Apple’s 2D slider UI patent

In August 2010 (almost a year before the introduction of Final Cut Pro X) Apple applied for a user interface patent that is relevant to colour correcting video clips. They were awarded patent 8,468,465 today.

Although Apple has chosen a different UI for colour correction in Final Cut Pro, the UI shown in this new patent may turn up in future Apple applications.

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a computer program that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for controlling an application. The GUI includes a contiguous two-dimensional sliding region for defining several values. The GUI also includes several sliders for moving within the sliding region. Each slider selects one or more values from the several values based on a position of the slider within the sliding region. The selected values are parameters for controlling one or more operations of the application.

Excerpt

Some embodiments provide slider shapes for applying color cast operations to an image based on multiple position variables. For example, some embodiments provide a dynamic color slider shape for applying a color cast operation to an image based on two position variables. In some such embodiments, the dynamic color slider shape can be movably positioned around the sliding region of the two-dimensional slider control in order to change the color associated with the color slider shape, which changes the color of the color cast operation applied to an image being edited. In addition, the dynamic color slider shape can be movably positioned towards and away from the center of the sliding region to control the amount of the color associated with the color slider shape to apply to the image. Thus, these dynamic color slider shapes can control a color cast operation based on multiple position variables.

FIG. 16 illustrates a GUI 1600 of a media editing application that includes the two-dimensional slider control 470 of some embodiments. Specifically, this figure illustrates the GUI 1600 at four different stages 1605-1620 of a color cast operation using a dynamic color slider shape of some embodiments. The GUI 1600 is similar to the GUI 800 except the viewing area 660 displays a different image 1625. The image 1625 displays diagonal lines and a label to indicate the effects of the color cast operation in the same manner as that illustrated in FIG. 12.

As shown, the stages display a color selection grid to indicate the colors associated with the areas of the sliding region 120. When a dynamic color slider shape is selected, some embodiments display the color selection grid on the sliding region 120. Some embodiments display the color selection grid until a different slider shape is selected (even if the dynamic color slider shape is not being movably positioned within the sliding region 120).

The first stage 1605 shows the addition of a slider shape 1630 from the slider shape generator 850 to the two-dimensional slider control 470 in a similar way as the addition of the slider shape 475. As shown, the slider shape 1630 is positioned in the green color wedge 1345 of the sliding region 120, which associates the color green with the slider shape 1630. The diagonal lines and the label displayed over the image 1625 represent the effects of the slider shape 1630’s green color cast operation on the image 1625.

The second stage 1610 illustrates an adjustment to the color cast operation that is applied to the image 1625. The adjustment is made by movably positioning (e.g., by performing a drag-and-drop operation) the slider shape 1630 up, to the left, and away from the center 125 of the sliding region 120. In this stage, the slider shape 1630 is still within the green color wedge area except that it is now farther from the center 125 of the sliding region 120. Thus, the image 1625 is still labeled green, but with fewer diagonal lines displayed over it.

In the third stage 1615, another adjustment is made to the color cast operation that is applied to the image 1625. As shown, the slider shape 1630 is movably positioned (e.g., by performing a drag-and-drop operation) from the green color wedge to the purple color wedge while maintaining the same distance from the center 125 of the sliding region 120. As a result of the movement of the slider shape 1630, the color purple (instead of green) is now associated with the slider shape 1630. However, since the radial distance from the position of the slider shape 1630 to the center 125 of the sliding region 120 is the same as the radial distance at its previous position, the amount of the color cast operation applied to the image 1625 is not changed. As such, the image 1625 displays the same number of diagonal lines over the image 1625 except the label of the color is changed to indicate purple.

In some embodiments, the color associated with the slider shape 1630 changes as it moves through the sliding region 120. For example, as the slider shape 1630 moves along the path indicated by the arrow in this third stage 1615, the color associated with the slider shape 1630 changes from green to blue when the slider shape 1630 moves from the green color wedge to the blue color wedge. Likewise, the color associated with the slider shape 1630 changes from blue to purple as the slider shape 1630 moves from the blue color wedge to the purple color wedge. In other embodiments, a color is not associated with the slider shape 1630 until the termination of the movement (e.g., the drag-and-drop operation has been completed).

The fourth stage 1620 shows yet another adjustment to the color cast operation applied to the image 1625. In this stage, the slider shape 1630 is movably positioned (e.g., by performing a drag-and-drop operation) down, to the left, and towards the center 125 of the sliding region 120. As shown, the slider shape 1630 is still positioned within the purple color wedge, but is now closer to the center 125 of the sliding region 120. This increase the color cast operation, which is shown by the additional diagonal lines over the image 1625 displayed in the viewing area 660.