Controlling application windows in an operating system

• US 8,910,066 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zotov, Alexander J., Duncan, Richard J., Szilagyi, Zoltan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US13/487,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20120235946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling the appearance of application windows on a computer display screen. A user identifies either an application window currently running on the computer or a new application to be started. The user also identifies a size, shape, and screen location by inputting a geometric shape, such as by drawing a rectangle with a pen or stylus input device, on the display screen. The appearance of the application window is set based on the geometric shape. The application window is resized and moved, for a currently running application, or created, for a new application, on the display screen.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory having stored therein computer executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause an area on the display screen;

a user-delineated sub area comprising a shape and a location input in the area on the display screen,

the shape of the user-delineated sub area defining a size of an application window, and

the location of the user-delineated sub area defining where the application window is presented within the area on the display screen, and

an application is presented within the application window.

2. A device as recited in claim 1, the shape of the user-delineated sub area comprising a geometric boundary set by a graphical input at the user interface.

3. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein the graphical input at the user interface comprises a touch input.

4. A device as recited in claim 1, the user-delineated sub area further comprising an application identification set by a textual input at the user interface.

5. A device as recited in claim 4, the application identification set by the textual input comprising a name of the application for presentation within the user-delineated sub area.

6. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the application is presented in the application window when the application launches.

7. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the user-delineated sub area manipulates an existing graphical presentation of the application.

8. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein manipulation of the existing graphical presentation of the application includes placing a resized graphical presentation of the application in the user-delineated sub area.

9. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein manipulation of the existing graphical presentation of the application includes replacing the existing graphical presentation of the application with a new graphical presentation of the application in the user-delineated sub area.

10. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein manipulation of the existing graphical presentation of the application includes relocating the existing graphical presentation of the application to the user-delineated sub area.

11. A user interface system configured to recognize input to control a computer to produce an output at a display screen associated with the computer through operations comprising:

receiving an indication of a first user input to the computer identifying a target application;

receiving, by a computer, an indication of a second user input identifying a geometric shape of an application window; and

presenting, on the display screen associated with the computer, the application window of the target application having a boundary that is consistent with the identified geometric shape.

12. A user interface system as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of the indication of the first user input and the indication of the second user input is received by the user interface system via a touch input device.

13. A user interface system as recited in claim 11, the indication of the first user input comprising a textual input of a name of the target application within an area of the display screen that is bounded by the identified geometric shape of the application window.

14. A user interface system as recited in claim 13, the display screen comprising a touch-sensitive display screen, wherein the textual input of the name of the target application is received via touch input at the touch-sensitive display screen.

15. A user interface system as recited in claim 11, the operations further comprising, in response to receiving the indication of the first user input or the indication of the second user input, launching the target application for presentation in the application window on the display screen.

16. A user interface system as recited in claim 15, the operations further comprising, presenting the target application in the application window on the display screen.

17. A user interface system as recited in claim 11, wherein a presentation of the target application is sized to fit within the geometric-shaped boundary of the application window.

18. A user interface as recited in claim 11, wherein an existing presentation of the target application on the display screen is replaced with a new presentation of the target application in the application window on the display screen.

19. A method comprising:

receiving an activation of a window definition mode;

receiving an indication of a selected application;

receiving a user input identifying a shape and a location for an application window of the selected application on a display screen;

defining a boundary of the application window for the selected application corresponding to the identified shape; and

presenting the selected application in the application window having the defined boundary at the identified location on the display screen.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, the indication of user input including touch input.

21. A user interface system configured to recognize input to control a computer to produce an output at a display screen associated with the computer through operations comprising:

receiving a user input to the computer identifying a geometric shape of an application window;

receiving, by the computer, an indication of a selected application; and

causing, by one or more processors associated with the computer, presentation of the selected application in the application window on the display associated with the computer, the application window having a boundary that is consistent with the identified geometric shape.

22. A user interface system as recited in claim 21, wherein the receiving of the indication of the selected application is subsequent to the receiving of the geometric shape of the application window.

23. A user interface system as recited in claim 21, wherein receiving of the geometric shape of the application window is subsequent to the receiving of the indication of the selected application.

24. A user interface system as recited in claim 21, further comprising receiving an activation of a window definition mode.

25. A user interface system as recited in claim 21, wherein the receiving of the user input identifying the geometric shape of the application window further comprises receiving a location for the application window.

26. A user interface system as recited in claim 25, further comprising presenting the selected application in the application window having the defined boundary that is consistent with the identified geometric shape at the received location.

27. A user interface as recited in claim 21, further comprising receiving the user input to an operating system associated with the computer.

28. A device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute acts comprising;

receiving a user input identifying a geometric shape of an application window;

receiving an indication of a selected application; and

causing presentation of the selected application in the application window having a boundary that is consistent with the identified geometric shape.

29. A device as recited in claim 28, wherein the receiving of the indication of the selected application is subsequent to the receiving of the geometric shape of the application window.

30. A device as recited in claim 28, wherein receiving of the geometric shape of the application window is subsequent to the receiving of the indication of the selected application.