Virtual desktop manager

• US 20060080617A1
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shapiro, Daniel J., Anderson, Bret Paul, Rollin, Kelly Elizabeth
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/779
• 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: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method for a user to preview multiple virtual desktops in a graphical user interface is described. The method comprises receiving an indication from a user to preview the multiple virtual desktops and displaying multiple panes on the display. Each pane contains a scaled virtual desktop having dimensions that are proportionally less than the dimensions of a corresponding full-size virtual desktop. Each scaled virtual desktop displays with one or more scaled application windows as shadows if the corresponding full-size virtual desktop has one or more corresponding application windows that are active.

Claims

1. Method for providing different background images for multiple virtual desktops in a graphical user interface being presented on a display of a computer system, the method comprising:

presenting each full-size virtual desktop including the background image of each full-size virtual desktop as a thumbnail on the display;

receiving an indication from a user that an old background image of a first full-size virtual desktop of the multiple virtual desktops is to be replaced with a new background image; and

displaying on the display the new background image of the first full-size virtual desktop of the multiple desktops in accordance with the indication received from the user if the old background image of the first full-size virtual desktop is in the view of the user, the act of displaying being adapted to display the background image of the thumbnail that corresponds to the first full-size virtual desktop.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of showing on the display a first menu having a first set of menu items, each menu item in the first set of menu items corresponding to a selectable background image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the act of receiving includes receiving a first selection event by a thumbnail representative of a desired full-size virtual desktop and then receiving a second selection event by a menu item from the first set of menu items to indicate a desired background image for the desired full-size virtual desktop, and wherein the act of displaying changes the background image of the thumbnail representative of the desired full-size virtual desktop to the desired background image.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of configuring a set of shortcut keys, each shortcut key of the set of shortcut keys being selected from a group consisting of a shortcut key to invoke the display of a preview window and a shortcut key to invoke the display of a full-size virtual desktop from the multiple virtual desktops.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of displaying a preview button so that the user may select the preview button to allow the method to receive an indication from the user to preview the multiple virtual desktops.

6. Computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of performing the method for providing different background images for multiple virtual desktops in a graphical user interface being presented on a display of a computer system, the method comprising:

presenting each full-size virtual desktop including the background image of each full-size virtual desktop as a thumbnail on the display;

receiving an indication from a user that an old background image of a first full-size virtual desktop of the multiple virtual desktops is to be replaced with a new background image; and

displaying on the display the new background image of the first full-size virtual desktop of the multiple desktops in accordance with the indication received from the user if the old background image of the first full-size virtual desktop is in the view of the user, the act of displaying being adapted to display the background image of the thumbnail that corresponds to the first full-size virtual desktop.