DIRECTLY ASSIGNING DESKTOP BACKGROUNDS

• US 20120210263A1
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: PERRY, DAVID B., GILMOUR, KENNETH SEAN, VERMA, SANJEEV KEWAL
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-storage media for customizing the appearance of a desktop background are provided. The desktop is the bottom surface drawn behind the application windows, gadgets, a task bar, and other user interface elements displayed on a computing screen. Embodiments of the present invention allow a user to customize the background by dragging an image representation from a desktop control panel onto a portion of the desktop. Once dropped onto the desktop, the image associated with the representation is used to generate the desktop background. When the desktop is extended to different monitors, the portion of desktop on each monitor may be customized separately.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of customizing a desktop background, the method comprising:

determining that an image from a plurality of images has been selected by a user through a user interface appearing on a computer display;

determining that the user has dragged a representation of the image from the user interface onto a portion of a desktop;

determining that the user has dropped the representation of the image onto the portion of the desktop; and

without requiring any additional input from the user, generating a new background for the desktop, wherein at least part of the image appears in the new background.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, upon said determining that the user has dragged the representation of the image from the user interface onto the portion of the desktop, displaying a preview of the desktop'"'"'s background generated using at least part of the image.

3. The media of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises upon said determining that the user has dragged the representation of the image from the user interface onto the portion of the desktop, changing an appearance of the user interface to make more of the desktop'"'"'s background visible.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises upon said determining that the user has dragged the representation of the image from the user interface onto the portion of the desktop, changing an appearance of one or more currently open application windows to make more of the desktop'"'"'s background visible.

5. The media of claim 4, wherein said changing comprises glassifying the one or more currently open application windows.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a digital photo album.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying a hint adjacent to the representation of the image that communicates what will happen to the desktop'"'"'s background upon the user dropping the representation of the image.

8. A method of designating images for use in customizing a desktop background, the method comprising:

displaying, on a first monitor that is communicatively coupled to a computing device, a desktop control panel that includes controls that allow a user to customize the desktop'"'"'s appearance;

displaying one or more image representations on the desktop control panel;

determining that the user has dragged a representation of a first image from the desktop control panel onto a first portion of the desktop that is displayed on the first monitor;

displaying a background preview for the first portion of the desktop, wherein the background preview is generated using the first image;

determining that the user has dropped the representation of the first image onto the first portion of the desktop; and

generating a first background for the desktop that is displayed on the first monitor, wherein at least part of the first image appears in the first background.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the user has designated a second image for use in forming a background for a second portion of the desktop displayed on a second monitor that is communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein the user designated the second image by dragging and dropping a representation of the second image onto the second portion of the desktop; and

generating a second background for the desktop that is displayed on the second monitor, wherein at least part of the second image appears in the new background.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving multiple additional indications that the user has designated additional images for use in forming a background for additional portions of the desktop displayed on additional monitors that are communicatively coupled to the computing device; and

generating additional backgrounds for the portions of the desktop that are displayed on the additional monitors.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first image is incorporated into the first background according to an image-processing format.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the image-processing format is one of fit to screen, fill to screen, stretch to screen, tile, and center.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the image-processing format is selected through a preference associated with the first portion of the desktop.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises displaying a hint adjacent to the representation of the first image that communicates what happens to the desktop'"'"'s background upon the user dropping the representation of the first image.

15. A method for customizing a desktop background, the method comprising:

displaying, on a monitor that is communicatively coupled to a computing device, a desktop control panel that includes a plurality of image representations each of which is associated with an image;

determining that a user has dragged and dropped a representation of an image from the desktop control panel onto a hotspot located on a desktop, wherein the hotspot is associated with an image-processing format that provides instructions for incorporating the image into a background for the desktop; and

generating the background for the desktop using the image and the image-processing format.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the hotspot is visibly delineated on the desktop.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the method comprises displaying a hint adjacent to the representation of the image that communicates what happens to the desktop'"'"'s background upon the user dropping the representation of the image.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the image-processing format causes the image to be spanned across two or more monitors.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the hotspot is located on an edge of the desktop that is adjacent to a second monitor.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein a hint is provided within each hotspot describing the image-processing format with which the hotspot is associated.