DRAGGING AN APPLICATION TO A SCREEN USING THE APPLICATION MANAGER

• US 20120117495A1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: IMERJ LLC (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Reeves, Paul E., de Paz, Alexander, Milano, Eduardo Diego Torres, Ficklin, Jared L., Burton, Denise, Wygonik, Gregg
• Granted Patent: US 9,207,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/761
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A dual-screen user device and methods for revealing a combination of desktops on single and multiple screens are disclosed. Selected desktops and/or running applications are displayed on dual screen displays. Desktops and applications can be shifted between screens by user gestures, and/or moved off of the screens and therefore hidden. Hidden desktops and screens can be re-displayed by yet other gestures. The desktops and applications are arranged in a window stack that represents a logical order of the desktops and applications providing a user with an intuitive ability to manage multiple applications/desktops miming simultaneously. One user gesture launches an applications management window that provides visual indications of all applications and desktops running at the time. Other gestures rearrange the order of the applications and desktops in the window stack. One particular gesture drags a selected application or desktop appearing in the applications management window to a selected screen.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a plurality of desktops and/or applications, each having at least one window, on a multi-screen device, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first input that represents an instruction to reveal one of a desktop or application on a first display of the multi-screen device;

selecting, by a processor, a first desktop or application to display on the first display;

receiving, by a processor, a second input that represents an instruction to reveal one of a desktop or application on a second display of the multi-screen device;

selecting, by a processor, a second desktop or application to display on the second display;

displaying, by a processor, the selected first and second desktops or applications on the first and second displays;

receiving, by a processor, a third input that represents an instruction to launch an application manager feature;

displaying, by a processor, the applications or desktops on the first and second displays, and displaying a management window showing all other applications or desktops currently running;

determining, by a processor, a desired order for a window stack comprising the first and second applications or desktops, and said other applications or desktops;

receiving, by a processor, a fourth input that represents an instruction to selectively move one of said other applications or desktops within the window stack to a displayed position on said first or second displays;

displaying, by a processor, the window stack in a new order in response to said fourth input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth input is a user gesture comprising at least one of a flick or drag gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the third input is a user gesture comprising a spread gesture, and wherein the spread gesture is executed on off-screen areas of said first and seconds displays with one finger of a user placed on one display, and another finger of the user placed on the other display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a fourth input step is executed a number of times until the window stack is displayed in the desired order.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one management window appears on said first and second displays, and the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within the management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops corresponds to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth input is a drag gesture executed on a selected one of said other applications or desktops, and the drag is pointed toward one of said first or second displays for displaying the selected one on the display to which the drag gesture is pointed.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein separate management windows appear on said first and second displays denoting a first window stack for the first display and a second window stack for the second display, and wherein the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within each management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops correspond to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack for each corresponding display.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computing system to execute a method, the instructions comprising:

instructions configured to receive a first predetermined input that represents an instruction to determine and reveal a first desktop or application on a first display of the multi-screen device;

instructions configured to receive a second predetermined input that represents an instruction to determine and reveal a second desktop or application on a second display of the multi-screen device;

instructions configured to respond to the first and second predetermined inputs with outputs that cause the first desktop or application to be displayed on the first display and cause the second desktop or application to be displayed on the second display

instructions configured to receive a third predetermined input that represents an instruction to launch an application manager feature;

instructions configured to respond to the third predetermined input that causes a display of a management window showing all other applications or desktops currently running;

instructions configured to receive a fourth predetermined input that represents an instruction to selectively move one of said other applications or desktops within the window stack to a displayed position on said first or second displays; and

instructions configured to respond to the fourth predetermined input that causes displaying of the window stack in a new order.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said fourth predetermined input step is executed a number of times by a user until the window stack is displayed in the desired order.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said management window appears on said first and second displays, and the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within the management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops corresponds to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the fourth input is a drag gesture executed on a selected one of said other applications or desktops, and the drag is pointed toward one of said first or second displays for displaying the selected one on the display to which the drag gesture is pointed.

12. A multi-screen user device, comprising:

a first display including a first display area;

a second display including a second display area;

a first user input gesture area of the first display;

a second user input gesture area of the second display, wherein the first and second user input gesture areas are configured to accept input from a user.

a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that include;

a first set of instructions configured to determine a number and identity of desktops or applications selected to be run by a user;

a second set of instructions configured to determine, based on the number and identity of the desktops or applications running, a window stack comprising a logical representation of the desktops and applications within an ordered group whereby a user can selectively move a selected desktop or application to either a visible position on another display or a non-visible position; and

a third set of instructions responsive to a gesture made by the user that represents an instruction to launch an application manager feature, wherein the applications or desktops are displayed on the first and second displays, and a management window is displayed showing all other applications or desktops currently running;

a fourth set of instructions responsive to one or more gestures made by the user that represent an instruction to selectively move one of said other applications or desktops within the window stack to a displayed position on said first or second displays; and

wherein the window stack is displayed in a new order in response to said fourth set of instructions.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said fourth set of instructions are executed a number of times until the window stack is displayed in the desired order.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein at least one management window appears on said first and second displays, and the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within the management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops corresponds to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack

15. The device of claim 12, wherein separate management windows appear on said first and second displays denoting a first window stack for the first display and a second window stack for the second display, and wherein the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within each management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops correspond to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack for each corresponding display.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the fourth input is a drag gesture executed on a selected one of said other applications or desktops, and the drag is pointed toward one of said first or second displays for displaying the selected one on the display to which the drag gesture is pointed.