Method of Launching an Application and Selecting the Application Target Window
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of launching a software application on a graphical user interface (GUI) display, the method comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification