Multi-touch integrated desktop environment

• US 9,262,005 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Grossman, Tovi, Matejka, Justin Frank, Fitzmaurice, George, Bi, Xiaojun
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, VINH TANG
• Application Number:
  US12/985,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20120169622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 715702-810
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A technique for integrating a multi-touch surface into a desktop environment is disclosed. One or more multi-touch display devices are placed on the horizontal surface surrounding or beneath a keyboard or mouse. At least one region on the multi-touch surface is defined to display one or more user interface tools on the multi-touch surface. The one or more user interface tools displayed via the multi-touch surface may control or display information associated with desktop applications displayed via a primary display device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for configuring a multi-touch display device to display an enhanced task bar, the method comprising:

detecting the presence of one or more physical input devices on a multi-touch display device that forms a desktop surface;

in response to detecting the presence of the one or more physical input devices, defining a region within the multi-touch display device proximate to the one or more physical input devices for displaying an enhanced task bar;

generating one or more user interface elements that are disposed within the enhanced task bar, wherein each user interface element is configured to control a different application window displayed on a first display device;

displaying the enhanced task bar in the region of the multi-touch display device;

detecting multi-touch input associated with a first user interface element included in the one or more user interface elements and disposed within the enhanced task bar; and

adjusting a first application window displayed on the first display device based on the multi-touch input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface element comprises a thumbnail image view of the first application window, and the size of the first application window is adjusted based on the multi-touch input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface element comprises a thumbnail image view of the first application window, and the location of the first application window is adjusted based on the multi-touch input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface element comprises an icon, and the first application window is maximized or minimized based on the multi-touch input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the region is defined proximate to a physical keyboard device detected on the multi-touch display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced task bar is configured with an aspect ratio that is substantially similar to an aspect ratio of the display device, and the relative spacing between the one or more user interface elements disposed within the enhanced task bar is substantially the same as the relative spacing between one or more application windows displayed via the display device and corresponding to the one or more user interface elements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced task bar is configured with an aspect ratio that is wider than the aspect ratio of the display device, and the relative spacing between the one or more user interface elements disposed within the enhanced task bar is greater than the relative spacing between one or more application windows displayed via the display device and corresponding to the one or more user interface elements.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed, performs an operation for configuring a multi-touch display device to display an enhanced task bar, the operation comprising:

detecting the presence of one or more physical input devices on a multi-touch display device that forms a desktop surface;

in response to detecting the presence of the one or more physical input devices, defining a region within the multi-touch display device proximate to the one or more physical input devices for displaying an enhanced task bar;

generating one or more user interface elements that are disposed within the enhanced task bar, wherein each user interface element is configured to control a different application window displayed on a first display device;

displaying the enhanced task bar in the region of the multi-touch display device;

detecting multi-touch input associated with a first user interface element included in the one or more user interface elements and disposed within the enhanced task bar; and

adjusting a first application window displayed on the first display device based on the multi-touch input.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first user interface element comprises a thumbnail image view of the first application window, and the size of the first application window is adjusted based on the multi-touch input.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first user interface element comprises a thumbnail image view of the first application window, and the location of the first application window is adjusted based on the multi-touch input.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first user interface element comprises an icon, and the first application window is maximized or minimized based on the multi-touch input.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the region is defined proximate to a physical keyboard device detected on the multi-touch display device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the enhanced task bar is configured with an aspect ratio that is substantially similar to an aspect ratio of the display device, and the relative spacing between the one or more user interface elements disposed within the enhanced task bar is substantially the same as the relative spacing between one or more application windows displayed via the display device and corresponding to the one or more user interface elements.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the enhanced task bar is configured with an aspect ratio that is wider than the aspect ratio of the display device, and the relative spacing between the one or more user interface elements disposed within the enhanced task bar is greater than the relative spacing between one or more application windows displayed via the display device and corresponding to the one or more user interface elements.

15. A system configured to display an enhanced task bar on a multi-touch display device, the system comprising:

a multi-touch display device; and

a processing unit coupled to the multi-touch display device and configured to;

detect the presence of one or more physical input devices on a multi-touch display device that forms a desktop surface;

in response to detecting the presence of the one or more physical input devices, define a region within the multi-touch display device proximate to the one or more physical input devices for displaying an enhanced task bar;

generate one or more user interface elements that are disposed within the enhanced task bar, wherein each user interface element is configured to control a different application window displayed on a first display device;

display the enhanced task bar in the region of the multi-touch display device;

detect multi-touch input associated with a first user interface element included in the one or more user interface elements and disposed within the enhanced task bar; and

adjust a first application window displayed on the first display device based on the multi-touch input.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first user interface element comprises a thumbnail image view of the first application window, and the size of the first application window is adjusted based on the multi-touch input.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first user interface element comprises a thumbnail image view of the first application window, and the location of the first application window is adjusted based on the multi-touch input.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first user interface element comprises an icon, and the first application window is maximized or minimized based on the multi-touch input.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the enhanced task bar is configured with an aspect ratio that is substantially similar to an aspect ratio of the display device, and the relative spacing between the one or more user interface elements disposed within the enhanced task bar is substantially the same as the relative spacing between one or more application windows displayed via the display device and corresponding to the one or more user interface elements.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the enhanced task bar is configured with an aspect ratio that is wider than the aspect ratio of the display device, and the relative spacing between the one or more user interface elements disposed within the enhanced task bar is greater than the relative spacing between one or more application windows displayed via the display device and corresponding to the one or more user interface elements.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the enhanced task bar is displayed on the multi-touch display device and not on the first display device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein an orientation of the multi-touch display device is substantially horizontal, and an orientation of the first display device is substantially vertical.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

detect a change to a location of the one or more physical input devices on the multi-touch display device; and

based on the change to the location, adjust the position of the region in which the enhanced task bar is displayed.