Changing the screen stack upon desktop reveal

• US 10,409,437 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Reeves, Paul Edward, de Paz, Alexander, Schrock, Rodney Wayne, Ficklin, Jared L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Shahid K
• Application Number:
  US14/832,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 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 revealing a desktop in a window stack for a multi-screen device. The window stack can change based on the revealing of a desktop. The system can receive a gesture indicating an application with the desktop, which was previously created in the stack, is to be revealed on the display of the device. Upon receiving the gesture, the system determines that the desktop is to occupy substantially all of a composite display that spans substantially all of the two or more touch sensitive displays of the device. Then, the system can determine that the desktop is to be associated with the composite display and change a logic data structure associated with the desktop to describe the position of the desktop on the top of 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 two or more touch sensitive displays of a multi-screen device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to receive a gesture to reveal a desktop associated with the device, wherein the desktop is operable to be displayed across the two or more touch sensitive displays and providing a graphical model of a surface having selectable application icons used to allow a user to execute an application, wherein the gesture is not associated with an application window being displayed and obscuring at least a portion of the desktop;

instructions to determine a second position in the window stack for the desktop, wherein the desktop is moved from a first position to a second position and wherein the second position is at a top of the window stack, wherein the window stack includes at least the desktop and the application window that obscures at least a portion of the desktop, the application window only displaying application data specific to the application that is in an active or inactive state;

after determining the second position of desktop, instructions to change a logic data structure associated with the desktop to describe the second position of the desktop in the window stack;

after determining the second position of desktop, instructions to change a logic data structure associated with the application window to maintain a dimension of the application window, maintain a location of the application window, change a third position of the application window in the window stack, and change an activity indicator to inactive, wherein the logic data structure associated with the desktop and the logic data structure associated with the application window each comprise a display identifier identifying one of a first display, a second display, or a composite display of the two or more touch sensitive displays of the multi-screen device associated with the desktop or application window; and

instructions to display the desktop to a user, wherein the desktop is displayed across the two or more touch sensitive displays, by determining from the changed logic data structures that the desktop is at the top of the window stack for all portions of the composite display.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 1, wherein the window stack is a logical arrangement of active and inactive application windows for the mufti-screen device.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 2, wherein the window stack provides a representation of application windows or display objects to the user.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 3, wherein the across two or more touch sensitive displays is opened across substantially all of a composite display.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 4, wherein the composite display occupies substantially all of the at least the two or more touch sensitive displays.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 5, wherein the logical data structure associated with the desktop and the logic data structure associated with the application window each further comprise one or more of:

a window identifier adapted to identify the desktop in relation to other application windows in the window stack; and

a window stack position identifier adapted to identify the position in the window stack for the desktop.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 6, wherein a first display of the mufti-screen device is associated with a first portion of the window stack and a second display of the multi-screen device is associated with a second portion of the window stack.

8. The non-transitory 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 of which the desktop is associated.

9. A device comprising:

at least two touch sensitive displays;

a memory;

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

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

receive a gesture on the device, wherein the gesture reveals a previously opened desktop, wherein the desktop occupies a substantial portion of the composite display and provides a graphical model of a surface having selectable application icons used to allow a user to execute an application;

associate the desktop with the composite display;

after associating the desktop with the composite display, create a logic data structure associated with the desktop that describes the position of the desktop as being on top of a window stack and displayed across the at least two displays, wherein the window stack includes a desktop and an application window capable of obscuring at least a portion of the desktop, the application window only displaying application data specific to the application that is in an active or inactive state;

after associating the desktop with the composite display, change a logic data structure associated with the application window to maintain a dimension of the application window, maintain a location of the application window, change a position of the application window in the window stack, and change an activity indicator to inactive, wherein the logic data structure associated with the desktop and the logic data structure associated with the application window each comprise a display identifier identifying one of a first display, a second display, or a composite display of the at east two touch sensitive displays associated with the desktop or application window; and

display the desktop to a user, wherein the desktop s displayed across the two or more touch sensitive displays by determining from the changed logic data structures that the desktop at the top of the window stack for a portions of the composite display.

10. The device as defined in claim 9, wherein at least one other application window is altered by the desktop reveal.

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

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

13. The device as defined in claim 12, wherein the logic data structure is associated with the desktop and the logic data structure associated with the application window each further comprise one or more of:

a window identifier adapted to identify the desktop in relation to other application windows in the window stack; and

a window stack position identifier adapted to identify the top position in the window stack for the desktop.

14. The device as defined in claim 13, wherein the desktop opened at a bottom of a window stack and is moved from the bottom of the window stack to the top of the window stack.

15. The device as defined in claim 14, wherein the desktop covers at least one other application window.

16. A method for presenting a display for two or more touch sensitive displays of a multi-screen device, the method comprising:

providing a composite display that spans at least a portion of the two or more touch sensitive displays;

displaying a first application window in at least one portion of the composite display and obscuring at least a portion of a desktop with the first application window, the first application window only displaying application data specific to an application that is in an active or inactive state;

receiving a first gesture associated with revealing the desktop, wherein the gesture is not associated with the first application window, and wherein the desktop provides a graphical model of a surface having selectable application icons used to allow a user to execute the application;

interpreting the first gesture as revealing a desktop;

changing a logic data structure associated with the desktop to describe a changed position of the desktop in a window stack;

changing a logic data structure associated with the application window to maintain a dimension of the application window, maintain a location of the application window, change a position of the application window in a window stack, and change an activity indicator to inactive, wherein the logic data structure associated with the desktop and the logic data structure associated with the application window each comprise a display identifier identifying one of a first display, a second display, or a composite display of the two or more touch sensitive displays associated with the desktop or application window; and

presenting the desktop across the composite display spanning at least the portion of the two or more touch sensitive displays, wherein the desktop obscures the first application window, by determining from the changed logic data structures that the desktop is at the top of the window stack of the composite display.

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

receiving a second gesture;

interpreting the second gesture as moving the obscured first application window; and

presenting the obscured first application window as obscuring at least a portion of the revealed desktop.

18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein presenting the obscured first application window appears to cover at least a portion of the desktop.

19. The method defined in claim 18, wherein the first gesture is a selection in a configurable area, and wherein the desktop appears to expand over the first application window.

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