APPLICATION-CENTRIC USER INTERFACE TECHNIQUES

• US 20120254807A1
• Filed: 06/16/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Evans, C. Shane, Toll, Roderick M., Johnston, G. Andrew II
• Granted Patent: US 9,610,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/209 characterized by low level software layer, relating to hardware management, e.g. Operating System, Application Programming Interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Various application-centric user interface techniques are described. A user can easily launch, add, or update applications. An application-centric activity center can be presented as part of a user interface for an operating system shell. A file defining metadata for an application can be defined. The techniques can be applied to game-related software.

Claims

1. A method comprising displaying, by a computing device, a tile that comprises a graphical representation that is associated with a saved state of an application at a time that the application was last saved.

2. The method of claim 1 where the graphical representation is associated with a web page.

3. The method of claim 7 where the application is a web application.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising activating the graphical representation resulting in continuing the last saved application.

5. The method of claim 1 where the graphical representation comprises a photograph.

6. The method of claim 1 where the application comprises phone features.

7. The method of claim 6 where the application comprises a game.

9. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the graphical representation is associated with a web page.

10. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the application is a web application.

11. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1, the method further comprising activating the graphical representation resulting in continuing the last saved application.

12. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the graphical representation comprises a photograph.

13. The at least one computer storage device of claim 1 where the application comprises phone features.

14. The at least one computer storage device of claim 6 where the application comprises a game.

16. The system of claim 1 where the graphical representation is associated with a web page.

17. The system of claim 1 where the application is a web application.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising the computing device further configured for activating the graphical representation resulting in continuing the last saved application.

19. The system of claim 1 where the graphical representation comprises a photograph.

20. The system of claim 1 where the application comprises a game or phone features.

8. At least one computer storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising displaying a the that comprises a graphical representation that is associated with a saved state of an application at a time that the application was last saved.

15. A system comprising a computing device configured for displaying a tile that comprises a graphical representation that is associated with a saved state of an application at a time that the application was last saved.