PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9501217-B2
Application Number: US-201113112459-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Target region for removing icons from dock

Abstract:
Providing a mechanism for removal of icons from a dock in response to user input is disclosed. A dock is generated for display in a user interface, the dock comprising a region of the user interface in which one or more icons are presented. An input is received for selecting an icon presented in the dock, the icon associated with an original position in the user interface. A visual indicator of a particular distance to drag the icon before the icon will be removed from the dock is generated for display. A second input for releasing the icon at a second position in the user interface is received. The icon is removed from the dock if a distance between the second position and the original position is within a predefined range of the particular distance.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by one or more processes executing on a computer system, the method comprising:
 displaying, on a display, a dock in a user interface, the dock comprising a region of the user interface in which one or more icons are presented, wherein the icons in the dock are displayed proximate to a first edge of the display; 
 receiving a first input selecting an icon presented in the dock in order to drag the icon from the dock, the icon associated with an original position in the user interface; 
 in response to receiving the first input for selecting the icon, displaying, on the display, a visual indicator of a removal target position, wherein the visual indicator of the removal target position is displayed proximate to a second edge of the display that is different from the first edge of the display, and the icons in the dock other than the selected icon continue being displayed proximate to the first edge of the display while the visual indicator of the removal target position is displayed proximate to the second edge of the display; 
 receiving a second input releasing the icon at a second position in the user interface; 
 determining whether the second position is within a predefined range of the removal target position; 
 in accordance with a determination that the second position is within the predefined range of the removal target position, removing the icon from the display; and 
 in accordance with a determination that the second position is not within the predefined range of the removal target position, presenting the icon in the dock. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the removal target position is represented by a trash can icon. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving the first input includes receiving an input for dragging the icon at an initial rate of movement. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  further comprising displaying movement of the icon at a rate of movement slower than the initial rate of movement within a predefined area surrounding the original location of the icon and displaying movement of the icon at the initial rate of movement if the icon is dragged outside the predefined area. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein dragging the icon is associated with displaying movement of the icon from the original position along a trajectory corresponding to a path traversed by a pointer in the user interface. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  further comprising altering a visual appearance of the icon while the icon is being dragged by the pointer. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  further comprising returning the visual appearance of the icon to an original appearance of the icon if the icon is returned to the original position. 
     
     
       8. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, generate on a display device a graphical user interface for presenting graphical objects and perform the following operations:
 displaying, on a display, a dock in a user interface, the dock comprising a region of the user interface in which one or more icons are presented, wherein the icons in the dock are displayed proximate to a first edge of the display; 
 receiving a first input selecting an icon presented in the dock in order to drag the icon from the dock, the icon associated with an original position in the user interface; 
 in response to receiving the first input for selecting the icon, displaying, on the display, a visual indicator of a removal target position, wherein the visual indicator of the removal target position is displayed proximate to a second edge of the display that is different from the first edge of the display, and the icons in the dock other than the selected icon continue being displayed proximate to the first edge of the display while the visual indicator of the removal target position is displayed proximate to the second edge of the display; 
 receiving a second input releasing the icon at a second position in the user interface; 
 determining whether the second position is within a predefined range of the removal target position; 
 in accordance with a determination that the second position is within the predefined range of the removal target position, removing the icon from the display; and 
 in accordance with a determination that the second position is not within the predefined range of the removal target position, presenting the icon in the dock. 
 
     
     
       9. The computer program product of  claim 8  wherein receiving the first input includes receiving an input for dragging the icon at an initial rate of movement. 
