User interface for multiple display regions

• US 10,579,204 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John O., Bumgarner, Timothy W., Peyton, Eric S., Hynes, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salomon, Phenuel S
• Application Number:
  US15/635,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/04842 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

User interfaces for multiple display regions are described. One embodiment provides an array of non-overlapping windows that are created from a set of overlapping windows, and a user can select one of the non-overlapping windows to obtain an enlarged view of that selected window while keeping the other windows in their non-overlapping state. In one embodiment, the array of non-overlapping windows can include minimized windows or windows in other virtual desktops (e.g. windows in other “Spaces”) or both. In one embodiment, only windows of a selected application are shown in non-overlapping mode while opened windows of other applications are not shown.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a display and one or more input devices;

displaying, on the display, a user interface in a first display mode configured to display a plurality of windows on a desktop, wherein at least one of the windows is displayed in overlapping relation with another of the windows;

while displaying the user interface in the first display mode, detecting a first user input to enter a second display mode; and

in response to detecting the first user input, transitioning from the first display mode to the second display mode, wherein, in the second display mode, representations of the plurality of windows are displayed on the desktop such that no representation is in overlapping relation with another representation;

while displaying the user interface in the second display mode;

detecting a second user input to cease display, in the first display mode, of a selected window of the plurality of windows; and

detecting a third user input to return to the first display mode; and

in response to detecting the third user input, transitioning from the second display mode to the first display mode, wherein, upon returning to the first display mode, the plurality of windows are displayed except for the selected window of the plurality of windows which is no longer displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, upon returning to the first display mode, the selected window is minimized.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the second display mode, the representations of the plurality of windows are displayed in a first region of the desktop, wherein detecting the second user input includes detecting a drag-and-drop operation moving a representation of the selected window from the first region of the desktop to a second region of the desktop.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first region and the second region are separated by a displayed separator.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the separator is movable to change a size of the first region and a size of the second region.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein, in the second display mode, the second region includes one or more representations of one or more minimized windows that are not displayed in the first display mode.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, while displaying the user interface in the second display mode, detecting a fourth user input to show, in the first display mode, a selected minimized window of the one or more minimized windows, wherein, upon returning to the first display mode, the plurality of windows includes the selected minimized window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the second display mode, representations of the plurality of windows are displayed concurrently with representations of one or more windows not displayed on the desktop in the first display mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the representations of one or more windows not displayed on the desktop in the first display mode include representations of one or more minimized windows.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the representations of one or more windows not displayed on the desktop in the first display mode include representations of one or more windows of another desktop.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

one or more input devices; and

one or more processors configured to;

display, on the display, a user interface in a first display mode configured to display a plurality of windows on a desktop, wherein at least one of the windows is displayed in overlapping relation with another of the windows;

while displaying the user interface in the first display mode, detect a first user input to enter a second display mode; and

in response to detecting the first user input, transition from the first display mode to the second display mode, wherein, in the second display mode, representations of the plurality of windows are displayed on the desktop such that no representation is in overlapping relation with another representation;

while displaying the user interface in the second display mode;

detect a second user input to cease display, in the first display mode, of a selected window of the plurality of windows; and

detect a third user input to return to the first display mode; and

in response to detecting the third user input, transition from the second display mode to the first display mode, wherein, upon returning to the first display mode, the plurality of windows are displayed except for the selected window of the plurality of windows which is no longer displayed.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein, upon returning to the first display mode, the selected window is minimized.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein, in the second display mode, the representations of the plurality of windows are displayed in a first region of the desktop, wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect the second user input by detecting a drag-and-drop operation moving a representation of the selected window from the first region of the desktop to a second region of the desktop.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first region and the second region are separated by a displayed separator.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein, in the second display mode, representations of the plurality of windows are displayed concurrently with representations of one or more windows not displayed on the desktop in the first display mode.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on an electronic device with a display and one or more input devices, causes the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

displaying, on the display, a user interface in a first display mode configured to display a plurality of windows on a desktop, wherein at least one of the windows is displayed in overlapping relation with another of the windows;

while displaying the user interface in the first display mode, detecting a first user input to enter a second display mode; and

in response to detecting the first user input, transitioning from the first display mode to the second display mode, wherein, in the second display mode, representations of the plurality of windows are displayed on the desktop such that no representation is in overlapping relation with another representation;

while displaying the user interface in the second display mode;

detecting a second user input to cease display, in the first display mode, of a selected window of the plurality of windows; and

detecting a third user input to return to the first display mode; and

in response to detecting the third user input, transitioning from the second display mode to the first display mode, wherein, upon returning to the first display mode, the plurality of windows are displayed except for the selected window of the plurality of windows which is no longer displayed.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein, upon returning to the first display mode, the selected window is minimized.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein, in the second display mode, the representations of the plurality of windows are displayed in a first region of the desktop, wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect the second user input by detecting a drag-and-drop operation moving a representation of the selected window from the first region of the desktop to a second region of the desktop.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the first region and the second region are separated by a displayed separator.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein, in the second display mode, representations of the plurality of windows are displayed concurrently with representations of one or more windows not presented on the desktop in the first display mode.