Dragging an application to a screen using the application manager

• US 9,207,717 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Reeves, Paul E., de Paz, Alexander, Milano, Eduardo Diego Torres, Ficklin, Jared L., Burton, Denise, Wygonik, Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Manglesh M
• Application Number:
  US13/247,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20120117495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/761, 715/802, 715/80, 715/766, 715/797, 715/794, 715778-779
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A dual-screen user device and methods for revealing a combination of desktops on single and multiple screens are disclosed. Selected desktops and/or running applications are displayed on dual screen displays. Desktops and applications can be shifted between screens by user gestures, and/or moved off of the screens and therefore hidden. Hidden desktops and screens can be re-displayed by yet other gestures. The desktops and applications are arranged in a window stack that represents a logical order of the desktops and applications providing a user with an intuitive ability to manage multiple applications/desktops miming simultaneously. One user gesture launches an applications management window that provides visual indications of all applications and desktops running at the time. Other gestures rearrange the order of the applications and desktops in the window stack. One particular gesture drags a selected application or desktop appearing in the applications management window to a selected screen.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a plurality of desktops and/or applications, each having at least one window, on a multi-screen device, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first input that represents an instruction to reveal a first application on a first display of the multi-screen device;

selecting, by the processor, the first application to display on the first display;

displaying, by the processor, a first active window associated with the selected first application on the first display;

modifying a window stack to include the first active window;

receiving, by the processor, a second input that represents an instruction to reveal a second application on a second display of the multi-screen device;

selecting, by the processor, the second application to display on the second display;

displaying, by the processor, a second active window associated with the selected second application on the second display;

modifying the window stack to include the second active window, wherein the window stack includes the first active window, the second active window, at least one other inactive window associated with an application currently running but not currently displayed on the first and second displays, and at least one desktop;

receiving, by the processor, a third input that represents an instruction to launch an application manager feature;

displaying, by the processor, an application manager window associated with the application manager feature, wherein the application manager window displays the first active window, the second active window, the at least one other inactive window, and the desktop;

determining, by the processor, a desired order for the window stack comprising the first and second active windows, the at least one other inactive window, and the desktop wherein the window stack is a logical arrangement of the active windows and inactive windows, associated with applications currently executing on the multi-screen device, and desktops;

receiving, by the processor, a fourth input that represents an instruction to selectively move one of said inactive windows associated with the other application within the window stack to a displayed position on said first or second displays; and

displaying, by a processor, the window stack, in the application manager window, in a new order in response to said fourth input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth input is a user gesture comprising at least one of a flick or drag gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the third input is a user gesture comprising a spread gesture, and wherein the spread gesture is executed on off-screen areas of said first and seconds displays with one finger of a user placed on one display, and another finger of the user placed on the other display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a fourth input step is executed a number of times until the window stack is displayed in the desired order.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one management window appears on said first and second displays, and the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within the management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops corresponds to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the fourth input is a drag gesture executed on a selected one of said other applications or desktops, and the drag is pointed toward one of said first or second displays for displaying the selected one on the display to which the drag gesture is pointed.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein separate management windows appear on said first and second displays denoting a first window stack for the first display and a second window stack for the second display, and wherein the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within each management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops correspond to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack for each corresponding display.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computing system to execute a method, the instructions comprising:

instructions that receive a first predetermined input that represents an instruction to determine and reveal a first desktop or first inactive window associated with a first application on a first display of the multi-screen device;

instructions that receive a second predetermined input that represents an instruction to determine and reveal a second desktop or second inactive window associated with a second application on a second display of the multi-screen device;

instructions that respond to the first and second predetermined inputs with outputs that cause the first desktop or first inactive window to be displayed on the first display and cause the second desktop or second inactive window to be displayed on the second display;

instructions that modify a window stack based on the first and second predetermined inputs to include an arrangement of the first desktop or first displayed window, the second desktop or second displayed window, one or more inactive windows, and one or more desktops;

instructions that receive a third predetermined input that represents an instruction to launch an application manager feature;

instructions that respond to the third predetermined input that causes a display of an application management window that displays the first displayed window, the second displayed window, all other windows associated with all other applications currently running but not currently displayed on the first and second displays, and all other desktops;

instructions that receive a fourth predetermined input that represents an instruction to selectively move a third inactive window associated with one of said other applications within the window stack to a displayed position on said first or second displays, wherein the window stack is a logical arrangement of active windows and inactive windows, associated with applications currently executing on the multi-screen device, and desktops; and

instructions that respond to the fourth predetermined input that causes displaying of the window stack in a new order.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said fourth predetermined input step is executed a number of times by a user until the window stack is displayed in the desired order.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said management window appears on said first and second displays, and the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within the management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops corresponds to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the fourth input is a drag gesture executed on a selected one of said other applications or desktops, and the drag is pointed toward one of said first or second displays for displaying the selected one on the display to which the drag gesture is pointed.

12. A multi-screen user device, comprising:

a first display including a first display area;

a second display including a second display area;

a first user input gesture area of the first display;

a second user input gesture area of the second display, wherein the first and second user input gesture areas accept input from a user;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that include;

a first set of instructions that determine a number and identity of desktops, active windows, and inactive windows associated with applications selected to be executed by a user;

a second set of instructions that determine, based on the number and identity of the desktops or applications running, a window stack comprising a logical representation of the desktops, active windows, and inactive windows within an ordered group whereby a user selectively moves a selected desktop or application to either a visible position on another display or a non-visible position, wherein the active and inactive windows are associated with applications currently executing on the multi-screen device;

a third set of instructions responsive to a gesture made by the user that represents an instruction to launch an application manager feature, wherein the active applications or desktops are displayed on the first and second displays, and an application management window is displayed showing all desktops, active windows, and inactive windows currently executing on the multi-screen device;

a fourth set of instructions responsive to one or more gestures made by the user that represent an instruction to selectively move one of the inactive windows, within the window stack, to a displayed position on said first or second displays; and

wherein the window stack is displayed in a new order in response to said fourth set of instructions.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said fourth set of instructions are executed a number of times until the window stack is displayed in the desired order.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein at least one management window appears on said first and second displays, and the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within the management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops corresponds to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein separate management windows appear on said first and second displays denoting a first window stack for the first display and a second window stack for the second display, and wherein the other applications or desktops are arranged linearly within each management window from left to right, and the left to right order of the other applications or desktops correspond to an order of the other applications or desktops within the window stack for each corresponding display.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the fourth input is a drag gesture executed on a selected one of said other applications or desktops, and the drag is pointed toward one of said first or second displays for displaying the selected one on the display to which the drag gesture is pointed.