     
     
       10. The computer program product of  claim 9 , the instructions further performing displaying movement of the icon at a rate of movement slower than the initial rate of movement within a predefined area surrounding the original location of the icon and displaying movement of the icon at the initial rate of movement if the icon is dragged outside the predefined area. 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 a display device; 
 a computing device in communication with the display device, wherein the computing device is configured to perform at least the following: 
 display, on the display device, a dock in a user interface, the dock comprising a region of the user interface in which one or more icons are presented, wherein the icons in the dock are displayed proximate to a first edge of the display; 
 receive a first input selecting an icon presented in the dock in order to drag the icon from the dock, the icon associated with an original position in the user interface; 
 in response to receiving the first input for selecting the icon, display, on the display device, a visual indicator of a removal target position, wherein the visual indicator of the removal target position is displayed proximate to a second edge of the display that is different from the first edge of the display, and the icons in the dock other than the selected icon continue being displayed proximate to the first edge of the display while the visual indicator of the removal target position is displayed proximate to the second edge of the display; 
 receive a second input releasing the icon at a second position in the user interface; 
 determine whether the second position is within a predefined range of the removal target position; 
 in accordance with a determination that the second position is within the predefined range of the removal target position, remove the icon from the display; and 
 in accordance with a determination that the second position is not within the predefined range of the removal target position, present the icon in the dock. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 further in accordance with the determination that the second position is within the predefined range of the removal target position, removing the visual indicator from the user interface. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer program product of  claim 8 , the instructions further performing:
 further in accordance with the determination that the second position is within the predefined range of the removal target position, removing the visual indicator from the user interface. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , the computing device further configured to perform:
 further in accordance with the determination that the second position is within the predefined range of the removal target position, remove the visual indicator from the user interface. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 after receiving at least a portion of the first input, displaying, on the display, a placeholder object on the dock that indicates a location of the icon in the dock prior to receiving the first input for selecting the icon. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the icon has a first shape, and the placeholder object has a second shape, the same as the first shape. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the placeholder object is displayed concurrently with the visual indicator of the removal target position.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/433,199, filed on Jan. 14, 2011, entitled “Target Region for Removing Icons from Dock,” the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to generating for display a target region for removing icons from a dock in a computing device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Modern graphical user interfaces present graphical objects or items displayed on a screen to allow users to interact with various applications. Leading personal computer operating systems, such as Apple Mac OS®, provide user interfaces in which a dock is displayed in the user interface for access to applications and system resources. The dock can be any graphical object, such as a taskbar, menu, virtual button or other user interface element that allows a user to link to applications by viewing and selecting icons representing the applications. In addition to application icons, the dock can also include other graphical items that provide information or resources to a user, such as visual indicators of the status of various system components or other visual elements associated with different applications. 
     In some instances, the user can configure the location, appearance, content, and settings of the dock. For example, the user may decide to add, rearrange, or remove icons displayed in the dock. Different mechanisms can be provided by the operating system to allow the user to configure icons in the dock. In certain instances, the user can select an icon using a pointer to move the icon to a different location or remove the icon from the dock entirely. The movement of the pointer can be controlled by the user inputting commands using an input device such as a mouse, touchpad, keyboard, or multi-touch input device. The user can select a particular icon with the pointer and drag the icon to a different location on the dock. In some implementations, the user can also select the icon and move the icon off the dock by dragging the icon off the dock to a different region of the user interface. 
     The drag and drop operations used to rearrange and move icons in the dock can consist of a user&#39;s selection of graphical items through an input device. The selection of graphical items can be triggered in response to a user&#39;s manual input, such as the user depressing a button or region of a touch screen or multi-touch input device. In some instances, however, a user can accidentally select a particular icon or unintentionally drop an icon in an undesired area. The unintentional user inputs can trigger unwanted actions or disrupt other tasks performed by the user. For example, in some instances, dragging an icon away from the dock and releasing the icon in an area of the user interface other than the dock can automatically remove the icon from the dock. Instead of removing the icon from the dock, however, the user may have intended to link to an application represented by the icon or to access a different graphical object in the vicinity of the icon. 
