System and method for providing a window management mode
First Claim
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1. A method for concurrently displaying a plurality of application windows on a display screen, the method comprising:
- responsive to a first command, rendering plural application windows in a scaled down form in a desktop space and rendering a first application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein rendering the plural application windows in a scaled down form comprises reducing the plural application windows in size according to a degree of scaling, wherein the degree of scaling maintains a relative aspect ratio of the plural application windows, wherein the desktop space comprises an area of a display that allows for displaying windows corresponding to application program;
representing each of the plurality of application windows as corresponding buttons in a taskbar, wherein the desktop space is separate from and does not overlap the taskbar;
maintaining the underlying functionality of the plural application windows that are in the scaled down form by providing the plural application windows in a live state, wherein maintaining comprises;
(a) providing for user interaction with the scaled-down plural application windows, wherein no window interactions with the scaled-down plural application windows or control interactions with application functionality underlying the scaled-down plural application windows are affected by rendering the plural application windows in the scaled down form; and
(b) automatically continually updating content within the scaled-down plural application windows that is presented on the display screen; and
responsive to a second command, rendering a second application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein none of the plural application windows overlap the first and second application windows.
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Abstract
A mode of managing windows in a graphical user interface in which the application windows may be presented in a tiled manner is provided. Upon invocation of the mode inactive application windows may be scaled down and organized in a manner so as to set them aside from the currently active application window while the active application window may remain at or near full size and be positioned in a centralized location in the desktop space.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for concurrently displaying a plurality of application windows on a display screen, the method comprising:
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responsive to a first command, rendering plural application windows in a scaled down form in a desktop space and rendering a first application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein rendering the plural application windows in a scaled down form comprises reducing the plural application windows in size according to a degree of scaling, wherein the degree of scaling maintains a relative aspect ratio of the plural application windows, wherein the desktop space comprises an area of a display that allows for displaying windows corresponding to application program; representing each of the plurality of application windows as corresponding buttons in a taskbar, wherein the desktop space is separate from and does not overlap the taskbar; maintaining the underlying functionality of the plural application windows that are in the scaled down form by providing the plural application windows in a live state, wherein maintaining comprises; (a) providing for user interaction with the scaled-down plural application windows, wherein no window interactions with the scaled-down plural application windows or control interactions with application functionality underlying the scaled-down plural application windows are affected by rendering the plural application windows in the scaled down form; and (b) automatically continually updating content within the scaled-down plural application windows that is presented on the display screen; and responsive to a second command, rendering a second application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein none of the plural application windows overlap the first and second application windows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for concurrently displaying a plurality of application windows on a display screen, the method comprising:
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receiving a command that invokes a window management mode; rendering all inactive applications of the plurality of application windows in a scaled down form in a desktop space; maintaining the underlying functionality of the plural application windows that are in the scaled down form by providing the plural application windows in a live state, wherein maintaining comprises; (a) providing for user interaction with the scaled down plural application windows, wherein no window interactions with the scaled down plural application windows or control interactions with application functionality underlying the scaled down plural application windows are affected by rendering the plural application windows in the scaled down form; and (b) automatically continually updating content within the scaled down plural application windows that is presented on the display screen; receiving a first selection that identifies one of the inactive applications, of the plurality of application windows in a scaled down form, to become an active application; rendering the selected inactive application of the plurality of application windows as a first active application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein the desktop space comprises an area of a display that allows for displaying windows corresponding to application programs; representing each of the plurality of application windows as corresponding buttons in a taskbar, wherein the desktop space is separate from and does not overlap the taskbar; toggling off the window management mode; receiving a second selection that identifies another one of the inactive applications, of the plurality of application windows in a scaled down form, to become an active application; rendering the identified inactive application as a second active application window at or near full size in the desktop space such that it is displayed at a top of a Z-order that includes the first active application window, thereby adding the second active application window to a group of active applications; toggling on the window management mode; receiving a third selection that selects yet another one of the inactive applications, of the plurality of application windows in a scaled down form, to become an active application; and rendering the selected another inactive application as a third active application window at or near full size in the desktop space such that it is displayed at a top of a Z-order that includes the first active application window, thereby adding the third active application window to the group of active applications and removing the second active application from the group of active applications for previously being at the top of the Z-order, wherein the first, the second, and the third selections are issued in a similar manner. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for concurrently displaying a plurality of application windows on a display screen, the method comprising:
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responsive to a first command, performing a process including; a) rendering plural application windows in a scaled down form in a desktop space, wherein the desktop space comprises an area of a display that allows for displaying windows corresponding to application programs; (b) representing the plural application windows as corresponding buttons in a taskbar, wherein the desktop space is separate from and does not overlap the taskbar; (c) rendering a first application window at or near full size in the desktop space; maintaining the underlying functionality of the plural application windows that are in the scaled down form by providing the plural application windows in a live state, wherein maintaining comprises; (a) providing for user interaction with the scaled down plural application windows, wherein no window interactions with the scaled down plural application windows or control interactions with application functionality underlying the scaled down plural application windows are affected by rendering the plural application windows in the scaled down form; and (b) automatically continually updating content within the scaled down plural application windows that is presented on the display screen; and responsive to a second command, rendering a second application window at or near full size in the desktop space, wherein none of the plural application windows overlap the first and second application windows. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification