolbar  605 , a heads up display  600  can be generated based on the user input used to invoke the tool, and the heads up display  600  can be presented on the interface. The heads up display can display information associated with the use of the tool. For example, a user can be navigating quickly through records of a database by continuously invoking a tool  610  that corresponds to navigating to a next record. In response to the continuous use of the tool  610 , a heads up display  600  can be presented on the interface that shows a relative location in a database that the user has navigated to. For example, if the records are sorted in alphabetical order, the heads up display  600  can present the letter “A” when the user is navigating through records that begin with the letter “A”, and the heads up display can present the letter “B” when the user is navigating through records that begin with the letter “B”. 
         [0069]    Other implementations of a heads up display are possible. Returning to the previous example, the heads up display can play a sound (e.g., through speaker  328 ) that represents the information (e.g., a phonetic “A”). In addition, other types of information can be displayed in the heads up display. For example, if a user is deleting or adding records to the database, the heads up display can present statistical information (e.g., memory usage, total records in the database). Furthermore, a heads up display can be generated and presented on the interface in response to a predetermined event. Examples of predetermined events include loading of a resource (e.g., a webpage), and closing of a resource. As a further example, a heads up display can be generated and presented on the interface after a predetermined time after a predetermined event (e.g., 5 seconds after a resource is loaded). 
         [0070]      FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of an example process  700  for superimposing a toolbar on an interface. The process  700  can include receiving  710  a resource for display in an interface. For example, the mobile device  202   a  can receive a portal web page, for display in an interface of the mobile device  202   a , from a media service  250  to access media files. The process  700  also includes determining  720  an interaction supported by the resource. For example, web browsing instructions  364  stored in memory  350  (e.g., of the mobile device  202   a ) can be used to analyze the web page and determine an interaction supported by the resource (e.g., an interaction corresponding to a user interface element in the web page). In addition, the process  700  can include generating  730  a toolbar based on the interaction. For example, toolbar instructions included in the other software instructions  372 , and the GUI instructions  356 , can be used to generate a toolbar. Furthermore, the process  700  can include superimposing  740  the toolbar at a position on the interface. For example, the GUI instructions  356  can be used to superimpose the toolbar at a position on the interface. 
         [0071]      FIG. 8A  illustrates an example interface  800  that includes a toolbar  810 . The interface  800  is displaying a portion of the web page  430  of  FIG. 4 . Note that the portion of the web page  430  displayed does not include an object (e.g., a user interface element) for specifying personnel ID. As previously described, the web page  430  can be analyzed or parsed to determine interactions supported by the resource, or identify user interface elements in the resource. For example, a JavaScript interpreter (e.g., a JavaScript interpreter in WebKit) can be used to parse the web page  430  to determine potential user interface elements (e.g., input elements such as input fields, radio buttons, drop down lists) and generate an element tree. The input elements can be identified using heuristics, for example. After the input elements are identified, a tool  812  can be generated and presented in the toolbar  810 . 
         [0072]      FIG. 8B  illustrates the example interface  800  of  FIG. 8A  that further includes a heads up display  820 . When the tool  812  is invoked, a heads up display  820  can be generated and superimposed on the interface  800 . In some implementations, the heads up display  820  can be a translucent window. Generating the heads up display  820  can include generating objects (e.g., input elements) that correspond to the input elements that were identified in the web page  430 . For example, the heads up display  820  includes input elements related to specifying search criteria for a personnel&#39;s name and function. Note that the heads up display  820  also includes an input element that is related to specifying search criteria for a personnel&#39;s ID, which is not viewable in the portion of the web page  430  displayed in the interface  800  of  FIG. 8A . By aggregating user interface elements in the web page  430  in the heads up display  820 , the user experience can be improved. In particular, the user does not have to navigate through the entire resource to locate and interact with the user interface elements, which can be particularly difficult in mobile devices with decreased screen sizes. 
