User interface for mobile computer unit

Abstract

An electronic device including a display, sensors detecting contact above the display, a processor receiving information from the sensors, and a user interface accessing a plurality of applications, each application running on the electronic device in an activated state and in a non-activated state whereby, in its activated state, the application presents a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display and runs interactively via the GUI, and, in its non-activated state, the application presents a gadget on the display and runs non-interactively to present, within the gadget, dynamically generated information related to the application, wherein the user interface initializes each application in its non-activated state when the electronic device is turned on, and alters the layout when an application transitions to its activated state, by displacing some gadgets from in the display to out of the display, and replacing the displaced gadgets with a window for the activated application's GUI.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An electronic device comprising:
 a housing;   a display mounted in said housing;   one or more sensors mounted in said housing detecting contact above said display;   a processor mounted in said housing, connected to said display and receiving information from said sensors; and   a user interface accessing a plurality of applications, each application running on the electronic device in an activated state and in a non-activated state whereby, in its activated state, the application presents a graphical user interface (GUI) on said display and runs interactively via the GUI, and, in its non-activated state, the application presents a gadget on said display and runs non-interactively to present, within the gadget, dynamically generated information related to the application, wherein the user interface:
 initializes each application in its non-activated state when the electronic device is turned on; 
 arranges the gadgets in a layout that is larger than said display, whereby some of the gadgets are in the display and others of the gadgets are out of the display; 
 causes an application in its non-activated state to transition to its activated state when said sensors detect tapping that application's gadget; and 
 alters the layout when an application transitions to its activated state, comprising:
 displacing some, but not all, of the gadgets from in said display to out of said display; and 
 replacing the displaced gadgets with a window for the activated application's GUI. 
 
   
     
     
         22 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein the user interface prevents two different applications from running in their activated states simultaneously. 
     
     
         23 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of applications comprises a reporting application that, upon activation, displays information for a first period of time within a window for the reporting application's GUI, and then automatically transitions to its non-activated state, and wherein during the automatic transitioning, the user interface:
 replaces, within the layout, the window for the reporting application's GUI with the reporting application's gadget; and   moves other gadgets within the layout to fill space previously occupied by that window.   
     
     
         24 . The electronic device of  claim 23 , wherein the reporting application, in its non-activated state, dynamically displays a time of day within its gadget. 
     
     
         25 . The electronic device of  claim 23 , wherein the reporting application, in its non-activated state, dynamically displays a weather forecast within its gadget. 
     
     
         26 . The electronic device of  claim 23 , wherein the reporting application, in its non-activated state, dynamically displays stock market information within its gadget. 
     
     
         27 . The electronic device of  claim 23 , wherein, in response to said sensors detecting a touch of the window for the reporting application's GUI where information is being displayed, during the first period of time, the reporting application remains in its activated state for a second period of time. 
     
     
         28 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , further comprising a home button on said housing, connected to said processor, 
       wherein an initial portion of the layout is presented on said display when the electronic device is turned on, 
       wherein the user interface pans the layout within said display to bring some of the gadgets into said display or to move some of the gadgets out of said display, in response to a multi-step gesture detected by said sensors comprising (i) an object touching a gadget displayed on said display, and then (ii) the object gliding along said display away from the touched location, 
       and wherein the user interface restores the initial portion of the layout to said display in response to actuation of the home button. 
     
     
         29 . The electronic device of  claim 28  wherein the user interface causes an activated application to transition to its non-activated state, in response to actuation of the home button. 
     
     
         30 . The electronic device of  claim 28 , wherein the user interface powers off the electronic device in response to prolonged actuation of the home button. 
     
     
         31 . The electronic device of  claim 28 , wherein the user interface pans the layout within said display in a specific direction when the gliding in the multi-step gesture is not parallel to that direction. 
     
     
         32 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of applications comprises a music player application that, in its non-activated state, dynamically displays within its gadget information about a current song. 
     
