U.S. patent application number 12/344275 was filed with the patent office on 2009-10-29 for electronic device and user interface display method thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to HTC CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Yih-Feng Kao, Yi-Chi Lin, Chih-Wei Tai.
Application Number | 20090271731 12/344275 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41214531 |
Filed Date | 2009-10-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090271731 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lin; Yi-Chi ; et
al. |
October 29, 2009 |
ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND USER INTERFACE DISPLAY METHOD THEREOF
Abstract
An electronic device and a user interface display method thereof
are provided. The electronic device includes a touch sensor and a
display. The electronic device organizes a plurality of computer
programs and a web browser executable on the electronic device into
a virtual book. Each page of the virtual book includes a user
interface of one of the computer programs or a web page displayed
by the web browser. The electronic device displays one of the pages
as a current page on the display so that the user interface or the
web page of the current page is accessible to a user of the
electronic device. In addition, the electronic device senses
movement and/or pressure caused by the user on the touch sensor and
interprets the movement and/or the pressure as an operating action
of the user on the virtual book.
Inventors: |
Lin; Yi-Chi; (Taoyuan
County, TW) ; Kao; Yih-Feng; (Taoyuan County, TW)
; Tai; Chih-Wei; (Taoyuan County, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JIANQ CHYUN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE
7 FLOOR-1, NO. 100, ROOSEVELT ROAD, SECTION 2
TAIPEI
100
TW
|
Assignee: |
HTC CORPORATION
Taoyuan County
TW
|
Family ID: |
41214531 |
Appl. No.: |
12/344275 |
Filed: |
December 25, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61048219 |
Apr 27, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
715/776 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04883 20130101;
G06F 3/0483 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/776 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/048 20060101
G06F003/048 |
Claims
1. A user interface display method for an electronic device,
comprising: organizing a plurality of computer programs and a web
browser executable on the electronic device into a virtual book,
wherein each page of the virtual book comprises a user interface of
one of the computer programs or a web page displayed by the web
browser; and displaying one of the pages as a current page so that
the user interface or the web page of the current page is
accessible to a user of the electronic device.
2. The user interface display method of claim 1, further
comprising: interpreting an operating action of the user as
flipping the virtual book or operating the current page.
3. The user interface display method of claim 2, wherein the
interpreting of the operating action is based on whether the
operating action is performed on a display or a flip bar of the
electronic device.
4. The user interface display method of claim 2, wherein the
interpreting of the operating action is based on whether the
operating action comprises a first predetermined action or a second
predetermined action.
5 The user interface display method of claim 1, further comprising:
displaying an idle screen when the electronic device is idle,
wherein the idle screen comprises a cover and a thickness of the
virtual book.
6. The user interface display method of claim 5, wherein the idle
screen further comprises at least one of a current date, a current
time, and an event notification.
7. The user interface display method of claim 1, further
comprising: displaying a dialog box in a form of a sticky note
attached to the virtual book, wherein the dialog box comprises an
event notification.
8. An electronic device, comprising a touch sensor; and a display;
wherein the electronic device organizes a plurality of computer
programs and a web browser executable on the electronic device into
a virtual book, each page of the virtual book comprises a user
interface of one of the computer programs or a web page displayed
by the web browser; the electronic device displays one of the pages
as a current page on the display so that the user interface or the
web page of the current page is accessible to a user of the
electronic device; and the electronic device senses movement and/or
pressure caused by the user on the touch sensor and interprets the
movement and/or the pressure as an operating action of the user on
the virtual book.
9. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising a flip bar,
wherein the touch sensor covers the display and comprises the flip
bar, the electronic device senses the operating action on the
display or the flip bar and interprets the operating action as
flipping the virtual book or operating the current page.
10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the electronic device
interprets the operating action according to whether the operating
action is performed on the display or the flip bar.
11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the touch sensor
comprises a touch panel, the touch panel covers the display and
also extends beyond a boundary of the display, the extended portion
of the touch panel comprises the flip bar.
12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the touch sensor
comprises a first touch panel and a second touch panel, the first
touch panel covers the display and the second touch panel comprises
the flip bar.
13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the electronic device
displays an idle screen on the display when the electronic device
is idle, the idle screen comprises a cover and a thickness of the
virtual book.
14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the idle screen
further comprises at least one of a current date, a current time,
and an event notification.
15. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the electronic device
displays a dialog box in a form of a sticky note attached to the
virtual book on the display, the dialog box comprises an event
notification.
