WINDOW STACK MODELS FOR MULTI-SCREEN DISPLAYS

• US 20120084714A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: IMERJ LLC (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Gimpl, Martin, Cassar, Ron, Visosky, John Steven, Csiki, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

Abstract

Systems and methods are provides for creating a window stack for a multi-screen device. The stack is an arrangement of an active window and at least one other active or inactive window for at least one of the two displays. The system can receive activation of a window in the device. Upon activation of the window, the system can determine a display associated with the active window and can determine a position in the window stack for the active window. Then, the system can generate a logic data structure for the active window to describe the position of the active window in the window stack.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium, having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions executable by a processor, the computer-executable instructions causing the processor to execute a method for creating a window stack for a multi-screen device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to receive activation of a window in the multi-screen device;

instructions to determine a display associated with the active window;

instructions to determine a position in a window stack for the active window; and

after determining the position and display of the active window, instructions to generate a logic data structure for the active window to describe the position of the active window in the window stack.

2. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the window stack is a logical arrangement of active and inactive windows for a multi-screen device.

3. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 2, wherein an active window is displayed on at least one of two displays of the multi-screen device.

4. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the position in the window stack can be associated with at least one of two displays of the multi-screen device.

5. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the position in the window stack can be a position among all windows without association to one of the displays of the multi-screen device.

6. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the logical data structure comprises one or more of:

a window identifier adapted to identify the active window in relation to other windows in the window stack;

a window stack position identifier adapted to identify the position in the window stack for the active window; and

a display identifier adapted to identify which one of two displays of the multi-screen device the active window is associated.

7. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 6, wherein a first display of the multi-screen device is associated with a first stack and a second display of the multi-screen device is associated with a second stack.

8. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the logic data structure further comprises dimensions that delineate a portion of a display that the active window will occupy.

9. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein a single window is displayed across both the first and second display.

10. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein the single window has an identifier of a composite display, which includes both the first and second display.

11. A multi-screen device comprising:

two displays;

a memory;

a processor in communication with the memory and each of the two displays, the processor operable to;

receive activation of a window in the multi-screen device;

determine at least one of the displays of the multi-screen device associated with the active window;

determine a position in a window stack for the active window, wherein the active window is displayed on at least one of displays of the multi-screen device; and

after determining the window stack position and associated display of the active window, generate a logic data structure for the active window to describe the position of the active window in the window stack, wherein the window stack is an arrangement of a desktop and at least one other window displayed in at least one of the displays.

12. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the stack includes at least one active window, wherein the active window is positioned on top of the window stack and is displayed on at least one of two displays of the multi-screen device.

13. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the position in the window stack can be associated with a composite display, which includes all of the displays of the multi-screen device.

14. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the logic data structure comprises one or more of:

a window identifier adapted to identify the active window in relation to other windows in the window stack;

a window stack position identifier adapted to identify the position in the window stack for the active window; and

a display identifier adapted to identify which one of the displays of the multi-screen device the active window is associated.

15. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 14, wherein a first display of the multi-screen device is associated with a first stack and a second display of the multi-screen device is associated with a second stack.

16. A method for creating a window stack in a multi-screen device, the method comprising:

a processor executing a framework, a desktop, and an Application Manager;

the desktop providing at least one icon representing an application;

the framework receiving a gesture to activate the application;

the framework determining at least a portion of a composite display to render an active window associated with the application, wherein the composite display includes display areas for the two or more displays of the multi-screen device;

determining a display identifier for the active window;

determining a position in the window stack for the active window; and

generating a logic data structure for the active window to describe the position of the active window in the window stack, wherein the logic data structure includes the display identifier and the position in the window stack.

17. The method defined in claim 16, wherein the logic data structure further comprises a window identifier adapted to identify the active window in relation to other windows in the window stack.

18. The method defined in claim 16, wherein the window stack includes at least one of an inactive window and a desktop.

19. The method defined in claim 16, wherein the active window is also associated with an identifier for the composite display of the multi-screen device.

20. The method defined in claim 19, further comprising the framework rendering the composite display, wherein the composite display includes at least the active window.