     SUMMARY 
     In a first general aspect, a method for providing a mechanism for removal of icons from a dock in response to user input is disclosed. A dock is generated for display in a user interface, the dock comprising a region of the user interface in which one or more icons are presented. An input is received for selecting an icon presented in the dock, the icon associated with an original position in the user interface. A visual indicator of a particular distance to drag the icon before the icon will be removed from the dock is generated for display. A second input for releasing the icon at a second position in the user interface is received. The icon is removed from the dock if a distance between the second position and the original position is within a predefined range of the particular distance. 
     Implementations can include any or all of the following features. The icon is returned to the dock if the distance between the second position and the original position is not within the predefined range of the particular distance. Generating the visual indicator for display includes generating for display a target region of the user interface in which to drop the icon in order to remove the icon from the dock. The target region of the user interface is represented by a trash can icon. The particular distance to drag the icon is defined by a virtual boundary, and the icon is removed from the dock if the icon is dragged across the virtual boundary. Receiving the first input includes receiving an input for dragging the icon at an initial rate of movement. The movement of the icon is displayed at a rate of movement slower than the initial rate of movement within a predefined area surrounding the original location of the icon and movement of the icon is displayed at the initial rate of movement if the icon is dragged outside the predefined area. Dragging the icon is associated with displaying movement of the icon from the original position along a trajectory corresponding to a path traversed by a pointer in the user interface. A visual appearance of the icon while the icon is being dragged by the pointer is altered. The visual appearance of the icon is returned to an original appearance of the icon if the icon is returned to the original position. 
     In a second general aspect, a computer program product is tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium and includes instructions that, when executed, provide a mechanism for removal of icons from a dock in response to user input and perform the following operations. A dock is generated for display in a user interface, the dock comprising a region of the user interface in which one or more icons are presented. An input is received for selecting an icon presented in the dock, the icon associated with an original position in the user interface. A visual indicator of a particular distance to drag the icon before the icon will be removed from the dock is generated for display. A second input for releasing the icon at a second position in the user interface is received. The icon is removed from the dock if a distance between the second position and the original position is within a predefined range of the particular distance. 
     Implementations can include any or all of the following features. The icon is returned to the dock if the distance between the second position and the original position is not within the predefined range of the particular distance. Generating the visual indicator for display includes generating for display a target region of the user interface in which to drop the icon in order to remove the icon from the dock. The target region of the user interface is represented by a trash can icon. The particular distance to drag the icon is defined by a virtual boundary, and the icon is removed from the dock if the icon is dragged across the virtual boundary. Receiving the first input includes receiving an input for dragging the icon at an initial rate of movement. The movement of the icon is displayed at a rate of movement slower than the initial rate of movement within a predefined area surrounding the original location of the icon and movement of the icon is displayed at the initial rate of movement if the icon is dragged outside the predefined area. Dragging the icon is associated with displaying movement of the icon from the original position along a trajectory corresponding to a path traversed by a pointer in the user interface. A visual appearance of the icon while the icon is being dragged by the pointer is altered. The visual appearance of the icon is returned to an original appearance of the icon if the icon is returned to the original position. 
     The details of one or more implementations of managing items in a user interface are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary user interface showing a desktop environment with a dock. 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates an exemplary user interface showing selection of an icon in the dock. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates an exemplary user interface showing dragging of the icon from the dock and display of a visual indicator of a region to drop the icon. 
         FIG. 2C  illustrates an exemplary user interface showing removal of the icon from the dock after dropping the icon in the region. 
         FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate an exemplary user interface showing a visual indicator that an icon from the dock has been selected. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary user interface showing a virtual boundary representing a distance to drag an icon for removing the icon from the dock. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of an exemplary process for removing an icon from a dock if the icon is dragged a minimum distance from the dock. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of an exemplary process for presenting a visual indicator of a region to drop an icon to remove the icon from the dock. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of an exemplary process for modifying an appearance of a pointer and a selected icon in response to dragging of the icon. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of exemplary hardware architecture for implementing the user interfaces and processes described in reference to  FIGS. 1-7 . 