16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein, if a plurality of
events occurs when the electronic device is idle, the electronic
device displays notifications of all the events in the dialog box.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of U.S.
provisional application Ser. No. 61/048,219, filed on Apr. 27,
2008. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is
hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of
specification.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an electronic device. More
particularly, the present invention relates to a book-like user
interface of the electronic device.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Modern handheld electronic devices, such as mobile phones,
smart phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), have
operating systems whose user interfaces (UIs) are comparable to
those of desktop personal computers (PCs). The UI of a handheld
electronic device provides various functions and services to its
user. Some of the functions and services are very popular and
frequently used, such as web surfing, web searching, taking photos,
displaying images and pictures, electronic map, calculator,
dictionary, organizing contact information, and telephone
communication.
[0006] Generally, these functions and services are accessible to
users in the form of standalone applications, convenient widgets,
or web pages. For beginners and casual users with little
experiences of modern handheld electronic devices, the variety and
complexity of the UI may appear confusing, even daunting. For
example, some of the applications and widgets are located on a
desktop area of the UI. Some of the applications and widgets are
located on pop-up or pull-down menus. Some services are provided as
web pages which have to be selected from the bookmarks of a web
browser. Sometimes this distributed nature of the functions and
services is irritating even to experienced users. Moreover, the
operating actions required for starting a widget, an application,
and a web page may be very different. The operating actions
required to start an application on the desktop may be different
from the operating actions required to start an application on a
menu. Some applications and widgets may be assigned to deeply
nestled menus, which are unobtrusive and difficult to find. All of
these add to the difficulty and confusion of using the UI of a
handheld electronic device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a user
interface display method for an electronic device. For example, the
electronic device may be a handheld electronic device. The user
interface display method displays a book-like UI of the handheld
electronic device.
[0008] The present invention is also directed to the electronic
device which executes the aforementioned user interface display
method to display the book-like UI.
[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user
interface display method for an electronic device is provided. The
method includes the following steps. First, organize a plurality of
computer programs and a web browser executable on the electronic
device into a virtual book. Each page of the virtual book includes
a user interface of one of the computer programs or a web page
displayed by the web browser. Next, display one of the pages as a
current page so that the user interface or the web page of the
current page is accessible to a user of the electronic device.
[0010] The user interface display method may further include
interpreting an operating action of the user as flipping the
virtual book or operating the current page. The interpreting of the
operating action may be based on whether the operating action is
performed on a display or a flip bar of the electronic device.
Alternatively, the interpreting of the operating action may be
based on whether the operating action includes a first
predetermined action or a second predetermined action.
[0011] The user interface display method may further include
displaying an idle screen when the electronic device is idle. The
idle screen includes a cover and a thickness of the virtual book.
The idle screen may include at least one of a current date, a
current time, and an event notification. The event notification may
represent a missed telephone call, an unread message, or a schedule
notification.
[0012] The idle screen may further include a predetermined object
representing a screen lock function. The screen lock function may
be deactivated by a predetermined operating action of the user on
the predetermined object.
[0013] The user interface display method may further include
displaying a dialog box in a form of a sticky note attached to the
virtual book, wherein the dialog box includes an event
notification. The event notification may represent an incoming
e-mail, an incoming phone call, or a low voltage level of a battery
of the electronic device. If several events occur when the
electronic device is idle, notifications of all the events are
displayed together in the dialog box.
[0014] The user interface display method may further include
uncovering a part of the current page to reveal a menu beneath the
current page in response to an operating action of the user. The
operating action includes pressing a button. The button may be a
physical button installed on the electronic device, a touch button
implemented on a touch panel of the electronic device, or a virtual
button displayed on the current page.
[0015] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an
electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a
touch sensor and a display. The electronic device organizes a
plurality of computer programs and a web browser executable on the
electronic device into a virtual book. Each page of the virtual
book includes a user interface of one of the computer programs or a
web page displayed by the web browser. The electronic device
displays one of the pages as a current page on the display so that
the user interface or the web page of the current page is
accessible to a user of the electronic device. Moreover, the
electronic device senses movement and/or pressure caused by the
user on the touch sensor and interprets the movement and/or the
pressure as an operating action of the user on the virtual
book.
[0016] The electronic device may further include a flip bar. The
touch sensor covers the display and includes the flip bar. The
electronic device senses the operating action on the display or the
flip bar and interprets the operating action as flipping the
virtual book or operating the current page. The electronic device
may interpret the operating action according to whether the
operating action is performed on the display or the flip bar.
Alternatively, the electronic device may interpret the operating
action according to whether the operating action includes a first
predetermined action or a second predetermined action.
[0017] The touch sensor of the electronic device may include a
single touch panel. In this case, the touch panel covers the
display and also extends beyond the boundary of the display. The
extended portion of the touch panel includes the flip bar.
[0018] Alternatively, the touch sensor of the electronic device may
include two touch panels. In this case, the first touch panel
covers the display and the second touch panel includes the flip
bar.
[0019] The user may operate this UI through a touch panel of the
handheld electronic device. The control mechanism connecting the
operating actions of the user on the touch panel and the displayed
book-like UI may be provided by the hardware or software of the
handheld electronic device.
