Modifying the presentation of clustered application windows in a user interface

• US 9,292,196 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas, Louch, John O.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burwell, Joseph R
• Application Number:
  US12/907,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790
• 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 3/0481 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 3/0486 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

Abstract

Providing a bridge interface for managing virtual workspaces is disclosed. A plurality of workspace images is presented in a user interface, each workspace image corresponding to a different virtual workspace available to a user of a computer system. A plurality of application windows associated with one of the virtual workspaces is presented. The presented application windows are visually grouped into one or more clusters, at least one cluster including a set of application windows, and at least a first of the application windows in the set of application windows visually overlaps a second application window in the set of application windows. User input indicating a movement of the application windows in the at least one cluster is received. The presentation of the at least one cluster is modified to make the second application window appear more visible to the user.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors executing on a computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a first virtual workspace that includes a plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace;

while displaying the first virtual workspace, receiving first user input indicating a request to display the plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace;

in response to receiving the first user input, displaying representations of the plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace grouped into a plurality of clusters including a first cluster, the first cluster including a first representation of a first application window and a second representation of a second application window, and the first representation of the first application window visually overlapping the second representation of the second application window, wherein displaying the representations of the plurality of application windows grouped into the plurality of clusters includes;

displaying the first representation of the first application window at a different size and/or location than a size and/or location of the first application window in the first virtual workspace; and

displaying the second representation of the second application window at a different size and/or location than a size and/or location of the second application window in the first virtual workspace;

receiving second user input on the first cluster; and

modifying, in response to receiving the second user input, presentation of the first cluster to make the second application window representation appear more visible to the user including reducing an area of the second application window representation overlapped by the first application window representation by moving both the first and second application window representations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein making the second application window representation appear more visible to the user comprises spreading out the first and second application window representations in a radial direction.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first and second application window representations are spread out so that no portion of the first and second application window representations overlap each other.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein making the second application window representation in the first cluster appear more visible to the user comprises providing visual feedback to the user that gives the user a sense that the user has nudged the first cluster of application window representations to make the application window representations move slightly apart from each other.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving successive iterations of input from the user, each iteration of user input effecting a visually nudging of the application window representations to further spread the application windows apart from each other.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second user input is an upward or downward swipe by the user on a multi-touch input device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving user input indicating a second movement of the application window representations in the first cluster; and

modifying the presentation of the first cluster to make the second application window representation appear less visible to the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying a cluster of application window representations comprises visually presenting the application window representations as a stack of overlapping window representations having different associated Z-depths.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the application window representations have respective center points and wherein visually presenting the stack of overlapping window representations in a cluster comprises displaying the application window representations such that their respective center points are substantially aligned.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a visibility of each application window representation in a cluster is determined based on at least one of a dimension associated with each window, a type of each window, a time each window was last accessed, a title of each window, or empirical data associated with a user'"'"'s preferences.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second application window representations are moved concurrently to reduce the area of the second application window representation overlapped by the first application window representation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input is independent of a selection of any of the plurality of application windows in the first virtual workspace.

13. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

wherein the plurality of clusters includes a second cluster with a plurality of overlapping representations of application windows; and

maintaining presentation of the second cluster without expanding the second cluster while the presentation of the first cluster is modified to make the second application window representation appear more visible to the user.

14. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

after modifying the presentation of the first cluster, receiving third input selecting the second application window representation; and

in response to receiving the third input, presenting the second application window corresponding to the second application window representation in the first virtual workspace.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, generate on a display device a graphical user interface for presenting virtual workspaces and perform the following operations:

display a first virtual workspace that includes a plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace;

while displaying the first virtual workspace, receive first user input indicating a request to display the plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace;

in response to receiving the first user input, display representations of the plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace grouped into a plurality of clusters including a first cluster, the first cluster including a first representation of a first application window and a second representation of a second application window, and the first representation of the first application window visually overlapping the second representation of the second application window, wherein displaying the representations of the plurality of application windows grouped into the plurality of clusters includes;

