Hidden desktop director for an adaptive device

• US 8,108,578 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sangster, Daniel, Young, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): TSENG, CHENG YUAN
• Application Number:
  US12/412,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/73
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A computing system with an adaptive input mechanism that facilitates intuitive and powerful user/computer interaction is disclosed. One example embodiment includes a logic subsystem, a display link configured to connect a display subsystem to the logic subsystem, and an adaptive device link configured to operatively couple an adaptive device to the logic subsystem. The embodiment further includes an active desktop to host an active application and present the active application on the display subsystem, the active application having active focus. An active-desktop director may pass non-adaptive-device input to the active application having active focus. The embodiment further includes a hidden desktop to host a hidden application having hidden focus specific to the adaptive device while the active application has active focus on the active desktop. A hidden-desktop director may route adaptive-device input to the hidden application having hidden focus.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a logic subsystem;

a display link configured to connect a display subsystem to the logic subsystem;

an adaptive device link configured to operatively couple an adaptive device to the logic subsystem;

an active desktop to host an active application and present the active application on the display subsystem, the active application having active focus;

an active-desktop director to pass non-adaptive-device input to the active application having active focus;

a hidden desktop to host a hidden application having hidden focus specific to the adaptive device while the active application has active focus on the active desktop;

a hidden-desktop director to route adaptive-device input to the hidden application having hidden focus; and

an output redirector configured to route an image of the hidden application hosted on the hidden desktop to the adaptive device for visual presentation of the image on the adaptive device.

2. The computing system of claim 1, where the hidden-desktop director includes an input redirector configured to translate adaptive-device input into a compatibility input compatible with the active-desktop director prior to routing adaptive-device input to one or more hidden applications.

3. The computing system of claim 2, where the input redirector maps adaptive-device input to a particular one of the one or more hidden applications based on a region of the adaptive device from which the adaptive-device input originates.

4. The computing system of claim 1, where the output redirector is configured to visually update a region of the adaptive device independent of another region of the adaptive device.

5. The computing system of claim 4, where the output redirector is configured to aggregate two or more different visual updates to two or more different regions of the adaptive device.

6. The computing system of claim 4, where the hidden application includes a parent window and one or more child windows, and where the output redirector is configured to redraw a child window on the adaptive device independent of another child window.

7. The computing system of claim 1, where the hidden-desktop director is configured to relay adaptive-device input to the active application having active focus on the active desktop.

8. A method for redirecting input and output to and from an adaptive device, the method comprising:

generating an active desktop, the active desktop hosting one or more active applications, only one such active application having active focus;

presenting the one or more active applications on a display subsystem;

passing non-adaptive-device input to the active application having active focus;

generating a hidden desktop, the hidden desktop hosting one or more hidden applications, one or more such hidden applications having hidden focus specific to the adaptive device while the active application has active focus on the active desktop;

routing adaptive-device input to one or more of the hidden applications having hidden focus; and

routing an image of one of the one or more hidden applications hosted on the hidden desktop to the adaptive device for visual presentation of the image on the adaptive device.

9. The method of claim 8, where routing adaptive-device input to one or more of the hidden applications having hidden focus includes translating adaptive-device input into a compatibility input compatible with the active desktop.

10. The method of claim 9, where routing adaptive-device input to one or more of the hidden applications having hidden focus includes mapping adaptive-device input to a particular one of the one or more hidden applications based on a region of the adaptive-device from which the adaptive-device input originates.

11. The method of claim 8, where routing adaptive-device input to one or more of the hidden applications having hidden focus includes visually updating a region of the adaptive device independent of another region of the adaptive device.

12. The method of claim 11, where visually updating a region of the adaptive device independent of another region of the adaptive device includes aggregating two or more different visual updates to two or more different regions of the adaptive device.

13. The method of claim 11, where the hidden application includes a parent window and one or more child windows, and where visually updating a region of the adaptive device independent of another region of the adaptive device includes redrawing a child window on the adaptive device independent of another child window.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising, relaying adaptive-device input to the active application having active focus on the active desktop.

15. A computing system, comprising:

an adaptive device including;

one or more buttons having a dynamically changeable visual appearance;

one or more touch display regions having a dynamically changeable visual appearance; and

one or more background display regions having a dynamically changeable visual appearance, the background display regions recessed behind the one or more buttons;

a display subsystem; and

a computing device operatively coupled to the adaptive device and the display subsystem, the computing device including;

an active desktop to host an active application and present the active application on the display subsystem, the active application having active focus;

an active-desktop director to pass non-adaptive-device input to the active application having active focus;

a hidden desktop to host a hidden application having hidden focus specific to the adaptive device while the active application has active focus on the active desktop;

a hidden-desktop director to route adaptive-device input to the hidden application having hidden focus; and

an output redirector configured to route an image of the hidden application hosted on the hidden desktop to the adaptive device for visual presentation of the image on the adaptive device.

16. The computing system of claim 15, where the hidden-desktop director includes an input redirector configured to translate adaptive-device input into a compatibility input compatible with the active-desktop prior to routing adaptive-device input to one or more hidden applications.

17. The computing system of claim 16, where the input redirector maps adaptive-device input to a particular one of the one or more hidden applications based on a region of the adaptive device from which the adaptive-device input originates.