System and Method for a Back Stack in a Multi-Application Environment

• US 20160034597A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Graf, Knut, Abullarade, Jorge A., Stufflebeam, Kenneth W., Aurongzeb, Deeder M., Welker, Mark W., Sanaullah, Abu S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,521,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/461 Saving or restoring of program or task context

Abstract

A system and method for a back stack in a multi-application environment, wherein the method comprises adding an entry to a last-in-first-out (LIFO) data structure, the entry comprising application state information descriptive of an application state of a software application and display state information descriptive of a display state of a display surface of a touch screen device, adjusting a LIFO data structure pointer to reflect a revised LIFO data structure state resulting from the adding the entry, receiving a back button actuation indication, in response to receiving the back button actuation indication, restoring the software application to the application state and restoring the display surface to the display state, and readjusting the LIFO data structure pointer to reflect an original LIFO data structure state that existing prior to the adding the entry.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

adding an entry to a last-in-first-out (LIFO) data structure via a processor executing instructions, the entry comprising application state information descriptive of an application state of a software application and display state information descriptive of a display state of a display surface of a touch screen device;

adjusting a LIFO data structure pointer to reflect a revised LIFO data structure state resulting from adding the entry;

receiving a back button actuation indication;

in response to receiving the back button actuation indication, restoring the software application to the application state and restoring the display surface to the display state; and

readjusting the LIFO data structure pointer to reflect an original LIFO data structure state that existed prior to the adding the entry.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a change in the display state of the display surface; and

in response to determining the change in the display state of the display surface, wherein the change in the display state results from a change of a device posture, truncating the LIFO data structure.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

in response to truncating the LIFO data structure, reverting at least a portion of the display surface to a home screen upon receiving the back button actuation indication.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the truncating comprises:

resetting the LIFO data structure pointer to a bottom of the LIFO data structure.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the display state pertains to a dual display, the dual display displaying a first graphic user interface (GUI) of a first software application on a first display portion and a second GUI of a second software application on a second display portion.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

displaying a first button bar comprising a first back button on the first display portion, the first back button corresponding to the first software application; and

displaying a second button bar comprising a second back button on the second display portion, the second back button corresponding to the second software application.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

displaying, in a single-display display state, the first GUI and the first button bar but not the second GUI and not the second button bar.

8. An information handling system comprising:

display surface having a display state;

a processor executing processor instructions, the processor coupled to the display surface for controlling images displayed on the display surface; and

a memory for storing a last-in-first-out (LIFO) data structure and for storing processor instructions, the processor executing the processor instructions to add an entry to the LIFO data structure, the entry comprising application state information descriptive of an application state of a software application and display state information descriptive of a display state of the display surface, wherein a graphic user interface (GUI) of the software application is displayed on the display surface, to adjust a LIFO data structure pointer to reflect a revised LIFO data structure state resulting from adding the entry;

the processor executing processor instructions to receive a back button actuation indication from the display surface, and, in response to receiving the back button actuation indication, to restore the software application to the application state and restoring the display surface to the display state and to readjust the LIFO data structure pointer to reflect an original LIFO data structure state that existing prior to the adding the entry.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the processor instructions further cause the processor to determine a change in the display state of the display surface and, in response to determining the change in the display state of the display surface, wherein the change in the display state results from a change of a device posture, to truncate the LIFO data structure.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the processor instructions further cause the processor, in response to truncating the LIFO data structure, to revert at least a portion of the display surface to a home screen upon receiving the back button actuation indication.

11. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein, to truncate the LIFO data structure, the processor resets the LIFO data structure pointer to a bottom of the LIFO data structure.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the display state pertains to a dual display, the dual display displaying the graphic user interface (GUI) of a first software application on a first display portion and a second GUI of a second software application on a second display portion.

13. The information handling system of claim 12 wherein the display surface displays a first button bar comprising a first back button on the first display portion, the first back button corresponding to the first software application, and displays a second button bar comprising a second back button on the second display portion, the second back button corresponding to the second software application.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the display surface displays, in a single-display display state, the first GUI and the first button bar but not the second GUI and not the second button bar.

15. A method comprising:

adding an entry to a last-in-first-out (LIFO) data structure via processor executing instructions, the entry comprising former application state information descriptive of an application state of a software application;

adjusting a LIFO data structure pointer to reflect a revised LIFO data structure state resulting from the adding the entry;

determining when a change of a display state of a display surface of a touch screen device has occurred, wherein the change is from a single-display display state to a dual-display display state or from a dual-display display state to a single-display display state;

receiving a back button actuation indication;

in response to receiving the back button actuation indication when the change of the display state has not occurred, restoring the software application to the application state and restoring the display surface to the display state and readjusting the LIFO data structure pointer to reflect an original LIFO data structure state that existing prior to the adding the entry; and

in response to receiving the back button actuation indication when the change of the display state has occurred, reverting at least a portion of the display surface to a home screen.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

in response to determining the change in the display state of the display surface, wherein the change in the display state results from a change of a device posture, truncating the LIFO data structure.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the truncating comprises:

resetting the LIFO data structure pointer to a bottom of the LIFO data structure.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the dual-display display state pertains to a dual display, the dual display displaying a first graphic user interface (GUI) of the software application on a first display portion and a second GUI of a second software application on a second display portion.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

displaying a first button bar comprising a first back button on the first display portion, the first back button corresponding to the first software application; and

displaying a second button bar comprising a second back button on the second display portion, the second back button corresponding to the second software application.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

for the single-display display state, displaying the first button bar but not the second button bar.