IP Library › Granted Patent US 12669927

Granted Patent B2

US 12669927 · App. 17/124,406 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Device, method, and graphical user interface for managing concurrently open software applications

Inventor: Imran Chaudhri (San Francisco, CA)

Assignee: APPLE INC.

G06F3/0485 G06F3/04883 G06F9/451

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12669927
App. No.: 17/124,406
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

An electronic device detects a gesture on a touch-sensitive display while in an application view selection mode. In response to detecting the gesture, in accordance with a determination that the gesture starts from an edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves in a first direction, the device replaces display of at least a portion of representations of a first plurality of recently used applications with a user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications. In response to detecting the gesture, in accordance with a determination that the gesture moves in a second direction that is different from the first direction, the device switches from displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications to displaying representations of a second plurality of recently used applications. The second plurality of recently used applications is different from the first plurality of recently used applications.

Claims (70)

1 . A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display:

while in an application view selection mode that includes displaying representations of a first plurality of recently used applications, detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive display, wherein selecting a respective representation of the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode causes the electronic device to cease displaying representations of one or more of the first plurality of recently used applications other than the application corresponding to the respective representation and display an application corresponding to the selected representation in a corresponding application view; and

in response to detecting the gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the gesture that was detected while displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode starts from an edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves in a first direction, replacing display of at least a portion of the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications with a user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications;

in accordance with a determination that the gesture that was detected while displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode moves in a second direction that is different from the first direction, switching from displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications to displaying representations of a second plurality of recently used applications, wherein the second plurality of recently used applications is different from the first plurality of recently used applications; and

in accordance with a determination that the gesture that was detected while displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode moves in a third direction that is different from the first and second directions, switching from displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications to displaying representations of a third plurality of recently used applications, wherein the third plurality of recently used applications is different from the first and second pluralities of recently used applications.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

replacing display of at least the portion of the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications includes replacing display of all of the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gesture that starts from the edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves in the first direction is a swipe down gesture that starts from a top edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves toward a bottom edge of the touch-sensitive display that is opposite to the top edge.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electronic notifications include one or more recent email notifications.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electronic notifications include one or more upcoming event notifications.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications also includes at least one affordance associated with user-selected information.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the user-selected information includes local weather information.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the user-selected information includes stock price information.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the user-selected information includes news headings.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface that includes the one or more electronic notifications also includes a user-selectable icon that, when selected, causes the electronic device to cease displaying the user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each respective representation of a respective recently used application that is included in the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications includes an image of an application view for the respective recently used application.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each respective representation of a respective recently used application that is included in the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications also includes an icon associated with the respective recently used application, the icon displayed adjacent to the image of the application view.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the application view selection mode, the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications are displayed over a home screen.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prior to detecting the gesture while in the application view selection mode, entering the application view selection mode in response to receiving a swipe from the first edge of the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting the gesture while in the application view selection mode, replacing display of at least the portion of the representations is in accordance with the gesture starting from a second edge of the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second edge is different from the first edge.

15 . An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

in response to detecting the gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the gesture that was detected while displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode moves in a second direction that is different from the first direction, switching from displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications to displaying representations of a second plurality of recently used applications, wherein the second plurality of recently used applications is different from the first plurality of recently used applications; and

in accordance with a determination that the gesture that was detected while displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode moves in a third direction that is different from the first and second directions, switching from displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications to displaying representations of a third plurality of recently used applications, wherein the third plurality of recently used applications is different from the first and second pluralities of recently used applications.

16 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein:

17 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the gesture that starts from the edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves in the first direction is a swipe down gesture that starts from a top edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves toward a bottom edge of the touch-sensitive display that is opposite to the top edge.

18 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more electronic notifications include one or more recent email notifications.

19 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more electronic notifications include one or more upcoming event notifications.

20 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications also includes at least one affordance associated with user-selected information.

21 . The electronic device of claim 20 , wherein the user-selected information includes local weather information.

22 . The electronic device of claim 20 , wherein the user-selected information includes stock price information.

23 . The electronic device of claim 20 , wherein the user-selected information includes news headings.

24 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the user interface that includes the one or more electronic notifications also includes a user-selectable icon that, when selected, causes the electronic device to cease displaying the user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications.

25 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein each respective representation of a respective recently used application that is included in the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications includes an image of an application view for the respective recently used application.

26 . The electronic device of claim 25 , wherein each respective representation of a respective recently used application that is included in the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications also includes an icon associated with the respective recently used application, the icon displayed adjacent to the image of the application view.

27 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein, in the application view selection mode, the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications are displayed over a home screen.

28 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in response to detecting the gesture while in the application view selection mode, replacing display of at least the portion of the representations in accordance with the gesture starting from a second edge of the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second edge is different from the first edge.

29 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions which, when executed by an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, cause the electronic device to:

while in an application view selection mode that includes displaying representations of a first plurality of recently used applications, detect a gesture on the touch-sensitive display, wherein selecting a respective representation of the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode causes the electronic device to cease displaying representations of one or more of the first plurality of recently used applications other than the application corresponding to the respective representation and display an application corresponding to the selected representation in a corresponding application view; and

in response to detecting the gesture:

in accordance with a determination that the gesture that was detected while displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode starts from an edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves in a first direction, replace display of at least a portion of the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications with a user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications;

in accordance with a determination that the gesture that was detected while displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode moves in a second direction that is different from the first direction, switch from displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications to displaying representations of a second plurality of recently used applications, wherein the second plurality of recently used applications is different from the first plurality of recently used applications; and

in accordance with a determination that the gesture that was detected while displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications in the application view selection mode moves in a third direction that is different from the first and second directions, switch from displaying the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications to displaying representations of a third plurality of recently used applications, wherein the third plurality of recently used applications is different from the first and second pluralities of recently used applications.

30 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein:

31 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the gesture that starts from the edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves in the first direction is a swipe down gesture that starts from a top edge of the touch-sensitive display and moves toward a bottom edge of the touch-sensitive display that is opposite to the top edge.

32 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the one or more electronic notifications include one or more recent email notifications.

33 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the one or more electronic notifications include one or more upcoming event notifications.

34 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications also includes at least one affordance associated with user-selected information.

35 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 34 , wherein the user-selected information includes local weather information.

36 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 34 , wherein the user-selected information includes stock price information.

37 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 34 , wherein the user-selected information includes news headings.

38 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the user interface that includes the one or more electronic notifications also includes a user- selectable icon that, when selected, causes the electronic device to cease displaying the user interface that includes one or more electronic notifications.

39 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein each respective representation of a respective recently used application that is included in the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications includes an image of an application view for the respective recently used application.

40 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 39 , wherein each respective representation of a respective recently used application that is included in the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications also includes an icon associated with the respective recently used application, the icon displayed adjacent to the image of the application view.

41 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein, in the application view selection mode, the representations of the first plurality of recently used applications are displayed over a home screen.

42 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 29 , wherein the one or more programs further cause the electronic device to:

prior to detecting the gesture while in the application view selection mode, enter the application view selection mode in response to receiving a swipe from the first edge of the touch- sensitive display;

in response to detecting the gesture while in the application view selection mode, replace display of at least the portion of the representations in accordance with the gesture starting from a second edge of the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second edge is different from the first edge.