Managing Workspaces in a User Interface

• US 20120096397A1
• 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 9,542,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 indicating a selection of a presented workspace image is received. The user interface is updated to display a plurality of application windows associated with the selected virtual workspace in addition to displaying the plurality of workspace images.

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 in addition to displaying the plurality of workspace images.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting that the user has performed a predetermined gesture via a multi-touch input device; and

changing an active virtual workspace designation from a current virtual workspace to a different virtual workspace associated with another of the workspace images presented in the user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the different virtual workspace corresponds to a workspace image that is visually adjacent to the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device, and wherein a swipe in a direction from right to left results in a change to a virtual workspace associated with a workspace image that is visually to the left of the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device, and wherein a swipe in a direction from left to right results in a change to a virtual workspace associated with a workspace image that is visually to the right of the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.

7. The method of claim 1 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.

8. 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 in addition to displaying the plurality of workspace images.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 including instructions that further perform:

detecting that the user has performed a predetermined gesture via a multi-touch input device; and

changing an active virtual workspace designation from a current virtual workspace to a different virtual workspace associated with another of the workspace images presented in the user interface.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the different virtual workspace corresponds to a workspace image that is visually adjacent to the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device, and wherein a swipe in a direction from right to left results in a change to a virtual workspace associated with a workspace image that is visually to the left of the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device, and wherein a swipe in a direction from left to right results in a change to a virtual workspace associated with a workspace image that is visually to the right of the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 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.

15. 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 in addition to displaying the plurality of workspace images.

16. The system of claim 15, the computing device further configured to perform 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 in addition to displaying the plurality of workspace images.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the different virtual workspace corresponds to a workspace image that is visually adjacent to the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device, and wherein a swipe in a direction from right to left results in a change to a virtual workspace associated with a workspace image that is visually to the left of the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the predetermined gesture comprises a swipe by the user on the multi-touch input device, and wherein a swipe in a direction from left to right results in a change to a virtual workspace associated with a workspace image that is visually to the right of the workspace image associated with the current virtual workspace.