TOGGLING WINDOW DISPLAY STATE BY SCREEN IN A MULTI-SCREENED DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100064251A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shook, Aaron K., Lacock, Tyler S., Hufnagel, Mark R.
• Application Number:
  US12/205,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064251A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/788
• 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

Abstract

An event to toggle a screen state of a screen of a desktop environment can be detected. The desktop environment can include a set of screens. Screen states of the screens can include a minimized screen state and a restored screen state. The minimized screen state can be a state in which all windows associated with the screen have a minimized window state. The restored screen state can be a state in which at least one window associated with the screen has an open display state. An open display state can include a maximized window display state or an adjusted window display state. The screen state of the screen of the desktop environment can be toggled responsive to the detected event without affecting a screen state of other ones of the set of screens.

Claims

1. A method for controlling multiple displays from a computing device comprising:

detecting an event to toggle a screen state of a screen of a desktop environment comprising a plurality of screens, wherein screen states of the screen comprise a minimized screen state and a restored screen state, wherein the minimized screen state is a state in which all windows associated with the screen have a minimized window state, wherein the restored screen state is a state in which at least one window associated with the screen has an open display state, wherein an open display state comprises at least one of a maximized window display state and an adjusted window display state; and

toggling the screen state of the screen of the desktop environment responsive to the detected event without affecting a screen state of other ones of the plurality of screens.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of screens are virtual desktop screens.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of screens are each associated with a different physical display devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

toggling the screen state of the screen to a minimized screen state.

5. The method of claim 4, said toggling of the screen state to the minimized screen state further comprising:

detecting a display state of at least one open window associated with the screen; and

toggling the display state of each of the at least one open window associated with the screen to a minimized state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

toggling the screen state of the screen to a restored screen state.

7. The method of claim 6, said toggling of the screen state to the restored screen state further comprising:

determining at least one window associated with the screen;

ascertaining a previous display state of each determined window associated with the screen, wherein the previous display states represent a display state of each window before the screen was placed in a screen minimize state; and

changing a display state of each determined window to the previous display state.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving a screen state of said desired screen before altering the screen state to a minimized state, wherein the saved screen state is used to restore the screen state to its previous state when the screen state is toggled back to a restored state.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of screens are each associated with a different physical display devices.

9. A computer program product for controlling multiple displays from a computing device comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to detect an event to toggle a screen state of a screen of a desktop environment comprising a plurality of screens, wherein screen states of the screen comprise a minimized screen state and a restored screen state, wherein the minimized screen state is a state in which all windows associated with the screen have a minimized window state, wherein the restored screen state is a state in which at least one window associated with the screen has an open display state, wherein an open display state comprises at least one of a maximized window display state and an adjusted window display state; and

computer usable program code configured to toggle the screen state of the screen of the desktop environment responsive to the detected event without affecting a screen state of other ones of the plurality of screens.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the plurality of screens are virtual desktop screens.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the plurality of screens are each associated with a different physical display devices.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to toggle the screen state of the screen to a minimized screen state.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, said computer usable program code configured to toggle of the screen state to the minimized screen state further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to detect a display state of at least one open window associated with the screen; and

computer usable program code configured to toggle the display state of each of the at least one open window associated with the screen to a minimized state.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to toggle the screen state of the screen to a restored screen state.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, said computer usable program code configured toggle of the screen state to the restored screen state further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to determine at least one window associated with the screen;

computer usable program code configured to ascertain a previous display state of each determined window associated with the screen, wherein the previous display states represent a display state of each window before the screen was placed in a screen minimize state; and

computer usable program code configured to change a display state of each determined window to the previous display state.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to save a screen state of said desired screen before altering the screen state to a minimized state, wherein the saved screen state is used to restore the screen state to its previous state when the screen state is toggled back to a restored state.

17. A graphical user interface comprising:

a plurality of screens, each screen having a current screen state, wherein a current screen state comprises one of a minimized screen state and a restored screen state, wherein the minimized screen state is a state in which all windows associated with the screen have a minimized window state, wherein the restored screen state is a state in which at least one window associated with the screen has an open display state, wherein an open display state comprises at least one of a maximized window display state and an adjusted window display state; and

a screen state toggle control configured to be selected by a user to selectively toggle a screen state of one of the plurality of screens of a desktop environment without affecting a screen state of other ones of the plurality of screens.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of screens are virtual desktop screens.