Managing Workspaces in a User Interface

• US 20120096392A1
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas, Louch, John O.
• Granted Patent: US 10,740,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Providing a bridge interface for managing virtual workspaces is disclosed. A plurality of workspace images is presented in a user interface, each workspace image corresponding to a different virtual workspace available to a user of a computer system. A user input is received indicating a selection of a presented workspace image. The user interface is updated to display a plurality of application windows associated with the selected virtual workspace. The displayed application windows are visually grouped into one or more clusters, each cluster corresponding to one or more application windows sharing a common characteristic.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors executing on a computer system, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of workspace images in a user interface, each workspace image corresponding to a different virtual workspace available to a user of the computer system;

receiving user input indicating a selection of a presented workspace image; and

updating the user interface to display a plurality of application windows associated with the selected virtual workspace, wherein the displayed application windows are visually grouped into one or more clusters, each cluster corresponding to one or more application windows sharing a common characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared common characteristic of at least one application windows cluster is that the application windows are different instances of a same application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the shared common characteristic of at least one applications windows cluster is that the applications windows are instances of different applications that share at least some common functionality.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the common functionality of the different applications in a given cluster comprises at least one of word processing, electronic mail, web browsing, file browsing, system utility, spreadsheet manipulation, drawing, digital photo manipulation, system utility, and instant messaging.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a common characteristic indicator for each cluster.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the common characteristic indicator comprises a visual representation of an identity of an application that represents the common characteristic.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the common characteristic indicator comprises a visual representation of a functionality that represents the common characteristic.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each of a plurality of clusters is displayed such that no window of any cluster overlaps with any other window of any other cluster.

9. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, generate on a display device a graphical user interface for presenting virtual workspaces and perform the following operations:

present a plurality of workspace images in a user interface, each workspace image corresponding to a different virtual workspace available to a user of the computer system;

receive user input indicating a selection of a presented workspace image; and

update the user interface to display a plurality of application windows associated with the selected virtual workspace, wherein the displayed application windows are visually grouped into one or more clusters, each cluster corresponding to one or more application windows sharing a common characteristic.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the shared common characteristic of at least one application windows cluster is that the application windows are different instances of a same application.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the shared common characteristic of at least one applications windows cluster is that the applications windows are instances of different applications that share at least some common functionality.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the common functionality of the different applications in a given cluster comprises at least one of word processing, electronic mail, web browsing, file browsing, system utility, spreadsheet manipulation, drawing, digital photo manipulation, system utility, and instant messaging.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising displaying a common characteristic indicator for each cluster.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the common characteristic indicator comprises a visual representation of an identity of an application that represents the common characteristic.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the common characteristic indicator comprises a visual representation of a functionality that represents the common characteristic.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein each of a plurality of clusters is displayed such that no window of any cluster overlaps with any other window of any other cluster.

17. A system comprising:

a display device;

a computing device in communication with the display device, wherein the computing device is configured to perform at least the following;

present a plurality of workspace images in a user interface, each workspace image corresponding to a different virtual workspace available to a user of the computer system;

receive user input indicating a selection of a presented workspace image; and

update the user interface to display a plurality of application windows associated with the selected virtual workspace, wherein the displayed application windows are visually grouped into one or more clusters, each cluster corresponding to one or more application windows sharing a common characteristic.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the shared common characteristic of at least one application windows cluster is that the application windows are different instances of a same application.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the shared common characteristic of at least one applications windows cluster is that the applications windows are instances of different applications that share at least some common functionality.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising displaying a common characteristic indicator for each cluster.