Time-based, non-constant translation of user interface objects between states

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for moving objects within the graphical user interface (GUI) of an operating system in a manner that provides a transitional effect between window states, which is pleasing to the user. This transitional effect includes changing the shape of a window while scaling and moving the window between two different sizes and positions. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect may be employed as a window is minimized into an icon, or restored from an icon. In another embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect is employed as a window is minimized within its title bar, or restored therefrom. The rate of movement of objects is controlled in a non-linear manner, to further enhance the pleasing effect.

1 . A method, comprising:
 at an electronic device with a display and one or more input devices:
 displaying, on the display, a first state of a user interface; 
 while displaying the first state of the user interface, receiving an input via the one or more input devices that corresponds to a request to transition the user interface to a second state that is different from the first state; and 
 in response to receiving the input, transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with a non-linear transition, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes:
 transitioning the user interface by a first amount of transition over a respective amount of time during a first portion of the non-linear transition; and 
 transitioning the user interface by a second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a second portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the first portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the second amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface by a third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a third portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the second portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the third amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition and the second amount of transition. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the third amount of transition is greater than the second amount of transition; and   the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition;   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the third portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the third portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the third portion of the non-linear transition includes decelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the third portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         9 . The method of claim wherein the first amount of transition is the same as the third amount of transition. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes moving a user interface object across the display from a first position in the first state of the user interface to a second position in the second state of the user interface. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes decreasing a size of at least a portion of a user interface object from a first size in the first state of the user interface to a second size in the second state of the user interface. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes changing a shape of a user interface object from a first shape in the first state of the user interface to a second shape in the second state of the user interface. 
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable medium containing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising:
 displaying, on a display, a first state of a user interface;   while displaying the first state of the user interface, receiving an input via one or more input devices that corresponds to a request to transition the user interface to a second state that is different from the first state; and   in response to receiving the input, transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with a non-linear transition, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes:
 transitioning the user interface by a first amount of transition over a respective amount of time during a first portion of the non-linear transition; and 
 transitioning the user interface by a second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a second portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the first portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the second amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition. 
   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface by a third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a third portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the second portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the third amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition and the second amount of transition. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the third amount of transition is greater than the second amount of transition; and   the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition;   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the third portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the third portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the third portion of the non-linear transition includes decelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the third portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the first amount of transition is the same as the third amount of transition. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes moving a user interface object across the display from a first position in the first state of the user interface to a second position in the second state of the user interface. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes decreasing a size of at least a portion of a user interface object from a first size in the first state of the user interface to a second size in the second state of the user interface. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes changing a shape of a user interface object from a first shape in the first state of the user interface to a second shape in the second state of the user interface. 
     
     
         25 . A computer system comprising:
 a display and one or more input devices;   a computer-readable medium containing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising:
 displaying, on the display, a first state of a user interface; 
 while displaying the first state of the user interface, receiving an input via the one or more input devices that corresponds to a request to transition the user interface to a second state that is different from the first state; and 
 in response to receiving the input, transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with a non-linear transition, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes:
 transitioning the user interface by a first amount of transition over a respective amount of time during a first portion of the non-linear transition; and 
 transitioning the user interface by a second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a second portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the first portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the second amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition. 
 
   
     
     
         26 . The computer system of  claim 25 , wherein the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition. 
     
     
         27 . The computer system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         28 . The computer system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and   transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition.   
     
     
         29 . The computer system of  claim 25 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes decreasing a size of at least a portion of a user interface object from a first size in the first state of the user interface to a second size in the second state of the user interface. 
     
     
         30 . The computer system of  claim 25 , wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes changing a shape of a user interface object from a first shape in the first state of the user interface to a second shape in the second state of the user interface.