[0020] The book-like UI proposed by the present invention unifies
applications, widgets, and web pages into book pages, enabling the
user to browse, use, and manage the functions and services in an
intuitive and convenient way like browsing a conventional printed
book. By using the book-like UI, the user does not have to worry
about whether a function or service is provided by a widget, an
application, or a web page because the operating actions for using
and managing them are all the same. Furthermore, the problem of
unobtrusive nestled menus no longer exists because the book pages
are on the same level and the only level of display.
[0021] The user may operate the book-like UI by touching or sliding
on the touch panel with his or her finger. Since the touch panel is
integrated on the handheld electronic device, the user may operate
on the device directly. The handheld electronic device of the
present invention is compact and is able to receive the operation
of the user and display the book-like UI simultaneously. The
handheld electronic device does not need a separate external input
device for receiving user operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate
embodiments of the invention and, together with the description,
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0023] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic diagrams showing
arrangement of touch panels on handheld electronic devices
according to various embodiments of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional
resistive touch panel.
[0025] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional
capacitive touch panel.
[0026] FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are schematic diagrams showing a virtual
book displayed by a handheld electronic device according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0027] FIGS. 4C-4E are schematic diagrams showing a virtual book
displayed by a handheld electronic device according to another
embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] FIGS. 5A-5D are schematic diagrams showing a book-like UI of
a handheld electronic device according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a table-of-contents
page in the book-like UI in FIGS. 5A-5D.
[0030] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the flipping of book
pages in the book-like UI in FIGS. 5A-5D.
[0031] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are schematic diagrams showing stand-up
views of a virtual book displayed by a handheld electronic device
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0032] FIGS. 10A-10D are schematic diagrams showing the flow of
deleting a book page in the book-like UI of a handheld electronic
device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0033] FIGS. 11A-11D are schematic diagrams showing the flow of
converting the display contents of a book page into a new page in
the book-like UI of a handheld electronic device according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0034] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a book page download
service in the book-like UI of a handheld electronic device
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0035] FIGS. 13A-13C are schematic diagrams showing notifications
implemented in the book-like UI of a handheld electronic device
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a feature for rapid
switching between two book pages in the book-like UI of a handheld
electronic device according to an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0037] FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the function menu of a book
page in the book-like UI of a handheld electronic device according
to an embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0038] Reference will now be made in detail to the present
embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference
numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to
the same or like parts.
[0039] The book-like UI of a handheld electronic device proposed by
the present invention organizes applications, widgets, and web
pages into pages of a virtual book. Each page of the virtual book
is the UI of a service or function of the handheld electronic
device. Flipping the pages of the virtual book means browsing and
selecting the services and functions provided by the handheld
electronic device. This book-like UI enables the user to use and
manage these applications, widgets, and web pages in an easy and
intuitive way like browsing a conventional printed book. The
book-like UI hides the differences among applications, widgets, and
web pages so that the handheld electronic device can be accessed
through a uniform and convenient UI.
[0040] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing a handheld electronic
device with the book-like UI according to an embodiment of the
present invention. The handheld electronic device in FIG. 1A
includes a casing 100, a touch panel 110, and a display 120. The
touch panel 110 not only covers the display 120 but also extends
beyond the boundary of the display 120. The extended portion of the
touch panel 110 may be located on the upper side, lower side, right
side, or left side of the display 120. In FIG. 1A, it is the lower
side on which the extended portion is located. The extended portion
of the touch panel 110 includes a flip bar 140 and two buttons 130
and 150. The user may slide one of his/her fingers on the flip bar
140 or press the buttons 130 and 150. The handheld electronic
device senses the movement on the flip bar 140 and the pressure on
the buttons 130 and 150 through the touch panel 110, and then
interpret the movement and pressure into operating actions of the
user for the book-like UI. Since the touch panel 110 can also sense
pressure and movement on the display 120, in some other embodiments
of the present invention the operating actions may be performed on
the display 120 as well.
[0041] FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a design variation of
the handheld electronic device in FIG. 1A according to another
embodiment of the present invention. The handheld electronic device
in FIG. 1B includes two touch panels 160 and 170. The touch panel
160 has the same dimensions as those of the display 120 and the
touch panel 160 covers the display 120. The touch panel 170 is
separate from the touch panel 160 and is located on one side of the
touch panel 160. The touch panel 170 includes the flip bar 140 and
the buttons 130 and 150. Except the differences mentioned above,
the handheld electronic device in FIG. 1B is identical to the
handheld electronic device in FIG. 1A.
