Closing applications

• US 9,223,472 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: LeVee, Brian S., Markiewicz, Jan-Kristian, Hofmeester, Gerrit H., Sundelin, Nils A., Sareen, Chaitanya Dev, Worley, Matthew I., Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Barrus, Adam E., Srour, Benjamin Salim, Anderson, Bret P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Shangao
• Application Number:
  US13/335,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/767, 715/768, 715/779, 715/864
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0481 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites

Abstract

Application closing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a computing device recognizes an input as involving selection of an application displayed in a display environment by the computing device and subsequent movement of a point of the selection toward an edge of the display environment. Responsive to the recognizing of the input, the selected application is closed by the computing device.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

recognizing an input as involving selection of a portion of an application displayed in a display environment by the computing device and subsequent movement of a point of the selection toward a first edge of the display environment, the selected portion of the application positioned at a second edge of the display environment that is opposite the first edge, the display environment including a plurality of regions associated with different actions of the application, at least one of the regions defined by the first edge of the display device and involving closing of the application and defined by a dynamic threshold that is determined from the subsequent movement of the point of the selection toward the first edge of the display environment, the dynamic threshold defined as a percentage of the subsequent movement between the second and first edges of the display environment, at least another region other than the at least one of the regions configured such that moving the selected application into the another region causes the selection of the application not to be recognized; and

responsive to the recognizing of the input, closing the selected application.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the input is recognized from one or more inputs received via touchscreen functionality or a cursor control device of the computing device.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the closing includes sending one or more events to the application that indicate that the application is to be closed.

4. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising responsive to recognition that a portion of the application has been selected, changing a display characteristic of the selected application to indicate that the application has been selected.

5. A method as described in claim 4, wherein the changing of the display characteristic includes changing an amount of area of the display environment used to display the application or changing a transparency of the application as displayed on the display environment.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the subsequent movement is recognized as passing a threshold.

7. A method as described in claim 6, further comprising responsive to recognition that the movement has passed the threshold, changing a display characteristic of the selected application to indicate that the closing of the application is available upon ceasing of the input.

8. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the threshold is defined as occurring at a set physical distance from the edge of the display environment.

9. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the threshold is defined as a defined proportion of an available display area of the display environment from the edge.

10. A method as described in claim 6, further comprising keeping the application open responsive to recognition that the input describes movement that has exited a region defined by the threshold.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the recognizing includes recognizing the subsequent movement as occurring at a velocity that is indicative of a user'"'"'s desire to close the application.

12. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the application is maintained in a back stack of the computing device and the closing of the application is performed without actively executing the application.

13. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the closing includes display of an animation that is indicative that the closing of the application is to be performed.

14. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the selection and the subsequent movement involve a gesture that includes detection of contact, using touchscreen functionality of the display environment, of a portion of the application displayed by the display environment and the subsequent movement involving continuation of the contact toward the first edge and the input further describes cessation of the contact, thereby completing the gesture.

15. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

recognizing a selection input as initiating selection of an application displayed in a display environment of the computing device, the selection made at a portion of the application displayed proximal to a first edge of the display environment, the display environment including a plurality of regions associated with different actions of the application, at least one of the regions defined by a second edge of the display device and involving closing of the application;

responsive to the recognizing of the selection input, changing a display characteristic of the application to indicate the selection of the application;

causing the display of the application having the changed display characteristic to follow subsequent movement of the selection, the at least one of the regions of the display environment defined by a dynamic threshold that is determined from the subsequent movement of the selection, the dynamic threshold defined as a percentage of the subsequent movement between the first and second edges of the display environment;

recognizing a closing input from the subsequent movement as crossing a threshold defined in relation to the second edge of the display environment; and

responsive to the recognizing of the closing input, causing a further change in one or more display characteristics of the application to indicate availability to initiate closing of the applications.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the first and second edges of the display environment define opposing sides of the display environment.

17. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

entering a mode to close an application responsive to recognition of one or more inputs to select an application displayed in a display environment by the computing device, the selection made at a portion of the application displayed proximal to a first edge of the display environment and selection of the application causing a background of the display environment to be exposed that was not exposed prior to the selection of the application, the mode operable to change a display characteristic of the application and cause the display of the application to follow subsequent movement described by an input device used to select the application as defined by the inputs, the subsequent movement toward a second edge of the display environment that is opposite the first edge, the display environment including a plurality of regions associated with different actions of the application, at least one of the regions defined by the second edge of the display device and involving closing of the application, the at least one of the regions further defined by a dynamic threshold that is determined from the subsequent movement, the dynamic threshold defined as a percentage of the subsequent movement between the first and second edges of the display environment, at least another region other than the at least one of the regions configured such that moving the selected application into the another region causes the selection of the application not to be recognized; and

exiting the mode to close the application responsive to detection that the one or more inputs have ceased.

18. A method as described in claim 17, wherein the input device is a cursor control device.

19. A method as described in claim 17, wherein:

the input device involves touchscreen functionality of one or more display devices used to implemented the display environment;

the entering of the mode is performed responsive to detection of contact by the touchscreen functionality; and

the exiting of the mode is performed responsive to removal of the contact as detected by the touchscreen functionality.