Graphical user interface navigational symbol

Abstract

A method for real-time multiparty communications across a social network organized according to a fluid timeline is taught. In the method, a user accesses the social network. The user views a story posted by a first user and favorably reacted to by a second user. The user also likes the story, so the user favorably reacts to the posted story. Since a threshold number of users have favorably reacted to the posted story, a collective network group messaging feature is made available. The user accesses the feature participates in real time in a collective network group messaging session in a virtual room with at least one other user.

1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method, comprising:
 presenting a navigational symbol at an origin position on a presentation screen;   receiving a user input to move the navigational symbol from the origin position to another position on the presentation screen;   in response to movement of the navigational symbol, presenting one or more selectable user icons on the presentation screen relative to the origin position; and   in response to the navigational symbol being moved to overlap a target selectable user icon of the presented one or more selectable user icons, performing an action based on the overlapped target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more selectable user icons include a plurality of icons geometrically arranged about the origin position. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving a second user input that manipulates an environment on the presentation screen behind the navigational symbol without moving the navigational symbol; and   manipulating the navigational symbol to indicate an illusion of movement based on the manipulation to the environment while maintaining the navigational symbol at the origin position.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the manipulation of the navigational symbol includes spinning the navigational symbol to illustrate horizontal scrolling along a timeline. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving a user selectable input indicating an amount of overlap to cause a selection of the target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the manipulation of the navigational symbol includes spinning the navigational symbol in a first rotation to indicate first directional movement along the timeline and spinning the navigational symbol in a second rotation to indicate second directional movement along the timeline, wherein the first rotation is opposite the second rotation and the first directional movement is opposite the second directional movement. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein performing the action based on the overlapped target selectable user icon includes:
 modifying the presentation of the overlapped target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein modifying the presentation of the overlapped target selectable user icon includes:
 changing a color, a size, or a shape of the overlapped target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         16 . A computing device, comprising:
 a memory configured to store computer instructions:   a processor configured to execute the computer instructions to:
 present a navigational symbol at an origin position on a presentation screen; 
 receive a user input to move the navigational symbol from the origin position to another position on the presentation screen; 
 in response to movement of the navigational symbol, present one or more selectable user icons on the presentation screen relative to the origin position; and 
 in response to the navigational symbol being moved to overlap a target selectable user icon of the presented one or more selectable user icons, perform an action based on the overlapped target selectable user icon and return the navigational symbol to the origin position on the presentation screen. 
   
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more selectable user icons include a plurality of icons geometrically arranged about the origin position. 
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to further execute the computer instructions to:
 receive a second user input that manipulates an environment on the presentation screen behind the navigational symbol without moving the navigational symbol; and   manipulate the navigational symbol to indicate an illusion of movement based on the manipulation to the environment while maintaining the navigational symbol at the origin position.   
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein the manipulation of the navigational symbol includes spinning the navigational symbol to illustrate horizontal scrolling along a timeline. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein the manipulation of the navigational symbol includes spinning the navigational symbol in a first rotation to indicate first directional movement along the timeline and spinning the navigational symbol in a second rotation to indicate second directional movement along the timeline, wherein the first rotation is opposite the second rotation and the first directional movement is opposite the second directional movement. 
     
     
         21 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the action based on the overlapped target selectable user icon by further executing the computer instructions to:
 modify the presentation of the overlapped target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         22 . The computing device of  claim 21 , wherein the processor is configured to modify the presentation of the overlapped target selectable user icon by further executing the computer instructions to:
 change a color, a size, or a shape of the overlapped target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         23 . The computing device of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to further execute the computer instructions to:
 receive a user selectable input indicating an amount of overlap to cause a selection of the target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         24 . A non-transitory processor-readable medium having contents that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform actions, the actions comprising:
 presenting a navigational symbol at an origin position on a presentation screen;   receiving a user input to move the navigational symbol from the origin position to another position on the presentation screen;   in response to movement of the navigational symbol, presenting one or more selectable user icons on the presentation screen relative to the origin position; and   in response to the navigational symbol being moved to overlap a target selectable user icon of the presented one or more selectable user icons, performing an action based on the overlapped target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 receiving a user selectable input indicating an amount of overlap to cause a selection of the target selectable user icon.   
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 receiving a second user input that manipulates an environment on the presentation screen behind the navigational symbol without moving the navigational symbol; and   manipulating the navigational symbol to indicate an illusion of movement based on the manipulation to the environment while maintaining the navigational symbol at the origin position.   
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory processor-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the manipulation of the navigational symbol includes spinning the navigational symbol to illustrate horizontal scrolling along a timeline.