Compositing desktop window manager

• US 20050088447A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Swedberg, Gregory D., Bermudez, Gerardo, Hanggie, Scott, Ligameri, Mark Richard, Melander, Greg Scott, Tan, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 7,839,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/545
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method and system for rendering a desktop on a computer using a composited desktop model operating system are disclosed. A composited desktop window manager, upon receiving content information from application programs, draws the window to a buffer memory for future reference, and takes advantage of advanced graphics hardware and visual effects to render windows based on content on which they are drawn. The windows may also be rendered based on environment variables including virtual light sources. The frame portion of each window may be generated by pixel shading a bitmap having the appearance of frosted glass based on the content of the desktop on top of which the frame is displayed. Legacy support is provided so that the operating system can draw and render windows generated by legacy applications to look consistent with non-legacy application windows.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for rendering a desktop window in a graphical user interface of an operating system shell, comprising:

receiving application content to display in a window in the graphical user interface; and

displaying at least a portion of the application content in an opaque content portion of the window, the window having a translucent frame portion.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step comprises a pixel shader applying a bitmap to the frame portion to distort content on top of which the frame portion is rendered.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the bitmap comprises a likeness of glass.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the bitmap comprises a likeness of frosted glass.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving application content information originating from an instance of a legacy application program..

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving comprises:

a compositing desktop window manager (CDWM) receiving the application content.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein displaying comprises:

the CDWM physically modeling the window by applying a texture to a mesh.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the mesh is defined by a current visual style.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the mesh is provided in the application content information.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the texture is defined by a current visual style.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the texture is provided in the application content information.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

the instance of the legacy application program providing legacy window content to a legacy desktop window manager (DWM);

stripping out application content from the legacy window content; and

converting the application content to a graphical representation of the application content.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising switching between the CDWM and the legacy DWM as a default desktop window manager.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the legacy DWM redirects the application content to the CDWM.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the switching is based on the current visual style.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the switching is based on a current power configuration.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises spectral highlights based on a virtual light source.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises reflective content based on other content in the graphical user interface separate from the window.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the frame portion is translucent when the window has an input focus.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving user input to resize the window;

dividing the mesh into three regions per mesh dimension;

for each region, maintaining offsets of mesh vertices in any dimension by which the region is bounded by a bounding box of the window, and scaling mesh vertices in any dimension by which the region is not bounded by the bounding box of the window.

21. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that cause a computer to perform a method for rendering a desktop window in a graphical user interface of an operating system shell, comprising:

receiving application content to display in a window in the graphical user interface; and

displaying at least a portion of the application content in an opaque content portion of the window, the window having a translucent frame portion.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the displaying step comprises a pixel shader applying a bitmap to the frame portion to distort content on top of which the frame portion is rendered.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the bitmap comprises a likeness of glass.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the bitmap comprises a likeness of frosted glass.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving application content information originating from an instance of a legacy application program.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein receiving comprises:

a compositing desktop window manager (CDWM) receiving the application content.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein displaying comprises:

the CDWM physically modeling the window by applying a texture to a mesh.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the mesh is defined by a current visual style.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the mesh is provided in the application content information.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the texture is defined by a current visual style.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the texture is provided in the application content information.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:

the instance of the legacy application program providing legacy window content to a legacy desktop window manager (DWM);

stripping out application content from the legacy window content; and

converting the application content to a graphical representation of the application content.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, further comprising switching between the CDWM and the legacy DWM as a default desktop window manager.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the legacy DWM redirects the application content to the CDWM.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the switching is based on the current visual style.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the switching is based on a current power configuration.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the frame comprises spectral highlights based on a virtual light source.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the frame comprises reflective content based on other content in the graphical user interface separate from the window.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the frame portion is translucent when the window has an input focus.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving user input to resize the window;

dividing the mesh into three regions per mesh dimension;

for each region, maintaining offsets of mesh vertices in any dimension by which the region is bounded by a bounding box of the window, and scaling mesh vertices in any dimension by which the region is not bounded by the bounding box of the window.

41. A computer implemented method for rendering a desktop window in a graphical user interface of an operating system shell, comprising:

receiving application content to display in a window; and

displaying at least a portion of the application content in a content portion of the window having a frame portion, wherein the displaying further comprises rendering spectral highlights on the frame portion based on a virtual light source.

42. A computer implemented method for rendering a desktop window in a graphical user interface of an operating system shell, comprising:

receiving application content to display in a window; and

displaying at least a portion of the application content in a content portion of the window having a frame portion, wherein the displaying further comprises rendering reflective content on the frame portion based on other discrete content separate from the window in the graphical user interface.

43. A computer implemented method for rendering a desktop window in a graphical user interface of an operating system shell, comprising:

receiving application content to display in a window; and

displaying at least a portion of the application content in a content portion of the window having a frame portion, wherein the displaying further comprises rendering refractive content on the frame portion based on other discrete content behind the window in the graphical user interface.

44. In a computer operating system that uses a composited desktop rendering model, a method of providing legacy support for applications compatible only with an invalidation desktop rendering model, comprising:

an instance of a legacy application program providing legacy window information to a legacy desktop window manager (DWM);

stripping out client content from the legacy window information;

converting the client content to a raster image of the client content, a compositing desktop window manager (CDWM) drawing a window to a buffer memory, wherein the CDWM renders the window by applying a texture to a mesh, and wherein the texture comprises the raster image of the client content and default non-client information.

45. A method for resizing a window defined in part by a mesh, comprising:

dividing the mesh into three regions per mesh dimension;

for each region, maintaining offsets of mesh vertices in any dimension by which the region is bounded by a bounding box of the window, and scaling mesh vertices in any dimension by which the region is not bounded by the bounding box of the window.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the regions are equally sized.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the regions are not equally sized.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein regions bounded by the bounding box are as small as necessary to encompass material that should not be scaled.