SWITCHING BACK TO A PREVIOUSLY-INTERACTED-WITH APPLICATION

• US 20120304132A1
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sareen, Chaitanya Dev, Wong, Tsz Yan, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Worley, Matthew I., Anderson, Bret P., Sundelin, Nils A., Miner, Patrice L., Nan, Jennifer, Jarrett, Robert J., Matthews, David A.
• Application Number:
  US13/118,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 switching back to a previously-interacted-with application. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable selection of a user interface not currently exposed on a display through a simple gesture that is both easy-to-use and remember.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

maintaining a queue of multiple interacted-with applications, the queue arranged by most-recently-interacted-with to least-recently-interacted-with applications other than a current application;

receiving a gesture or gesture portions;

responsive to receiving the gesture or gesture portions, proceeding to another application of the multiple interacted-with applications of the queue; and

presenting a user interface associated with the other application and through which interaction with the other application was previously made.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising updating the queue responsive to interaction with, or a time period passing during presentation of, the user interface associated with the other application.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the gesture or gesture portions include gesture portions of one gesture, the gesture portions each having a start point at an edge of a display, a later point not at the edge of the display, and a successive point at the edge of the display.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the queue is circular and proceeding through the queue proceeds through the queue more than once responsive to receiving a number of gesture or gesture portions larger than a number of applications in the queue.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, the other application is the most-recently-interacted-with application other than the current application, the current application having a current user interface displayed when the gesture or gesture portions are received.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising receiving a number of gestures or gesture portions and wherein proceeding through the queue presents, responsive to the number of gestures or gesture portions, a user interface associated with an application of the multiple interacted-with applications that corresponds to the number.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the gesture or gesture portions are independent gestures received at start points within an edge of a display and later points not within the edge of the display.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

enabling selection of a previously-interacted-with application through a gesture made over a current user interface associated with a current application; and

responsive to receiving the gesture and without further selection, presenting a previous user interface associated with the previously-interacted-with application.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the gesture made over the current user interface includes a first portion and a second portion, presenting the previous user interface is responsive to the first portion, and further comprising, responsive to receiving the second portion of the gesture, presenting a further previous user interface associated with a further previously-interacted-with application.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein enabling selection of a previously-interacted-with application through a gesture made over a current user interface associated with a current application does not present a visible, selectable control over the current user interface or on a display presenting the current user interface.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the gesture is received through a mouse-like device and represented by movement of a point or indicator over the current user interface.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, further comprising determining that the gesture has a start point at an edge of the gesture-sensitive display and a later point not at the edge, and wherein presenting the previous user interface associated with the previously-interacted-with application is responsive to the determining.

13. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, further comprising receiving a second gesture made over the previous user interface and passing the second gesture to the previous user interface effective to enable the second user interface to respond to the second gesture without further selection.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the current user interface and the previous user interface are immersive interfaces.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein presenting the previous user interface replaces the current user interface.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein presenting the previous user interface includes presenting a thumbnail image of the previous user interface progressively with the gesture as the gesture is received and, responsive to the gesture ending, expanding the thumbnail image.

17. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 16, further comprising shrinking the current user interface to a second thumbnail image and passing the second thumbnail image toward a region of a display or the current user interface from which the first-mentioned thumbnail image is progressively presented.

18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, further comprising, prior to receiving the gesture:

receiving a first portion of a prior gesture made over the current user interface;

responsive to receiving the first portion of the prior gesture, presenting an indicator of, a part of, or all of a second previous user interface associated with a second previously-interacted-with application;

receiving a later portion of the prior gesture; and

responsive to receiving the later portion, ceasing to present the indicator of, the portion of, or all of the second previous user interface.

19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, further comprising, after presenting the previous user interface associated with the previously-interacted-with application:

enabling selection of a second previously-interacted-with application through a second gesture made over the previous user interface associated with the previously-interacted-with application; and

responsive to receiving the second gesture and without further selection, presenting a further previous user interface of a further-previously-interacted-with application.

20. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a gesture made through a gesture-sensitive display presenting a current immersive user interface of a current application, the gesture having a start point at an edge of the gesture-sensitive display and a later point not at the edge of the gesture-sensitive display;

determining a most-recently-interacted-with application other than the current application; and

responsive to determining, presenting an immersive user interface associated with the most-recently-interacted-with application and enabling interaction with the most-recently-interacted-with application through the immersive user interface without further interaction following receipt of the gesture.