Method and apparatus for application window grouping and management

• US 20060224989A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stabb, Charles W., Van Dok, Cornelis K., Pettiross, Jeffrey W., Cooperman, Hillel N., Cummins, Charles, Lindsay, Donald J., Schrock, Sarah E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,478,339 B2
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A method for managing a plurality of application window representations is described. The method includes steps of defining a set of application window representation positions in a predefined region, displaying a plurality of application window representations in the application window representation positions, receiving an input to open a first application window, creating a first application window representation in the predefined region, determining whether a second application window representation of the plurality needs to be repositioned into a hidden application window representation position, and repositioning the second application window representation into the hidden application window representation upon determining that the second application window representation needs to be repositioned, wherein the hidden application window representation position is within a glom.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of application window representations, the method comprising steps of:

defining a set of application window representation positions in a predefined region, the set configured to position application window representations based upon a format in a predefined number of visible application window representation positions;

displaying a plurality of application window representations in the application window representation positions, each application window representation associated with an application window;

receiving an input to open a first application window;

creating a first application window representation associated with the first application window in the predefined region, wherein the first application window representation occupies a position in the set based upon the format;

determining whether a second application window representation of the plurality needs to be repositioned into a hidden application window representation position; and

repositioning the second application window representation into the hidden application window representation upon determining that the second application window representation needs to be repositioned,

wherein the hidden application window representation position is within a glom.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the format is defined by how recently the application widow tiles have been used.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hidden application window representation is visible when an input is received to display the hidden application window representation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a third application window representation, associated with a third application window, occupying a visible application window representation position is configured to include a counter identifying a number of application window representations within the glom.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the third application window is a multiple document interface parent application window.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the application window representations within the glom are multiple document interface child application windows.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of repositioning a third application window representation to a different position within the set of application window representation positions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the first application window representation is a most recently used position.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined region is configured to include an overflow representation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the overflow representation is configured to display application window representations not within the set.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the overflow representation is configured to display when an input is received to display the application window representations within the overflow representation.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the overflow representation is configured to include a visual indication representing a number of application window representations within the overflow representation.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising a series of computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of claim 1.

14. A method of displaying a notification associated with an application window comprising steps of:

displaying a first application window representation in a visible application window representation position within a predefined region of a display screen;

maintaining a second application window representation within a hidden application window representation position, the hidden application window representation position within a glom associated with the first window application representation;

receiving a notification associated with the second application window; and

repositioning the second application window representation from the hidden application window representation position to a second visible application window representation position within the predefined region of the display screen.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first application window representation is configured to include a visual indication representing a number of application window representations within the glom.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the visual indication is a counter, and the method further comprises a step of decrementing the counter by one.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second application window representation is repositioned to a most recently used position within the predefined region of the display screen.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first application window representation is repositioned within the predefined region of the display screen.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising a series of computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of claim 14.

20. A software architecture for processing data representative of glommed application window representations, comprising:

at least one component configured to position a first application window representation and a second application window representation into a glom; and

at least one application program interface to access the component.