Gesture for task transfer

• US 10,102,824 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Khoury, Issa, Stauber, William Scott, Mikkola, Petteri, Kuehnle, Holger, Pendlay, Ryan, Moran, Keri
• Primary Examiner(s): Nabi, Reza
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/716,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20160343350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 715748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/12 Synchronisation between the display unit and other units, e.g. other display units, video-disc players
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A computing device, and method thereof, may have a first display. A first user input is received from an input device of the computing device. In response, a task manager is displayed, the task manager having representations of respective objects on the computing device. When a second user input is received via the input device, a target representation is selected according to the second user input and an application window of an application corresponding to the target representation is displayed on the second display.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device comprising a first display, the method comprising:

maintaining a task list of applications available for execution on the computing device;

receiving a first user input, and in response displaying a user interface element comprising a graphic representation of the task list, the graphic representation comprising representations of respective graphic objects respectively representing the applications in the task list;

receiving a second user input associated with the user interface element, and in response;

selecting, according to the second user input, a target representation from among the representations, the target representation representing an open application according to the task list;

scanning to detect displays, the scanning detecting a second display;

selecting the second display from among a plurality of wireless displays, wherein when the second user input is inputted and received there is no connection between computing device and the second display; and

automatically forming a connection between the computing device and the second display, and displaying, by the second display, an application window of the application corresponding to the target representation.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the first display, the target representation moving from the user interface element to a graphic representing the second display.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second user inputs are inputted with a first input device of the computing device, and wherein in further response to the second user input, connecting the computing device to a second input device associated with the second display, and enabling the application window to be controlled on the second display according to user input, from the second input device, that is directed to the application window in the second display.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the application window comprises a graphic of an object provided by the application processing an object corresponding to the target representation.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying the second display and a third display and accordingly, in further response to the second input, displaying display representations of the respective second and third displays, wherein the second display is selected for connecting-to based on the second user input selecting the display representation corresponding to the second display.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a cursor on the second display and allowing control of the cursor with a wireless keyboard connected to the computing device, the computing device comprising a mobile telephone, wherein the first display of the mobile telephone displays graphics of telephone functions executing on the mobile telephone while the application is being displayed on the second display.

7. A computing device comprising:

a first display;

an input device usable by a user to provide two-dimensional inputs;

storage hardware storing an operating system, applications installed to the operating system, and instructions;

processing hardware, when operating, to execute the instructions to perform a process comprising;

responsive to a user interaction with the computing device, displaying on the first display a user interface element comprising representations corresponding to applications, the user interface element able to handle input instances of a first input type, the input instances corresponding to uses of the input device, the handling comprising invoking a transfer operation, and

detecting an input instance of the first type of user input determined to be associated with a target one of the representations of the user interface element, the input instance detected while there is no connection between the computing device and a second display, and responsive to the input instance, automatically;

scanning for wireless displays to detect the second display, wirelessly signaling the second display to turn on based on the detection of the second display by the scanning, establishing a corresponding wireless connection between the computing device and the second display, and then displaying an application window of the target application on the second display, wherein there is no connection with the second display prior to the user interaction, and wherein the signaling the second display to turn on and the establishing the corresponding wireless connection are performed automatically without requiring user input.

8. A computing device according to claim 7, wherein the user interface element comprises a task manager and is able to handle input instances of a second input type by invoking a second operation comprising a task management operation, wherein input types comprises respective swipe gestures.

9. A computing device according to claim 8, wherein the swipe gestures comprise respective different directions relative to the first display.

10. A computing device according to claim 8, wherein the task management operation comprises an application closing operation or an application opening operation.

11. A computing device according to claim 7, wherein the connection comprises a wireless connection.

12. A computing device according to claim 7, wherein the input device comprises a touch-sensitive surface.

13. A method comprising:

executing, by a computing device comprising a first display, a windowing system that manages windows of respective applications on the computing device, the windowing system configured to manage displaying of windows on multiple displays;

responding to a first user interaction with the computing device by displaying, on the first display, a user interface element comprising a set of icons of respective applications, the user interface element enabling a user to select any of the icons in the set of icons, the user interface element comprising a task-switcher that identifies open applications on the computing device and based thereon represents the open applications as the respective icons in the set of icons; and

while no connection is established between the computing device and a second display, receiving and responding to a second user interaction with the user interface element that selects a first icon by first wirelessly scanning for displays, the scanning detecting a second display, based on the detection of the second display, forming a connection between the computing device and the second display, and by displaying, on a second display, an application window of a first application that corresponds to the selected icon, the selected first icon representing an application that is open when the first icon is selected, the second user interaction occurring while there is no connection between the computing device and the second display, wherein the second user interaction triggers both the scanning, the forming the connection, and the displaying the first application on the second display.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising responding to a third user interaction with the task switcher that selects a second icon by performing an application management function on a second application that corresponds to the second icon.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the application management function comprises either an application-close function that closes the second application or an application-open function that displays a window of the second application on the first display.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising, in further response to the second user interaction, determining that a connection with the second display is required, and in response automatically forming a connection between the computing device and the second display.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the second user interaction comprises a stroke that both selects and drags the first icon.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising initially moving the first icon on rails according to the stroke until determined that the first icon has moved a threshold distance, then moving the first icon automatically, and then displaying the application window of the first application on the second display.

19. A method according to claim 13, wherein the computing device comprises a first input device and wherein a second input device is connected to the computing device, the method further comprising selecting either the first or second display to which to display a graphic, wherein the selecting is based on which of the input devices is currently in use or was most recently used.