Handling data across different portions or regions of a desktop

• US 20050015731A1
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tsang, Michael Hin-Cheung, Mak, William, Leno, Grady
• Application Number:
  US10/619,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015731A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/779
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

Abstract

Systems, methods, computer-readable media, and user interfaces for entering, handling, or manipulating data on a computer desktop may include: (a) providing a first viewable region capable of displaying a first portion of a desktop on a display device; and (b) providing a second viewable region capable of displaying a second portion of the desktop on the display device, wherein a portion of the first viewable region redirects data input to and associates the data input with the second portion of the desktop. Other systems, methods, computer-readable media, and user interfaces may include: (a) maintaining a first portion of a desktop; (b) maintaining a second portion of the desktop, wherein the second portion of the desktop includes a region representing the first portion of the desktop; and (c) altering content of the first and/or second portions of the desktop in at least some instances based on data input directed to the region. The desktop portions or regions may be displayed by separate display devices, in some examples, wherein one display device displays a region that represents the content displayed by the other display device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface, comprising:

providing a first viewable region capable of displaying a first portion of a desktop on a display device; and

providing a second viewable region capable of displaying a second portion of the desktop on the display device, wherein a portion of the first viewable region redirects data input to and associates the data input with the second portion of the desktop.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accepting user input, wherein at least some of the user input includes the data input redirected to the second portion of the desktop.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the user input includes use of a pen.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least a first coordinate of the first viewable region associated with the data input to be redirected to the second portion of the desktop; and

remapping the first coordinate to a corresponding coordinate of the second portion of the desktop.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first viewable region includes a data input region in which a user can enter data, wherein the data input region is outside of the portion in which the data input is redirected to the second portion of the desktop.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

moving data from the first portion of the desktop to the second portion of the desktop via the portion that redirects the data input to the second portion of the desktop.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein a user input device moves the data from the first portion of the desktop to the second portion of the desktop.

8. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

moving data from the second portion of the desktop to the first portion of the desktop via the portion that redirects the data input to the second portion of the desktop.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

moving data from the second portion of the desktop to the first portion of the desktop via the portion that redirects the data input to the second portion of the desktop.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

magnifying at least some content in the second viewable region when a pointing device points within the second viewable region.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the content magnified includes information associated with a location of the pointing device with the second viewable region.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying at least some content in the second viewable region when a pointing device points within the second viewable region.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the content displayed includes information associated with a location of the pointing device with the second viewable region.

14. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim 1.

15. A method, comprising:

displaying a first portion of a desktop using a first display device;

displaying a second portion of the desktop using a second display device, wherein at least a portion of a display by the second display device includes a region representing the first display device; and

altering content displayed by the first display device in at least some instances based on data input directed to the region representing the first display device.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein at least some data input directed outside the region representing the first display device does not affect the content displayed by the first display device.

17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

accepting user input as the data input directed to the region representing the first display device.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the user input includes use of a pen.

19. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

determining at least a first coordinate of the second display device associated with the data input directed to the region representing the first display device; and

remapping the first coordinate to a corresponding coordinate of the first display device.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the content displayed by the first display device is altered at the corresponding coordinate based on the data input directed to the region representing the first display device.

21. A method according to claim 15, wherein the second portion of the desktop includes a data input region in which a user can enter data, wherein the data input region is outside of the region representing the first display device.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein data directed to the data input region of the second portion of the desktop does not affect content displayed by the first display device.

23. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

moving data from the second portion of the desktop to the first portion of the desktop via the region representing the first display device.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein a user input device moves the data from the second portion of the desktop to the first portion of the desktop.

25. A method according to claim 23, further comprising:

moving data from the first portion of the desktop to the second portion of the desktop via the region representing the first display device.

26. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

moving data from the first portion of the desktop to the second portion of the desktop via the region representing the first display device.

27. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

magnifying at least a portion of content in the region representing the first display device when a pointing device points within the region representing the first display device.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the portion magnified includes information associated with a location of the pointing device with the region.

29. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

displaying at least a portion of content in the region representing the first display device when a pointing device points within the region representing the first display device.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the portion displayed includes information associated with a location of the pointing device with the region.

31. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim 15.

32. A method, comprising:

maintaining a first portion of a desktop;

maintaining a second portion of the desktop, wherein the second portion of the desktop includes a region representing the first portion of the desktop; and

altering content of the first or second portions of the desktop in at least some instances based on data input directed to the region.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein at least some data input directed to the second portion of the desktop outside the region does not affect the content of the first portion of the desktop.

34. A method according to claim 32, further comprising:

accepting user input as the data input directed to the region.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the user input includes use of a pen.

36. A method according to claim 32, further comprising:

determining at least a first coordinate of the second portion of the desktop associated with the data input directed to the region; and

remapping the first coordinate to a corresponding coordinate in the first portion of the desktop.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the content of the first portion of the desktop is altered at the corresponding coordinate based on the data input directed to the region representing the first portion of the desktop.

38. A method according to claim 32, wherein the second portion of the desktop includes a data input region in which a user can enter data, wherein the data input region is outside of the region.

