Samsung UI patent filing reveals new folder features

Samsung made an application with the USPTO late last year for a new UI for Android that deals specifically with the way users on the platform interact with folders. The application was recently discovered by Patent Bolt and shows folders that are stacked like a deck of cards. The stacks are built by merely dragging one icon on top of another. Tapping on the stack opens it up vertically so you can view the contents of the stack, while tapping it again reverts the open folder back into a stack. Like iOS, the open stack can be viewed on a secondary screen. The folders can be opened in a number of different ways, including the traditional Android manner, but with fancy new animation. Or the folder can be pulled open like an accordion to reveal what is inside. There is even a vertical scrolling function similar to the accordion animation, but just not as fun to look at.

The bottom line here is that Samsung has some exciting new 3D looks and features for its TouchWiz UI that runs over the Android OS. Maybe those fun card stacks will be part of the next build of TouchWiz. With the Google Play Store outing the GSM variant of the Samsung GALAXY Nexus as the first Android 4.1 Jelly Bean  flavored phone, perhaps we will see some of these new folder related features implemented in a new TouchWiz build soon.
 
source: PatentBolt via Phandroid

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