Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Christopher Alan Glein

Mark R Gibson

Bojana Ostojic

Jeffery G Arnold

William Hong Vong

Mark S Newell

Benjamin N Alton

Jeffrey C Fong

Chad Michael Roberts

Josh Phillips

Joseph Spencer King

Jeremy Monroe Bowen

Rhoniel Villano Manlapaz

Kort Danner Sands

Jeffrey Cheng-Yao Fong

William T Flora

Joshua Phillips

Jeremiah T Whitaker

Rhon Manlapaz

Megan Donohue

Brady J Brayley Voss

Dynamic icons are described that can employ animations, such as visual effects, audio, and other content that change with time. If multiple animations are scheduled to occur simultaneously, the timing of the animations can be controlled so that timing overlap of the animations is reduced. For example, the starting times of the animations can be staggered so that multiple animations are not initiated too close in time. It has been found that too much motion in the user interface can be distracting and cause confusion amongst users.

Control of timing for animations in dynamic icons

Systems, methods, and computer media for resizing icons displayed in a user interface are provided. Icons in a display can be resized by a user interacting with the icon itself. A user interaction with an icon can cause an icon resizing mode to be entered. Additional user interaction with the icon can then cause the icon to be resized. The display in which an icon is located can be rearranged as a result of the icon being resized.

User-resizable icons

Display screen with animated graphical user interface

A method of overlaying layers of a user interface on a display of a computing device is presented herein. In a preferred embodiment, while a media item is displayed within the user interface, an overlay having features associated with the media item being displayed on the user interface is layered on top of the user interface such that the media item beneath the overlay layer is at least partially viewable through the overlay layer.

Media user interface layers and overlays

A set of declarative language instructions ('DEIs') defines three hierarchically-related data structures ('DSs') to provide a naming taxonomy for use with a user interface (&#x201c;UT&#x201d;) framework. A first DS stores references to user-selectable objects (&#x201c;USOs&#x201d;) that are presentable via a UI of a software application. The USOs provide access to other USOs or to resources. A second DS stores references to actions to be taken upon user selection of particular USOs. A third DS stores information for indirectly accessing resources or USO configuration data during runtime of the software application. Another set of DEIs defines sets of computer-executable instructions (&#x201c;CEIs&#x201d;) corresponding to actions referred to via the second DS, which are triggered for execution upon user selection of particular USOs. Information from the third DS associated with a selected USO is passed to a particular set of CEIs. Runtime indirection and decoupling of content/functionality from UI components is achieved.

User interface framework and techniques

Embodiments of a media user interface are presented herein. In one embodiment, a plurality of representations of media items is arranged into a plurality of groups such that the plurality of groups of representations are horizontally navigated like a carousel. In another embodiment, the plurality of representations of media items is presented based on user selection of data associated with features of the media items. Yet in another embodiment where a plurality of representations is vertically aligned, navigating a representation causes vertical space between the representation and another representation next to it to be increased and causes representations of a sub-category of the representation to be displayed within the increased space.

Media user interface left/right navigation

Outputting a user interface having a list of a plurality of representations of media items on a display of a computing device is presented. In one embodiment, a center locking region (CLR) is defined in the user interface and covers a portion of the plurality of representations, wherein navigation from a first representation within the CLR to a second representation outside the CLR causes a scrolling of the second representation into the CLR on one horizontal side and a scrolling of a third representation within the CLR out of the CLR on the other horizontal side while navigation through a portion of the plurality of representations within the CLR causes no scrolling. In another embodiment, a gap indicating a beginning and an end of the list is displayed and a scrolling occurs when the gap is within the CLR and a horizontal navigation within the CLR is performed.

Media user interface gallery control

A 10-Foot media user interface is herein described. A computer user interface may be designed for primary use as a 10-Foot user interface, where a user controls the computer using a remote control device, instead of as a traditional 2-Foot user interface where the user controls the computer using keyboard and mouse from directly in from of the computer. The 10-Foot user interface uses 3D space and animations to more clearly indicate navigation and selection of items in the user interface to the controlling user. Use of three-dimensional space also increases the display screen real estate that is available for content items, and allows the media user interface to move unselected items out of primary view of the user. The user interface may animate movement in three-dimensions to allow the user to more easily conceptually follow navigation of the user interface.

Multi-planar three-dimensional user interface

Animated image for a portion of a display screen

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Christopher Alan Glein