UNIFIED DESKTOP DOCKING RULES

• US 20130214996A1
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Reeves, Paul E., Sirpal, Sanjiv, Grimpl, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,268,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/121 using a cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 Control of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface or “desktop” across two devices are provided. More particularly, a unified desktop is presented across a device and a computer system that comprise a unified system. The unified desktop acts as a single user interface that presents data and receives user interaction in a seamless environment that emulates a personal computing environment. To function within the personal computing environment, the unified desktop includes a process for docking and undocking the device with the computer system. The unified desktop presents desktops or windows based on a set of pre-determined rules.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device;

providing a computer system;

docking the device to the computer system to form a unified system;

generating a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment; and

in response to the docking, executing a docking rule, wherein the docking rule governs a display of an application window.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a first rule, wherein the first rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window after docking the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first rule is associated with the application window that was displayed on the device before docking.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising executing a second rule, wherein the second rule is associated with changes in the display of a second application window after docking the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second rule is associated with the second application window that was displayed on the computer system before docking.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a first rule, wherein the first rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window after undocking the device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first rule is associated with the application window that was displayed on the device before undocking.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising executing a second rule, wherein the second rule is associated with changes in the display of a second application window after undocking the device.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the second rule is associated with the second application window that was displayed on the computer system before undocking.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a third rule, wherein the third rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window after re-docking the device, wherein the third rule is associated with the application window that was displayed on the computer system during a previous docking.

11. A unified system, comprising:

a computer system comprising;

a first screen;

a processor;

a memory

a device comprising;

a second screen;

a second memory;

a second processor;

wherein the device is docked with the computer system to form the unified system, the device is operable to executing two or more docking rules, wherein the two or more docking rules governs displays of two or more application windows.

13. The unified system of claim 11, wherein a second rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window on the computer system after docking the device.

14. The unified system of claim 11, wherein a third rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window on the device after undocking the device.

15. The unified system of claim 11, wherein a fourth rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window on the computer system after undocking the device, and wherein a fifth rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window on the computer system after re-docking the device.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein a second rule is associated with changes in the display of a second application window on the computer system after docking the device.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the device is undocked, further comprising instructions to execute two or more undocking rules, wherein the two or more docking rules govern displays of two or more application windows, wherein a third rule is associated with changes in the display of a first application window on the device after undocking the device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein a fourth rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window on the computer system after undocking the device, and wherein a fifth rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window on the computer system after re-docking the device.

12. The unified system 11, wherein a first rule is associated with changes in the display of the application window on the device after docking the device.

16. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a unified desktop, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

upon docking a device with a computer system, instructions to generate a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment;

based on the docking, instructions to execute two or more docking rules, wherein the two or more docking rules govern displays of two or more application windows.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein a first rule is associated with changes in the display of a first application window on the device after docking the device.