displaying the first representation of the first application window at a different size and/or location than a size and/or location of the first application window in the first virtual workspace; and

displaying the second representation of the second application window at a different size and/or location than a size and/or location of the second application window in the first virtual workspace;

receive second user input on the first cluster; and

modify, in response to receiving the second user input, presentation of the first cluster to make the second application window representation appear more visible to the user including reducing an area of the second application window representation overlapped by the first application window representation by moving both the first and second application window representations.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein making the second application window representation appear more visible to the user comprises spreading out the first and second application window representations in a radial direction.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein the first and second application window representations are spread out so that no portion of the first and second application window representations overlap each other.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein making the second application window representation in the first cluster appear more visible to the user comprises providing visual feedback to the user that gives the user a sense that the user has nudged the first cluster of application window representations to make the application window representations move slightly apart from each other.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein displaying a cluster of application window representations comprises visually presenting the application window representations as a stack of overlapping window representations having different associated Z-depths.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the application window representations have respective center points and wherein visually presenting the stack of overlapping window representations in a cluster comprises displaying the application window representations such that their respective center points are substantially aligned.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the second user input is an upward or downward swipe by the user on a multi-touch input device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first and second application window representations are moved concurrently to reduce the area of the second application window representation overlapped by the first application window representation.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first user input is independent of a selection of any of the plurality of application windows in the first virtual workspace.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

wherein the plurality of clusters includes a second cluster with a plurality of overlapping representations of application windows; and

maintaining presentation of the second cluster without expanding the second cluster while the presentation of the first cluster is modified to make the second application window representation appear more visible to the user.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

after modifying the presentation of the first cluster, receiving third input selecting the second application window representation; and

in response to receiving the third input, presenting the second application window corresponding to the second application window representation in the first virtual workspace.

26. A system comprising:

a display device; and

a computing device in communication with the display device, wherein the computing device is capable of performing at least the following;

display a first virtual workspace that includes a plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace;

while displaying the first virtual workspace, receive first user input indicating a request to display the plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace;

in response to receiving the first user input, display representations of the plurality of application windows associated with the first virtual workspace grouped into a plurality of clusters including a first cluster, the first cluster including a first representation of a first application window and a second representation of a second application window, and the first representation of the first application window visually overlapping the second representation of the second application window, wherein displaying the representations of the plurality of application windows grouped into the plurality of clusters includes;

displaying the first representation of the first application window at a different size and/or location than a size and/or location of the first application window in the first virtual workspace; and

displaying the second representation of the second application window at a different size and/or location than a size and/or location of the second application window in the first virtual workspace;

receive second user input on the first cluster; and

modify, in response to receiving the second user input, presentation of the first cluster to make the second application window representation appear more visible to the user including reducing an area of the second application window representation overlapped by the first application window representation by moving both the first and second application window representations.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein making the second application window representation appear more visible to the user comprises spreading out the first and second application window representations in a radial direction.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the first and second application window representations are spread out so that no portion of the first and second application window representations overlap each other.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein making the second application window representation in the first cluster appear more visible to the user comprises providing visual feedback to the user that gives the user a sense that the user has nudged the first cluster of application window representations to make the application window representations move slightly apart from each other.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein the second user input is an upward or downward swipe by the user on a multi-touch input device.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein displaying a cluster of application window representations comprises visually presenting the application window representations as a stack of overlapping window representations having different associated Z-depths.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the first and second application window representations are moved concurrently to reduce the area of the second application window representation overlapped by the first application window representation.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the first user input is independent of a selection of any of the plurality of application windows in the first virtual workspace.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the computing device is further capable of performing:

wherein the plurality of clusters includes a second cluster with a plurality of overlapping representations of application windows; and

maintaining presentation of the second cluster without expanding the second cluster while the presentation of the first cluster is modified to make the second application window representation appear more visible to the user.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein the computing device is further capable of performing:

after modifying the presentation of the first cluster, receiving third input selecting the second application window representation; and

in response to receiving the third input, presenting the second application window corresponding to the second application window representation in the first virtual workspace.