Unified desktop triad control user interface for an application manager

• US 8,990,713 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Reeves, Paul E., Sirpal, Sanjiv, de Paz, Alexander, Gimpl, Martin, Schrock, Rodney W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/605,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 715/740, 715/779
• US Class Current: 715/761
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface or “desktop” across two devices are provided. More particularly, a unified desktop is presented across a device and a computer system that comprise a unified system. The unified desktop acts as a single user interface that presents data and receives user interaction in a seamless environment that emulates a personal computing environment. To function within the personal computing environment, the unified desktop includes a process for docking and undocking the device with the computer system. The unified desktop presents a new user interface to allow access to functions of the unified desktop.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device;

providing a computer system;

docking the device to the computer system to form a unified system;

generating a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system;

while docked, receiving a first user interface input in a triad control area;

in response to the first user interface input, providing a triad control, wherein the triad control is displayed in one of the first user interface and the second user interface;

receiving a second user interface input on a user-selectable icon in the triad control, wherein the user-selectable icon is associated with an application manager, and wherein the user-selectable icon includes an indicator of a number of open windows in the unified system; and

in response to the second user interface input, providing an application manager user interface, wherein the application manager user interface includes a representation of at least one open window in the unified system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application manager user interface includes a first representation of a first application executing on the unified system in the first user interface and a second representation of a second application executing on the unified system in the second user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the representation is a snapshot of a application window associated with the application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the snapshot is a last-presented view of the application window on the unified desktop.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the application manager user interface is formed in two sections, wherein the two sections are separated by a visual indicia.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a first section displays one or more snapshots of applications being executed on the device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a second section displays one or more snapshots of applications being executed on the computer system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the unified system receives a user interface action associated with one or more of the snapshots in the application manager user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface action includes one or more of a select, a move, or an execute.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, when receiving a select, a focus is placed on the application window associated with the snapshot selected.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein, the move user interface action in the application manager user interface moves the application window in the unified desktop from the first user interface to the second user interface.

12. A unified system, comprising:

a device comprising;

a first screen;

a first memory;

a first processor;

a computer system comprising;

a second screen;

a second memory;

a second processor, wherein the device is docked with the computer system to form the unified system;

wherein the unified system is configured to;

generate a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system;

while docked, receive a first user interface input in a first triad control area or a second triad control area;

in response to receiving the first user interface input in the first triad control area, provide a triad control in the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first user interface input in the second triad control area, provide the triad control in the second user interface;

receive a second user interface input on a user-selectable icon in the triad control, wherein the user-selectable icon is associated with an application manager; and

in response to the second user interface input, provide an application manager user interface, wherein the application manager user interface includes a representation of the open windows in the unified system, wherein the application manager user interface includes a visual indicia with a first representation of a first open window open in the first user interface on a first side of the demarcation line and with a second representation of a second open window open in the second user interface on a second side of the visual indicia.

13. The unified system of claim 12, wherein the application manager user interface includes a representation of two or more applications executing on the unified system, wherein the representation is a snapshot of an application window associated with the application, and wherein the snapshot is a last-presented view of the application window on the unified desktop.

14. The unified system of claim 12, wherein the visual indicia is a demarcation line, wherein a first section displays one or more snapshots of applications being executed on the device, and wherein a second section displays one or more snapshots of applications being executed on the computer system.

15. The unified system of claim 12, wherein the unified system receives a user interface action associated with one or more of the snapshots in the application manager user interface, and wherein the user interface action includes one or more of a select, a move, or an execute.

16. The unified system of claim 15, wherein, when receiving a select, a focus is placed on the application window associated with the snapshot selected, and wherein, the move user interface action in the application manager user interface moves the application window in the unified desktop from the second user interface to the first user interface.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a unified desktop, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

upon docking a device with a computer system, instructions to generate a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes a first user interface associated with the device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment;

while docked, instructions to receive a first user interface input in a triad control area;

in response to the first user interface input, instructions to provide a triad control, wherein the triad control is displayed in one of the first user interface and the second user interface;

instructions to receive a second user interface input on a user-selectable icon in the triad control, wherein the user-selectable icon is associated with an application manager, and wherein the user-selectable icon includes an indicator of a number of open windows in the unified system; and

in response to the second user interface input, instructions to provide an application manager user interface, wherein the application manager user interface includes a description of the open windows in the unified system, wherein the application manager user interface includes a visual indicia with a first representation of a first open window open in the first user interface on a first side of the visual indicia and with a second representation of a second open window open in the second user interface on a second side of the visual indicia.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the application manager user interface includes a representation of two or more applications executing on the unified system, wherein the representation is a snapshot of a application window associated with the application, and wherein the snapshot is a last-presented view of the application window on the unified desktop.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the visual indicia is a demarcation line, wherein a first section displays one or more snapshots of applications being executed on the device, and wherein a second section displays one or more snapshots of applications being executed on the computer system.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the unified system receives a user interface action associated with one or more of the snapshots in the application manager user interface, wherein the user interface action includes one or more of a select, a move, or an execute, wherein, when receiving a select, a focus is placed on the application window associated with the snapshot selected, and wherein, the move user interface action in the application manager user interface moves the application window in the unified desktop from the second user interface to the first user interface.