Virtual desktop manager

• US 20060085760A1
• Filed: 12/01/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• 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 7,350,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/778
• 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 a desktop switcher to switch among multiple virtual desktops in a graphical user interface being presented on a display of a computer system, each virtual desktop having a background image that may be different from the background image of another virtual desktop, the method comprising:

displaying a set of thumbnails, each thumbnail representing a full-size virtual desktop of the multiple virtual desktops, and each thumbnail having a background image that corresponds to the background image of the full-size virtual desktop represented by the thumbnail;

displaying one or more shadows in each thumbnail if the full-size virtual desktop represented by the thumbnail has one or more application windows that are opened on the full-size virtual desktop, each shadow being a faint representation of an application window that is opened on the full-size virtual desktop; and

receiving an indication from a user for switching from one full-size virtual desktop to another full-size virtual desktop when the user clicks on a thumbnail from the set of thumbnails.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the act of switching from one full-size virtual desktop to another full-size virtual desktop as an animation by setting the one virtual desktop as a starting point of the animation and the another virtual desktop as an ending point of the animation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a dragged event when the user drags a shadow in one thumbnail to another thumbnail and receiving a dropped event when the user drops the shadow on the another thumbnail, the shadow that is dropped being defined as a dropped shadow; and

displaying the dropped shadow on the another thumbnail, and displaying the application window that corresponds to the dropped shadow on the virtual desktop that corresponds to the another thumbnail when the act of switching switches to the virtual desktop that corresponds to the another thumbnail.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication from a user for changing an old background image of the virtual desktop to a new background image; and

displaying the new background image of the virtual desktop as well as the new background image for the thumbnail that corresponds to the virtual desktop.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outlining the thumbnail for which the corresponding full-size virtual desktop is currently presented on the display.

6. Computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of performing a method for providing a desktop switcher to switch among multiple virtual desktops in a graphical user interface being presented on a display of a computer system, each virtual desktop having a background image that may be different from the background image of another virtual desktop, the method comprising:

displaying a set of thumbnails, each thumbnail representing a full-size virtual desktop of the multiple virtual desktops, and each thumbnail having a background image that corresponds to the background image of the full-size virtual desktop represented by the thumbnail;

displaying one or more shadows in each thumbnail if the full-size virtual desktop represented by the thumbnail has one or more application windows that are opened on the full-size virtual desktop, each shadow being a faint representation of an application window that is opened on the full-size virtual desktop; and

receiving an indication from a user for switching from one full-size virtual desktop to another full-size virtual desktop when the user clicks on a thumbnail from the set of thumbnails.