MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE INTERFACE IN A MULTI-APPLICATION IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120304114A1
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wong, Tsz Yan, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Sundelin, Nils A., Anderson, Bret P., Miner, Patrice L., Sareen, Chaitanya Dev, Jarrett, Robert J., Nan, Jennifer, Worley, Matthew I.
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive interface in a multi-application immersive environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user to alter sizes and/or a layout of multiple immersive interfaces with as little as one selection.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

enabling selection to display an immersive interface of an application in one of multiple regions of a multi-application immersive environment displaying one or more current immersive interfaces of one or more current applications; and

responsive to the selection to display the immersive interface in the region, displaying the immersive interface at a size fully occupying the region.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein displaying the immersive interface in the region displays the immersive interface at a predetermined size.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more current immersive interfaces includes, prior to displaying the first-mentioned immersive interface, one current immersive interface fully occupying the multi-application immersive environment, and displaying the first-mentioned immersive interface in the region resizes the one current immersive interface to fully occupy a second region not occluding the first-mentioned region.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

enabling selection to display another immersive interface of another application in a third region of the immersive environment; and

responsive to selection to display the other immersive interface in the third region, displaying the other immersive interface in the third region.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein displaying the immersive interface in the region is immediately responsive to the selection to display the immersive interface in the region and without receiving a further selection.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein enabling selection enables selection through a gesture made through a gesture-sensitive display on which the multi-application immersive environment is displayed and displaying the immersive interface in the region is responsive to the gesture being over the region.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein enabling selection enables selection through a gesture having a start point at an edge of the multi-application immersive environment and through a gesture-sensitive display on which the multi-application immersive environment is displayed and a later point not at the edge, and displaying the immersive interface in the region is responsive to the later point or a successive point over the region.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 7, further comprising, responsive to the gesture having the start point at the edge and the later point not at the edge, displaying a thumbnail-size image representing the immersive interface progressively with the gesture and, responsive to the gesture being over the region, indicating that the immersive interface will be displayed in the region prior to displaying the immersive interface in the region.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein enabling selection enables selection through a gesture having a start point at an edge of the multi-application immersive environment and through a gesture-sensitive display on which the multi-application immersive environment is displayed and a later point not at the edge, and displaying the immersive interface in the region is responsive to a reversal in the gesture, the reversal a change in direction back toward the edge of the multi-application immersive environment.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining, responsive to the selection, the application to be a previously-interacted-with application of one or more other applications.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 10, wherein determining the application to be a previously-interacted-with application of one or more other applications proceeds through a queue of multiple interacted-with applications including the previously-interacted-with application and the one or more other applications other than the one or more current applications displayed in the multi-application immersive environment.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first portion of a gesture made through a gesture-sensitive display and over a multi-application immersive environment, the first portion of the gesture selecting an application;

displaying, progressively with the first portion of the gesture as the gesture is received, a reduced-size image of an immersive interface associated with the application;

receiving a second portion of the gesture, the second portion selecting a region of the multi-application immersive environment; and

responsive to the second portion of the gesture selecting the region, expanding the reduced-size image to fully occupying the region with the immersive interface associated with the application.

13. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the reduced-size image is thumbnail-sized and a live version of the immersive interface.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the application is a previously-interacted-with application and the immersive interface associated with the application is not displayed in the multi-application immersive environment prior to receiving the gesture.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the first portion of the gesture starts at an edge of the multi-application immersive environment and has a later point not at the edge, and wherein displaying the reduced-size image is responsive to determining that the later point is not at the edge.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the second portion of the gesture drags the reduced-size image to the region.

17. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the immersive interface associated with the application is displayed in a second region of the multi-application immersive environment prior to receiving the first portion of the gesture.

18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, further comprising, responsive to the first portion of the gesture, shrinking the immersive interface to the reduced-size image.

19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein displaying the second immersive interface in the second region fully occupies the second region with the second immersive interface.

20. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein displaying the second immersive interface in the second region and expanding the reduced-size image to fully occupying the first-mentioned region with the first immersive interface associated with the first application are performed concurrently and without occluding the first and second immersive interfaces.