Web based desktop environment

• US 8,745,505 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Tam, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gattew, Asteway T
• Application Number:
  US12/928,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20120151365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715/234, 715/742, 715/760
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A web based desktop environment is disclosed. The desktop environment comprises a work area configured to display application windows in a web browser operating on a computer server. A resident application bar is displayed adjacent the work area and configured to display only icons for resident desktop applications. A power bar resident desktop application is configured to launch web applications to be displayed in the work area. A task board operating in the power bar resident desktop application comprises a vertically resizable two dimensional window located at a selected edge of the work area. The task board is configured to display a web application icon for each web application launched in the power bar resident desktop application.

Claims

1. A web based desktop environment, comprising:

a display device for displaying;

a work area configured to display application windows in a web browser operating on a computer server;

a resident application bar displayed adjacent the work area and configured to display only icons for resident desktop applications and each resident desktop application is persistent and can only be terminated when the desktop environment is terminated;

a power bar resident desktop application configured to launch web applications stored on a server, to be displayed in the work area; and

a task board comprising a vertically resizable two dimensional window located at a selected edge of the work area and configured to display a web application icon for each launched web application.

2. The desktop environment of claim 1, further comprising a search sage resident desktop application configured to search for available web applications that are operable to launch in the web based desktop environment.

3. The desktop environment of claim 1, wherein each resident application bar icon for a selected resident desktop application can be used only to maximize and minimize a window in the work area that is associated with the resident desktop application.

4. The desktop environment of claim 1, wherein each web application icon in the task board is configured to allow a user to select at least one action for a window associated with a web application, the at least one action selected from the group consisting of maximizing the window, minimizing the window, closing the window, moving the window, and resizing the window.

5. The desktop environment of claim 1, wherein the power bar resident desktop application is configured to launch multiple temporal instances of a single web application.

6. The desktop environment of claim 1, wherein the task board is configured to be displayed in a closed position comprising a thin bar located at the selected edge of the work area with an active region that can be selected to open the task board to display the two dimensional window.

7. The desktop environment of claim 1, wherein the task board includes a vertical scroll bar in the two dimensional window to allow a user to scroll vertically to view additional web application icons related to active web applications.

8. The desktop environment of claim 1, wherein the task board is configured to operate as one of a separate resident desktop application and within at least one resident desktop application operating in the web based desktop environment.

9. A computer program product, comprising at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a web based desktop environment, comprising:

a work area configured to display application windows in a web browser operating on a computer server;

a resident application bar displayed adjacent the work area and configured to display only icons for resident desktop applications, wherein each resident desktop application is persistent and can only be terminated when the desktop environment is terminated;

a power bar resident desktop application configured to launch web applications to be displayed in the work area; and

a task board operating in the power bar resident desktop application, the task board comprising a vertically resizable two dimensional window located at a selected edge of the work area and configured to display a web application icon for each launched web application.

10. The desktop environment of claim 9, further comprising a search sage resident desktop application configured to search for available web applications that are operable to launch in the web based desktop environment.

11. The desktop environment of claim 9, wherein each resident application bar icon for a selected resident desktop application can be used only to maximize and minimize a window in the work area that is associated with the resident desktop application.

12. The desktop environment of claim 9, wherein each web application icon in the task board is configured to allow a user to select at least one action for a window associated with a web application, the at least one action selected from the group consisting of maximizing the window, minimizing the window, closing the window, moving the window, and resizing the window.

13. The desktop environment of claim 9, wherein the power bar resident desktop application is configured to launch multiple temporal instances of a single web application.

14. The desktop environment of claim 9, wherein the task board is configured to be displayed in a closed position comprising a thin bar located at the selected edge of the work area with an active region that can be selected to open the task board to display the two dimensional window.

15. The desktop environment of claim 9, wherein the task board includes a vertical scroll bar in the two dimensional window to allow a user to scroll vertically to view additional web application icons related to active web applications.

16. The desktop environment of claim 9, wherein the task board is configured to operate as one of a separate resident desktop application and within at least one resident desktop application operating in the web based desktop environment.

17. A method for operating web applications in a web desktop environment, comprising:

providing a work area configured to display application windows in a web browser operating on a computer server;

displaying a resident application bar adjacent the work area that is configured to display only icons for resident desktop applications;

launching web applications with a power bar resident desktop application configured to launch web applications to be displayed in the work area;

locating web application icons associated with launched web applications in a task board operating in the power bar resident desktop application, the task board comprising a vertically resizable two dimensional window that is located at a selected edge of the work area and configured to display the web application icon for each launched web application;

controlling a display of the web applications in the work area using the web application icons in the task board; and

terminating resident desktop applications only when the web desktop environment is terminated.

18. The desktop environment of claim 17, further comprising launching web applications with a search sage resident desktop application configured to locate web applications based on a keyword search of available web applications to be launched in the web browser.