Presenting an application change through a tile

• US 8,560,959 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zaman, Nazia, Flynn, Sean L., Deutsch, Rebecca, Leonard, Chantal M., Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Machaj, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao Kevin
• Application Number:
  US13/655,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 715764-790, 715716-729, 715/840, 715/234
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for presenting an application change through a tile. These techniques enable a user to see content associated with content changes to an application or other information about the application, such as a new article, new email, or a software update having become available since a user last visited the application. By so doing, the techniques enable a user to forgo visiting the application or permit the user to quickly and easily decide whether or not to visit the application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting, within a tile associated with but not generated by an application, content associated with one of multiple content changes for the application, the content;

received from an entity other than the application associated with the tile;

received without necessitating execution of the application associated with tile; and

new to the application since a most-recent presentation or launch of the application associated with the tile;

receiving selection, through the tile, to present other content associated with another of the multiple content changes to the application; and

responsive to selection, presenting the other content associated with the other of the multiple changes to the application within the tile or visually associated with the tile, the other content received without necessitating execution of the application associated with the tile.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the other content is also new to the application since the most-recent presentation or launch of the application.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the application is not executing during the computer-implemented method.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein receiving selection receives selection through a gesture received through an area of the tile in which the content associated with the one of the multiple changes is presented.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the tile is part of a user interface that includes one or more other tiles, the one or more other tiles associated with but not generated by one or more other applications, respectively, the one or more other tiles enabling selection to present content associated with the one or more other applications, respectively.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising, prior to presenting said content, presenting within the tile prior-presented content associated with a different of the multiple content changes, and responsive to inactivity with the tile, rotating off presentation of the prior-presented content and rotating on presentation of said content.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein presenting the other content is within the tile and displaces at least part of said content.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving selection to launch the application associated with the tile; and

responsive to selection, launching the application.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein the selection to launch the application is made to an area of the tile in which the other content is presented, and wherein launching the application launches with a Universal Resource Locator (URL) in which a full representation of the other content is found.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising presenting, in the tile, an indicator indicating:

a progress of installation of the application or an update to the application;

that the application is or is not currently executing;

an upcoming expiration of a trial period;

or

that a software update is available for the application.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the content is received in one or more reports along with an indication of a preferred presentation format, and presenting said content presents in the preferred presentation format.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting, within a tile associated with but not generated by an application, multiple content associated with multiple content changes to the application, the multiple content;

received from an entity other than the application associated with the tile;

received without necessitating execution of the application associated with tile; and

new to the application since a most-recent presentation or launch of the application associated with the tile;

receiving selection, through the tile, to present additional content associated with one of the multiple content changes; and

responsive to selection, presenting the additional content associated with the one of the multiple changes within the tile or visually associated with the tile, the additional content received without necessitating execution of the application associated with the tile.

13. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the additional content is also new to the application since the most-recent presentation or launch of the application.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, further comprising receiving an indication of a preferred presentation format, and wherein presenting multiple content presents in the preferred presentation format.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, further comprising enlarging the tile responsive to the selection to present additional content.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the tile is part of a user interface that includes one or more other tiles, the one or more other tiles associated with but not generated by one or more other applications, respectively, the one or more other tiles enabling selection to present content associated with the one or more other applications, respectively.

17. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein presenting the multiple content presents in a first area of the tile and further comprising:

presenting, in a second area of the tile, an identifier of the application;

enabling selection of the second area; and

responsive to selection of the second area, presenting the application at a default or prior-viewed setting.

18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, wherein the method is performed by a local entity other than the application, the local entity receiving the multiple content from a remote entity.

19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 12, further comprising presenting, in the tile, an indicator indicating:

a progress of installation of the application or an update to the application;

that the application is or is not currently executing;

an upcoming expiration of the application;

or

that a software update is available for the application.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

presenting a user interface having multiple tiles, one of the tiles associated with an application that is not executing;

presenting within the tile associated with the application that is not executing, content associated with one of multiple content changes for the application that is not executing, the content changes new to the application that is not executing since a most-recent presentation or launch of the application that is not executing, the content received from an entity other than the application that is not executing;

receiving selection, through the tile, to present other content associated with another of the multiple content changes to the application that is not executing; and

responsive to selection, presenting the other content associated with the other of the multiple changes to the application that is not executing within the tile or visually associated with the tile.