Patent Document ID: 7676767
Application ID: 11154402
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for receiving input in a computing device having a graphical user interface to access functions related to a displayed window but which are obscured and on an underlying image, the method comprising the steps of: (a) identifying at least one additional function of an application window displayed on the graphical user interface of the computing device, the at least one additional function being accessible on at least a portion of an underlying image that is not currently visible to a user, wherein the at least one additional function is inaccessible from a current image of the application window and relates directly to manipulation of the current image; (b) presenting the current image to the user, the current image representing a current function of the application and covering at least a portion of the underlying image such that access to the at least one additional function is at least partially covered by the current image rendering the at least one additional function inaccessible from the current image; (c) establishing a predetermined user input for providing access to the underlying image and the function accessible thereon; and (d) upon receiving the predetermined user input from the user, initiating a visual effect depicting the current image representing the current function of the application being at least partially removed from over the underlying image to visually expose and enable access by the user to the at least one additional function of the application, which was previously visually hidden by the current image, wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed on an interactive display table configured to recognize different objects and perform different visual effects to the current image based on which of the different objects is used to perform the predetermined user input, as well as to perform different visual effects for different predetermined user inputs; wherein the current image does not include immediately visible functions for at least two of: (A) minimizing the current image; (B) maximizing the current image; and (C) closing the current image; and wherein initiating a visual effect depicting the current image representing the current function of the application being at least partially removed from over the underlying image to visually expose and enable access by the user to the at least one additional function of the application includes crumpling at least a portion of the current image and thereby exposing the at least two functions not immediately visible on the current image.