{
  "patent_number": "US 7530026",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Widgets Flip Over to Show Settings",
  "original_title": "User interface element with auxiliary function",
  "summary": "A method for letting digital widgets flip over like a physical object to reveal hidden settings or controls on the back.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a way to manage settings for small software tools, or widgets, on a computer screen. Instead of cluttering the main interface with options, the widget is designed with two sides. When a user triggers a specific input, the widget performs an animation that makes it look like it is flipping over. The back side then displays auxiliary controls, allowing the user to change the widget's behavior, which is then updated on the front side.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover settings menus that appear in a separate window or a pop-up dialog box.",
    "Does not cover widgets that do not have a secondary back-side interface.",
    "Does not cover changing settings via a right-click context menu.",
    "Does not cover non-animated transitions between the front and back of the element."
  ],
  "filed": "2006-03-07",
  "granted": "2009-05-05",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Apple Inc",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/apple-inc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Imran A. Chaudhri",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/imran-a-chaudhri"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gregory N. Christie",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/gregory-n-christie"
    },
    {
      "name": "Andrew M. Grignon",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/andrew-m-grignon"
    },
    {
      "name": "John Louch",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/john-louch"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 24,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "software"
  ],
  "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.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7530026/time-machine-backup",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7530026/time-machine-backup/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US7530026",
  "relatedPatents": []
}