     
    
    
     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Exemplary User Interfaces for Presenting Visual Indicator of a Region for Removing Icons 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary user interface  100 , which can be a desktop of an operating system. The user interface  100  can also include a docking element  150 , or dock, which provides an area where commonly used or preferred applications can be easily accessed through selection of icons included in the docking element  150 , each icon associated with a different application. The dock  150  can be located in any region of the user interface, although in some instances, the dock  150  is generated for display at the edge of the visible area of a user interface, such as at the bottom of the screen as depicted in  FIG. 1 . The location of the dock  150  can also be changed based on user preferences or automatically in response to the context in which the dock  150  is presented. 
     In the illustrated example, icons ( 120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132 ) are generated for display in the dock  150 , and each icon corresponds to a shortcut to a particular application. The icons in the dock can be moved around, rearranged, deleted, modified, and recreated. Various features can be included with the dock  150  to facilitate user navigation of icons contained in the dock or to enhance the utility and presentation of the dock  150 . For example, in some implementations, the icons in the dock  150  can be visually altered based on movement and/or location of the pointer  112 . As the pointer  112  hovers over a particular icon, for example, the icon can be enlarged, brightened, animated, or visually enhanced with respect to the other icons in the dock  150  to indicate to the user which icon would be selected if the user enters an appropriate input. Further, when multiple icons are contained in the dock  150 , the dock  150  may not have space to display each icon. As the pointer  112  moves across the icons presented in the dock  150 , the icons can shift to the left or right as necessary to create the effect of scrolling through the available icons in the dock  150 . 
     In some instances, icons in the dock  150  can be automatically removed from the dock in response to certain user inputs. For example, the icons in the dock  150  can be removed from the dock in response to a user&#39;s selection of the icon, dragging the icon away from the dock, and dropping the icon in a region of the desktop apart from the dock  150 . The automatic removal of icons from the dock  150  in response to the user&#39;s drag and drop operations, however, can in certain instances disrupt the user&#39;s interactions with the desktop environment. For example, the user may need to access a graphical object in close proximity to a particular icon. Accordingly, the user may accidentally select the icon instead of the graphical object and remove the icon from the dock  150 . The user may also intend to open an application represented by an icon, but instead drag and drop the icon onto the desktop, triggering removal of the icon from the dock  150 . Accordingly, various indicators can be presented to a user to inform the user of a region or “drop zone” in which dropping of icons from the dock will remove the icons from the dock. Different indicators can also be displayed to inform the user that an icon has been selected in order to minimize accidental selections of icons. 
     Exemplary Actions for Providing Indicators for Removing Objects from a Dock 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate example screenshots  200   a ,  200   b , and  200   c  of actions performed that can trigger indicators for removing objects from a dock. As illustrated in  FIG. 2A , a dock  150  containing icons ( 120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 ,  128 ,  130 ,  132 ) is displayed in a user interface. A user can select a particular icon  130  using a pointer  112 . The selection of the icon  130  can be associated with a drag and drop operation, wherein the icon  130  is selected based on a first input from the user, and after movement of the icon  130  to a different location, the icon  130  is released based on a second input from the user. As the user selects the icon  130  and begins a dragging motion of the icon  130  away from the dock  150 , a visual indicator  250  can be generated for display in the user interface to signal a region in which to drop the selected icon  130  to remove the icon  130  from the dock  150 . As depicted in  FIG. 2B , the visual indicator  250  presented can be a trash can icon  250  or some other graphical object informing the user of the region in which to drop the icon  130 . Further, a visual element  130   a  can be presented in the dock  150  as a placeholder for the original position of the icon  130 . The placeholder visual element  130   a  can correspond to a shape of the icon  130  to indicate that the original position of the icon  130  is maintained in case the user wishes to return the icon  130  to the dock  150 . 