[0042] Each one of the touch panels 110, 160, and 170 may be a
resistive touch panel as shown in FIG. 2 or a capacitive touch
panel as shown in FIG. 3. A resistive touch panel consists of an
indium tin oxide (ITO) film, ITO glass, and some dot spacers (DOT)
in between. When a finger or stylus touches the ITO film, the ITO
film contacts with the ITO glass and generates voltage variation.
The handheld electronic device converts the voltage variation from
analog signals into digital signals and then processes the digital
signals to obtain the (X, Y) position of the touch. In this way the
handheld electronic device can detect the touch and movement of the
finger or stylus on the resistive touch panel. On the other hand, a
capacitive touch panel consists of silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2), ITO,
and glass, as shown in FIG. 3. A smooth electric field is
established on the surface of the glass. When the finger or stylus
contacts with the ITO, the variation of the electric field is
detected by four sensors disposed at the four corners of the
capacitive touch panel in order to locate the contact.
[0043] The purpose of the flip bar 140 is separating operating
actions for flipping the virtual book from operating actions for
the UI of a book page. Operating actions on the display 120 control
the current book page, while operating actions on the flip bar 140
flip the virtual book. For example, assume a book page is an
application for browsing photos. The user may turn to the next
photo by a rapid stroke with his/her finger on the display 120. The
user may flip to the next book page (switch to the next function or
service of the handheld electronic device) by the same rapid stroke
on the flip bar 140. The same action by the user is interpreted
into different events according to the area in which the action is
performed. If the next book page is a music channel broadcast
service, the same rapid stroke on the display 120 may mean
switching to the next music channel, while the same rapid stroke on
the flip bar 140 still means flipping to the next book page of the
virtual book.
[0044] In another embodiment of the present invention, both the
operating actions for the current book page and the operating
actions for flipping the virtual book may be performed on the
display 120. In this case, these two classes of operating actions
can no longer share the same action. For example, the operating
actions for switching to the next music channel and flipping to the
next virtual book page have to be different. The difference may be
implemented as the existence or non-existence of a brief pause. If
the finger slides rapidly without a pause or with a pause shorter
than a predetermined duration, this action is interpreted as
flipping the virtual book. If the finger pauses for longer than the
predetermined duration and then slides rapidly, this action is
interpreted as switching to the next music channel. In this
embodiment the handheld electronic device does not need a separate
flip bar 140. However, such a design limits the option of operating
actions available to a virtual book page because some operating
actions must be assigned to the virtual book flipping.
[0045] In additional to a finger, the user may also use a stylus to
perform any operating action for the book-like UI mentioned above
or below. Since the display, the touch panel, the flip bar, and the
buttons are all integrated on the compact handheld electronic
device, the user may operate by touching the display or the flip
bar directly without the need for a separate input device for
receiving user operation.
[0046] When the handheld electronic device is idle, it displays an
idle screen as shown in FIG. 4A. The idle screen shows a virtual
book 400 in a zoom-out view including the cover and the thickness
of the virtual book 400. The virtual book 400 is a loose-leaf
notebook with a zipper 410. The zipper 410 represents a screen lock
function. The user may drag the slider of the zipper 410 with a
finger sliding along the zipper 410 on the display 120. When the
slider of the zipper 410 is dragged to the bottom as shown in FIG.
4A, the handheld electronic device is under a screen lock. The user
may drag the slider of the zipper 410 to the top, as shown in FIG.
4B, to unlock the screen.
[0047] In other embodiments of the present invention, the screen
lock may be represented by other images and the screen may be
unlocked with various operating actions. FIG. 4C, FIG. 4D, and FIG.
4E illustrate another example of the screen lock function. In FIGS.
4C-4E, the virtual book 420 is rendered in the form of a magazine.
The cover of the magazine shows the current date and the current
time. The area 421 shows that there are three missed telephone
calls, two unread messages, and one schedule notification. The
presence of the ribbon 422 and the padlock 423 means that the
screen is locked. The user may unlock the screen by a horizontal
long slide of the finger along the ribbon 422. After the horizontal
long slide, the ribbon 422 is untied, as shown in FIG. 4D. After a
predetermined brief duration, the ribbon 422 and the padlock 423
disappear, as shown in FIG. 4E, which means the screen is unlocked.
The area 421 in FIG. 4E displays more detailed summary of the
missed calls, unread messages and schedule notification.
[0048] FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram showing a handheld electronic
device 500 according to another embodiment of the present
invention. For simplicity, the touch panel is not shown in FIG. 5A.
A virtual book 520 and its cover page 521 are shown in the zoom-out
view on the display 510 of the handheld electronic device 500. When
the user flips the cover page 521 (details later), as shown in FIG.
5B, at first the handheld electronic device 500 displays the cover
page 521, the table-of-contents (TOC) page 522, and the first book
page 523 of the virtual book 520 at the same time. The cover page
521 is fully flipped and the TOC page 522 is partially flipped. The
first book page 523 is partially obscured. Next, as shown in FIG.
