Abstract:
A method and system for notifying a user of an event or information using motion and transparency on a small screen display are provided. When an in-application event occurs or an indication that a new event has occurred, a notification window is created off display, and graphically animated on top of the current application display, in a small window which is un-obtrusive to user interaction in the active application. A user may set preferences for display location, size, transparency, color, time displayed, and content, and each window may vary based on the notification type, allowing users to quickly glance and identify the information displayed. The alert information may be summarized and or prioritized based on notification types,

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of co-pending Provisional Patent Application No. 61/179,449 filed May 19, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention generally relates to the field of mobile devices and other small screen displays, and more specifically, to the field of notifying a device user of new personal data or system event. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    Mobile devices, such as cellular telephones, smart phones, personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), and other handheld devices, as well as other small display screens have very limited screen area to display information. Given the screen real estate limitations, notifying users of new information is typically displayed in a modal view, where user interaction is blocked until the user acknowledges the notification. As new PDA platforms have been developed, a new class of mobile applications, including mobile games, productivity applications, and utilities applications have come to market. When new information is available in these new application environments, mobile platform providers have faced a difficult decision of interrupting and frustrating the device user, or simply sending an audible alert without displaying what type of event or event summary the device user just received. 
         [0006]    Furthermore, when an application is being displayed (“active application”) on a mobile device or other small screen displays, a running application may need to display status information on a process it is performing or status information (“in-application activity event”), but has limited area to display that information. This in-application activity information is difficult to display, as application developers must create a status bar, or other graphical components which prevent the user from viewing the entire display area. Dedicating space to in-application status area reduces the available display, and on mobile devices or other small screen displays, screen layout and application design is challenging with limited space available on the display screen. 
         [0007]    Therefore a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a notification process provides a method and system to display notifications, summary notifications, in-application activity, and alerts to users without interrupting and with minimal interference to their current activity on a mobile device or small screen display. The notification is implemented using a semi-transparent window which graphically uses animated motion from an imaginary off-device position, thereby notifying the user that a new event has occurred which requires their attention, while still allowing the user to interact with the current active application. The event notification is displayed in a semi-transparent window, allowing the user to see through the window and choose to interact with the alert/notification, or continue to interact with the current active application. Based on user preferences, the alert can then either remain until a user interaction event has occurred, or a pre-determined amount of time has passed, the window is graphically animated off the display using animated motion while still maintaining the transparency over the current user application. 
         [0009]    According to the method, multiple messages may be queued and either sequentially be displayed after a pre-determined amount of time or after specific user interaction, or messages may be prioritized and displayed before others despite the order in which they were received. Additionally, the number of awaiting notifications may be summarized in the notification window. 
         [0010]    According to another aspect of the invention, one or more user interaction objects may be available to allow for specific tasks to be activated based on the type of notification received. For example, one embodiment of the invention is to show a mobile to mobile text message or SMS (“Short Message Service”) message has been received. This embodiment may contain user interaction objects allowing the user to reply, delete, or mark the message read. 
         [0011]    According to another aspect of the invention, a transparent notification window may be graphically animated in from an off screen location on top of the current application window, by the current application, to alert the user to in-application activity. When that activity has been completed, the window may graphically animate off screen, indicating that task has been completed. 
         [0012]    According to another aspect of the invention, a user may select the size, location, color, opacity/transparency, and time to display the notification window. 
         [0013]    According to additional aspects of the method, the notification window may vary its color, shape, transparency, and location based on the type of event received and determined by user preference. 
         [0014]    Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description provide examples and explanations only. They do not restrict the claimed invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are screen diagrams detailing the components in one embodiment of the notification window. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2A-2D  are screen diagrams detailing the transparency and movement of the notification window. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a screen diagram detailing possible user interaction objects based on notification type. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a screen diagram detailing user preferences of the notification window based on notification type. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are screen diagrams detailing in-application transparent notification windows. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  illustrating an example of a process determining a notification system using motion and transparency in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The present invention, according to a preferred embodiment, overcomes problems with the prior art by providing a system to notify users of a new event, new available information, or status, without an intrusive interference with their current activity on a small screen display, including that of a handheld mobile device, such as a wireless transceiver (e.g., cellular phone or smart phone), pager, organizer, PDA, personal computer, or other similar computer devices with the typical components such as a memory, a process capable of running code, etc (“small screen display device” or “device”). This computer device is able to notify a user using visual notification of an event, status, or information, such as an incoming call, new email, new text message, calendar alert, system event, status, in-application event, or other events or information in which the user subscribes to or the application wishes to display to the user (“event”). 
         [0022]    The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments in which a notification window is incorporated into a handheld mobile device. 
