Visual Characteristics of User Interface Elements in a Unified Interest Layer

Abstract

A user-activatable dashboard (also referred to as a unified interest layer) contains any number of user interface elements, referred to herein as “widgets,” for quick access by a user. In response to a command from a user, the dashboard is invoked and the widgets are shown on the screen. The user can activate the dashboard at any time, causing the dashboard to temporarily replace the existing user interface display on the user's screen. Once the dashboard has been activated, the user can interact with any or all of the widgets, and can configure the dashboard by adding, deleting, moving, or configuring individual widgets as desired. When the user wishes to return to the normal user interface he or she was working with, the user issues a command causing the dashboard to be dismissed. Once the dashboard has been dismissed, the previous user interface state is restored, allowing the user to resume normal interactions with the operating system.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 at an electronic device including a display, one or more input devices, one or more processors, and non-transitory memory:   displaying, on the display, a user interface that includes a plurality of icons;   receiving, via the one or more input devices, a sequence of one or more inputs that includes an input detected while displaying at least a portion of the user interface that includes the plurality of icons;   in response to receiving the sequence of one or more inputs, displaying, on the display, a widget overlaid on a portion of the user interface that includes the plurality of icons, wherein the widget is displayed at a portion of the user interface that was previously occupied by one or more of the plurality of icons, wherein the widget corresponds to an application on the device, wherein the widget includes information from the application, and wherein the widget includes an element, which, when activated, causes the device to cease to display the widget and display the application.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application has a state based on a state of the widget. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the user interface that includes the plurality of icons includes displaying the plurality of icons in a multi-row, multi-column array. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of icons includes one or more folder icons. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the widget includes displaying an animation introducing the widget. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the widget includes concurrently displaying a plurality of widgets and multiple icons of the plurality of icons. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the widget includes concurrently displaying a plurality of widgets at respective portions of the user interface that were previously occupied by respective sets of one or more of the plurality of icons. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the widget includes concurrently displaying the widget and a dock including a plurality of elements respectively associated with a plurality of applications on the device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the widget includes an element which, when activated, causes the device to display a settings user interface for the widget. 
     
     
         11 . An electronic device comprising:
 a display;   one or more input devices;   non-transitory memory; and   one or more processors to:
 display, on the display, a user interface that includes a plurality of icons; 
 receive, via the one or more input devices, a sequence of one or more inputs that includes an input detected while displaying at least a portion of the user interface that includes the plurality of icons; 
 in response to receiving the sequence of one or more inputs, display on the display, a widget overlaid on a portion of the user interface that includes the plurality of icons, wherein the widget is displayed at a portion of the user interface that was previously occupied by one or more of the plurality of icons, wherein the widget corresponds to an application on the device, wherein the widget includes information from the application, and wherein the widget includes an element, which, when activated, causes the device to cease to display the widget and display the application. 
   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the application has a state based on a state of the widget. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are to display the user interface that includes the plurality of icons by displaying the plurality of icons in a multi-row, multi-column array. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of icons includes one or more folder icons. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are to display the widget by displaying an animation introducing the widget. 
     
     
         16 . The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are to display the widget by concurrently displaying a plurality of widgets and multiple icons of the plurality of icons. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are to display the widget by concurrently displaying a plurality of widgets at respective portions of the user interface that were previously occupied by respective sets of one or more of the plurality of icons. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are to display the widget by concurrently displaying the widget and a dock including a plurality of elements respective associated with a plurality of applications on the device. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic device of  claim 11 , wherein the widget includes an element which, when activated, causes the device to display a settings user interface for the widget. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device including a display and one or more input devices, causes the device to:
 display, on the display, a user interface that includes a plurality of icons;   receive, via the one or more input devices, a sequence of one or more inputs that includes an input detected while displaying at least a portion of the user interface that includes the plurality of icons;   in response to receiving the sequence of one or more inputs, display, on the display, a widget overlaid on a portion of the user interface that includes the plurality of icons, wherein the widget is displayed at a portion of the user interface that was previously occupied by one or more of the plurality of icons, wherein the widget corresponds to an application on the device, wherein the widget includes information from the application, and wherein the widget includes an element, which, when activated, causes the device to cease to display the widget and display the application.   
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein the application has a state based on a state of the widget.