5C, the TOC page 522 becomes fully flipped and the first book page
523 is fully revealed. Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, the first book
page 523 is displayed in a zoom-in view and occupies the entire
display 510. The zoom-in view provides a clearer view to the user
so that the user can focus on the function or service of the
current book page.
[0049] From the first book page 523, the user may flip the virtual
book 520 to the next page or to the previous page. The flow is
similar to that shown in FIGS. 5A-5D except that only one page is
turned over. When the user is using a book page, this current book
page is displayed in the zoom-in view. When the user flips the
current book page, as shown in FIGS. 5A-5D, the animation of
flipping the virtual book is displayed in the zoom-out view until
the flipping is finished, and then the destination page is
displayed in the zoom-in view.
[0050] If the user flips from the first book page 523 to its
previous book page, the TOC page 522 is displayed as shown in FIG.
6. The TOC page 522 lists all book pages of the virtual book 520.
The user may turn to any page immediately by clicking the list
entry corresponding to the desired book page with a finger.
[0051] The handheld electronic device 500 may provide a preference
option for the user to determine the destination page when the user
flips the cover page 521 of the virtual book 520. According to the
preference option, the destination page may be the TOC page 522,
the first book page 523, or a book page other than the first book
page 523 predetermined by the user.
[0052] The user may flip the pages of the virtual book by sliding a
finger on the display or the flip bar of the handheld electronic
device. In this embodiment, a finger slide is classified into a
slow slide or a fast slide according to its speed. If a finger
moves with a speed lower than a predetermined speed threshold, it
is classified as a slow slide. If a finger moves with a speed
higher than the predetermined speed threshold, it is classified as
a fast slide. A fast slide is further classified as a fast short
slide or a fast long slide according to its distance. If the
distance of a fast slide is shorter than a predetermined distance
threshold, it is classified as a fast short slide. If the distance
of a fast slide is longer than the predetermined distance
threshold, it is classified as a fast long slide. The following
Table 1 summarizes the classification of finger slides.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Finger slide classification according to
speed and distance Short distance Long distance Low speed Slow
slide High speed Fast short slide Fast long slide
[0053] The flipping of the pages of the virtual book is classified
into two types, single flipping and continuous flipping. The user
may perform a single flipping with a fast slide and performs a
continuous flipping with a slow slide.
[0054] In a single flipping, the user flips the virtual book from
the current page to a destination page. The flipping animation
shows only the current page being flipped, as shown in FIG. 5B. No
matter how many pages are actually between the current page and the
destination page, the intervening pages are simply skipped over. As
shown in the following Table 2, there are three rules for the
single flipping. The handheld electronic device may implement any
one of the three rules. Rule 1 is the simplest, in which a fast
slide always flips one book page. In rule 2, a fast short slide
flips only one book page and a fast long slide flips a
predetermined number of book pages. The predetermined number may be
set by the user. For example, a fast long slide may flip 5 or 10
pages of the virtual book. In rule 3, a fast short slide flips only
one book page and a fast long slide flips a number of book pages
proportional to the slide distance.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Rules of single flipping Rule 1 Rule 2 Rule
3 A fast slide A fast short slide flips one A fast short slide
flips one always flips book page. A fast long book page. A fast
long one book page. slide flips a predetermined slide flips a
number of number of book pages. book pages proportional to the
slide distance.
[0055] In a continuous flipping, several book pages are flipped at
the same time as a slow slide of the user moves across the flip
bar. The flipping continues until the user reaches the desired
destination page and stops the slow slide. The flipping animation
shows all the pages being flipped, as shown in FIG. 7. There are
three rules for the continuous flipping as summarized in the
following Table 3. In rule 1, a book page is flipped each time when
the finger slides across a predetermined number of pixels on the
flip bar. For example, this predetermined number may be 60 pixels.
In this case, one book page is flipped when a finger of the user
slides across 60 pixels on the flip bar. Two book pages are flipped
when the finger slides across 120 pixels on the flip bar, and so
on. The number of book pages being flipped is proportional to the
number of pixels the slow slide passes.
[0056] In rule 2, the first book page is flipped when the finger
slides across a first predetermined number of pixels on the flip
bar, and then a following book page is flipped each time when the
finger slides across a second predetermined number of pixels on the
flip bar. For example, the first predetermined number may be 60
pixels and the second predetermined number may be 15 pixels. In
this case, the second and the latter book pages are flipped faster
in rule 2 than they are in rule 1.
[0057] In both rule 1 and rule 2 of the continuous flipping, when
the finger of the user reaches an end of the flip bar, the
continuous flipping may simply stop. If the user wants to continue
flipping in this case, he/she has to perform another slow slide
across the flip bar. Alternatively, the flipping may continue when
the finger of the user reaches one end of the flip bar.
