Multi-Mode User Interface

• US 20110113363A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ming, Cai, Hunt, James Anthony, Haisheng, Xu, Kluttz, Karen Ruth, Yuan, Yao, Vanover, Michael Terrell
• Application Number:
  US12/750,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113363A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

An approach is provided to display a grid user-interface on a display. The grid user-interface includes a number of medium-sized windows that are displayed in a grid format. Each of the medium-sized windows has a substantially common width and a substantially common height to the other medium-sized windows. The system receives a mixed-mode request from a user. The mixed-mode request corresponds to a selected application that is displayed in one of the medium-sized windows. A second user-interface is displayed in response to receiving the mixed-mode request. The selected application is displayed in a large window and a plurality of small-sized windows is displayed adjacent to the large window. Each of the small-sized windows also has a substantially common width and a substantially common height to the other small-sized windows.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:

displaying a grid user-interface on a display, wherein the grid user-interface includes a plurality of medium-sized windows displayed in a grid format, and wherein each of the medium-sized windows has a substantially common width and a substantially common height;

receiving a mixed-mode request corresponding to a selected application that is displayed in one of the plurality of medium-sized windows; and

displaying a second user-interface display in response to receiving the mixed-mode request wherein the selected application is displayed in a large window and a plurality of small-sized windows is displayed adjacent to the large window, wherein each of the small-sized windows has a second substantially common width that is smaller than the common width and a second substantially common height that is smaller than the common height.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a full-screen mode request corresponding to the selected application that is displayed in one of the plurality of medium-sized windows in the grid user-interface; and

displaying a full-screen user-interface on the display in response to receiving the full-screen mode request, wherein the selected application is displayed in a substantially full-screen and wherein the plurality of medium-sized windows is removed from the display.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying an icon ribbon in the grid user-interface that includes a plurality of icons, wherein each of the icons is smaller than each of the medium-displaying one or more ribbon scroll graphic user interface (GUI) controls adjacent to the icon ribbon that, when selected, scroll through a second plurality of icons each corresponding to an available application.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a selection corresponding to one of the plurality of icons;

executing a software application corresponding to the selected icon; and

displaying a software application graphical interface corresponding to the executed software application in one of the medium-sized windows.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a GUI scroll control proximate to the grid user-interface;

receiving a scroll request at the GUI scroll control; and

displaying a second plurality of medium-sized windows in the grid user-interface in response to receiving the scroll request, wherein the second plurality of medium-sized windows inhibits display of two or more of the medium-sized windows included in the plurality of medium-sized windows.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a GUI scroll control proximate to the small-sized windows when the second user interface is displayed;

receiving a scroll request at the GUI scroll control; and

displaying a second plurality of small-sized windows in the second user-interface in response to receiving the scroll request, wherein the second plurality of small-sized windows inhibits display of at least one of the

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the medium-sized windows is a non-resizable window and wherein the grid format includes two rows and at least three columns of medium-sized windows.

8. A computer program product in a computer-readable storage medium comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by a computer, directs the computer to perform actions comprising:

displaying a grid user-interface on a display, wherein the grid user-interface includes a plurality of medium-sized windows displayed in a grid format, and wherein each of the medium-sized windows has a substantially common width and a substantially common height;

receiving a mixed-mode request corresponding to a selected application that is displayed in one of the plurality of medium-sized windows; and

displaying a second user-interface display in response to receiving the mixed-mode request wherein the selected application is displayed in a large window and a plurality of small-sized windows is displayed adjacent to the large window, wherein each of the small-sized windows has a second substantially common width that is smaller than the common width and a second substantially common height that is smaller than the common height.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the computer program product directs the computer to perform additional actions comprising:

receiving a full-screen mode request corresponding to the selected application that is displayed in one of the plurality of medium-sized displaying a full-screen user-interface on the display in response to receiving the full-screen mode request, wherein the selected application is displayed in a substantially full-screen and wherein the plurality of medium-sized windows is removed from the display.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the computer program product directs the computer to perform additional actions comprising:

