Continuous and dynamic scene decomposition for user interface

A method for operating a hand-held electronic device having a case with one or more major surfaces, a visual display disposed on at least one major surfaces, a touch interface disposed on at least one major surfaces, a processor operably coupled to the visual display and the touch interface;

• and instructions executable by the processor to implement the method, the method comprising:
• a) presenting an image on the visual display containing one or more active elements and one or more inactive elements;
• b) decomposing the image into a plurality of constituent regions that collectively make up the display, wherein each of said constituent regions corresponds to a different active element of the one or more active elements, wherein proportions of the decomposition of the image into the plurality of constituent regions are adjusted based on a probability that a user will use one or more active elements, wherein the probability that user will use on or more of the active elements includes a probability of subsequent use of one or more active elements based on past use of one or more active elements;
• c) correlating an active element in the image on the visual display to a corresponding touch sensitive region of the touch interface;
• and
• d) activating one of the one or more active elements in response to a touch to the corresponding touch sensitive region of the touch interface by transforming the one of the one or more active elements from an initial state into a transformed state in which the one of the one or more active elements interact with the touch sensitive region in a different mode of operation in the transformed state than in the initial state, wherein the transformation is animated to signify a change to the different mode of operation.

A non-transitory computer readable medium programmed with computer executable instructions for operating a hand-held electronic device having a hand-held case with one or more major surfaces, a visual display disposed on at least one major surfaces, a touch pad disposed on at least one major surfaces, a processor operably coupled to the visual display and the touch interface, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to implement a method comprising:

• a) presenting an image on the visual display containing one or more active elements and one or more inactive elements;
• b) decomposing the image into a plurality of constituent regions that collectively make up the display, wherein each of said constituent regions corresponds to a different active element of the one or more active elements, wherein proportions of the decomposition of the image into the plurality of constituent regions are adjusted based on a probability that a user will use one or more active elements, wherein the probability that user will use on or more of the active elements includes a probability of subsequent use of one or more active elements based on past use of one or more active elements;
• c) correlating an active element in the image on the visual display to a corresponding touch sensitive region of the touch interface;
• and
• d) activating one of the one or more active elements in response to a touch to the corresponding touch sensitive regions of the touch interface by transforming the one of the one or more active elements from an initial state into a transformed state in which the one of the one or more active elements interact with the touch sensitive region in a different mode of operation in the transformed state than in the initial state, wherein the transformation is animated to signify a change to the different mode of operation.