[0058] In rule 3, the flip bar is used like a scroll bar. The ratio
of the number of book pages being turned to the total number of
book pages is equal to the ratio of the distance of the slow slide
to the total length of the flip bar.
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Rules of continuous flipping Rule 1 Rule 2
Rule 3 Flip a page each time Flip a page when the finger slides The
flip when the finger slides across a first predetermined number bar
is across a predetermined of pixels on the flip bar, and then flip
used like number of pixels on a page each time when the finger a
scroll the flip bar. slides across a second predetermined bar.
number of pixels on the flip bar.
[0059] In addition to the "forward" continuous flipping discussed
above, the handheld electronic device may also support "backward"
continuous flipping. After a forward continuous flipping, the user
may perform a backward continuous flipping by slowly sliding a
finger in a direction opposite to the direction of the previous
forward continuous flipping. The backward continuous flipping can
be used to return to the desired book page when the user
accidentally flips too many pages with the forward continuous
flipping. There are two rules for the backward continuous flipping
as summarized in the following Table 4.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Rules of backward continuous flipping Rule 1
Rule 2 Flip a page each time when the Each of the first few pages
is flipped finger slides across a when the finger slides across a
first predetermined number of pixels predetermined number of pixels
on the on the flip bar. flip bar. Each of the following pages is
flipped when the finger slides across a second predetermined number
of pixels on the flip bar.
[0060] In rule 1 of the backward continuous flipping, each time
when a finger of the user slides across a predetermined number of
pixels on the flip bar, one book page is flipped. For example, this
predetermined number may be 25 pixels. In this case, the flipping
speed of the backward continuous flipping is slower than that of
rule 2 of the forward continuous flipping (15 pixels per page). The
reason for the slower speed is that it is easier to find the
desired book page at a slower speed.
[0061] Rule 2 of the backward continuous flipping implements two
different flipping speeds. In rule 2, each of the first few pages
is flipped when the finger slides across a first predetermined
number of pixels on the flip bar, and each of the following pages
is flipped when the finger slides across a second predetermined
number of pixels on the flip bar. For example, the first
predetermined number may be 25 pixels, the second predetermined
number may be 15 pixels, and the first few pages mentioned above
may be the first three pages.
[0062] In another embodiment of the present invention, the user may
flip the book pages by pressing the display or the flip bar of the
handheld electronic device with a finger. If the pressure of the
finger is lower than a predetermined pressure threshold, it is
classified as a light press. If the pressure of the finger is
higher than the predetermined pressure threshold, it is classified
as a heavy press. The user may perform a single flipping with a
light press and a continuous flipping with a heavy press. In the
continuous flipping, the flipping speed may be proportional to the
pressure. The handheld electronic device senses the contact
pressure or the contact area of the finger on the touch panel in
order to estimate the pressure of the finger.
[0063] The handheld electronic device may include some buttons for
rapid switching to predetermined pages of the virtual book. For
example, please refer to FIG. 1A. The handheld electronic device in
FIG. 1A includes two touch buttons 130 and 150. Touching the button
130 flips the virtual book to the TOC page, while touching the
button 150 flips the virtual book to the telephone page. In other
embodiments of the present invention, such rapid switching buttons
may be assigned to other book pages. The assignment may be default
or determined by the user. The number and positions of the rapid
switching buttons may be adjusted according to practical
requirement. The rapid switching buttons may be physical buttons
installed on the casing of the handheld electronic device or
virtual touch buttons implemented on the touch panel of the
handheld electronic device.
[0064] The virtual book may be rendered as a loose-leaf notebook
which allows the user to adjust the positions of its book pages.
Please refer to FIG. 8. The virtual book 800 is a loose-leaf
notebook. In order to adjust the position of a book page, the user
has to flip to the book page first, and then presses the book page
for a predetermined duration. This predetermined duration may be a
few seconds. If the current book page is pressed for the
predetermined duration, the virtual book is displayed in a stand-up
view as shown in FIG. 8. In the stand-up view, the user may press
the switch 830 with a finger to unlock the current book page. The
unlocked book page becomes a loose leaf 810. The user may drag the
loose leaf 810 horizontally with a finger to adjust the position of
the loose leaf 810. When the user releases his/her finger, the
loose leaf 810 returns to the form of a book page and is attached
to the new position.
[0065] In addition to moving a book page in the stand-up view, the
user may also adjust the position of a book page by dragging the
table entry corresponding to the book page in the TOC page.
[0066] The book pages with small tabs in the stand-up view in FIG.
8, such as the book page 820, are classification pages. The
classification pages are designed for advanced users who need to
organize a lot of book pages. Each classification page is a small
TOC page including table entries corresponding to all book pages
between the classification page and the next classification page or
the bottom cover of the virtual book. The classification pages may
be rendered with different colors for easier management and
identification. Moreover, the user may assign words or messages for
identification to the tabs of the classification pages.
