Computer interface having a single window mode of operation

• US 20060036962A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Donald J. Lindsay, Steven P. Jobs
• Original Assignee: Donald J. Lindsay, Steven P. Jobs
• Inventors: Jobs, Steven P., Lindsay, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US11/245,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036962A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• 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

Abstract

A computer-human interface manages the available space of a computer display in a manner which reduces clutter and confusion caused by multiple open windows. The interface includes a user-selectable mode of operation in which only those windows associated with the currently active task are displayed on the computer monitor. All other windows relating to non-active tasks are minimized by reducing them in size or replacing them with a representative symbol, such as an icon, so that they occupy a minimal amount of space on the monitor'"'"'s screen. When a user switches from the current task to a new task, by selecting a minimized window, the windows associated with the current task are automatically minimized as the window pertaining to the new task is displayed at its normal size. As a result, the user is only presented with the window that relates to the current task of interest, and clutter provided by non-active tasks is removed.

Claims

1. A method for displaying data to users in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of containers for the data of a plurality of different tasks, respectively, where each container can be displayed as either an open window in which said data can be viewed, or a minimized representation of the window;

displaying the data for an active one of the tasks in an open window and displaying a minimized representation for the window of each inactive task;

detecting the selection of a task other than the active task; and

replacing the display of the open window for the active task with a minimized representation for that window and displaying an open window for the selected task in lieu of its minimized representation, in response to said selection.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of detecting a modified selection of a task other than the active task, and overriding the replacement of the window for the active task with a minimized representation, to thereby display the window for a previously active task concurrently with the window for the selected task.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimized representation of a window comprises a thumbnail view of the window.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimized representation of a window comprises an icon.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the open window for every selected task is displayed at the same predetermined location.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said predetermined location is in the center of a display screen.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimized representation of the window for each non-active task is displayed in a docking area.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said docking area comprises a user bar located along an edge of a display area.

9. A computer-readable medium containing program code for a user interface which executes the steps of:

creating a plurality of containers for the data of a plurality of different tasks, respectively, where each container can take the form of either an open window in which said data can be viewed, or a minimized representation of the window;

displaying the data for an active one of the tasks in an open window and displaying a minimized representation for the window of each inactive task;

detecting the selection of a task other than the active task; and

replacing the display of the open window for the active task with a minimized representation for that window and displaying an open window for the selected task in lieu of its minimized representation, in response to said selection.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein said program code executes the further steps of detecting a modified selection of a task other than the active task, and overriding the replacement of the window for the active task with a minimized representation, to thereby display the window for a previously active task concurrently with the window for the selected task.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the minimized representation of a window comprises a thumbnail view of the window.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the minimized representation of a window comprises an icon.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the open window for every selected task is displayed at the same predetermined location.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 wherein said predetermined location is in the center of a display screen.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the minimized representation of the window for each non-active task is displayed in a docking area.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein said docking area comprises a user bar located along an edge of a display area.