         [0073]    In some implementations, an auto fill feature can also be provided in the heads up display  820  by an “Auto Fill” object  822 . For example, techniques for generating auto fill forms can be used to generate the input elements in the heads up display  820 . Invoking the “Auto Fill” object  822  allows a user to specify predetermined input in one or more of the input elements. In addition, a “Submit” object  824  can also be included in the heads up display  820 . When the “Submit” object  824  is invoked (e.g. tapped on a touch-sensitive display), the information specified in the heads up display  820  can be transferred to corresponding input elements in the web page  430 . 
         [0074]    In some implementations, a virtual keyboard  830  can be displayed in the interface  800 , e.g., concurrently with the heads up display  820 . The virtual keyboard  830  can provide another input method for interacting with the heads up display  820 . The virtual keyboard  830  can include a “return” key. The “return” key can be remapped to a function that corresponds to a “tab” key so that the user can navigate (e.g., move a cursor or selection) between the input elements displayed in the heads up display  820 . In some implementations, a cursor  826 , that indicates a location where input will be entered, can be automatically generated in an input field at the top of the heads up display  820 , for example. Aggregating the input elements of the web page  430  can also be advantageous, because the concurrent presentation of the heads up display  820  and the virtual keyboard  830  decreases an amount of user interaction (e.g., navigating to locate the input elements in the web page  430 , and invoking the virtual keyboard  830  for each input element). Other implementations are possible. For example, invoking the “Submit” object  824  can result in direct submission of data input in the heads up display  820 , as if the user had directly submitted the data through the web page  430 . 
         [0075]    Other implementations and applications of the described systems and techniques are possible. For example, a toolbar can be generated and used for other types of resources, browsers, software applications, and interactions. The browser  420  can be an email application such as Mail for OS X that can display an inbox of emails. A toolbar can be generated with tools that correspond to interactions, such as but not limited to checking mail, deleting mail, sorting mail, composing mail, and other interactions supported by the email application. If a user invokes a tool corresponding to composing mail, the toolbar can be automatically modified so that it includes tools such as formatting tools (e.g., changing fonts, underlining), spellchecking tools, and tools for sending mail. 
         [0076]    In addition, more than one toolbar can be generated and presented in the interface. The one or more toolbars (or corresponding tools) do not have to be “floating” or superimposed on the interface. Furthermore, in some implementations, a toolbar may not be generated. For example, a resource (e.g., a web page) can be identified, and one or more user interface elements in the resource can also be identified. A tool can be generated based on the user interface elements, and the tool (e.g., tool  414 ) can be combined with the resource for display in the interface. 
         [0077]    The features described can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. The features can be implemented in a computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable storage device or in a propagated signal, for execution by a programmable processor; and method steps can be performed by a programmable processor executing a program of instructions to perform functions of the described implementations by operating on input data and generating output. 
         [0078]    The described features can be implemented advantageously in one or more computer programs that are executable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a data storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. A computer program is a set of instructions that can be used, directly or indirectly, in a computer to perform a certain activity or bring about a certain result. A computer program can be written in any form of programming language (e.g., Objective-C, Java), including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. 
         [0079]    Suitable processors for the execution of a program of instructions include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and the sole processor or one of multiple processors or cores, of any kind of computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memories for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to communicate with, one or more mass storage devices for storing data files; such devices include magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and optical disks. Storage devices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits). 
         [0080]    To provide for interaction with a user, the features can be implemented on a computer having a display device such as a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse or a trackball by which the user can provide input to the computer. 
         [0081]    The features can be implemented in a computer system that includes a back-end component, such as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, such as an application server or an Internet server, or that includes a front-end component, such as a client computer having a graphical user interface or an Internet browser, or any combination of them. The components of the system can be connected by any form or medium of digital data communication such as a communication network. Examples of communication networks include, e.g., a LAN, a WAN, and the computers and networks forming the Internet. 
         [0082]    The computer system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. 
         [0083]    A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, elements of one or more implementations may be combined, deleted, modified, or supplemented to form further implementations. As yet another example, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In addition, other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be added to, or removed from, the described systems. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.