Multi-functional application launcher with integrated status

• US 6,765,596 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lection, David B., Molander, Mark E., Scanlon, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/794,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20020140742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 345/864, 345/865, 345/866, 345/700, 345/702, 345/762-765, 345/835, 345/810, 345/761, 345/767, 345/771, 345/772, 707/1, 707/102
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

User interfaces, methods, systems, and computer program products for improving interactions with users of pervasive computing devices such as personal digital assistants, Web-enabled cellular phones, Web appliances, wearable computing devices, so-called “smart” appliances in the home, and so forth. A multi-functional application launcher is defined that is specifically adapted for use on devices with limited display space and which use pen-based input or other similar input means. This application launcher enables improved navigation, and provides an improved way to show task status information to the device user. Multiple functions per task are supported, and status information is provided, all from an application launcher view.

Claims

1. A user interface displayed on a pervasive computing device, the user interface comprising:

a graphical representation identifying each of a collection of one or more tasks which are currently executing or executable on the pervasive computing device; and

an execution status display area corresponding to the graphical representation of the collection, wherein the execution status display area indicates execution status information for each of the one or more tasks, including whether the task is currently executing or is executable, and also provides graphical symbol indicating, for each of the tasks in the collection, each of one or more available functions that can be performed on that task, whereby a user of the pervasive computing device can perform any of the available functions on the tasks by activating its graphical symbol, and wherein an available function for executable ones of the tasks is to cause that task to begin executing and an available function for currently-executing ones of the tasks is to cause that task to stop executing.

2. An improved user interface for a pervasive computing device, the improved user interface comprising a multi-functional application launcher view and a plurality of task views, wherein a user of the pervasive computing device selectively navigates between the multi-functional application launcher view and selected ones of the task views, and wherein:

the multi-functional application launcher view comprises;

a displayed list of tasks available for execution by the pervasive computing device;

a displayed grid corresponding to the displayed list of tasks, wherein the displayed grid comprises a plurality of columns and a row for each task in the displayed task list, each of the columns corresponding to life cycle points for the displayed list of tasks; and

displayed entries in the grid at selected intersections of the columns and the rows, wherein the displayed entries provide execution status information about particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row or graphical depictions that may be activated to perform actions for particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row; and

each of the task views provides information pertaining to that one of the tasks that is associated with the task view.

3. The improved user interface according to claim 2, wherein selected ones of the graphical depictions enable performing an action that launches execution of the task associated with that row.

4. The improved user interface according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the displayed enables performing a plurality of actions relative to a selected one of the tasks in the displayed list.

5. The improved user interface according to claim 2, wherein the actions include (1) starting execution of a selected task and (2) surfacing the task view for a selected task.

6. The improved user interface according to claim 5, wherein the actions also include stopping execution of a selected task.

15. The improved user interface according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of actions comprises stopping execution of multiple instances of the selected one of the tasks.

16. The improved user interface according to claim 2, wherein the user activates a selected one of the graphical depictions, thereby causing an action to be performed by tapping the selected one with a stylus or pen input device.

17. The improved user interface according to claim 5, wherein the actions also include stopping execution of a selected group of tasks.

18. The improved user interface according to claim 17, wherein the selected group comprises multiple instances of a particular task from the displayed list.

19. The improved user interface according to claim 5, further comprising a graphical selection area on the surfaced task view for the selected task that may be activated by the user to return to the multi-function application launcher view.

7. An improved user interface for a pervasive computing device, the improved user interface comprising a multi-functional application launcher view and a plurality of task views, wherein a user of the pervasive computing device selectively navigates between the multi-functional application launcher view and selected ones of the task views, and wherein the multi-functional application launcher view comprises:

a displayed list of tasks available for execution by the pervasive computing device; and

a displayed grid corresponding to the displayed list of tasks, wherein the displayed grid comprises a plurality of columns and a row for each task in the displayed task list and entries at intersections of selected ones of the columns and the rows, wherein the entries provide status information for the tasks in the displayed list, wherein the status information includes (1) which tasks are executing, (2) which tasks are requesting input from the user, and (3) which tasks have information to display to the user.

8. The improved user interface according to claim 7, wherein the status information also includes a notification that a particular task should be started by the user.

9. The improved user interface according to claim 8, wherein the notification is received because of an event which occurred in another task.

