System and method for providing a window management mode

• US 20060248471A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ligameri, Mark R., Lindsay, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US11/117,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20060248471A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A mode of managing windows in a graphical user interface in which the application windows may be presented in a tiled manner is provided. Upon invocation of the mode each inactive application windows may be scaled down and organized in a manner so as to set them aside from the currently active application window while the active application window may remain at or near full size and be positioned in a centralized location in the desktop space.

Claims

1. A method for concurrently displaying a plurality of application windows on a display screen, the method comprising:

responsive to a first command, rendering each inactive application window in a scaled down form in a desktop space and rendering an active application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein none of the rendered application windows overlap one another, and wherein the active application window is rendered in a location in the desktop space based on the number of inactive application windows.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein immediately prior to responding to the first command, the active application window overlaps at least one inactive application window in the desktop space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein after responding to the first command, in response to a second command selecting a first application window,

rendering the first application window at or near full size in the desktop space,

making the first application window active,

rendering a second application window in a scaled down form in the desktop space, the second application window being the active application window rendered at or near full size in response to the first command, and

making the second application window inactive.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein in response to the second command the first application window and the second application window swap relative positions in the desktop space.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein swapping relative positions includes the first application window transitioning by animation from its relative position to the relative position of the second application window and the second application window transitioning by animation from its relative position to the relative position of the first application window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each inactive application window is set aside from the active application window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the first command, the active application is rendered at full size.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein immediately prior to responding to the first command, an inactive application window is hidden or minimized.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the first command, each inactive application window transitions by animation to be set aside from the active application window in the desktop space.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the active application window includes rendering the active application window on a first display screen and rendering each inactive application window includes rendering each inactive application window on a second display screen different from the first display screen.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the active application window is rendered in a location in the desktop space further based on an orientation of the display screen.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the active application window is rendered in a location in the desktop space further based on the degree of scaling of the inactive application windows.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the degree of scaling is a function of the number of inactive application windows.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the active application window is rendered in a location in the desktop space further based on a location where the inactive application windows will be rendered.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the active application window is rendered in a location in the desktop space further based on a location where the inactive application windows will be rendered.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to a second command rendering a different arrangement of each inactive application window and the active application, wherein none of the rendered application windows overlap one another.

6. (canceled)

11. A method for concurrently displaying a plurality of application windows on a display screen, the method comprising:

responsive to a first command, rendering each inactive application window in a scaled down form in a desktop spaced and rendering an active application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein none of the rendered application windows overlap one another, wherein in response to the first command, the active application window transitions by animation to a position in the desktop space and each inactive application window transitions by animation to be set aside from the active application window to a position in the desktop space, wherein the animation of the application windows provides a user with a visualization of the transition of the application windows to their respective positions in the desktop space.

13. A method for concurrently displaying a plurality of application windows on a display screen, the method comprising:

responsive to a first command, rendering each inactive application window in a scaled down form in a desktop space and rendering an active application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein none of the rendered application windows overlap one another; and

rendering a taskbar control in a control region separate from the desktop space, the taskbar control including a first button control corresponding to the active application window and a second button control corresponding to an inactive application window.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the active application window is a first application window and the inactive application window is a second application window, further comprising:

after responding to the first command, in response to a user selection of the second button control, performing the steps of,

making the first application window inactive,

making the second application window active,

rendering the second application window at or near full size in the desktop space, and

rendering the first application window in a scaled down form in the desktop space.

15-20. -20. (canceled)