USER INTERFACE FOR MULTIPLE DISPLAY REGIONS

• US 20140109001A1
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John O., Bumgarner, Timothy W., Peyton, Eric S., Hynes, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/794
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

User interfaces for multiple display regions are described. One embodiment provides an array of non-overlapping windows that are created from a set of overlapping windows, and a user can select one of the non-overlapping windows to obtain an enlarged view of that selected window while keeping the other windows in their non-overlapping state. In one embodiment, the array of non-overlapping windows can include minimized windows or windows in other virtual desktops (e.g. windows in other “Spaces”) or both. In one embodiment, only windows of a selected application are shown in non-overlapping mode while opened windows of other applications are not shown.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method to provide a user interface, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface which is configured to present, upon request from a user, a plurality of overlapping windows in a first display mode;

receiving a first input to enter a second display mode to show the plurality of overlapping windows in a non-overlapping state;

displaying in response to the first input the windows in the non-overlapping state in the second display mode;

receiving a second input to show an enlarged version of one of the windows while remaining in the second display mode; and

displaying the enlarged version of one of the windows in the second display mode while other windows in the plurality of overlapping windows remain in the non-overlapping state.