       FIG. 2C  illustrates a screenshot  200   c  of the dropping of the icon  130  in the region designated for removing icons. As seen in  FIG. 2C , the user can drag the icon  130  to the trash can icon  250  displayed in the user interface and release the icon  130  as the pointer  112  moves over the trash can icon  250 . After the icon  130  is dropped “into” the trash can icon  250 , removal of the icon  130  from the dock  150  is finalized, and the placeholder element  130   a  is removed from the dock  150 . The surrounding icons in the dock can be shifted accordingly in view of the removal of the icon  130 . If the user does not drag the icon  130  to the trash can icon  250  and releases the icon  130  in any other region of the user interface apart from the trash can icon  250 , the icon  130  can be returned to the dock  150 , restoring the dock  150  to its original appearance as depicted in  FIG. 2A . Accordingly, as the user selects an icon, a visual indicator is provided to inform the user that the user may remove the icon from the dock by dropping the icon in a particular region of the desktop or return the icon to the dock by releasing the icon in any area other than the particular region designated for removal of icons. 
     Exemplary Visual Indicators for Removing Icons from a Dock 
       FIGS. 3A-3B  illustrate example screenshots  300   a  and  300   b  of visual indicators generated for display in the user interface during removal of icons from a dock. The visual indicators can be presented in order to inform a user that an icon has been selected or to prevent accidental removal of icons from the dock. As illustrated in  FIG. 3A , a user can select a particular icon  130  in the dock  150  using a pointer  112 . As the user inputs a command to drag the icon  130  away from the dock  150 , a visual indicator is presented to show that the user has selected the icon  130 . In  FIG. 3B , the visual indicator is a visual trail following the pointer  112  and the icon  130  as the pointer  112  drags the icon  130  away from the dock  150 . Accordingly, in addition to the appearance of the trash can icon  350  in the user interface, the visual trail also is depicted to notify the user that the icon  130  has been selected and can be removed from the dock  150  if dragged to the trash can icon  350 . 
     Further, other forms of indicators can also be used to notify the user of selection of an icon and possible removal of the icon from the dock  150 . For example, the velocity of a pointer&#39;s movement can be reduced as the user selects an icon using the pointer  112  to give the impression of “resistance” against movement of the pointer  112 . In particular, the user may input a level of velocity for moving the pointer  112  throughout the user interface. As a particular icon in the dock is selected by the user, however, the visual display of the movement of the pointer  112  can be automatically slowed or stopped completely despite a received input for movement of the pointer  112  at a particular velocity from the user. Accordingly, the effect of “resistance” on the pointer  112  can be achieved by slowing down the velocity of the pointer  112  relative to the input velocity. 
     Exemplary Actions for Removing Icons from a Dock 
       FIG. 4  illustrates another example screenshot  400  of actions performed during removal of an icon from a dock. In some implementations, instead of presenting a single, specific area in which an icon is dropped in order to remove the icon from the user interface, a general region can be used as an area in which icons are to be dropped in order to remove the icons from a dock. Further, a virtual boundary can be used to define the general region in which icons are to be dropped. In some instances, the location of the virtual boundary in the user interface can correspond to a minimum distance that an icon needs to be dragged and dropped in order to remove the icon from the dock. As depicted in  FIG. 4 , a user&#39;s selection of an icon  130  and dragging of the icon  130  away from the dock  150  can trigger activation of a virtual boundary  450 . The virtual boundary  450  can define a minimum distance that the icon  130  must be dragged before dropping the icon  130  will trigger removal of the icon  130  from the dock  150 . The minimum distance can, in some instances, vary dynamically depending on the particular icon selected or a context of the user. Further, the minimum distance can be determined based on a certain distance sufficient to minimize accidental removal of icons from the dock  150 . In the illustrated example, if the user crosses the virtual boundary  450  with the pointer  112  and the icon  130  before dropping the icon  130  on the desktop, the icon  130  will be removed from the dock  150 . If the user drops the icon  130  before crossing the virtual boundary  450 , the icon  130  is returned to the dock  150 . 