[0067] In addition to moving book pages in the stand-up view, the
user may also perform single flipping and continuous flipping in
the stand-up view. Since the stand-up view displays many book pages
at the same time, the user may turn to a book page directly by
clicking on the book page with a finger.
[0068] Now please refer to FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, the stand-up view
includes an index button 840. The user may press the index button
840 with a finger to turn to the TOC page directly. Alternatively,
the user may flip to the TOC page immediately by sliding a finger
from the left end of the screen to the right end of the screen or
from the right end of the screen to the left end of the screen. In
other embodiments of the present invention, a finger slide from the
left end of the screen to the right end of the screen may activate
a predetermined function other than flipping to the TOC page.
Similarly, a finger slide from the right end of the screen to the
left end of the screen may activate another different predetermined
function.
[0069] The user may delete a book page in the stand-up view. FIGS.
10A-10D illustrate an exemplary flow of deleting a book page.
First, as shown in FIG. 10A, the user flips the virtual book to a
book page 1010 and then presses the page 1010 with a finger for a
predetermined time duration. If the book page 1010 is pressed for
the predetermined time duration, the display changes from the
zoom-in view to the stand-up view. Next, the user presses the
button 1020 and the book page 1010 becomes a loose leaf, as shown
in FIG. 10B. The user may drag the loose leaf 1010 downward with a
finger, as shown in FIG. 10C. During the downward drag, the loose
leaf 1010 crushes into waste paper. A dialog box 1030 appears to
prompt the user to confirm the deletion, as shown in FIG. 10D. If
the user selects "Yes" in the dialog box 1030, the book page 1010
is deleted from the virtual book.
[0070] For some functions and services provided by the handheld
electronic device, the display contents of their book pages may be
extracted to become new book pages. For example, the photo
currently displayed by a photo browser application may be extracted
to become a new book page. This new book page only displays the
extracted photo and does not include the other functions of the
photo browser. Similarly, the web page currently displayed by a web
browser may be extracted to become a new book page. This new book
page only accesses the extracted web page.
[0071] FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate an exemplary flow of adding a new
book page by extraction. Assume the current book page 1010 is a
photo browser application and the user wants to extract the photo
currently being displayed to become a new book page. First, the
user presses the current page 1010 for a predetermined time
duration, as shown in FIG. 11A. After the user presses the current
page 1010 for the predetermined time duration, the display changes
from the zoom-in view to the stand-up view. In the stand-up view,
the user presses the button 1020 and the current page 1010 becomes
a loose leaf, as shown in FIG. 11B. The user may drag the loose
leaf 1010 upward with a finger, as shown in FIG. 11C. When the
upward drag is complete, a dialog box 1040 appears to prompt the
user to confirm the extraction, as shown in FIG. 11D. If the user
selects "Yes" in the dialog box 1040, the photo displayed on the
book page 1010 becomes a new book page. This new book page may be
directly behind the book page 1010. Alternatively, the position of
this new book page may be determined by the user. If the book page
1010 is a web browser, the flow of extraction is the same as that
illustrated in FIGS. 11A-11D.
[0072] Another way to delete or extract a book page is provided in
the TOC page of the virtual book. The TOC page may include an
"edit" button. When the user presses the edit button, a context
menu appears on top of the TOC page. By selecting appropriate
functions in the context menu, the user may delete a book page or
extract the current display contents of a book page as a new book
page.
[0073] The virtual book of the handheld electronic device is
expandable. The user may connect to a download server through the
handheld electronic device to download additional book pages. FIG.
12 is a schematic diagram showing a book page 1200 providing access
to the download server. The book page 1200 represents the
downloadable book pages in the form of the cards of a library
catalog. The cards are arranged as a stack. Each card is
corresponding to a downloadable book page. The user may scroll up
or scroll down the stack to browse the cards. There are
classification cards, such as the cards 1210 and 1220, interleaved
in the stack to organize the cards into several categories, such as
office applications and games. The downloadable book pages may
include various widgets, applications, services, and classification
pages.
[0074] The middle card in the stack, such as the card 1230 in FIG.
12, shows summary introduction of its corresponding downloadable
book page. The middle card 1230 also shows a preview 1240 of its
corresponding downloadable book page. The user may click on the
preview 1240 with a finger to see a full-screen view of the UI of
the downloadable book page. If the user is interested, he/she may
download this book page from the download server by clicking the
download button 1250 with a finger. When the download is complete,
this book page is added into the virtual book of the handheld
electronic device.
[0075] FIG. 12 is just an example. In some other embodiments of the
present invention, the downloadable book pages may be represented
in different ways. For example, the UI in FIG. 12 may be adjusted
to have each card show summary introduction and a preview of its
corresponding downloadable book pages.
