WORKSPACE MANAGEMENT TOOL

• US 20110087982A1
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Perry, Jeremy Gray, McCann, William Jon
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method for providing a workspace management tool includes presenting a workspace overview graphical user interface (GUI) having a first area and a second area. The first area includes visual indicators of favorite applications of a user, and the second area includes multiple regions, each region representing a different work space. The method further includes receiving, via the workspace overview GUI, a user request to open a new window for one of the favorite applications in a first work space, adding the new window to the first work space, and presenting the new window in a reduced form in a region representing the first work space without overlapping other open windows of the first work space.

Claims

13. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a set of operations comprising:

presenting, on a display device of the computing system, a workspace overview graphical user interface (GUI) having a first area and a second area, the first area comprising visual indicators of favorite applications of a user, and the second area comprising a plurality of regions, each region representing a different work space;

receiving, via the workspace overview GUI, a user request to open a new window for one of the favorite applications in a first work space;

adding, by the computing system, the new window to the first work space; and

presenting, on the display device, the new window in a reduced form in a region representing the first work space without overlapping other open windows of the first work space.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the favorite applications of the user comprise applications currently running on the computing system and applications that are likely to be run on the computing system in the future.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein each of the visual indicators of the currently running applications and the applications likely to be run in the future graphically illustrates a function or a brand of a respective application, and a state of the respective application, the state of the application comprising any one of inactive, active with a single open window, active with multiple open windows, active with one or more messages, and active with window urgency.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein receiving a user request to open a new window for one of the favorite applications in a first work space comprises:

detecting a user dragging of a visual indicator of the application onto the region representing the first work space.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the set of operations further comprises:

receiving a user request for an application menu associated with the application, the application having a plurality of open windows; and

displaying the application menu next to a visual indicator of the application, the application menu including a list of open windows of the application and an option to create a new window for the application.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein receiving a user request to open a new window for the application in the first work space comprises:

detecting a user selection of the option to create a new window for the application in the application menu.

19. A computing system comprising:

a memory;

a display device coupled to the memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory; and

an operating system executed by the at least one processor to;

present, on the display device, a workspace overview graphical user interface (GUI) having a first area and a second area, the first area comprising visual indicators of favorite applications of a user, and the second area comprising a plurality of regions, each region representing a different work space;

receive, via the workspace overview GUI, a user request to open a new window for one of the favorite applications in a first work space;

add the new window to the first work space; and

presenting, on the display device, the new window in a reduced form in a region representing the first work space without overlapping other open windows of the first work space.

1. A method, implemented by a computing system programmed to perform the following, comprising:

presenting, on a display device of the computing system, a workspace overview graphical user interface (GUI) having a first area and a second area, the first area comprising visual indicators of favorite applications of a user, and the second area comprising a plurality of regions, each region representing a different work space;

receiving, via the workspace overview GUI, a user request to open a new window for one of the favorite applications in a first work space;

adding, by the computing system, the new window to the first work space; and

presenting, on the display device, the new window in a reduced form in a region representing the first work space without overlapping other open windows of the first work space.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the favorite applications of the user comprise applications currently running on the computing system and applications that are likely to be run on the computing system in the future.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising identifying the applications that are likely to be run on the computing system based on at least one of user input and frequency of use determination.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the visual indicators of the currently running applications and the applications likely to be run in the future graphically illustrates a function or a brand of a respective application, and a state of the respective application, the state of the application comprising any one of inactive, active with a single open window, active with multiple open windows, active with one or more messages, and active with window urgency.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein receiving a user request to open a new window for one of the favorite applications in a first work space comprises:

detecting a user dragging of a visual indicator of the application onto the region representing the first work space.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving a user request for an application menu associated with the application, the application having a plurality of open windows; and

displaying the application menu next to a visual indicator of the application, the application menu including a list of open windows of the application and an option to create a new window for the application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein receiving a user request to open a new window for the application in the first work space comprises:

detecting a user selection of the option to create a new window for the application in the application menu.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

as the user moves the cursor through the list of windows, highlighting or increasing the size of a corresponding window in the second area; and

if the windows are part of multiple workspaces, switching between respective view spaces as the user moves the cursor through the list of windows.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing the user to move windows from the first work space to a second work space; and

repositioning windows in the second work space, the repositioning comprising reducing sizes of the windows in the second work space to allow the windows in the second work space to be viewed simultaneously.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second area includes a control to add a new work space.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the user to switch between different work spaces.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first area further includes icons representing recent documents; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a user selection of one of the icons; and

adding a corresponding document to the first work space.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the favorite applications of the user comprise applications currently running on the computing system and applications that are likely to be run on the computing system in the future.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the second area includes a control to add a new work space.