Display Instance Management

• US 20140298245A1
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Swan, Christopher E., Wei, Yaou, Tappen, Henry P., Siy, Jenica Carryl O.
• Application Number:
  US13/852,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20140298245A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Display instance management techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an application manager module of a computing device is executed that is configured to manage which display instances of the plurality of applications are made available via a user interface at a particular time. One or more application programming interfaces (APIs) are exposed by the application manager module that are configured to support switching by the application manager module between a plurality of the display instances for a respective single one of the plurality of applications in the user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing an application manager module of a computing device that is configured to manage which display instances of the plurality of applications are made available via a user interface at a particular time; and

exposing one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) by the application manager module that are configured to support switching by the application manager module between a plurality of said display instances for a respective single one of the plurality of applications in the user interface.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the application manager module is configured as part of an operating system of the computing device and is configured to support an immersive environment in which the display instances of the plurality of applications are to be displayed concurrently.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the application manager module is configured support the immersive environment by managing a lifetime of the display instances or managing which of the plurality of applications are currently executed based on which of the display instances are currently made available via the user interface.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of said display instances for the respective single application corresponds to separate one of a plurality of processes for the single application.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the display instances are configured as viewports for which a corresponding said application specifies content for viewing in the user interface, the viewports curated by the application manager module such that the corresponding said application is not aware as to how the specified content is displayed.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the exposed APIs is configured to promote the plurality of said display instances as standalone entries for the single application.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the exposed APIs is configured to specify an animation to be used to switch between the plurality of said display instances for the single application.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the application manager module is configured to support switching between the plurality of display instances through use of a gesture.

9. A method as described in claim 8, wherein the gesture is an edge gesture.

10. A system comprising one or more modules implemented at least partially in hardware, the one or more modules configured to curate content specified by respective ones of a plurality of applications for display in a plurality of display instances in a user interface such that respective said applications specify the content but are not aware as to how that content is displayed, the content of at least two said display instances specified by a single said application.

11. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the plurality of display instances correspond to separate viewports in an immersive environment.

12. A system as described in claim 11, wherein the one or more modules are configured to support the immersive environment by managing a lifetime of the display instances or managing which of the plurality of applications are currently executed based on which of the display instances are currently made available via the user interface.

13. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the one or more modules are configured to support switching between at least two said display instances specified by a single said application in the user interface using techniques that match those that are available to switch between the display instances of different said applications.

14. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the one or more modules are configured to expose one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) configured to promote the at least two said display instances specified by the single said application as standalone entries.

15. A system as described in claim 10, wherein the one or more modules are configured to expose one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) configured to specify an animation to be used to switch between the plurality of said display instances for the single application.

16. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a computing device, causes the computing device to execute an application manager module that is configured to perform operations comprising:

exposing one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) that are configured to support switching between a plurality of display instances for a respective ones of a plurality of applications in a user interface;

managing lifetimes of the plurality of display instances of the plurality of applications; and

curating content specified by respective ones of a plurality of applications for display in the plurality of display instances.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 16, wherein at least two said display instances correspond to a single said application.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 16, wherein curating is performed such that respective said applications specify the content but are not aware as to how that content is displayed

19. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 16, wherein the application manager module is configured to expose one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) configured to promote the at least two said display instances specified by the single said application as standalone entries.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 16, wherein the application manager module is configured to expose one or more application programming interfaces (APIs) configured to specify an animation to be used to switch between the plurality of said display instances for the single application.