SWITCHING BACK TO A PREVIOUSLY-INTERACTED-WITH APPLICATION

• US 20130047126A1
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 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.
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,774 B2
• 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, the gesture or gesture portions having a start point at an edge of a display and a later point not at the edge;

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 on the display, the 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 one gesture having a first gesture portion having the start point at the edge of the display and a second gesture portion having the later point not 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, wherein the other application is the most-recently-interacted-with application other than the current application, the current application associated with a current user interface presented on the display during reception of the gesture or gesture portions.

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 6, wherein the number of gesture or gesture portions represents a number of loops of a single, continuous gesture, each of the loops having a first point at the edge, a second point not at the edge, and a third point at the edge.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving selection of a previously-interacted-with application through a gesture made over a current user interface associated with a current application, the gesture having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a first point at an edge of the current user interface and the second portion having a second point not at the edge of the current user interface; and

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

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein receiving selection is not received through a visible, selectable control presented over the current user interface or on a display presenting the current user interface.

10. 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.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the current user interface is presented at least in part at the edge of a gesture-sensitive display, and further comprising determining that the gesture has the first point at the edge of the gesture-sensitive display and the second point not at the edge, and wherein presenting the previously presented user interface associated with the previously-interacted-with application is responsive to the determining.

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

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

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein presenting the previously presented user interface replaces the current user interface.

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

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 15, further comprising shrinking the current user interface to a second thumbnail image and passing the second thumbnail image toward a region of a display from which the first-mentioned thumbnail image is expanded.

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

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

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

receiving a second prior portion of the prior gesture; and

responsive to receiving the second prior portion, ceasing to present the indicator of, the portion of, or all of the second previously presented user interface.

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

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

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

19. 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 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.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing device, further cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, after presenting the immersive user interface associated with the most-recently-interacted-with application, still later points of the gesture, a first of the still later points at the edge of the gesture-sensitive display and a second of the still later points not at the edge of the gesture-sensitive display; and

responsive to receiving the still later points of the gesture, presenting another immersive interface, the other immersive interface associated with another application interacted with prior to the most-recently-interacted-with application.