Methods, systems, and computer program products for interacting simultaneously with multiple application programs

• US 20080148149A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Singh, Mona, Fry, Ryan C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for interacting simultaneously with multiple application programs are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes allowing a first application program to be associated with a second application program. The first and second application programs are responsive to inputs received via a user interface for interacting with respective user interface components associated with the first and second application programs. Further, an input is received via the user interface when the first application program has focus within the user interface. The received input is neither for interacting with the user interface components associated with the first application program nor the second application program. The association between the first and second application programs is used to present a portion of information related to the second application program while maintaining the focus of the first application program within the user interface in response to receiving the input.

Claims

1. A method for interacting simultaneously with multiple application programs, the method comprising:

allowing a first application program to be associated with a second application program, wherein the first and second application programs are responsive to inputs received via a user interface for interacting with respective user interface components associated with the first and second application programs;

receiving an input via the user interface when the first application program has focus within the user interface, wherein the received input is neither for interacting with the user interface components associated with the first application program nor the second application program; and

in response to receiving the input, using the association between the first and second application programs to present a portion of information related to the second application program while maintaining the focus of the first application program within the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein allowing a first application program to be associated with a second application program includes allowing one of a calendar application program, an e-mail application program, an appliance application program, a web browser application program, and a word processing application program to be associated with one of another of a calendar application program, an e-mail application program, an appliance application program, a web browser application program, and a word processing application program.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an input via the user interface includes receiving one of a predetermined mouse gesture, predetermined speech input, one or more predetermined keystrokes, and predetermined gaze input.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to present a portion of information related to the second application program includes using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information related to the second application program.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information related to the second application program includes using the association between the first and second application programs to display a window including the portion of information.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to display a window includes displaying the window overlaying a portion of one of the first application program and the second application program.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information related to the second application program includes using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information on a portion of a display surrounding a window associated with the first application program.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information related to the second application program includes using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information in a stack of overlay windows.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information related to the second application program includes using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information in a taskbar associated with the second application program.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information related to the second application program includes using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information in a position on a display of the second application program.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information related to the second application program includes using the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information in a predetermined position on a display.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to present a portion of information related to the second application program includes presenting the portion of information with predetermined presentation characteristics.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein using the association between the first and second application programs to present a portion of information related to the second application program includes presenting the portion of information related to the second application program based on the received input.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein maintaining the focus of the first application program within the user interface includes maintaining a context of a user interaction with the first application program.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein maintaining a context of a user interaction with the first application program includes maintaining one of a scroll context with the first application program, a selection context with the first application program, and a highlight context with the first application program.

16. The method of claim 1 comprising:

allowing the first application program to be associated with a plurality of application programs, wherein the plurality of application programs is responsive to inputs received via the user interface for interacting with respective user interface components associated with the plurality of application programs;

wherein the received input is not for interacting with the user interface components associated with the plurality of application programs; and

wherein using the association between the first application program and the plurality of application programs includes presenting a portion of information related to the plurality of application programs while maintaining focus of the first application program within the user interface.

17. The method of claim 1 comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of inputs in sequence via the user interface when the first application program has focus with the user interface, wherein the received inputs are neither for interacting with the user interface components associated with the first application program nor the second application program; and

(b) in response to receiving the inputs, using the association between the first and second application programs to present an increasing amount of information related to the second application program based on the received sequence of inputs.

18. The method of claim 1 comprising:

(a) determining user input with respect to the first and second application programs; and

(b) associating the first and second application programs based on the determined user input.

19. A system for interacting simultaneously with multiple application programs, the system comprising:

a user interface configured to receive input when a first application program has focus within the user interface, wherein the received input is neither for interacting with the user interface components associated with the first application program nor a second application program; and

an associated application program manager configured to allow the first application program to be associated with the second application program, wherein the first and second application programs are responsive to inputs received via the user interface for interacting with respective user interface components associated with the first and second application programs, and wherein the associated application program manager is configured to use the association between the first and second application programs to present a portion of information related to the second application program while maintaining the focus of the first application program within the user interface in response to receiving the input.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the user interface is configured to receive one of a predetermined mouse gesture, predetermined speech input, one or more predetermined keystrokes, and predetermined gaze input.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to allow one of a calendar application program, an e-mail application program, an appliance application program, a web browser application program, and a word processing application program to be associated with one of another of a calendar application program, an e-mail application program, an appliance application program, a web browser application program, and a word processing application program.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to use the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information related to the second application program.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to use the association between the first and second application programs to display a window including the portion of information.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to display the window overlaying a portion of one of the first application program and the second application program.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to use the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information on a portion of a display surrounding a window associated with the first application program.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to use the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information in a stack of overlay windows.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to use the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information in a taskbar associated with the second application program.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to use the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information in a position on a display of the second application program.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to use the association between the first and second application programs to display the portion of information in a predetermined position on a display.

30. The system of claim 19 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to present the portion of information with predetermined presentation characteristics.

31. The system of claim 19 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to present the portion of information related to the second application program based on the received input.

32. The system of claim 19 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to maintain a context of a user interaction with the first application program.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the associated application program manager is configured to maintain one of a scroll context with the first application program, a selection context with the first application program, and a highlight context with the first application program.

34. The system of claim 19:

wherein the user interface is configured to receive input that is not for interacting with the user interface components associated with a plurality of application programs; and

wherein the associated application program manager is configured to allow the first application program to be associated with the plurality of application programs, wherein the plurality of application programs are response to inputs received via the user interface for interacting with respective user interface components associated with the plurality of application programs, and wherein the associated application program manager is configured to present a portion of information related to the plurality of application programs while maintaining focus of the first application program within the user interface.

35. The system of claim 19 wherein the use interface is configured to receive a plurality of inputs in sequence via the user interface when the first application program has focus with the user interface, wherein the received inputs are neither for interacting with the user interface components associated with the first application program nor the second application program, and

wherein the associated application program manager is configured to user the association between the first and second application programs to present an increasing amount of information related to the second application program based on the received sequence of inputs in response to receiving the inputs.

36. The system of claim 19 wherein the association application program manger is configured to determine user input with respect to the first and second application programs, and configured to associate the first and second application programs based on the determined user input.

37. A system for interacting simultaneously with multiple application programs, the system comprising:

means for allowing a first application program to be associated with a second application program, wherein the first and second application programs are responsive to inputs received via a user interface for interacting with respective user interface components associated with the first and second application programs;

means for receiving an input via the user interface when the first application program has focus within the user interface, wherein the received input is neither for interacting with the user interface components associated with the first application program nor the second application program; and

means for using the association between the first and second application programs to present a portion of information related to the second application program while maintaining the focus of the first application program within the user interface in response to receiving the input.

38. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium for performing steps comprising:

allowing a first application program to be associated with a second application program, wherein the first and second application programs are responsive to inputs received via a user interface for interacting with respective user interface components associated with the first and second application programs;

receiving an input via the user interface when the first application program has focus within the user interface, wherein the received input is neither for interacting with the user interface components associated with the first application program nor the second application program; and

in response to receiving the input, using the association between the first and second application programs to present a portion of information related to the second application program while maintaining the focus of the first application program within the user interface.