[0076] A predetermined number of pages of the virtual book may be
reserved for corporate operators of wireless service networks.
These operator book pages may provide various services of the
operators. For example, one of the operator book pages may display
advertisements pushed from one of the operator. Moreover, the
pushed advertisement may be updated at predetermined time
intervals. The operator book pages are more noticeable to the user
and are easier to find than conventional menu options. The operator
book pages may be built-in, which already exist when the user
purchases the handheld electronic device. If the user wants more
operator book pages, he/she may download additional operator book
pages from the download server mentioned above.
[0077] Now please refer to FIG. 13A. FIG. 13A is a schematic
diagram showing a book page 1300 and a dialog box 1310. The dialog
box 1310 is rendered as a sticky note attached to the book page
1300. The dialog box 1310 notifies the user that there is an
incoming short message and asks whether the user would like to view
the short message or ignore it for now. If the user chooses to view
the short message, the short message is displayed. If the user
chooses to ignore the short message, as shown in FIG. 13B, a small
icon 1320 appears on top of the book page 1300 to remind the user
that there is an unviewed short message. In addition, the handheld
electronic device may notify the user of important events, such as
an incoming e-mail, an incoming phone call, or the low voltage
level of the battery, with a similar sticky note dialog box on the
book page.
[0078] When the handheld electronic device is in the idle mode, the
handheld electronic device displays an idle screen which shows the
virtual book in the zoom-out view, as shown in FIG. 13C. In the
idle screen, the handheld electronic device may notify the user of
important events with a sticky note attached to the cover of the
virtual book. If there is more than one important event, the
handheld electronic device may consolidate them into a single
sticky note, as shown in FIG. 13C. In FIG. 13C, the display 1300 of
the handheld electronic device shows a virtual book 1330 in the
zoom-out view. A sticky note 1340 is attached to the cover of the
virtual book 1330. There are several icons on the sticky note 1340
representing various event notification. The icon 1341 stands for
an incoming phone call. The icon 1342 stands for an incoming short
message. The icon 1343 stands for an incoming e-mail. There may be
other icons representing other types of important events.
[0079] The virtual book may provide a "fast return" function, which
allows the user to switch from a first book page to a second book
page and then return to the first book page rapidly. For example,
when the user is in a telephone conversation and wants to check the
address of a friend, the user may turn to the book page of the
address book through the fast return function. FIG. 14 shows the
address book page 1400 with a folded corner 1410. The folded corner
is displayed by the fast return function. After the address
checking, the user may return to the telephone book page rapidly by
touching the folded corner 1410 with a finger.
[0080] FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the function menu of a book
page of the virtual book. The steps S1510-S1570 in FIG. 15 show the
UI of a book page 1581 providing short message service (SMS) in
different situations. The flow begins at step S1510.
[0081] First, the book page 1581 displays a preview of a short
message 1582 (step S1510). The user may presses a "sub-menu" button
(not shown) to reveal a menu 1583 of the book page 1581 (step
S1520). The "sub-menu" button may be a physical button installed on
the handheld electronic device, a touch button implemented on the
touch panel of the handheld electronic device, or a virtual button
displayed on the book page 1581. The menu 1583 is revealed by a
visual effect of uncovering the lower part of the book page 1581
and revealing the menu 1583 beneath the book page 1581. The menu
1583 includes four options, namely, creating a new short message
(new), replying the short message (reply), forwarding the short
message (forward), and deleting the short message (delete). The
user may select any one of the options with a finger.
[0082] If the user selects the "new" option of the menu 1583, the
flow goes to step S1530. The handheld electronic device displays a
keyboard 1584 for the user to enter a new short message. If the
user selects the "reply" option of the menu 1583, the flow goes to
step S1540. The handheld electronic device displays the keyboard
1584 for the user to reply to the short message 1582.
[0083] If the user touches the short message 1582 with a finger at
step S1510, the flow goes to step S1550. The handheld electronic
device displays the entire short message 1582 for viewing. The user
may presses the "sub-menu" button to reveal another menu 1585 of
the book page 1581 (step S1560). Similarly, the menu 1585 is
revealed by a visual effect of uncovering the lower part of the
book page 1581. The menu 1585 includes three options, namely,
replying the short message (reply), forwarding the short message
(forward), and deleting the short message (delete). The user may
select any one of the options with a finger. If the user selects
the "reply" option, the flow goes to step S1570. The handheld
electronic device displays the keyboard 1584 for the user to reply
to the short message 1582.
[0084] Each page of the virtual book may reveal its own function
menu in the way mentioned above. The functions menus of the book
pages may be different according to the functions and services
provided by the book pages.
[0085] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the
present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the
invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the
present invention cover modifications and variations of this
invention provided they fall within the scope of the following
claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *