DESTINATION LIST ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPLICATION LAUNCHER

• US 20090199122A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jennings, Andrew, Betz, Benjamin, Deutsch, Rebecca, Hoefnagels, Stephan, Miner, Patrice L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A computer application launcher can be displayed. In response to receiving a first user input associated with the launcher while a computer application indicated by the launcher is not running, a destination list can be displayed. The destination list can include one or more destinations indicating one or more items that can be performed by a computer application. In response to a second user input associated with the destination list and indicating selection of a destination on the destination list, the application can be launched and instructed to perform an item indicated by the selected destination.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving from a computer application a designation of one or more application-designated items that can be performed by the application;

displaying a computer application launcher for launching the computer application;

receiving a user input associated with the application launcher;

in response to the user input associated with the application launcher, displaying an application-specific destination list for the computer application while the computer application is not running, the destination list comprising one or more destinations indicating the one or more application-designated items; and

in response to a user input selecting a selected destination on the destination list, launching the application and instructing the application to perform a selected item indicated by the selected destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected item is one of the one or more application-designated items.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination list further comprises a listing of operating system destinations indicating items that can be performed by an operating system without launching the computer application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination list is separated into multiple separated listings comprising:

a listing of destinations indicating application-designated items; and

a usage-based listing of destinations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving update information from the computer application, wherein the update information comprises information designating an updated item to be indicated by an updated destination on the destination list, and wherein the destination list comprises the updated destination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application launcher is associated with a general menu including a listing of multiple application launchers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application launcher is associated with a taskbar.

8. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method comprising:

displaying a computer application launcher indicating a computer application;

in response to receiving a first user input associated with the launcher while the computer application is not running, displaying a destination list comprising one or more destinations indicating one or more items that can be performed by the application; and

in response to a second user input associated with the destination list and indicating selection of a destination on the destination list, launching the application and instructing the application to perform an item indicated by the selected destination.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving from the application a designation of one or more application-designated items; and

including on the destination list one or more destinations indicating the one or more application-designated items.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the destination list comprises one or more destinations indicating one or more items that can be performed by an operating system without launching the application.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the destination list comprises a usage-based listing comprising one or more destinations indicating one or more items that can be performed by the application.

12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the usage-based listing comprises a listing of frequently used items.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the usage-based listing comprises a listing of recently used items.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving list update information from the selected computer application;

in response to a third user input associated with the launcher, displaying an updated destination list of one or more destinations indicating items that can be performed by the application, the updated list representing the list update information; and

in response to a fourth user input associated with the updated list and indicating selection of a selected updated destination on the updated list, instructing the application to launch and perform an item indicated by the selected updated destination.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the list update information reflects a change of state of the selected computer application.

16. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method comprising:

maintaining an application-specific destination list comprising destinations indicating items that can be performed by a computer application;

displaying a launcher that indicates the computer application; and

in response to a user input associated with the launcher, displaying the application-specific destination list while the computer application is not running.

17. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein maintaining the application-specific destination list comprises:

receiving a designation from the application of one or more application-designated items to be indicated by one or more application-designated destinations on the destination list; and

including one or more of the application-designated destinations in the destination list.

18. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, further comprising, in response to a user input associated with a selected destination in the destination list, launching the computer application and instructing the computer application to perform an item indicated by the selected destination.

19. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises receiving updated destination list information when a state of the computer application changes.

20. The one or more computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the destination list comprises a listing of destinations indicating items that can be performed by the system without the application running, a listing of destinations indicating application-designated items, and a usage-based list of destinations indicating items that can be performed by the application.