HTC โ€ Virtual Bookโ€ Touchscreen User Interface in the Works? HTC Patent Application Describes New Touch UI

HTC is already an experienced cell phone maker. Whether we re talking
about Windows Mobile or Android one thing is certain, HTC s handsets
offer a unique user interface which can t be ignored when comparing HTC
to other manufacturers. The company has been busy working on their
TouchFlo and TouchFlo 3D UI for Windows Mobile phones and, most
importantly, it has developed the HTC Sense UI for Android phones. Now
HTC came up with something totally new, the �virtual book � user
interface for touchscreen devices.
There s no official name for it and here s how the abstract of HTC s new
patent describes it:
An electronic device and a user interface display method thereof are
provided. The electronic device organizes a plurality of computer
programs executable on the electronic device into a virtual book. Each
page of the virtual book includes a user interface of one of the
computer programs. The electronic device displays one of the pages as a
current page so that the user interface of the current page is
accessible to a user of the electronic device. The electronic device
senses movement and/or pressure caused by the user and interprets the
movement and/or the pressure as operating actions of the user on the
virtual book. The electronic device downloads new computer programs from
a download server and adds corresponding new pages into the virtual
book. At lease one of the computer programs provides a service of a
corporate operator of a wireless service network
HTC might just be working on something really huge here. The Virtual
Book UI could be used on a variety of mobile devices and HTC should
consider bringing it to both Android and Windows Mobile smartphones. And
just in case the company decides to make tablets and other kinds of
handheld touch-friendly devices, then they d better include a user
interface of this kind.
The patent goes on to describe the full features of such a touch UI and
I m counting on HTC to make it available as soon as possible. A
particular phrase in the abstract above reminds me that Apple is also
working on a new touch UI for its tablet. You know, the kind of
interface that can sense movement, pressure or touch and then rapidly
translate it into actions. Who will launch a new touch UI first? HTC or
Apple?