Thomas K Conrad

US Patent:

6642944, Nov 4, 2003

Filed:

Aug 3, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/365990

Inventors:

Thomas J. Conrad - San Jose CA
Elizabeth Ann Robinson Moller - Boulder Creek CA

Assignee:

Apple Computer, Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F 314

US Classification:

345781, 345764, 345775, 345791, 345784

Abstract:

A window management mechanism allows a user to open a window as a drawer or, perhaps more appropriately named, a pop-up window. The drawer is an opened window that a user has dragged down to a drawer region at the bottom of the screen such that only the title bar or some drawer handle illustration is left showing. When the user does this, the window remains open but is kept offscreen. The user may momentarily pop the window back onto the screen by clicking on the window title bar or drawer handle, or by dragging the cursor into the window icon during a drag. The window stays onscreen as long as no other windows are selected. As soon as a user selects another window, or opens a file with a double click within the drawer, the window slides back offscreen. This allows the user to set up easy access windows. Another feature of a drawer window allows the user to open them during a drag.

US Patent:

6928621, Aug 9, 2005

Filed:

Sep 25, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/964723

Inventors:

Thomas J. Conrad - San Jose CA, US
Yin Yin Wong - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Computer, Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F003/00
G06F009/00
G06F017/00

US Classification:

715769, 715781, 715835

Abstract:

A new behavior in a graphical user interface allows the user to open and close enclosures, while dragging an object. When the user pauses, gestures, or rolls over a hot spot on top of an icon or text representing a closed enclosure, a temporary window for the closed enclosure is “sprung open” to allow the user to browse inside the enclosure and possible open another enclosure contained within the temporary window. This process can be carried on throughout a hierarchy of windows as the user browses for a destination window for the drag operation. All of the temporary windows except the destination are closed when the mouse button is released, signaling the end of a drag. The user may close sprung open windows by simply moving the cursor out of the sprung open window, or by making some other gesture. If an enclosure to be sprung open was previously open on the desktop, the previously opened window may zoom over to the current mouse position, and then return to its original position when the user mouse is out of the window.

US Patent:

7539945, May 26, 2009

Filed:

Mar 4, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/382226

Inventors:

Thomas J. Conrad - San Jose CA, US
Elizabeth Ann Robinson Moller - Boulder Creek CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F 3/00

US Classification:

715750, 715781, 715769, 715788

Abstract:

A window management mechanism allows a user to open a window as a drawer or, perhaps more appropriately named, a pop-up window. The drawer is an opened window that a user has dragged down to a drawer region at the bottom of the screen such that only the title bar or some drawer handle illustration is left showing. When the user does this, the window remains open but is kept offscreen. The user may momentarily pop the window back onto the screen by clicking on the window title bar or drawer handle, or by dragging the cursor into the window icon during a drag. The window stays onscreen as long as no other windows are selected. As soon as a user selects another window, or opens a file with a double click within the drawer, the window slides back offscreen. This allows the user to set up easy access windows. Another feature of a drawer window allows the user to open them during a drag.

US Patent:

7549126, Jun 16, 2009

Filed:

Jul 21, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/187078

Inventors:

Thomas J. Conrad - San Jose CA, US
Yin Yin Wong - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F 3/00
G06F 17/00

US Classification:

715769, 715775

Abstract:

An apparatus for finding objects in a computer including a display and a pointing device with which a user drags a pointer on the display, having: an input that receives an input signal to indicate a drag operation; memory that stores a plurality of objects including enclosures in the memory, wherein enclosures comprise objects which may enclose other objects; window opening logic, coupled with the display, that draws windows on the display corresponding to opened enclosures, wherein a window for an opened enclosure includes identifiers within the window corresponding to objects enclosed by the opened enclosure; and, temporary window logic, coupled to the display and the pointing device, that opens a temporary window for the particular enclosure display identifiers within the temporary window corresponding to objects enclosed by the particular enclosure, in response to a drag during a drag operation of the pointer over an identifier corresponding to a particular enclosure.

US Patent:

7712037, May 4, 2010

Filed:

Dec 28, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/648053

Inventors:

Thomas J. Conrad - San Jose CA, US
Yin Yin Wong - Menlo Park CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F 3/048

US Classification:

715769, 715781, 715835

Abstract:

A new behavior in a graphical user interface allows the user to open and close enclosures, while dragging an object. When the user pauses, gestures, or rolls over a hot spot on top of an icon or text representing a closed enclosure, a temporary window for the closed enclosure is “sprung open” to allow the user to browse inside the enclosure and possible open another enclosure contained within the temporary window. This process can be carried on throughout a hierarchy of windows as the user browses for a destination window for the drag operation. All of the temporary windows except the destination are closed when the mouse button is released, signaling the end of a drag. The user may close sprung open windows by simply moving the cursor out of the sprung open window, or by making some other gesture. If an enclosure to be sprung open was previously open on the desktop, the previously opened window may zoom over to the current mouse position, and then return to its original position when the user mouse is out of the window.

US Patent:

7904828, Mar 8, 2011

Filed:

Dec 22, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/644449

Inventors:

Thomas J. Conrad - San Jose CA, US
Elizabeth Ann Robinson Moller - Boulder Creek CA, US

Assignee:

Apple Inc. - Cupertino CA

International Classification:

G06F 3/00

US Classification:

715799, 715798

Abstract:

A window management mechanism allows a user to open a window as a drawer or, perhaps more appropriately named, a pop-up window. The drawer is an opened window that a user has dragged down to a drawer region at the bottom of the screen such that only the title bar or some drawer handle illustration is left showing. When the user does this, the window remains open but is kept offscreen. The user may momentarily pop the window back onto the screen by clicking on the window title bar or drawer handle, or by dragging the cursor into the window icon during a drag. The window stays onscreen as long as no other windows are selected. As soon as a user selects another window, or opens a file with a double click within the drawer, the window slides back offscreen. This allows the user to set up easy access windows. Another feature of a drawer window allows the user to open them during a drag.

US Patent:

7962482, Jun 14, 2011

Filed:

Apr 27, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/380563

Inventors:

Etienne F. Handman - Dublin CA, US
Thomas J. Conrad - Oakland CA, US
Joseph J. Kennedy - Danville CA, US
Timothy B. Westergren - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

Pandora Media, Inc. - Oakland CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707733, 707751

Abstract:

Systems and methods of generating and modifying a playlist using contextual information are disclosed. For example, a user may provide an input seed such as a song name or artist name. The input seed is compared to database items and a playlist is generated as a result. In some examples, the contextual information is used to enhance the comparison and to select better content objects for a user's playlist. Meanwhile, in some examples the content objects in the playlist may be arranged in an enhanced order using ranking and/or contextual information.

US Patent:

8306976, Nov 6, 2012

Filed:

May 16, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/108184

Inventors:

Etienne F. Handman - Dublin CA, US
Thomas J. Conrad - Oakland CA, US
Joseph J. Kennedy - Danville CA, US
Timothy B. Westergren - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

Pandora Media, Inc. - Oakland CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707733, 707751

Abstract:

Systems and methods of generating and modifying a playlist using contextual information are disclosed. For example, a user may provide an input seed such as a song name or artist name. The input seed is compared to database items and a playlist is generated as a result. In some examples, the contextual information is used to enhance the comparison and to select better content objects for a user's playlist. Meanwhile, in some examples the content objects in the playlist may be arranged in an enhanced order using ranking and/or contextual information.