Hrmph.com has found a patent application that was published in August of 2007 that clearly shows Apple the rearrangement of icons on a mobile device,. It even describes the wobbling of the icons to indicate that they can be moved!
The patent details are:
Title: Portable Electronic Device with Interface Reconfiguration Mode
Inventors: Van Os, Anzures, Forstall, Christie, Ording, Chaudhri, Lemay
Application Number: 20070157089
The reconfiguration is described as follows:
The varying of the positions of the one or more icons may intuitively indicate to the user that the positions of the one or more icons may be reconfigured by the user. The user may modify, adapt and/or reconfigure the positions of the one or more icons. In embodiments where the portable device includes a touch-sensitive display, the user may make contact with the touch-sensitive display proximate to a respective icon at a first position. Upon making contact with the touch-sensitive display, the respective icon may cease varying its position. The user may drag the respective icon to a second position. Upon breaking contact with the touch-sensitive display, the respective icon may resume varying its position. In some embodiments, the respective icon can be “thrown,” so that the final position of the respective icon is different from the point at which the icon is released. In this embodiment, the final position can depend on a variety of factors, such as the speed of the “throw,” the parameters used in a simulated equation of motion for the “throw” (e.g., coefficient of friction), and/or the presence of a lay out grid with simulated attractive forces. In some embodiments, the display may include two regions. During the interface reconfiguration mode, positions of one or more icons displayed in the first region may be varied while positions of one or more icons displayed in the second region may be stationary.
Hrmpf.com has created an animation of the patent images. Click the image below to see it in action.
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The patent details are:
Title: Portable Electronic Device with Interface Reconfiguration Mode
Inventors: Van Os, Anzures, Forstall, Christie, Ording, Chaudhri, Lemay
Application Number: 20070157089
The reconfiguration is described as follows:
The varying of the positions of the one or more icons may intuitively indicate to the user that the positions of the one or more icons may be reconfigured by the user. The user may modify, adapt and/or reconfigure the positions of the one or more icons. In embodiments where the portable device includes a touch-sensitive display, the user may make contact with the touch-sensitive display proximate to a respective icon at a first position. Upon making contact with the touch-sensitive display, the respective icon may cease varying its position. The user may drag the respective icon to a second position. Upon breaking contact with the touch-sensitive display, the respective icon may resume varying its position. In some embodiments, the respective icon can be “thrown,” so that the final position of the respective icon is different from the point at which the icon is released. In this embodiment, the final position can depend on a variety of factors, such as the speed of the “throw,” the parameters used in a simulated equation of motion for the “throw” (e.g., coefficient of friction), and/or the presence of a lay out grid with simulated attractive forces. In some embodiments, the display may include two regions. During the interface reconfiguration mode, positions of one or more icons displayed in the first region may be varied while positions of one or more icons displayed in the second region may be stationary.
Hrmpf.com has created an animation of the patent images. Click the image below to see it in action.
Read More