     Further, although the virtual boundary  450  is depicted in  FIG. 4  as a “virtual” boundary that may not be visible to the user, the virtual boundary  450  can also be visibly displayed in the user interface in some implementations. Different visual indicators associated with the virtual boundary  450  can be displayed. For example, a graphical depiction of the virtual boundary  450  can include highlighted pixels or a glowing effect surrounding the virtual boundary  450 . Still further, the virtual boundary  450  can be a straight line or some other shape, such as a shape sufficient to circumscribe a particular region in the user interface. In some implementations, the virtual boundary  450  can also consist of an amorphous shape adaptable to correspond to the shape of a particular graphical object or region. The shape, form, or distance covered by the virtual boundary  450  can also be dynamically modified, either manually or automatically, based on the particular context associated with a particular operating system, application, scenario, or user. 
     Exemplary Processes for Displaying Visual Indicators for Removing Icons 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of an exemplary process  500  for displaying visual indicators for removing icons from a dock. In the exemplary process  500 , a dock is generated for display in a user interface ( 510 ). An input is received for selecting a particular icon in the dock, the icon located at a first position ( 520 ). A visual indicator of the distance to drag the icon before the icon is removed from the dock is generated for display ( 530 ). An input is received for releasing the icon at the second position ( 540 ). A determination is made as to whether the distance between the first and second location is greater than the distance required to drag the icon before the icon is removed from the dock ( 550 ). If the distance between the first and second location is greater, the icon is removed from the dock ( 560 ). 
       FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of an exemplary process  600  for displaying visual indicators for removing icons from a dock. In the exemplary process  600 , a dock is generated for display in a user interface ( 610 ). An input is received for selecting a particular icon in the dock, the icon located at a first position ( 620 ). A visual indicator of the region to drag the icon to is generated for display in response to receiving the input for selecting the icon ( 630 ). An input is received in the region for releasing the icon ( 640 ), and the icon is removed from the dock ( 650 ). 
       FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of an exemplary process  700  for displaying visual indicators of selection and dragging of an icon. In the exemplary process  700 , a dock is generated for display in a user interface ( 710 ). An input is received for selecting a particular icon in the dock ( 720 ). The appearance of the pointer and icon are modified in response to receiving input for dragging the icon ( 730 ). An input is received for releasing the icon ( 740 ), and the icon is returned to the dock ( 750 ). 
     The above processes are merely examples. Various combinations of the above processes are possible. 
     Exemplary Device Architecture 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram of exemplary hardware architecture  800  for a device implementing the bridge view of virtual workspaces processes and interfaces described in reference to  FIGS. 1-7 . The device can include memory interface  802 , one or more data processors, image processors and/or processors  804 , and peripherals interface  806 . Memory interface  802 , one or more processors  804  and/or peripherals interface  806  can be separate components or can be integrated in one or more integrated circuits. The various components in the device, for example, can be coupled by one or more communication buses or signal lines. 
     Sensors, devices, and subsystems can be coupled to peripherals interface  806  to facilitate multiple functionalities. For example, motion sensor  810 , light sensor  812 , and proximity sensor  814  can be coupled to peripherals interface  806  to facilitate orientation, lighting, and proximity functions of the mobile device. Location processor  815  (e.g., GPS receiver) can be connected to peripherals interface  806  to provide geopositioning. Electronic magnetometer  816  (e.g., an integrated circuit chip) can also be connected to peripherals interface  806  to provide data that can be used to determine the direction of magnetic North. Thus, electronic magnetometer  816  can be used as an electronic compass. Accelerometer  817  can also be connected to peripherals interface  806  to provide data that can be used to determine change of speed and direction of movement of the mobile device. 
     Camera subsystem  820  and an optical sensor  822 , 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. 
     Communication functions can be facilitated through one or more wireless communication subsystems  824 , 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  824  can depend on the communication network(s) over which a mobile device is intended to operate. For example, a mobile device can include communication subsystems  824  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  824  can include hosting protocols such that the mobile device can be configured as a base station for other wireless devices. 
