Systems and Methods for Animating Between Collection Views

Abstract

Techniques, systems, and methods for allowing a user to select amongst different collection views and to animate the transition from one collection view to another. To select a different collection view, the user may provide a certain gesture on the display screen which causes the items displayed in the current collection view to transition in an animated fashion to a new collection view selected by the particular gesture. The particular type of animation between different collection views depends upon the manner in which the items in each collection view are defined in their respective layouts and the manner that facilitates a relatively seamless transition of the items from one layout to another layout.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of views, wherein the plurality of views includes:   a first view that presents first content in the user interface; and   a second view that presents second content in the user interface;   receiving a first input that corresponds to a request to cease to display the first content; and   in response to receiving the first input:
 ceasing to display the first content while maintaining display of the second content; 
 deallocating the first view without deallocating the second view; and 
 caching the first view in a view data cache; 
   after caching the first view, receiving a second input that corresponds to a request to redisplay the first content; and   in response to receiving the second input:
 in accordance with a determination that the first view is cached in the view data cache:
 reallocating the first view from data stored in the view data cache; and 
 displaying the first content using the data stored in the view data cache; and 
 
 in accordance with a determination that the first view is not cached in the view data cache:
 creating a new instance of the first view; and 
 displaying the first content using the new instance of the first view. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the content is generated by an application-specific module. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first view and the second view are generated by an application-specific module. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the view data cache is an application-independent module. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein displaying the first content using the data stored in the view data cache is performed by an application independent view object. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein ceasing to display the first content while maintaining display of the second content includes displaying an animation generated by an application-independent module based on display properties of the first content defined by an application-specific module. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein reallocating the first view from data stored in the view data cache is faster than creating a new instance of the first view. 
     
     
         25 . An article of manufacture comprising:
 one or more tangible, computer-readable media having instructions encoded thereon for execution by a processor, the instructions comprising:   instructions for displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of views, wherein the plurality of views includes:
 a first view that presents first content in the user interface; and 
 a second view that presents second content in the user interface; 
   instructions for receiving a first input that corresponds to a request to cease to display the first content; and   instructions for responding to receiving the first input by:
 ceasing to display the first content while maintaining display of the second content; 
 deallocating the first view without deallocating the second view; and 
 caching the first view in a view data cache; 
   instructions for receiving, after caching the first view, a second input that corresponds to a request to redisplay the first content; and   instructions for responding to receiving the second input by:
 in accordance with a determination that the first view is cached in the view data cache:
 reallocating the first view from data stored in the view data cache; and 
 displaying the first content using the data stored in the view data cache; and 
 
 in accordance with a determination that the first view is not cached in the view data cache: 
 creating a new instance of the first view; and 
 displaying the first content using the new instance of the first view. 
   
     
     
         26 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein the content is generated by an application-specific module. 
     
     
         27 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein the first view and the second view are generated by an application-specific module. 
     
     
         28 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein the view data cache is an application-independent module. 
     
     
         29 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein displaying the first content using the data stored in the view data cache is performed by an application independent view object. 
     
     
         30 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein ceasing to display the first content while maintaining display of the second content includes displaying an animation generated by an application-independent module based on display properties of the first content defined by an application-specific module. 
     
     
         31 . The article of manufacture of  claim 25 , wherein reallocating the first view from data stored in the view data cache is faster than creating a new instance of the first view.