Scrapbooking digital content in computing devices

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for providing a scrapbooking function in electronic computing devices. The user can engage the scrapbooking function with a content sampling command that engages a scrapbook creation mode which virtually rips a digital content sample from a content source. The digital content sample may be displayed to the user with a torn edge, as if it had been physically torn from a magazine or catalogue. The content sampling command may be, for example, a swipe gesture, an S-gesture, or selecting a scrapbook UI control feature. The user may save the sampled content into a new scrapbook or save it to an existing scrapbook. The user may also engage the scrapbooking function by entering a scrapbook viewing mode which allows the user to view and edit existing scrapbooks. The content sample may include all encrypted data present in the digital content from which it is sampled.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device comprising:
 a touch sensitive display for displaying digital content to a user and allowing user input, wherein the digital content forms part of a content item that is accessible via the electronic device; and   a user interface having a content sampling mode that is responsive to a content sampling gesture,
 wherein, in response to receiving the content sampling gesture, the content sampling mode causes display of a scrapbook control menu on the touch sensitive display, the scrapbook control menu including a list of digital scrapbooks and occupying a first portion of the touch sensitive display, 
 wherein the scrapbook control menu was not displayed when the content sampling gesture was received, and 
 wherein, in response to receiving the content sampling gesture, the content sampling mode causes display of a reduced size replication of the digital content on a second portion of the touch sensitive display that is not occupied by the scrapbook control menu; 
   the user interface further having a scrapbooking mode that is responsive to a scrapbook selection gesture that is applied to a selected one of the digital scrapbooks listed in the scrapbook control menu,
 wherein the selected digital scrapbook comprises a plurality of virtual pages arranged in a sequential order, 
 wherein the scrapbook selection gesture is received while the reduced size replication of the digital content remains displayed on the second portion of the touch sensitive display, 
 wherein, in response to receiving the scrapbook selection gesture, the scrapbooking mode causes display of a first set of scrapbook page thumbnails, each of which corresponds to one of the virtual pages of the selected digital scrapbook, 
 wherein, in response to receiving a scrolling gesture, the scrapbooking mode causes display of a second set of scrapbook page thumbnails, each of which corresponds to one of the virtual pages of the selected digital scrapbook, 
 wherein the scrolling gesture is received while the reduced size replication of the digital content remains displayed on the second portion of the touch sensitive display, 
 wherein, in response to receiving an insertion gesture, the scrapbooking mode causes the digital content to be inserted into the selected digital scrapbook, and 
 wherein the insertion gesture is a touch release gesture that is received while the reduced size replication of the digital content remains displayed on the second portion of the touch sensitive display. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of scrapbook page thumbnails are displayed in a user interface panel that includes a scrollbar that indicates page numbers corresponding to virtual pages associated with the scrapbook page thumbnails in the respective first and second sets. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the insertion gesture is associated with a particular scrapbook page thumbnail in the second set; and   the digital content is inserted adjacent to a scrapbook page corresponding to the particular scrapbook page thumbnail.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the scrapbook page thumbnails in the second set are displayed in the sequential order. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the digital content includes metadata that is not displayed on the touch sensitive display; and   in response to the insertion gesture, the scrapbooking mode further causes the metadata to be associated with the selected digital scrapbook.   
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a digital scrapbooking process to be carried out, the process comprising:
 causing display of digital content on a touch sensitive display that forms part of an electronic device;   in response to receiving a content sampling command, causing display of a scrapbook control menu on the touch sensitive display, the scrapbook control menu identifying a plurality of digital scrapbooks, wherein the scrapbook control menu occupies a first portion of the touch sensitive display;   further in response to receiving the content sampling command, causing display of a reduced size replication of the digital content on a second portion of the touch sensitive display;   receiving, via the scrapbook control menu, a scrapbook selection gesture that identifies a selected one of the plurality of digital scrapbooks, wherein the selected digital scrapbook comprises a plurality of virtual pages;   in response to receiving the scrapbook selection gesture, causing display of a first set of scrapbook page thumbnails, each of which corresponds to one of the virtual pages of the selected digital scrapbook;   in response to receiving a scrolling gesture, causing display of a second set of scrapbook page thumbnails, each of which corresponds to one of the virtual pages of the selected digital scrapbook; and   receiving an insertion gesture that is associated with a particular scrapbook page thumbnail in the second set, wherein the insertion gesture is a touch release gesture;   wherein at least one of the scrapbook selection gesture, the scrolling gesture, and the insertion gesture are received while the reduced size replication of the digital content remains displayed on the second portion of the touch sensitive display.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the digital content forms part of a content item that is accessible via the electronic device; and   the electronic device includes the one or more processors.   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the content sampling command is received while the digital content is displayed on the touch sensitive display. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the content sampling command comprises a swiping gesture that is detected on a region of the touch sensitive display. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the scrapbook control menu comprises an array of scrapbook thumbnails, each of which represents one of the plurality of digital scrapbooks. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the scrapbook control menu was not displayed before the content sampling command was received. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the second portion of the touch sensitive display is not occupied by the scrapbook control menu. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of virtual pages are arranged in a sequential order. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the scrapbook selection gesture, the scrolling gesture, and the insertion gesture are all received while the reduced size replication of the digital content remains displayed on the second portion of the touch sensitive display. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 causing display of digital content on a touch sensitive display that forms part of an electronic device, wherein the digital content forms part of a content item that is accessible via the electronic device;   receiving, via the touch sensitive display while the digital content is being displayed thereon, a content sampling command that comprises a swiping gesture that is detected on the touch sensitive display;   in response to receiving the content sampling command, causing display of a scrapbook control menu on the touch sensitive display, the scrapbook control menu including a listing of a plurality of digital scrapbooks, wherein the scrapbook control menu occupies a first portion of the touch sensitive display;   further in response to receiving the content sampling command, causing display of a reduced size replication of the digital content on a second portion of the touch sensitive display that is not occupied by the scrapbook control menu;   receiving, via the scrapbook control menu, a scrapbook selection gesture that is associated with a selected one of the plurality of digital scrapbooks, wherein the selected digital scrapbook comprises a plurality of virtual pages arranged in a sequential order;   in response to receiving the scrapbook selection gesture, causing display of a first set of scrapbook page thumbnails, each of which corresponds to one of the virtual pages of the selected digital scrapbook;   in response to receiving a scrolling gesture, causing display of a second set of scrapbook page thumbnails, each of which corresponds to one of the virtual pages of the selected digital scrapbook; and   receiving an insertion gesture that is associated with a particular scrapbook page thumbnail in the second set,   wherein the scrapbook selection gesture, the scrolling gesture, and the insertion gesture are each received while the reduced size replication of the digital content remains displayed on the second portion of the touch sensitive display.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the first and second sets of scrapbook page thumbnails are each displayed in the sequential order. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , further comprising, in response to receiving the insertion gesture, causing the digital content to be inserted adjacent to a scrapbook page corresponding to the particular scrapbook page thumbnail. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , further comprising, in response to receiving the insertion gesture, causing the digital content to be inserted into the selected digital scrapbook. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the scrapbook selection gesture, the scrolling gesture, and the insertion gesture collectively comprise a combined touch, drag, and release gesture. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the scrapbook control menu further includes a user interface element associated with creation of a new digital scrapb