     Audio subsystem  826  can be coupled to a speaker  828  and a microphone  830  to facilitate voice-enabled functions, such as voice recognition, voice replication, digital recording, and telephony functions. 
     I/O subsystem  840  can include touch screen controller  842  and/or other input controller(s)  844 . Touch-screen controller  842  can be coupled to a touch screen  846  or pad. Touch screen  846  and touch screen controller  842  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 touch screen  846 . 
     Other input controller(s)  844  can be coupled to other input/control devices  848 , 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 speaker  828  and/or microphone  830 . 
     In one implementation, a pressing of the button for a first duration may disengage a lock of the touch screen  846 ; and a pressing of the button for a second duration that is longer than the first duration may turn power to the device on or off. The user may be able to customize a functionality of one or more of the buttons. The touch screen  846  can, for example, also be used to implement virtual or soft buttons and/or a keyboard. 
     In some implementations, the device can present recorded audio and/or video files, such as MP3, AAC, and MPEG files. In some implementations, the device can include the functionality of an MP3 player, such as an iPod™. The device may, therefore, include a pin connector that is compatible with the iPod. Other input/output and control devices can also be used. 
     Memory interface  802  can be coupled to memory  850 . Memory  850  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). Memory  850  can store operating system  852 , such as Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks. Operating system  852  may include instructions for handling basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks. In some implementations, operating system  852  can include a kernel (e.g., UNIX kernel). 
     Memory  850  may also store communication instructions  854  to facilitate communicating with one or more additional devices, one or more computers and/or one or more servers. Memory  850  may include graphical user interface instructions  856  to facilitate graphic user interface processing; sensor processing instructions  858  to facilitate sensor-related processing and functions; phone instructions  860  to facilitate phone-related processes and functions; electronic messaging instructions  862  to facilitate electronic-messaging related processes and functions; web browsing instructions  864  to facilitate web browsing-related processes and functions; media processing instructions  866  to facilitate media processing-related processes and functions; GPS/Navigation instructions  868  to facilitate GPS and navigation-related processes and instructions; and camera instructions  870  to facilitate camera-related processes and functions. In particular, the graphical user interface instructions  856  can facilitate the user interface features described in reference to  FIGS. 1-7 . The memory  850  may also store other software instructions (not shown), such as security instructions, 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  866  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) or similar hardware identifier can also be stored in memory  850 . Memory  850  can also include other instructions  872 . 
     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. Memory  850  can include additional instructions or fewer instructions. Furthermore, various functions of the mobile device may be implemented in hardware and/or in software, including in one or more signal processing and/or application specific integrated circuits. 
     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, 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. 
     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. 
     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). 
     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, a mouse or a trackball, or a pointing device (e.g., a finger or stylus on a touch-sensitive surface or touch-sensitive display) by which the user can provide input to the computer. 
     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. 
     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. 
     One or more features or steps as disclosed herein can be implemented using an API. An API can define on or more parameters that are passed between a calling application and other software code (e.g., an operating system, library routine, function) that provides a service, that provides data, or that performs an operation or a computation. 
     The API can be implemented as one or more calls in program code that send or receive one or more parameters through a parameter list or other structure based on a call convention defined in an API specification document. A parameter can be a constant, a key, a data structure, an object, an object class, a variable, a data type, a pointer, an array, a list, or another call. API calls and parameters can be implemented in any programming language. The programming language can define the vocabulary and calling convention that a programmer will employ to access functions supporting the API. 
     In some implementations, an API call can report to an application the capabilities of a device running the application, such as input capability, output capability, processing capability, power capability, communications capability, etc. 
     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.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20110520
Publication Date: 20161122
Grant Date: 20161122
Priority Date: 20110114
Inventors: LOUCH JOHN O.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F3/0486", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0488", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0481", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04817", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04842", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0482", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0481", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0486", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04842", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0488", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/04817", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F3/0482", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 46491701