39. A method according to claim 32, further comprising:

moving data from the second portion of the desktop to the first portion of the desktop via the region.

40. A method according to claim 39, further comprising:

moving data from the first portion of the desktop to the second portion of the desktop via the region.

41. A method according to claim 32, further comprising:

moving data from the first portion of the desktop to the second portion of the desktop via the region.

42. A method according to claim 32, further comprising:

displaying a magnified view of at least a portion of the first portion of the desktop in the second portion of the desktop when a pointing device points within the region.

43. A method according to claim 32, further comprising:

displaying at least a portion of the first portion of the desktop in the second portion of the desktop when a pointing device points within the region.

44. A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim 32.

45. A system, comprising:

a first display device displaying a first portion of a desktop;

a second display device displaying a second portion of the desktop, wherein at least a portion of a display by the second display device includes a region representing the first display device; and

a processor programmed and adapted to alter content displayed by the first display device in at least some instances based on data input directed to the region representing the first display device.

46. A system according to claim 45, wherein at least some data input directed outside the region representing the first display device does not affect the content displayed by the first display device.

47. A system according to claim 45, further comprising:

an input receiver for accepting user input, wherein at least some of the user input includes the data input directed to the region representing the first display device.

48. A system according to claim 45, wherein the processor further is programmed and adapted to:

(a) determine at least a first coordinate of the second display device associated with the data input directed to the region representing the first display device, and (b) remap the first coordinate to a corresponding coordinate of the first display device.

49. A system according to claim 48, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to alter the content displayed by the first display device at the corresponding coordinate based on the data input directed to the region representing the first display device.

50. A system according to claim 45, wherein the second portion of the desktop includes a data input region in which a user can enter data, wherein the data input region is outside of the region representing the first display device.

51. A system according to claim 50, wherein data directed to the data input region of the second portion of the desktop does not affect content displayed by the first display device.

52. A system according to claim 45, wherein the processor further is programmed and adapted to move data from the second portion of the desktop to the first portion of the desktop via the region representing the first display device.

53. A system according to claim 52, further comprising:

a user input device for indicating the data to move from the second portion of the desktop to the first portion of the desktop.

54. A system according to claim 45, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to move data from the first portion of the desktop to the second portion of the desktop via the region representing the first display device.

55. A system according to claim 45, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to magnify at least a portion of content in the region representing the first display device when a pointing device points within the region representing the first display device.

56. A system according to claim 45, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to display at least a portion of content in the region representing the first display device when a pointing device points within the region representing the first display device.

57. A system, comprising:

a receiver constructed and adapted to receive input; and

a processor programmed and adapted to;

(a) maintain a first portion of a desktop;

(b) maintain a second portion of the desktop, wherein the second portion of the desktop includes a region representing the first portion of the desktop; and

(c) alter content of the first or second portion of the desktop in at least some instances based on data input directed to the region.

58. A system according to claim 57, wherein at least some data input directed to the second portion of the desktop outside the region does not affect the content of the first portion of the desktop.

59. A system according to claim 57, wherein the receiver accepts user input, wherein at least some of the user input includes the data input directed to the region.

60. A system according to claim 57, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to:

(d) determine at least a first coordinate of the second portion of the desktop associated with the data input directed to the region, and (e) remap the first coordinate to a corresponding coordinate in the first portion of the desktop.

61. A system according to claim 60, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to alter the content of the first desktop at the corresponding coordinate based on the data input directed to the region.

62. A system according to claim 57, wherein the second portion of the desktop includes a data input region in which a user can enter data, wherein the data input region is outside of the region.

63. A system according to claim 57, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to move data from the second portion of the desktop to the first portion of the desktop via the region.

64. A system according to claim 57, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to move data from the first portion of the desktop to the second portion of the desktop via the region.

65. A system according to claim 57, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to produce a magnified view of at least a portion of the first portion of the desktop in the second portion of the desktop when a pointing device points within the region.

66. A system according to claim 57, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to produce a display of at least a portion of the first portion of the desktop in the second portion of the desktop when a pointing device points within the region.

67. A system according to claim 57, further comprising:

a first display device for displaying the first portion of the desktop.

68. A system according to claim 67, further comprising:

a second display device for displaying the second portion of the desktop.

69. A system according to claim 57, further comprising:

a display device for displaying the second portion of the desktop.

70. A user interface displayed by a display device, comprising:

a first region representing a first portion of a desktop;

a second region representing a second portion of the desktop; and

a data transfer path that allows data to be transferred between the first region and the second region.

71. A user interface according to claim 70, wherein the first region includes a data input region in which a user can enter data.

72. A user interface according to claim 71, wherein data directed to the data input region does not affect content of the second region.

73. A user interface according to claim 70, wherein when a pointing device points within at least one of the first region or the second region, a magnified view of at least a portion of the first region or the second region is displayed.

74. A user interface according to claim 73, wherein the portion displayed includes information associated with a location of the pointing device.

75. A user interface according to claim 70, wherein when a pointing device points within at least one of the first region or the second region, at least a portion of the first region or the second region is displayed.

76. A user interface according to claim 75, wherein the portion displayed includes information associated with a location of the pointing device.