DOCK FOR FAVORITE APPLICATIONS

• US 20120311498A1
• Filed: 06/02/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kluttz, Karen R., Hunt, James A., Rivera, David, Waltermann, Rod D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,310,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/825
• 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 3/04817 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

Abstract

Systems, methods and products are described that provide a dock for favorite applications. One aspect includes providing a dock point on a display device of an information handling device; responsive to user input associated with said dock point, launching a utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said information handling device in a predetermined arrangement of launch points; providing an animated movement of said launch points in said utility responsive to user input; and responsive to user input selecting a launch point in said utility, launching an application associated with said launch point on the information handling device. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a dock point on a display device of an information handling device;

responsive to user input associated with said dock point, launching a utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said information handling device in a predetermined arrangement of launch points;

providing an animated movement of said launch points in said utility responsive to user input; and

responsive to user input selecting a launch point in said utility, launching an application associated with said launch point on the information handling device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing an editing arrangement for editing the sub-set of applications represented in said utility.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said editing arrangement comprises an add/remove panel displayed on said display device.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to user input at said add/remove panel, performing one or more of;

adding an application from an application library area of said display device to an unoccupied launch point slot in said add/remove panel; and

removing an application from an occupied launch point slot in said add/remove panel to an application library of said display device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said editing arrangement comprises a wheel arrangement having one or more unoccupied launch point slots.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising, responsive to user input dragging an application icon from a library area of said display device to an unoccupied launch point slot in said wheel arrangement, populating said empty launch point with said application.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said information handling device in a predetermined arrangement of launch points comprises a utility organizing the sub-set of user applications in a wheel arrangement.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said information handling device in a predetermined arrangement of launch points comprises a utility organizing the sub-set of user applications in a wheel arrangement centered about lower corner of said display device.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to user input, providing animated movement of said launch points in a wheel like motion.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the launch points comprise four layers including:

an outline layer, an icon layer, a screen capture layer, and a shadow layer.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a display device;

wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to;

provide a dock point on the display device of said system;

responsive to user input associated with said dock point, launch a utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said system in a predetermined arrangement of launch points;

providing an animated movement of said launch points in said utility responsive to user input; and

responsive to user input selecting a launch point in said utility, launching an application associated with said launch point on said system.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to:

provide an editing arrangement for editing the sub-set of applications represented in said utility.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said editing arrangement comprises an add/remove panel displayed on said display device.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to:

responsive to user input at said add/remove panel, perform one or more of;

adding an application from an application library area of said display device to an unoccupied launch point slot in said add/remove panel; and

removing an application from an occupied launch point slot in said add/remove panel to an application library of said display device.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said editing arrangement comprises a wheel arrangement having one or more unoccupied launch point slots.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more

processors are configured to:

responsive to user input dragging an application icon from a library area of said display device to an unoccupied launch point slot in said wheel arrangement, populate said unoccupied launch point with said application.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said system in a predetermined arrangement of launch points comprises a utility organizing the sub-set of user applications in a wheel arrangement.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said system in a predetermined arrangement of launch points comprises a utility organizing the sub-set of user applications in a wheel arrangement centered about lower corner of said display device.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein, responsive to execution of computer program instructions accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to:

responsive to user input, provide animated movement of said launch points in a wheel like motion.

20. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to provide a dock point on a display device of an information handling device;

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to user input associated with said dock point, launch a utility organizing a sub-set of user applications installed on said information handling device in a predetermined arrangement of launch points;

computer readable program code configured to provide an animated movement of said launch points in said utility responsive to user input; and

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to user input selecting a launch point in said utility, launch an application associated with said launch point on the information handling device.