Task Switching on Mobile Devices
First Claim
1. In a computing environment, a system comprising, a task switcher configured to obtain information from a data structure, the data structure containing data associated with each task of a set of one or more tasks that previously executed on a computing device, the task switcher further configured to use the information to output a representation of each task to a user interface, the user interface configured to allow arbitrary user-selection of any task of the set for resuming that task.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The subject disclosure is directed towards a task switching technology on a computing device such as a Smartphone. An application is comprised of one or more tasks. When a user requests that another task be executed, information about the previously executing task (e.g., including a screenshot) is preserved to a stack. If the user invokes a task switcher program, the user is presented with a view of the stack, e.g., containing the screenshots (and representative text) of the tasks that previously executed. The user may navigate among those presented task representations to arbitrarily select any one, with the selected task resumed upon selection.
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Citations
20 Claims
- 1. In a computing environment, a system comprising, a task switcher configured to obtain information from a data structure, the data structure containing data associated with each task of a set of one or more tasks that previously executed on a computing device, the task switcher further configured to use the information to output a representation of each task to a user interface, the user interface configured to allow arbitrary user-selection of any task of the set for resuming that task.
- 10. In a computing environment, a method performed at least in part on at least one processor, comprising, maintaining information associated with a plurality of tasks, each task corresponding to an application program that previously executed as a foreground application, outputting a representation of each task to an interactive user interface, detecting user interaction to select one of the tasks as a selected task, and switching to the selected task by resuming the application in a state corresponding to the selected task.
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17. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:
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presenting a view of a stack of task data corresponding to previously executing tasks of applications, in which the view includes visible representations of tasks having task data in the stack; detecting interaction with the view to navigate to a particular task representation; detecting interaction to select as a selected task the task corresponding to the particular task representation; and resuming execution of the selected task. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification