Multitasking and full screen menu contexts

• US 9,720,567 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Joseph, Fuller, Thomas, Churchill, John E., Vasseur, Jerome Jean-Louis, Giles, Jason Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Yi, Rinna
• Application Number:
  US14/181,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20150234545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 715767, 718107, 718108
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

Multitasking and full screen menu contexts are described. In one or more implementations, an input is received to cause output of a menu in a user interface of a computing device. Responsive to this receipt, a determination is made as which of a plurality of portions displayed simultaneously in the user interface in a multitasking mode has focus, each of the plurality of portions corresponding to an output of a respective one of a plurality of applications. Responsive to the determination, output is caused of the menu as associated with the focused portion of the user interface and having a representation of at least one function based the focused portion, the representation selectable to cause performance of the function.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an input to cause output of a menu in a user interface of a computing device;

responsive to the receiving the input;

ascertaining whether the user interface is in a full screen mode in which output of a single application is disposed in substantially an entirety of the user interface or, alternatively, whether the user interface is in a multitasking mode in which output of the single application and at least one other application is concurrently disposed in the user interface and which of the single application or the one other application is receiving focus,

displaying an overlay menu with selectable options associated with the at least one of the single application or the at least one other application, wherein the overlay menu is displayed with the single application when the user interface is in the full screen mode, or with the at least one of the single application or the one other application is receiving focus when the user interface is in the multitasking mode, and

selectively modifying which of a plurality of selectable menu functions are displayed with the overlay menu based on the ascertaining of whether the user interface is in the full screen mode or, alternatively, the multitasking mode, including;

displaying the overlay menu with a first set of selectable menu functions based on at least a context of the single application when the user interface is in the full screen mode; and

displaying the overlay menu with a second set of selectable menu functions that is displayed and usable to navigate and manage at least the single application or the one other application when the user interface is in the multitasking mode, wherein the second set of selectable menu functions is different than the first set of selectable menu functions, is chosen according to which of the single application or the one other application is receiving focus, and is at least based on a context of the application receiving focus.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the user interface displays a plurality of portions include a snap portion and a fill portion when in the multitasking mode, the fill portion having a larger size than the snap portion.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the snap and fill portions consume an entirety of a display area of a display device used to output the user interface.

4. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the overlay menu includes representations of one or more functions that are selectable to navigate between the plurality of portions of the multitasking mode.

5. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the overlay menu includes representations of one or more functions that are selectable to cause the applications that correspond to the plurality of portions to be swapped.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the overlay menu includes representations of one or more functions involved in controlling power of the computing device or a peripheral device of the computing device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the overlay menu includes representations of one or more functions that are selectable to cause output of functionality to control notification output by the computing device.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the overlay menu includes representations of one or more functions that are selectable to change the focus.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one function of the selectable menu functions is available in the overlay menu when the focus is directed to a first of a plurality of portions displayed by the user interface and is not available when the focus is directed to at least one other portion of the plurality of portions of the user interface.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the overlay menu displays more of the selectable menu functions when the user interface is in the multitasking mode than when the user interface is in the full screen mode.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the input is recognized from a gesture captured through use of one or more cameras.

12. A computing device comprising:

a processing system that includes at least one hardware processor; and

memory configured to maintain one or more instructions, the one or more instructions executable by the processing system to cause operations to be performed comprising;

receiving an input to cause output of a menu in a user interface of a computing device;

responsive to the receiving the input;

ascertaining whether the user interface is in a full screen mode in which output of a single application is disposed in substantially an entirety of the user interface or, alternatively, whether the user interface is in a multitasking mode in which output of the single application and at least one other application is concurrently disposed in the user interface and which of the single application or the one other application is receiving focus,

displaying an overlay menu with selectable options associated with the at least one of the single application or the at least one other application, wherein the overlay menu is displayed with the single application when the user interface is in the full screen mode, or with the at least one of the single application or the one other application is receiving focus when the user interface is in the multitasking mode, and

selectively modifying which of a plurality of selectable menu functions are displayed with the overlay menu based on the ascertaining of whether the user interface is in the full screen mode or, alternatively, the multitasking mode, including;

displaying the overlay menu with a first set of selectable menu functions when the user interface is in the full screen mode; and

displaying the overlay menu with a second set of selectable menu functions that is displayed and usable to navigate and manage at least the single application or the one other application when the user interface is in the multitasking mode, wherein the second set of selectable menu functions is different than the first set of selectable menu functions, is chosen according to which of the single application or the one other application is receiving focus, and is at least base on a context of the application receiving focus.

13. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the single application and the at least one other application include a live television application and a game application.

14. A computing device as described in claim 12, further comprising one or more camera configured to capture one or more images, from which, the input is recognizable as a gesture.

15. A computing device as described in claim 12, further comprising one or more microphones configured to capture one or more user utterances, from which, the input is recognizable.

16. A computing device as described in claim 12, further comprising a game controller that is configured to support user interaction to initiate the input.

17. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the overlay menu displays more of the selectable menu functions when the user interface is in the multitasking mode than when the user interface is in the full screen mode.

18. One or more computer hardware storage devices having computer readable instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a processor, causes a computing device to perform operations comprising:

responsive to receipt of an input to cause output of a menu, ascertaining whether a user interface output by the computing device is in a full screen mode in which an output of a single application consumes substantially an entirety of the user interface or, alternatively, in a multitasking module in which a plurality of portions are displayed concurrently in the user interface and which of the single application or the plurality of portions is receiving focus, each corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of applications; and

responsive to the ascertaining, displaying an overlay menu with selectable options associated with the at least one of the single application or the respective one of the plurality of applications, wherein the overlay menu is displayed with the single application when the user interface is in the full screen mode, or with the at least one of the single application or the respective one of the plurality of applications is receiving focus when the user interface is in the multitasking mode, and selectively causing the menu to display different configurations of selectable menu functions with the overlay menu when the user interface is in the full screen mode than when the user interface is in the multitasking mode, including;

displaying the overlay menu with a first set of selectable menu functions when the user interface is in the full screen mode; and

displaying the overlay menu with a second set of selectable menu functions that is displayed and usable to navigate and manage one of the plurality of applications when the user interface is in the multitasking mode, wherein the second set of selectable menu functions is different than the first set of selectable menu functions, is chosen according to which of the single application or the respective one of the plurality of applications is receiving focus, and is at least based on a context of the application receiving focus.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 18, wherein the full screen mode and the multitasking mode corresponds to an immersive shell of an operating system, the multitasking mode having a divider that is selectable to change a size of both fill and snap portions of the user interface.