displaying an icon ribbon in the grid user-interface that includes a plurality of icons, wherein each of the icons is smaller than each of the medium-sized windows; and

displaying one or more ribbon scroll graphic user interface (GUI) controls adjacent to the icon ribbon that, when selected, scroll through a second plurality of icons each corresponding to an available application.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the computer program product directs the computer to perform additional actions comprising:

receiving a selection corresponding to one of the plurality of icons;

executing a software application corresponding to the selected icon; and

displaying a software application graphical interface corresponding to the executed software application in one of the medium-sized windows.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the computer program product directs the computer to perform additional actions comprising:

displaying a GUI scroll control proximate to the grid user-interface;

receiving a scroll request at the GUI scroll control; and

displaying a second plurality of medium-sized windows in the grid user-interface in response to receiving the scroll request, wherein the second plurality of medium-sized windows inhibits display of two or more of the medium-sized windows included in the plurality of medium-sized windows.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the computer program product directs the computer to perform additional actions comprising:

displaying a GUI scroll control proximate to the small-sized windows when the second user interface is displayed;

receiving a scroll request at the GUI scroll control; and

displaying a second plurality of small-sized windows in the second user-interface in response to receiving the scroll request, wherein the second plurality of small-sized windows inhibits display of at least one of the small-sized windows included in the plurality of small-sized windows.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein each of the medium-sized windows is a non-resizable window and wherein the grid format includes two rows and at least three columns of medium-sized windows.

15. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

a set of instructions stored in the memory, wherein the one or more processors executes the set of instructions to perform actions of;

displaying a grid user-interface on the display, wherein the grid user-interface includes a plurality of medium-sized windows displayed in a grid format, and wherein each of the medium-sized windows has a substantially common width and a substantially common height;

receiving a mixed-mode request corresponding to a selected application that is displayed in one of the plurality of medium-sized windows; and

displaying a second user-interface display in response to receiving the mixed-mode request wherein the selected application is displayed in a large window and a plurality of small-sized windows is displayed adjacent to the large window, wherein each of the small-sized windows has a second substantially common width that is smaller than the common width and a second substantially common height that is smaller than the common height.

16. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions performs additional actions comprising:

receiving a full-screen mode request corresponding to the selected application that is displayed in one of the plurality of medium-sized windows in the grid user-interface; and

displaying a full-screen user-interface on the display in response to receiving the full-screen mode request, wherein the selected application is displayed in a substantially full-screen and wherein the plurality of

17. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions performs additional actions comprising:

displaying an icon ribbon in the grid user-interface that includes a plurality of icons, wherein each of the icons is smaller than each of the medium-sized windows; and

displaying one or more ribbon scroll graphic user interface (GUI) controls adjacent to the icon ribbon that, when selected, scroll through a second plurality of icons each corresponding to an available application.

18. The information handling system of claim 17 wherein the set of instructions performs additional actions comprising:

receiving a selection corresponding to one of the plurality of icons;

executing a software application corresponding to the selected icon; and

displaying a software application graphical interface corresponding to the executed software application in one of the medium-sized windows.

19. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions performs additional actions comprising:

displaying a GUI scroll control proximate to the grid user-interface;

receiving a scroll request at the GUI scroll control; and

displaying a second plurality of medium-sized windows in the grid user-interface in response to receiving the scroll request, wherein the second plurality of medium-sized windows inhibits display of two or more of the medium-sized windows included in the plurality of medium-sized windows.

20. The information handling system of claim 15 wherein the set of instructions performs additional actions comprising:

displaying a GUI scroll control proximate to the small-sized windows when the second user interface is displayed;

receiving a scroll request at the GUI scroll control; and

displaying a second plurality of small-sized windows in the second user-interface in response to receiving the scroll request, wherein the second plurality of small-sized windows inhibits display of at least one of the