CONTROLLING APPLICATION WINDOWS IN AN OPERATING SYSTM

• US 20070180400A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Szilagyi, Zoltan, Zotov, Alexander, Duncan, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,196,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling the appearance of application windows on a computer display screen. A user identifies either an application window currently running on the computer or a new application to be started. The user also identifies a size, shape, and screen location by inputting a geometric shape, such as by drawing a rectangle with a pen or stylus input device, on the display screen. The appearance of the application window is set based on the geometric shape. The application window is resized and moved, for a currently running application, or created, for a new application, on the display screen.

Claims

1. A method for defining the size and location of an application window on a display screen of a computer, comprising:

receiving a first user input identifying a target application;

receiving a second user input comprising a geometric shape drawn on said display screen, said geometric shape drawn by a user with a computer input device;

determining a size and screen location of an application window based on said geometric shape; and

establishing the target application in said application window on the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing comprises instantiating a new application on said computer and associating said new application with said application window on the display screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer input device comprises a pen input device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second user input comprises a rectangle drawn on the display screen with said pen input device, and wherein said determining comprises selecting a size and screen location for the application window based on the size and screen location of said rectangle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said rectangle is drawn on the display screen before said first user input is received, and wherein the first user input comprises an application name written inside said rectangle by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a window definition mode on said computer prior to receiving said second user input, wherein while said computer is in the window definition mode any geometric shape drawn on said display screen over an application window is not handled by the application associated with said application window.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said second user input comprises a geometric shape overlapping at least a portion of at least one existing application window on the display screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein initiating said window definition mode comprises receiving a third user input, said third user input comprising pressing a designated window definition mode button positioned on one of the computer input device and the computer.

9. A method for changing the appearance of an application window on a display screen, comprising:

receiving a first user input identifying a currently running application;

receiving a second user input describing a configuration of an application window associated with said currently running application on the display screen, wherein said second user input comprises a symbol drawn on the display screen by the user;

changing the appearance of the application window associated with said currently running application on the display screen, based on said symbol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second user input comprises a rectangle drawn on the display screen with a pen input device, and said changing the appearance of the application window comprises changing the size and screen location of the application window based on the size and screen location of said rectangle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said rectangle is drawn over an existing application window while said computer is in a window definition mode.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said second user input comprises a predetermined symbol drawn on the display screen with a pen input device, said symbol associated with an operating system command to maximize said application window.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said second user input comprises a predetermined symbol drawn on the display screen with a pen input device, said symbol associated with an operating system command to minimize said application window.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said second user input comprises a predetermined symbol drawn on the display screen with a pen input device, said symbol associated with an operating system command to close said application window.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said first user input comprises tapping with a pen input device the application window associated with the currently running application while said computer is in a window definition mode.

16. An apparatus comprising a storage medium with instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

receiving a first user input describing a target application;

receiving a second user input comprising a geometric shape drawn on a display screen of a computer, said geometric shape drawn by a user with a computer input device;

determining a size and screen location of an application window based on said geometric shape; and

establishing the target application in said application window on the display screen.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said computer input device comprises a pen input device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said geometric shape is drawn on said display screen before said first user input is received, and wherein the first user input comprises an application name written inside said geometric shape.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising initiating a window definition mode on said computer prior to receiving said second user input, wherein while said computer is in the window definition mode any geometric shape drawn on said display screen over an application window is not handled by the application associated with said application window.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein initiating said window definition mode comprises receiving a third user input, said third user input comprising pressing a designated window definition mode button on one of the computer input device and the computer.