MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE INTERFACE IN A MULTI-APPLICATION IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20130042203A1
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jarrett, Robert J., Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Miner, Patrice L., Anderson, Bret P., Sareen, Chaitanya Dev, Wong, Tsz Yan, Sundelin, Nils A., Nan, Jennifer
• Granted Patent: US 9,535,597 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:

receiving selection to alter a first size of a first immersive interface of a first application displayed in a multi-application immersive environment in which a second immersive interface of a second application is displayed at a second size, the first immersive interface not including a first window frame that has controls and the second immersive interface not including a second window frame that has controls; and

responsive to the selection to alter the first size of the first immersive interface, altering both the first size of the first immersive interface and the second size of the second immersive interface.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein altering both the first size and the second size alters both the first size of the first immersive interface and the second size of the second immersive interface concurrently and without occluding either of the first or the second immersive interfaces.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein receiving selection receives selection through a select-and-move gesture of an interface divider region between the first immersive interface and the second immersive interface and altering both the first size and the second size includes, responsive to the select-and-move gesture of the interface divider region, reducing one of the first or the second sizes and increasing the other of the first or the second sizes based on movement of the interface divider region.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 3, wherein reducing one of the first or the second sizes removes the first or the second interface, respectively, responsive to the select-and-move gesture moving the interface divider region to an edge of the multi-application immersive environment.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 3, wherein the reducing and the increasing are performed concurrently.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 3, wherein the reducing and the increasing are presented progressively with the movement of the interface divider region.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein receiving selection receives selection through a drag-and-drop gesture of the first immersive interface from a larger region of the multi-application immersive environment to a smaller region of the multi-application immersive environment and wherein the altering reduces the first size of the first immersive interface to fully occupy the smaller region.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein receiving selection receives selection through a drag-and-drop gesture of the first immersive interface from a first region of the multi-application immersive environment to a second region of the multi-application immersive environment and wherein the altering automatically switches the first immersive interface from the first region to the second region.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the first region and the second region are a same size.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the first region is larger than the second region, and wherein the altering comprises switching the first immersive interface from the first region to the second region and the second immersive interface from the second region to the first region and automatically increasing the second size of the second immersive interface to fully occupy the first region.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the drag-and-drop gesture has a start point at an edge of the first immersive interface and a later point not at the edge, and wherein the altering is responsive to the later point not being at the edge and reduces the first size of the first immersive interface to a thumbnail image and displays a movement of the thumbnail image progressively with the drag-and-drop gesture.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the receiving selection receives selection through a drag-and-drop gesture of the first immersive interface from a smaller region of the multi-application immersive environment to a larger region of the multi-application immersive environment and wherein the altering automatically increases the first size of the first immersive interface to fully occupy the larger region.

13. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, further comprising, without further selection, switching the first immersive interface from the smaller region to the larger region and the second immersive interface from the larger region to the smaller region, and wherein the altering automatically decreases the second size of the second immersive interface to fully occupy the smaller region.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the drag-and-drop gesture has a start point at an edge of the first immersive interface and a later point not at the edge, and wherein the altering is responsive to the later point not being at the edge and reduces the first size of the first immersive interface to a thumbnail image and displays a movement of the thumbnail image progressively with the drag-and-drop gesture.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the selection to alter the first size of the first immersive interface is received through a hot key, a mouse, or a hardware button.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the multi-application immersive environment displays a third immersive interface at a third size and the altering both the first size of the first immersive interface and the second size of the second immersive interface does not alter the third size of the third immersive interface.

17. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the multi-application immersive environment displays a third immersive interface at a third size and further comprising, responsive to the selection to alter the first size of the first immersive interface and without further selection, altering the third size of the third immersive interface.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection to alter a first size of a first interface of a first application displayed in a multi-application immersive environment in which a second interface of a second application is displayed at a second size;

responsive to the selection to alter the first size, simultaneously altering both the first size of the first interface and the second size of the second interface;

receiving a selection to add a third interface to, or alter a third size of the third interface within, the multi-application immersive environment; and

responsive to the selection to add the third interface or alter the third size of the third interface, simultaneously adding the third interface or altering the third size of the third interface and altering the first size of the first interface or the second size of the second interface.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 18, wherein one of the first, second, or third interfaces is a windows-based interface.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 18, wherein the selection to alter the first size is a gesture having a start point at an edge of the first interface and a later point not at the edge of the first interface.