Method of Launching an Application and Selecting the Application Target Window

• US 20140096050A1
• Filed: 02/12/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Boblett, Brennan, Penke, Nalinichandra, Goldman, Roy, Fairman, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,180,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/043 Sunroofs B60J7/047 - B60J7/053 take precedencee.g. sliding above the roof
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

A method of launching a software program or application is provided for use with a graphical user interface (GUI) display. One portion of the GUI display includes a taskbar while a second portion is divided into a plurality of windows. To launch one of the programs/applications represented by the icons within the taskbar, the user first selects the icon representing the icon to be launched. Once an icon is selected, a visual cue is displayed, where the visual cue includes a plurality of mini-windows representing the plurality of display windows. When the user drags the selected icon into one of the mini-windows and then releases the icon, the selected program/application is launched in the window that corresponds to the selected mini-window.

Claims

1. A method of launching a software application on a graphical user interface (GUI) display, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a taskbar on a first portion of said GUI display;

displaying a plurality of icons within said taskbar, wherein each of said plurality of icons represents a corresponding one of a plurality of programs;

configuring a second portion of said GUI display into a plurality of windows, wherein each of said plurality of windows is pre-sized;

accepting a user selection of a selected icon, wherein said selected icon is one of said plurality of icons located within said taskbar, wherein said user selection is made by a user of said GUI display, and wherein said selected icon represents said software application;

displaying a visual cue in response to said step of accepting said user selection of said selected icon, wherein said visual cue is comprised of a plurality of mini-windows, wherein said plurality of mini-windows represents said plurality of windows;

allowing said user to drag said selected icon from an initial location to a selected mini-window of said plurality of mini-windows of said visual cue; and

launching said software application in a selected window of said plurality of windows, wherein said selected window corresponds to said selected mini-window of said plurality of mini-widows, wherein said launching step is performed when said selected icon is released by said user within said selected mini-window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI display is comprised of a touch-screen, wherein said step of accepting said user selection of said selected icon is comprised of the step of said user touching said selected icon on said touch-screen, and wherein said selected icon is released when said user removes their finger from the selected icon on said touch-screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of accepting said user selection of said selected icon is comprised of the step of placing a cursor over said selected icon with a mouse controller and performing a click-and-hold operation with a mouse controller button, and wherein said selected icon is released when said user unclicks said mouse controller button.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of displaying said visual cue further comprises the step of overlaying said visual cue on a portion of said taskbar.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said portion of said taskbar is positioned under said selected icon.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of highlighting whichever of said plurality of mini-windows said selected icon is positioned within.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a semi-transparent interface screen corresponding to said software application on each of said plurality of windows as said selected icon is positioned within each corresponding mini-window of said visual cue.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of launching said software application further comprises the step of completely materializing said semi-transparent interface screen in said selected window when said selected icon is released.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of programs is comprised of software programs and software applications.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI display is mounted within a vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of programs include at least one of an entertainment system application, a navigation system application, an energy tracking application, a browser application, a camera application and a phone application.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a plurality of persistent controls on a third portion of said GUI display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said plurality of persistent controls include at least one of a vehicle settings controller, a passenger cabin temperature controller, a vehicle seat warmer controller, an audio volume controller, and a defroster controller.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of altering an appearance of said selected icon after performing said step of accepting said user selection of said selected icon.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of altering said appearance of said selected icon further comprises the step of enlarging said selected icon.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of altering said appearance of said selected icon further comprises the step of changing a color associated with said selected icon.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein after performing said launching step said method further comprises the step of toggling between a first display size and a second display size for said software application in response to each received user tap of said selected icon, wherein said first display size corresponds to said selected window of said plurality of windows and said second display size corresponds to an enlarged size that covers all of said second portion of said GUI display.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said user tap is comprised of the steps of locating a cursor over said selected icon and clicking a mouse controller button.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of displaying said visual cue, allowing said user to drag said selected icon and launching said software application in said selected window are bypassed if said selected icon is double tapped, wherein if said selected icon is double tapped said method further comprises the step of launching said software application in a full-screen mode.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein double tapping of said selected icon is comprised of the steps of locating a cursor over said selected icon and double clicking a mouse controller button.