Graphical user interfaces in multimedia applications

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch-screen display allows users to organize and sort multimedia notecards and notebooks in an intuitive manner. Graphical control elements for associated multimedia programs are depicted on the display using text and images indicative of their content. These text and images are compressed to preserve their visibility when the user accesses program-specific settings and interactions. Notecards can be displayed and organized differently based on e.g. display orientation, and different types of display inputs can sort and combine the notecards using intuitive visual responses to the inputs.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 presenting a graphical control element on a surface of a display device, the graphical control element including a visual area, the visual area having a respective axis parallel to the surface of the display device;   detecting a user input in the visual area for asserting a command; and   responsive to the user input, compressing the visual area in a dimension parallel to the axis, and presenting a command icon for the command in a region that includes a subtraction of the compressed visual area from the visual area.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the visual area describes a rectangle. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein compressing the visual area comprises graphically rotating the rectangle along the axis. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein compressing the visual area comprises graphically presenting the rectangle as a sheet bulging upward away from the surface of the display device. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein compressing the visual area comprises graphically presenting the visual area as having three folds, the center of which appears to rise up out of the surface of the display device. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein compressing the visual area comprises graphically presenting the visual area as having an edge that appears to fall downward, away from a user of the display device, as the graphical control element slides in a direction of the edge. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein compressing the visual area comprises graphically presenting the visual area as having an edge that appears to rise upward, toward a user of the device, as the graphical control element slides in the direction of the edge. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the compressed visual area has a shape of a quadrilateral with only one pair of parallel sides. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the visual area represents a card with an icon, and wherein the compressed visual area displays a compressed view of the icon. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the visual area represents a card with visible text, and wherein the compressed visual area displays the visible text. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the compressed visual area displays all the visible text of the visual area. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the visual area graphically represents a card with an aspect ratio, the method further comprising sensing a change in orientation of the display device and changing the aspect ratio responsive to the sensed change. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising presenting the graphical control element on the surface of the display device as an element of a two-dimensional array of graphical control elements. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , wherein there is a number of the graphical control elements, the method further comprising receiving a command to alter the number, and scaling the visual area responsive to the command. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the user input in the visual area for asserting the command comprises a first swipe along a contact line extending at least partially through the visual area. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the method includes interpreting a second swipe along a contact line that is oblique relative to horizontal and vertical axes as if it were parallel to one of the horizontal and vertical axes. 
     
     
         18 . The computer implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the compressed visual area is restored to its original shape by a second swipe in a direction generally opposite the direction of the first swipe. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the user input in the visual area for asserting the command comprises a tap at least partially within the visual area. 
     
     
         20 . The computer implemented method of  claim 19 , wherein the compressed visual area is restored to its original shape by a second tap at least partially within the visual area. 
     
     
         21 . The computer implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the compressed visual area is restored to its original shape by detecting a user input in a second visual area of a second graphical control element for asserting a command. 
     
     
         22 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers configured to perform operations including:   presenting a graphical control element on a surface of a display device, the graphical control element including a visual area having an axis in parallel with the surface of the display device;   detecting a user input in the visual area for asserting a command; and   responsive to the user input, compressing the visual area in a dimension parallel to the axis, and presenting a command icon for the command in a region that includes a subtraction of the compressed visual area from the visual area.   
     
     
         23 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 presenting a graphical control element on a surface of a display device, the graphical control element including a visual area, the visual area having visible content,   detecting a user input in the visual area for asserting a command; and   responsive to the user input, graphically rendering the visual area as partially transparent, and graphically presenting a command icon for the command that appears to be beneath the visual area, so that both content of the visual area and the command icon are visible.