10. The improved user interface according to claim 8, wherein the notification is received because a message arrived for the user, and wherein the message indicates that the particular task should be started.

11. The improved user interface according to claim 10, wherein the message includes input values to be used by the particular task when it is started.

12. The improved user interface according to claim 11, wherein the input values are encoded within a structured markup language document.

13. The improved user interface according to claim 7, wherein the status information also includes which tasks have completed normally.

14. The improved user interface according to claim 7, wherein the status information also includes which tasks have completed abnormally, and wherein the user may see the task view of a selected one of the tasks that have completed abnormally by activating the entry providing the status information of the selected task.

20. A method of providing an improved user interface for a pervasive computing device, comprising steps of:

displaying a multi-functional application launcher view, comprising steps of;

displaying a list of tasks available for execution by the pervasive computing device;

displaying a grid corresponding to the displayed list of tasks, wherein the displayed grid comprises plurality of columns and a row for each task in the displayed task list, each of the columns corresponding to life circle points of the displayed list of tasks; and

displaying entries in the grid at selected intersections of the columns and the rows, wherein the displayed entries provide status information about particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row or graphical depictions of available actions for particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row; and

enabling a user of the pervasive computing device to selectively navigate between the multi-functional application launcher view and selected ones of a plurality of task views, wherein each task view provides information pertaining to one of the tasks in the displayed list.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of enabling the user to modify the life cycle points.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the user activates one of the available actions by activating its graphical depiction in the grid.

23. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of revising a selected displayed entry when the task associated with that row has different status information.

24. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of revising a selected displayed entry when the task associated with that row has a different available action.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of revising further comprises the step of receiving an application programming interface invocation indicating the different available action.

26. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying a graphical indication on the multi-functional application launcher view when the displayed list of tasks exceeds a display capacity of the pervasive computing device.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the available actions include (1) starting execution of a selected task and (2) surfacing the task view for a selected task.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the actions also include stopping execution of a selected task.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein a plurality of instances of a selected task are executing, and further comprising the step of surfacing the task view of a particular one of the plurality when the user activates the graphical depiction for surfacing the task view of the selected task.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the particular one is the instance which was most recently viewed by the user.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein the activated graphical depiction indicates that input is requested from the user, and wherein the particular one is the instance which is requesting the input.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the activated graphical depiction indicates that information is available for presenting to the user, and wherein the particular one is the instance which has the available information.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the particular one is selected by the user.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein:

the activated graphical depiction indicates presence of the plurality;

a selectable representation of the plurality is presented to the user in response to the activation; and

the particular one is the instance which is selected by the user from the selectable representation.

35. The method according to claim 20, wherein the status information includes (1) which tasks are executing, (2) which tasks are requesting input from the user, and (3) which tasks have information to display to the user.

36. A system for providing an improved user interface for a pervasive computing device, comprising:

means for displaying a multi-functional application launcher view, comprising;

means for displaying a list of tasks available to the user for execution by the pervasive computing device;

means for displaying a grid corresponding to the displayed list of tasks, wherein the displayed grid comprises a plurality of columns and a row for each task in the displayed task list, each of the columns corresponding to life cycle points for the displayed list of tasks;

means for displaying entries in the grid at selected intersections of the columns and the rows, wherein the entries provide (1) status information about particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row, and (2) graphical depictions that may be activated to perform actions for particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row; and

means for enabling a user of the pervasive computing device to selectively navigate between the multi-functional application launcher view and selected ones of a plurality of task views.

37. A computer program product for providing an improved user interface for a pervasive computing device, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising:

computer-readable program code means for displaying a multi-functional application launcher view, comprising;

computer-readable program code means for displaying a list of tasks available to the user for execution by the pervasive computing device;

computer-readable program code means for displaying a grid corresponding to the displayed list of tasks, wherein the displayed grid comprises a plurality of columns and a row for each task in the displayed task list, each of the columns corresponding to life cycle points for the displayed list of tasks; and

computer-readable program code means for displaying entries in the grid at selected intersections of the columns and the rows, wherein the entries provide (1) status information about particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row, and (2) graphical depictions that may be activated to perform actions for particular life cycle points of the task associated with that row.

38. The computer program product according to claim 37, further comprising computer-readable program code means for enabling a user of the pervasive computing device to selectively navigate between the multi-functional application launcher view and selected ones of a plurality of task views.