METHOD AND SYSTEM OF TASKBAR BUTTON INTERFACES

• US 20100077338A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: LIGAMERI, MARK R., MATTHEWS, DAVID A., SHI, YEMING, KUMAR, R. SYAM, STABB, CHARLES W., PETTIROSS, JEFFREY W., CUMMINS, CHARLES
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/779
• 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: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

The present invention provides a system or method for displaying rich presentation taskbar buttons for a corresponding application. In one example, the rich presentation taskbar button may receive content from an application through a programming interface. The present invention further relates to a system and method for displaying a rich presentation taskbar button and for displaying and/or dismissing a thumbnail of an application window associated with the rich presentation taskbar button. The present invention may further include a system and method of pinning the thumbnail on a display or dismissing a thumbnail. The present invention also relates to a system and method for displaying multiple taskbar buttons in a taskbar including controlling the size of individual taskbar buttons, consolidating taskbar buttons and placing taskbar buttons into an overflow based on the type of taskbar button in the taskbar.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying a first taskbar button associated with a first application in a taskbar and a second taskbar button associated with a second application in the taskbar, wherein the first application and the second application are different;

displaying a first thumbnail in proximity to the first taskbar button, the first thumbnail including content associated with the first application; and

displaying a second thumbnail in proximity to the second taskbar button, the second thumbnail including content associated with the second application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first thumbnail is displayed when a cursor is hovered over the first taskbar button.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

dismissing the first thumbnail when the cursor is moved away from the first taskbar button.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first thumbnail includes dynamic information that changes in real-time in the first thumbnail to reflect corresponding dynamic information associated with the first application.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the dynamic information includes a video being played by the first application.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first taskbar button provides information on the status of a process being performed by the first application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of taskbar buttons in the taskbar in addition to the first and second taskbar buttons, wherein sizes of the plurality of taskbar buttons and the first and second taskbar buttons are scaled in size to fit in the taskbar, wherein each taskbar button is a same size.

8. One or more computer-readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that when executed perform operations comprising:

displaying a first taskbar button associated with a first application in a taskbar and a second taskbar button associated with a second application in the taskbar;

displaying a first thumbnail in proximity to the first taskbar button, the first thumbnail including a miniaturized version of a window associated with the first application; and

displaying a second thumbnail in proximity to the second taskbar button, the second thumbnail including a miniaturized version of a window associated with the second application.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8 wherein displaying the first thumbnail is performed when a cursor is hovered over the first taskbar button.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 9 wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed perform operations further comprising:

dismissing the first thumbnail when the cursor is moved away from the first taskbar button.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8 wherein the first thumbnail includes dynamic information that changes in real-time in the first thumbnail to reflect corresponding dynamic information associated with the first application.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 11 wherein the dynamic information includes a video being played by the first application.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8 wherein the first taskbar button provides information on the status of a process being performed by the first application.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8 wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed perform operations further comprising:

displaying a plurality of taskbar buttons in the taskbar in addition to the first and second taskbar buttons, wherein sizes of the plurality of taskbar buttons and the first and second taskbar buttons are scaled in size to fit in the taskbar, wherein each taskbar button is a same size.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that when executed perform operations comprising:

displaying a plurality of taskbar buttons in a taskbar of a user interface of a computer, wherein each taskbar button is associated with an open application, wherein each open application is different;

receiving a request to open a first application;

resizing the plurality of taskbar buttons to accommodate a first taskbar button corresponding to the first application fitting on the taskbar; and

displaying the resized plurality of taskbar buttons and the first taskbar button on the taskbar, wherein each taskbar button is a same size.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed perform operations further comprising:

receiving a request to open a second application; and

creating an overflow menu for a second taskbar button corresponding to the second open application when the taskbar lacks room for the second taskbar button.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 16 wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed perform operations further comprising:

displaying an overflow icon in the taskbar indicating the presence of the overflow menu. icon.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed perform operations further comprising:

displaying the second taskbar button in response to user input at the overflow icon.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed perform operations further comprising:

displaying a first thumbnail in proximity to the first taskbar button, the first thumbnail including a miniaturized version of a window associated with the first application.