Card metaphor for activities in a computing device

Abstract

In various embodiments, a card metaphor is established, in which each activity can be represented within an area of the screen referred to as a card. In various embodiments, any of several display modes are available for viewing, interacting with, manipulating, initiating, and dismissing cards. A persistent positional relationship can be established among cards, represented by a one-dimensional sequence. Newly opened cards are generally placed at the end of the sequence, although a new card that bears a relationship to an already open card may, in some embodiments, be placed adjacent to the already open card. In various embodiments, cards may be grouped, with such groups being represented as stacks of cards or by other visually distinctive means.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile computing device, comprising:
 a touch-sensitive display;   a processor; and   a memory storing one or more programs including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile computing device to:
 in a first mode, present a first graphical element on the touch-sensitive display, the first graphical element corresponding to a browser application operating on the mobile computing device; 
 in a second mode, present a plurality of second graphical elements in a linear arrangement along a first direction on the touch-sensitive display, the plurality of second graphical elements corresponding to a plurality of instances of the browser application; 
 detect a user input that moves a selected one of the plurality of second graphical elements in a second direction on the touch-sensitive display, the second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and 
 dismiss the selected second graphical element based on the user input. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instances of the browser application correspond to a plurality of web pages. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a vertical direction and the second direction is a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises a flicking gesture or a dragging gesture. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the dismissed graphical element is no longer presented on the touch-sensitive display. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the mobile computing device to further:
 close the instance of the browser application corresponding to the dismissed second graphical element.   
     
     
         7 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the mobile computing device to further:
 transition from the first mode to the second mode based on user contact with a portion of the presented first graphical element.   
     
     
         8 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the mobile computing device to further:
 transition from the second mode to the first mode based on user contact with one of the plurality of second graphical elements.   
     
     
         9 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the mobile computing device to further:
 in the second mode, move the plurality of second graphical elements in concert with one another in the first direction in response to a directional contact along the first direction on the touch-sensitive display.   
     
     
         10 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 in the first mode, a plurality of different graphical elements are arranged along a horizontal axis of the touch-sensitive display for movement along the horizontal axis, at least one of the plurality of different graphical elements corresponding to the browser application; and   in the second mode, the plurality of second graphical elements are arranged along a vertical axis of the touch-sensitive display for movement along the vertical axis.   
     
     
         11 . The mobile computing device of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the instructions causes the mobile computing device to further:
 in the first mode, present a plurality of different graphical elements in a linear arrangement along a third direction on the touch-sensitive display, wherein at least one of the plurality of different graphical elements corresponds to the browser application, and the third direction is different than the first direction.   
     
     
         12 . A method of operating a mobile computing device including a touch-sensitive display, the method performed by a processor of the mobile computing device and comprising:
 in a first mode, presenting a first graphical element on the touch-sensitive display, the first graphical element corresponding to a browser application operating on the computing device;   in a second mode, presenting a plurality of second graphical elements in a linear arrangement along a first direction on the touch-sensitive display, the plurality of second graphical elements corresponding to a plurality of instances of the browser application;   detecting a user input that moves a selected one of the plurality of second graphical elements in a second direction on the touch-sensitive display, the second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and   dismissing the selected second graphical element based on the user input.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of instances of the browser application correspond to a plurality of web pages. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first direction is a vertical direction and the second direction is a horizontal direction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the user input comprises a flicking gesture or a dragging gesture. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the dismissed graphical element is no longer presented on the touch-sensitive display. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 closing the instance of the browser application corresponding to the dismissed second graphical element.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 transitioning from the first mode to the second mode based on user contact with a portion of the presented first graphical element.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 transitioning from the second mode to the first mode based on user contact with one of the plurality of second graphical elements presented along the first direction on the touch-sensitive display.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 in the second mode, moving the plurality of second graphical elements in concert with one another in the first direction in response to a directional contact along the first direction on the touch-sensitive display.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 in the first mode, a plurality of different graphical elements are arranged along a horizontal axis of the touch-sensitive display for movement along the horizontal axis, at least one of the plurality of different graphical elements corresponding to the browser application; and   in the second mode, the plurality of second graphical elements are arranged along a vertical axis of the touch-sensitive display for movement along the vertical axis.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 in the first mode, presenting a plurality of different graphical elements in a linear arrangement along a third direction on the touch-sensitive display, wherein at least one of the plurality of different graphical elements corresponds to the browser application, and the third direction is different than the first direction.