IP Library Granted Patent US 8,060,821
Granted Patent B2
US 8,060,821 · App. 11/298,977 · Granted Nov 15, 2011

Enhanced visual feedback of interactions with user interface

Assignee: Apple Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,060,821
App. No.
11/298,977
Granted
Nov 15, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

An item in a user interface is visually enhanced in response to an interaction with the item or in response to a request. In some implementations, the item (e.g., an icon, button, text, etc.) is visually enhanced and displayed in the user interface at a conspicuous location (e.g., the center of the user interface). Optionally, the user interface can be altered (e.g., darkened) to improve the visibility of the enhanced item. In some implementations, visual enhancement includes displaying enhanced feedback (e.g., text, data, graphical objects or images, etc.) associated with the item in a caption panel. The caption panel can display enhanced feedback associated with any items in the user interface and not just the item associated with a current user interaction. In some implementations, the user can interact with items (e.g., launch an application) from within an interaction panel.

Claims (53)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, using one or more processing units, a request to visually enhance one or more items within a graphical interface, wherein each item includes one or more attributes, and wherein visually enhancing the one or more items includes modifying an attribute associated with each item;

determining, using the one or more processing units, enhanced feedback corresponding to the request, wherein determining enhanced feedback includes converting the request into a command that is mapped to a pre-determined output;

using, using the one or more processing units, the pre-determined output to generate a panel, wherein the panel is configured to be both a static caption panel or a dynamic interactive panel, wherein the pre-determined output in a dynamic interactive panel includes the visually enhanced one or more items, wherein activating a visually enhanced item in a dynamic interactive panel invokes an interaction event, and wherein each visually enhanced item in a dynamic interactive panel corresponds to an item within the graphical interface that is configured to invoke the same interaction event; and

invoking, using the one or more processing units, the interaction event when the panel is a dynamic interactive panel, wherein the interaction event is invoked using either the visually enhanced item or the corresponding item.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is generated manually or automatically.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more items are part of a desktop or generated by an application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein current interaction with the one or more items causes the one or more items to be visually enhanced.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the panel is displayed within a conspicuous location.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the one or more items are visually enhanced, the graphical interface is simultaneously altered.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined output is from a plurality of sources that are concatenated or otherwise combined.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-determined output is parsed for symbols, and wherein parsing includes outputting a word or phrase that corresponds to a symbol.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the panel includes one or more modifiable attributes.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhanced feedback from similar or related requests is displayed in a common format.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction event is an action or operation.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction event is launching an application.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction event includes an audio output.

14. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

receiving a request to visually enhance one or more items within a graphical interface, wherein each item includes one or more attributes, and wherein visually enhancing the one or more items includes modifying an attribute associated with each item;

determining enhanced feedback corresponding to the request, wherein determining enhanced feedback includes converting the request into a command that is mapped to a pre-determined output;

using the pre-determined output to generate a panel, wherein the panel is configured to be both a static caption panel or a dynamic interactive panel, wherein the pre-determined output in a dynamic interactive panel includes the visually enhanced one or more items, wherein activating a visually enhanced item in a dynamic interactive panel invokes an interaction event, and wherein each visually enhanced item in a dynamic interactive panel corresponds to an item within the graphical interface that is configured to invoke the same interaction event; and

invoking the interaction event when the panel is a dynamic interactive panel, wherein the interaction event is invoked using either the visually enhanced item or the corresponding item.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the request is generated manually or automatically.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more items are part of a desktop or generated by an application.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein current interaction with the one or more items causes the one or more items to be visually enhanced.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the panel is displayed within a conspicuous location.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein when the one or more items are visually enhanced, the graphical interface is simultaneously altered.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the pre-determined output is from a plurality of sources that are concatenated or otherwise combined.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the pre-determined output is parsed for symbols, and wherein parsing includes outputting a word or phrase that corresponds to a symbol.

22. The system of claim 14 , wherein the panel includes one or more modifiable attributes.

23. The system of claim 14 , wherein enhanced feedback from similar or related requests is displayed in a common format.

24. The system of claim 14 , wherein the interaction event is an action or operation.

25. The system of claim 14 , wherein the interaction event is launching an application.

26. The system of claim 14 , wherein the interaction event includes an audio output.

27. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a request to visually enhance one or more items within a graphical interface, wherein each item includes one or more attributes, and wherein visually enhancing the one or more items includes modifying an attribute associated with each item;

determine enhanced feedback corresponding to the request, wherein determining enhanced feedback includes converting the request into a command that is mapped to a pre-determined output;

use the pre-determined output to generate a panel, wherein the panel is configured to be both a static caption panel or a dynamic interactive panel, wherein the pre-determined output in a dynamic interactive panel includes the visually enhanced one or more items, wherein activating a visually enhanced item in a dynamic interactive panel invokes an interaction event, and wherein each visually enhanced item in a dynamic interactive panel corresponds to an item within the graphical interface that is configured to invoke the same interaction event; and

invoke the interaction event when the panel is a dynamic interactive panel, wherein the interaction event is invoked using either the visually enhanced item or the corresponding item.

28. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the request is generated manually or automatically.

29. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the one or more items are part of a desktop or generated by an application.

30. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein current interaction with the one or more items causes the one or more items to be visually enhanced.

31. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the panel is displayed within a conspicuous location.

32. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein when the one or more items are visually enhanced, the graphical interface is simultaneously altered.

33. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the pre-determined output is from a plurality of sources that are concatenated or otherwise combined.

34. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the pre-determined output is parsed for symbols, and wherein parsing includes outputting a word or phrase that corresponds to a symbol.

35. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the panel includes one or more modifiable attributes.

36. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein enhanced feedback from similar or related requests is displayed in a common format.

37. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the interaction event is an action or operation.

38. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the interaction event is launching an application.

39. The computer-program product of claim 27 , wherein the interaction event includes an audio output.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 10, 2007
From: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 019142/0969 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2006
From: SEYMOUR, ERIC; AITKEN, KEVIN B.
To: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 017642/0057 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20070136692A1 · Jun 14, 2007