     
         33 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of applications comprises a telephone application, comprising a keypad and an address book, that, in its non-activated state, displays within its gadget information about previous calls. 
     
     
         34 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein the window for an activated application's GUI covers most of the display. 
     
     
         35 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein the user interface displaces gadgets in only one direction within the layout in order to accommodate space for the window for an activated application's GUI. 
     
     
         36 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein the user interface displaces gadgets within the layout on one side of the window for an activated application's GUI, and does not displace gadgets within the layout on another side of that window, in order to accommodate space for that window. 
     
     
         37 . The electronic device of  claim 21 , wherein the housing is a mobile phone housing and the device is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         38 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device comprising a display, the processor receiving information from one or more sensors operative to detect contact above the display, causes a user interface to access a plurality of applications, each application running on the electronic device in an activated state and in a non-activated state whereby, in its activated state, the application presents a graphical user interface (GUI) and runs interactively via the GUI, and, in its non-activated state, the application presents a gadget and runs non-interactively to present, within the gadget, dynamically generated information related to the application, wherein the user interface:
 initializes each application in its non-activated state when the electronic device is turned on;   arranges the gadgets in a layout that is larger than the display, whereby some of the gadgets are in the display and others of the gadgets are out of the display;   causes an application in its non-activated state to transition to its activated state, when the sensors detect tapping that application's gadget; and   alters the layout when an application transitions to its activated state, comprising:
 displacing some, but not all, of the gadgets from in the display to out of the display; and 
 replacing the displaced gadgets with a window for the activated application's GUI. 
   
     
     
         39 . The computer readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the user interface prevents two different applications from running in their activated states simultaneously. 
     
     
         40 . The computer readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of applications comprises a reporting application that, upon activation, displays information for a first period of time within the window for the reporting application's GUI, and then automatically transitions to its non-activated state, and wherein during the automatic transitioning, the user interface:
 replaces, within the layout, the window for the reporting application's GUI with the reporting application's gadget; and   moves other gadgets within the layout to fill space previously occupied by that window.   
     
     
         41 . The computer readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the reporting application, in its non-activated state, dynamically displays a time of day within its gadget. 
     
     
         42 . The computer readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the reporting application, in its non-activated state, dynamically displays a weather forecast within its gadget. 
     
     
         43 . The computer readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein the reporting application, in its non-activated state, dynamically displays stock market information within its gadget. 
     
     
         44 . The computer readable medium of  claim 40 , wherein, in response to the sensors detecting a touch of the window where the information is being displayed, during the first period of time, the reporting application remains in its activated state for a second period of time. 
     
     
         45 . The computer readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of applications comprises a music player application that, in its non-activated state, dynamically displays within its gadget information about a current song. 
     
     
         46 . The computer readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of applications comprises a telephone application comprising a keypad and an address book, that, in its non-activated state, displays within its gadget information about previous calls. 
     
     
         47 . The computer readable medium of  claim 38 , wherein the user interface displaces gadgets within the layout on one side of the window for an application's GUI and does not displace gadgets within the layout on another side of that window, in order to accommodate space for that window. 
     
     
         48 . An electronic device comprising:
 a housing;   a display mounted in said housing;   a touch sensor detecting contact above said display;   a force sensor distinguishing between different amounts of pressure applied to said display from above;   a processor mounted in said housing connected to said display, receiving information from said touch sensor and from said force sensor; and   a user interface comprising a plurality of displayed activatable controls, wherein the user interface selects a control in response to the touch sensor detecting an object touching that control on said display, and wherein the user interface activates a thus-selected control in response to the force sensor detecting an increase in pressure applied to the display by the object from above.   
     
     
         49 . The electronic device of  claim 48 , wherein the user interface displays a callout balloon containing a copy of a thus-selected control, outside the location touched by the object. 
     
     
         50 . The electronic device of  claim 49 , wherein the location of the callout balloon is configurable to be displayed on one side of the object touching the control when that object is a finger of the right hand, and to be displayed on an opposite side of the object touching the control when that object is a finger of the left hand.