Changing the screen stack upon application open

• US 9,626,065 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Gimpl, Martin, Cassar, Ron, Reeves, Paul Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roy, Sanchita
• Application Number:
  US13/248,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 : Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 : Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 : Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 : controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 : display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 : Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 : Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 : Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 : Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provides for opening a full screen window in a window stack for a multi-screen device. The window stack can change based on the opening of a window. The system can receive a gesture indicating an application with a new window is to be executed or a new window is to be opened in the device. Upon receiving the gesture, the system determines that the new window is to occupy substantially all of a composite display that spans substantially all of the two screens of the device. Then, the system can determine that the full screen window is to be associated with the composite display and create a logic data structure associated with the opened window to describe the position of the opened window in the window stack.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium, having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions executable by a processor, the computer-executable instructions causing the processor to execute a method for managing a window stack for a device, the computer executable instructions comprising:

instructions to receive a gesture to open a full screen window associated with the device, wherein a full screen window is operable to be displayed across two or more displays, wherein the two or more displays form a composite display;

instructions to determine displays associated with the opened window;

instructions to determine a position in the window stack for the opened window; and

instructions to create or modify, after determining the position of and the displays associated with the opened window, a logic data structure for the composite display, wherein the instructions to create or modify the logic data structure comprise;

instructions to generate a new entry, associated with the opened window, in the logic data structure to describe the position of the opened window in the window stack, and wherein the window stack manages the opened full screen window and at least one other window in the composite display, wherein the window stack includes the opened window actively displaying on the two or more displays, an inactive window associated with a second application executing on the device and not actively displaying on either of the two or more displays, and at least one desktop, wherein the new entry comprises;

a window identifier that identifies the opened window in relation to the inactive window and the desktop in the window stack;

a stack position identifier that identifies a vertical position in the window stack for the opened window in relation to the inactive window and the desktop in the window stack; and

a display identifier that identifies that the opened window is displayed on all of the two or more displays.

2. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the window stack is a logical arrangement of active windows, inactive windows and desktops for the device.

3. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 2, wherein the opened window is displayed on at least two displays of the device.

4. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 3, wherein the window is opened across all of the composite display.

5. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 4, wherein the composite display occupies all of the at least two displays.

6. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 5, wherein the logical data structure is organized by window identifier and organizes the entire composite display.

7. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 6, wherein a first display of the device is associated with a first portion of the stack and a second display of the device is associated with a second portion of the stack.

8. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the logic data structure further comprises a window stack identifier adapted to identify both the first portion and second portion with which the opened window is associated.

9. A device comprising:

at least two displays;

a memory;

a processor in communication with the memory and each of the at least two displays, the processor operable to;

provide a composite display, wherein the composite display includes the at least two displays;

receive a gesture on the device, wherein the gesture opens at least one window that occupies a portion of each of the at least two displays in the composite display;

associate the at least one opened window with the composite display;

after associating the at least one opened window with the composite display, create a new entry, associated with the at least one opened window, in a logic data structure that describes the position of the at least one opened window as being on top of the window stack and displayed across portions of the at least two displays, wherein the window stack includes the opened window actively displaying on the two or more displays, an inactive window associated with a second application executing on the device and not actively displaying on either of the two or more displays, and at least one desktop, wherein the new entry comprises;

a window identifier that identifies the opened window in relation to the inactive window and the desktop in the window stack;

a stack position identifier that identifies a vertical position in the window stack for the opened window in relation to the inactive window and the desktop in the window stack; and

a display identifier that identifies that the opened window is displayed on all of the two or more displays.

10. The device as defined in claim 9, wherein at least one other window is altered by the opening of the at least one opened window.

11. The device as defined in claim 10, further comprising altering a second logic data structure associated with an altered window.

12. The device as defined in claim 9, wherein the at least one opened window is associated with all of the at least two displays.

13. The device as defined in claim 12, wherein the logic data structure comprises one or more of:

dimensions of the at least one opened window in the composite display; and

an active indicator the indicates whether the at least one opened window is being actively displayed.

14. The device as defined in claim 13, wherein the at least one opened window includes a parent window and a child window.

15. The device as defined in claim 14, wherein the parent window is associated with a first portion of the composite display and the child window is associated with a second portion of the composite display.

16. A method for presenting a display for a device, the method comprising:

providing a composite display that spans two or more screens;

displaying a first window in at least one portion of the composite display;

after displaying the first window, receiving a first gesture associated with opening a second window;

interpreting the first gesture as opening a full screen window;

presenting the second window across the composite display spanning the two or more screens, wherein the full screen obscures the first window; and

creating a new entry, associated with the second window, in a logic data structure that describes the position of the second window as being on top of the window stack and displayed across the at least two displays, wherein the window stack includes the second window actively displaying on the two or more displays, an inactive window associated with a second application executing on the device and not actively displaying on either of the two or more displays, and at least one desktop, wherein the new entry comprises;

a window identifier that identifies the second window in relation to the inactive window and the desktop in the window stack;

a stack position identifier that identifies a vertical position in the window stack for the second window in relation to the inactive window and the desktop in the window stack; and

a display identifier that identifies that the second window is displayed on all of the two or more displays.

17. The method defined in claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second gesture;

interpreting the second gesture as moving the second window; and

in response to the second gesture, presenting the first window in the composite display as obscuring at least a portion of the second window.

18. The method defined in claim 17, further comprising:

before receiving the second gesture, presenting the second window as covering the first window.

19. The method defined in claim 18, wherein the second gesture is a flick gesture in a gesture capture region, and wherein after the second gesture, the first window appears to cover the second window.

20. The method defined in claim 18, wherein the second gesture is a drag gesture in a gesture capture region, and wherein in response to the second gesture, the first window appears to slide over the second window.