         [0023]    In  FIG. 1A , an event occurs or is received on a small screen display device. If the device user wishes to receive information regarding the event or if an application on the device wishes to display information regarding the new event to the user, the system creates a semi-transparent alert window  100  to be displayed in a manner known in the art. The window  100  is created in an imaginary off-screen position with a pre-determined transparency level, and its geometry is typically much smaller then the entire screen display to reduce the amount of interference with the active application. The semi-transparent window  100  will allow the active application  150  to continue to be partially visible in areas which overlap the semi-transparent window. In one embodiment of the current invention, the window  100  displays a notification type  110  which may be selected to launch a predetermined application, an exit user interaction object  120  which will close the notification, and relevant information for that alert type. In one embodiment of said invention, a SMS text message is received on a smart phone. The window  100  contains  130  the sender name, and a brief summary of the notification data  140 . Based on the notification type, the window  100  background is in the shape of a conversation bubble to allow the user to immediately identify the type of information being displayed. 
         [0024]    In  FIG. 1B , said notification window  100  is constructed and graphically animated into place over the existing application display  150  in a manner known in the art. The notification window  100  is transparent and does not interfere with the active application  150 , allowing user interaction to continue and for overlapping areas of the window  100  and active application  150  to view both the window  100  and the active application  150 . 
         [0025]      FIGS. 2A-2D  illustrate the notification window  100  graphically animating in from an off screen position in a sliding manner, as to catch the attention of the user. The window remains semi-transparent, allowing the user to see through the notification window  100  and continue their task with the active application  150 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  illustrates interaction objects  310  with said notification window  100  based on the notification type. One embodiment of the invention shows options to mark as read, delete, and reply to the notification which can be activated by the user pressing on the notification window. When a user interacts with these options, the system takes the appropriate action, such as marking a message read. 
         [0027]    In  FIG. 4 , the notification window  100  can be changed based upon the type of event. An example embodiment  400  of the invention has a number of possible alert types  410  which may be applied to several events such as SMS, email, and similar. However, this list is simply to illustrate common types of alerts, and does not limit the invention to only these types of alerts. Notification window preferences  400  may be set for varying alert types, enabling window size  420 , window color  430 , window location  440 , font size  450 , font color  460 , and the predetermined time to remain on screen  470 . Specific alert types may take priority over others  480 , while some alert types may be chosen to be summarized  490  in a summary notification window. While example choices are displayed in  FIG. 4 , these choices do not limit the invention to these values. 
         [0028]    In  FIG. 5A , within an active application  500 , an in-application event is displayed to notify the user of current application activity. Similar to  FIGS. 2A-2D , this notification window  510  was created off screen, and graphically animated into position to catch the user&#39;s eye. The notification window will remain until the activity  520  has been completed, and then graphically animated to a position off screen, indicating to the user the activity has completed.  FIG. 5B  displays another embodiment of the invention which shows summary information  540  of available notifications inside a transparent window  530  which has moved on top of the current active application using animated motion similar to  FIGS. 2A-2D . 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating a process routine of a preferred embodiment of the current application to display a semi-transparent notification window using animated motion  600 . At step  605 , an event occurs which requires a notification to the user. Decision point  610  determines if another event of the same type or group is being displayed. If another event of the same type or group is being displayed, decision point  620  determines if a summary should be displayed for this notification type. If a summary should not be displayed, operation  621  queues the notification event for later display. If a summary should be displayed, operation  622  displays a summary window  530 . Operation  623  positions the semi-transparent window  530  off screen and operation  624 , animates the summary window  530  on screen using motion over the current application  500 . Operation  625  awaits a user input to close the summary window  530 . Operation  626  animates the semi-transparent summary window  530  using motion to an off screen position, where it ends. 
         [0030]    At decision point  610 , if another event of the same type or group is not being displayed, operation  611  uses the notification type or group to load properties for a semi-transparent window  100 , based on the preferences the user specified using the configuration in  FIG. 4 . Operation  612  positions the semi-transparent window  100  off screen and operation  613  animates the semi-transparent window  100  on screen using motion over the current application  150 . 
         [0031]    At decision operation  614 , if a close event is not required based on the notification type, operation  630  waits a predetermined amount of time before beginning operation  636  to animate the window  100  off screen using motion over the current application  150 . Routine  600  continues on to decision operation  640 . 
         [0032]    If a close event is required at decision operation  614 , decision point  631  determines if the event is an in-application activity event. If the event is an in-application activity event, operation  632  waits for the in-application activity to complete, and generates a close event continuing to operation  636 . If the event is not an in-application activity event, operation  635  awaits user input  120  to generate a close event and continues to operation  636 . At operation  636 , window  100  is animated off screen using motion over the current application  150 . Routine  600  continues on to decision operation  640 . 
         [0033]    At decision operation  640 , if there are no events queued, routine  600  ends. If there are events queued, routine  600  returns to operation  610  described above. 
         [0034]    While the inventions has been particularly shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.