On December 27, the US Patent & Trademark Office published one of Apple’s main patent applications of the day titled Manipulating Desktop Backgrounds . Also today, the UPTO published a number of Apple’s patents relating to podcasts and the iPod.

Apple’s Patent Background

Many modern operating systems provide a graphical user interface (GUI) within which users can use and manage their applications. The GUI provides a desktop or, more generally, a display oriented environment which typically contains a variety of visual components including text, icons and windows. The desktop can include image data, sometimes referred to as the desktop background, or background wallpaper, and is typically viewable, at least in part, depending on the number and location of other visual components (i.e., desktop items) that are displayed on top of the desktop background.

Conventional graphical user interfaces offer users rudimentary mechanisms by which to personalize their environment, or otherwise modify the visual characteristics of their computer, including the desktop background. One conventional tool allows a user to select an image to display as the desktop background.

Apple’s Patent Summary in-Part

In one aspect a method is provided that includes identifying a trigger event; displaying an interface including an image associated with a background of a display environment, the image being displayed in substantially an entire display space of the display environment; receiving user input to either change or transform the image; and updating the background with the changed or transformed image.

These and other embodiments can optionally include one or more of the following features. Receiving input to transform the image can include input selected from the operations to scale, pan and rotate. Receiving input to transform the image can include input to apply an image operation to the image selected from the group of red-eye reduction, image tinting, captioning, blur, sepia-coloration, mosaic, and filtering. The display environment can be a desktop. The method can include displaying one or more tools for selection by a user to allow for manipulation of the image.

Apple’s patent FIG. 1 shows a flow diagram for a process of manipulating a desktop background.

The tools can be selected from the group comprising a selection tool and a transformation tool. The tools can be overlaid on the image. The tools can be displayed in a border area of the display environment. The method can include, responsive to receipt of input to change the image, selecting one or more new images and displaying the one or more new images in substantially the entire display space. The method can include receiving input to transform each of the one or more new images independently. The method can include, responsive to the receipt of transformation input, transforming the image and displaying the transformed image in substantially the entire display space. The method can include dismissing the interface; and displaying the changed or transformed image displayed in the interface as the background. The input to transform can include input to identify a portion of the image to be displayed in the background and the method can further include presenting the portion in the background when the interface is dismissed. The input can be a zoom input. Displaying an interface can include a visual transition to introduce the interface. Dismissing the interface can include a visual transition to dismiss the interface.

In another aspect an apparatus features an interface for displaying a desktop image at substantially a size and at an aspect ratio associated with an output device, where the interface includes a selection tool for selecting an image for display and a transformation tool for transforming the image prior to display.

In another aspect a computer program product including instructions tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium is provided. The product includes instructions for causing a computing device to identify a trigger event; display an interface including an image associated with a background of a display environment, the image being displayed in substantially an entire display space of the display environment; receive user input to either change or transform the image; and update the background with the changed or transformed image.

Apple lists John O. Louch (San Luis Obispo, CA) and Eric Steven Peyton (Lisle, IL) as the inventors of this patent. For full details of this patent, Click here. Apple engineer John Louch, who is listed on this current patent, was recently listed as one of the inventors of Apple’s patent titled Workflow Widgets.

Maintenance Patents Published Today

In addition to Apple’s original patent applications that were posted today, there were a few noted maintenance type of patents applications (Continuation, Provisional etc.) posted as follows: Method and system for controlling video selection and playback in a portable media player, Podcast organization and usage at a computing device, Browsing and searching of podcasts and Management of podcasts.

NOTICE: MacNN presents only a brief summary of patents with associated graphic(s) for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application and/or grant is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent applications and/or grants should be read in its entirety for further details.

Written and researched by Neo.