Methods and apparatuses to control application programs

• US 20080034318A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John, Peyton, Eric S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for controlling application programs are described. A first item and a docking interface having a second item are displayed on a screen space. A selection of the first item is received. A proxy of the first item is positioned over the second item. Next, a window is displayed in response positioning. An application is executing to display the window. In another embodiment, synchronizing a first docking interface on a first screen space of a first machine to a second docking interface on a second screen space of a second machine is performed. The first docking interface has an item that identifies a first application supported by the first machine and the second docking interface has another item that identifies a second application supported by the second machine.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method, comprising:

displaying a first item and a displayed interface having a second item on a screen space;

receiving a selection of the first item;

positioning a proxy of the first item over the second item; and

displaying a window in response to the positioning, wherein an application is executing to display the window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning includes dragging the proxy of the first item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second item represents an application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second item represents a folder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second item represents an Uniform Address Locator (“

URL”

).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the window is performed after the proxy of the first item is positioned over the third item for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the window includes bringing the window from a back of the screen space to a front of the screen space.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the window includes launching the application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed interface is a dock, a toolbar, or a dashboard.

10. A machine implemented method, comprising:

displaying a first item and a displayed interface having a second item on a screen space;

receiving a selection of the first item;

positioning a proxy of the first item over the second item;

displaying a first window having a third item when the proxy of the first item is positioned over the second item, wherein an application is executing to display the first window;

positioning the proxy of the first item over the third item; and

performing an action identified by the third item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the positioning includes dragging the proxy of the first item.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the action is performed after the proxy of the first item is positioned over the third item for a predetermined amount of time.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the performing the action includes

displaying a second window on the screen space;

positioning the proxy of the first item into the second window; and

releasing the first item.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the third item is a menu item.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the performing the action includes

displaying a second window on the screen space;

positioning the proxy of the first item outside the second window; and

removing the second window from the screen space.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the third item includes a system control interface.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the third item includes a hidden interface.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the displayed interface is a dock, a toolbar, or a dashboard.

19. A machine implemented method, comprising:

synchronizing a first displayed interface on a first screen space of a first machine to a second displayed interface on a second screen space of a second machine, wherein the first displayed interface has the first item that identifies a first application supported by the first machine.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the synchronizing includes

determining if the second machine supports the first application;

and

adding the first item to display on the second displayed interface if the second machine supports the first application.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein a first position of the first item on the first displayed interface is the same as a second position of the first item on the second displayed interface.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising synchronizing the second displayed interface having a second item that identifies a second application supported by the second machine to the first displayed interface that includes

determining if the first machine supports the second application;

and

adding the second item to display on the first displayed interface if the first machine supports the second application.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying the second displayed interface without the first item if the second machine does not support the first application.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the synchronizing includes adjusting a first position of the first item on the first displayed interface depending on a position of a second item on the second displayed interface.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the displayed interface is a dock, a toolbar, or a dashboard.

26. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising,

displaying a first item and a displayed interface having a second item on a screen space;

receiving a selection of the first item;

positioning a proxy of the first item over the second item; and

displaying a window in response to the positioning, wherein an application is executing to display the window.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the positioning includes dragging the proxy of the first item.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the second item represents an application.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the second item represents a folder.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the second item represents an Uniform Address Locator (“

URL”

).

31. The article of manufacture of claim 26, is performed after the proxy of the first item is positioned over the third item for a predetermined amount of time

32. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the displaying the window includes bringing the window from a back of the screen space to a front of the screen space.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the displaying the window includes launching the application.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the displayed interface is a dock, a toolbar, or a dashboard.

35. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising,

displaying a first item and a displayed interface having a second item on a screen space;

receiving a selection of the first item;

positioning a proxy of the first item over the second item; and

displaying a first window having a third item when the proxy of the first item is positioned over the second item, wherein an application is executing to display the first window;

positioning the proxy of the first item over the third item; and

performing an action identified by the third item.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the positioning includes dragging the proxy of the first item.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the action is performed when the proxy of the first item is positioned over the third item for a predetermined amount of time.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the performing the action includes

displaying a second window on the screen space;

positioning the proxy of the first item into the second window, and

releasing the first item.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the third item is a menu item.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the performing the action includes

displaying a second window on the screen space;

positioning the proxy of the first item outside the second window; and

removing the second window from the screen space.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the third item includes a system control interface.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the third item includes a hidden interface.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 35, wherein the displayed interface is a dock, a toolbar, or a dashboard.

45. The article of manufacture of claim 43, wherein the synchronizing includes

determining if the second machine supports the first application;

and

adding the first item to display on the second displayed interface if the second machine supports the first application.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 40, wherein a first position of the first item on the first displayed interface is the same as a second position of the first item on the second displayed interface.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 43, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising,

synchronizing the second displayed interface having a second item that identifies a second application supported by the second machine to the first displayed interface that includes

determining if the first machine supports the second application;

adding the second item to display on the first displayed interface if the first machine supports the second application

48. The article of manufacture of claim 43, wherein the machine-accessible medium further includes data that cause the machine to perform operations comprising,

displaying the second displayed interface without the first item if the second machine does not support the first application.

49. The article of manufacture of claim 43, wherein the synchronizing includes adjusting a first position of the first item on the first displayed interface depending on a second position of a second item on the second displayed interface.

50. The article of manufacture of claim 43, wherein the displayed interface is a dock, a toolbar, or a dashboard.

44. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising,

synchronizing a first displayed interface on a first screen space of a first machine to a second displayed interface on a second screen space of a second machine, wherein the first displayed interface has the first item that identifies a first application supported by the first machine.

51. A system, comprising:

means for displaying a first item and a displayed interface having a second item on a screen space;

means for receiving a selection of the first item;

means for positioning a proxy of the first item over the second item; and

means for displaying a window in response to the positioning, wherein an application is executing to display the window.

52. A system, comprising:

means for displaying a first item and a displayed interface having a second item on a screen space;

means for receiving a selection of the first item;

means for positioning a proxy of the first item over the second item; and

means for displaying a first window having a third item when the proxy of the first item is positioned over the second item, wherein an application is executing to display the first window;

means for positioning the proxy of the first item over the third item; and

means for performing an action identified by the third item.

53. A system, comprising:

means for synchronizing a first displayed interface to a second displayed interface.

displaying a window in response to the positioning, wherein an application is executing to display the window.