Apple Files Patent For Rearranging Touchescreen User Interface

Edward Kirk · August 29th, 2007, 11:52 AM

A patent has been filed by Apple covering a feature for user interfaces of mobile devices utilizing touchscreen interfaces (ie the iPhone) that enables easy and fast reconfiguration of the user interface. One such method described involves making contact with one of the icons and moving the point of contact across the display surface; the motion and contact are detected by the portable "electronic device" and the displayed icon is moved accordingly.

In addition, it allows for icons to be automatically displaced by other icons, and the movement of icons to static-placed holders akin to the Dock in Mac OS X. This method seems to be a simple enough method of arranging applications on the iPhone's home screen, but there isn't really a call for this at the moment. It is possible that Apple might use this in conjunction with another feature they may add.

[story and images via MacNN]

BillyMayes · August 29th, 2007, 11:58 AM #2

Are you kidding? "No call for it"??? There's absolute demand! There are more applications for making space for apps than anything else. This is something Apple NEEDS to have. Then again, they don't condone the extra apps, so I can understand why they don't have it yet.

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Edward Kirk WrAdminterizer Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Illinois, USA Posts: 3,084 Thanks: 19 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts	Apple Files Patent For Rearranging Touchescreen User Interface - August 29th, 2007, 11:52 AM #1
	A patent has been filed by Apple covering a feature for user interfaces of mobile devices utilizing touchscreen interfaces (ie the iPhone) that enables easy and fast reconfiguration of the user interface. One such method described involves making contact with one of the icons and moving the point of contact across the display surface; the motion and contact are detected by the portable "electronic device" and the displayed icon is moved accordingly. In addition, it allows for icons to be automatically displaced by other icons, and the movement of icons to static-placed holders akin to the Dock in Mac OS X. This method seems to be a simple enough method of arranging applications on the iPhone's home screen, but there isn't really a call for this at the moment. It is possible that Apple might use this in conjunction with another feature they may add. [story and images via MacNN] __________________ About my iPhone: iPhone & Color: iPhone 3G 16GB White iPhone Version: 3.0 Computer & OS: MacBook Pro 15", Mac OS X 10.5.4 Twitter

BillyMayes Rocks the Board Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: TV Posts: 294 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	August 29th, 2007, 11:58 AM #2
	Are you kidding? "No call for it"??? There's absolute demand! There are more applications for making space for apps than anything else. This is something Apple NEEDS to have. Then again, they don't condone the extra apps, so I can understand why they don't have it yet. __________________ About my iPhone: iPhone & Color: Original iPhone iPhone Version: 1.1.4 (Codename: OxiClean) Hacks: OxiClean'd Computer & OS: Too busy selling OxiClean I invented friggin OxiClean, have you heard of it?