Hierarchical User Interface

Abstract

In one embodiment, one or more components of a user interface are arranged in a hierarchy of layers. The user interface is presented according to the structure of the hierarchy, with one or more first components from a first layer floating on top of a second component from a second layer beneath the first layer. The first components are children of the second components. A user may interact with components uniformly, meaning that each specific user interaction applied to each component results in similar response from each component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 arranging a plurality of components of a user interface in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the components of the user interface;   presenting the user interface according to a structure of the hierarchy, comprising:
 presenting one or more first components in the hierarchy as floating on top of a second component, the first components being children of the second component according to the structure of the hierarchy, the first components being presented in a first layer of the user interface and the second component being presented in a second layer of the user interface beneath the first layer; and 
   enabling a user to interact with the components uniformly, such that each specific user interaction, when applied to each of the components, results in a similar response from each of the components.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more second components are presented in a table of contents of the first component. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more user interactions comprises a manipulation of the components. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the manipulation comprises contacting one or more of the components displayed on a touch-sensitive display of a device with one or more fingers, and moving the one or more fingers to move the one or more manipulated components on the display of the device. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the movement of the one more fingers comprises a swiping motion on the touch-sensitive display, resulting in the manipulated components scrolling across the display. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the manipulation comprises contacting one or more of the components displayed on a touch-sensitive display of a device with one or more fingers, and moving the one or more fingers to resize the one or more manipulated components on the display of the device. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the movement of the one or more fingers comprises:
 pinching two or more fingers together to decrease the size of the manipulated components; or   spreading two or more fingers apart to increase the size of the manipulated components.   
     
     
         8 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to:
 arrange a plurality of components of a user interface in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the components of the user interface;   present the user interface according to a structure of the hierarchy, comprising:
 presenting one or more first components in the hierarchy as floating on top of a second component, the first components being children of the second component according to the structure of the hierarchy, the first components being presented in a first layer of the user interface and the second component being presented in a second layer of the user interface beneath the first layer; and 
   enable a user to interact with the components uniformly, such that each specific user interaction, when applied to each of the components, results in a similar response from each of the components.   
     
     
         9 . The media of  claim 8  further embodying logic operable to present the one or more second components as a table of contents of the first component. 
     
     
         10 . The media of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the one or more user interactions comprises a manipulation of the components. 
     
     
         11 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the manipulation comprises contacting one or more of the components displayed on a touch-sensitive display of a device with one or more fingers, and moving the one or more fingers to move the one or more manipulated components on the display of the device. 
     
     
         12 . The media of  claim 11 , wherein the movement of the one more fingers comprises a swiping motion on the touch-sensitive display, resulting in the manipulated components scrolling across the display. 
     
     
         13 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the manipulation comprises contacting one or more of the components displayed on a touch-sensitive display of a device with one or more fingers, and moving the one or more fingers to resize the one or more manipulated components on the display of the device. 
     
     
         14 . The media of  claim 13 , wherein the movement of the one or more fingers comprises:
 pinching two or more fingers together to decrease the size of the manipulated components; or   spreading two or more fingers apart to increase the size of the manipulated components.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and   the one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to:
 arrange a plurality of components of a user interface in a hierarchy, the hierarchy having one or more layers and each layer having at least one of the components of the user interface; 
 present the user interface according to a structure of the hierarchy, comprising:
 presenting one or more first components in the hierarchy as floating on top of a second component, the first components being children of the second component according to the structure of the hierarchy, the first components being presented in a first layer of the user interface and the second component being presented in a second layer of the user interface beneath the first layer; and 
 
 enable a user to interact with the components uniformly, such that each specific user interaction, when applied to each of the components, results in a similar response from each of the components. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , the processors further operable to present the one or more second components as a table of contents of the first component. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more user interactions comprises a manipulation of the components. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the manipulation comprises contacting one or more of the components displayed on a touch-sensitive display of a device with one or more fingers, and moving the one or more fingers to move the one or more manipulated components on the display of the device. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the movement of the one more fingers comprises a swiping motion on the touch-sensitive display, resulting in the manipulated components scrolling across the display. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the manipulation comprises contacting one or more of the components displayed on a touch-sensitive display of a device with one or more fingers, and moving the one or more fingers to resize the one or more manipulated components on the display of the device.