Content-based directional placement application launch

• US 10,754,536 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Vranjes, Miron, Worley, Matthew Isaac, Sundelin, Nils Anders, Sareen, Chaitanya, Jarrett, Robert James, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Steinglass, Alice, Fang, Richie
• Primary Examiner(s): Casillas, Roland J
• Application Number:
  US13/872,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,675 Days
• Field of Search: 715788, 715781, 715764-769, 715804, 719329
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

A user can select content on an interface screen and provide an associated directional placement instruction to launch a new application window that displays the selected content or information associated with the selected content. The directional placement instruction may indicate an area of the screen where the user prefers to display the new application window. Responsive to the initiation of the directional placement instruction, a conversion module converts the selected content into a placeable representation of the new application. Responsive to receipt of the directional placement instruction, a window management system presents the new application window in the user interface in a location based on the directional placement instruction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a selection of visible content of a first application window within a user interface and detecting an initiation of a directional placement instruction regarding the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface;

converting the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface into a placeable representation of an application associated with the selected visible content responsive to the initiation of the directional placement instruction and prior to completion of the directional placement instruction;

detecting the completion of the directional placement instruction after conversion of the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface; and

launching a second application window associated with the selected visible content, the launching being triggered by the detection of the completion of the directional placement instruction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second application window displays different content associated with the selected visible content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein placement of the second application window within the user interface is determined based on the directional placement instruction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the directional placement instruction includes a selected area of the user interface screen.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the second application window within the user interface in place of another application window indicated by the directional placement instruction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the directional placement instruction includes dragging the selected visible content to a selected area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the placeable representation displays the second application window launched in response to initiation of the directional placement instruction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the directional placement instruction includes selection of another application window to be replaced by the second application window.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the visible content is different from the placeable representation of the application associated with the selected visible content.

9. One or more computer-readable storage media of a tangible article of manufacture encoding computer-executable instructions for executing on a computer system a computer process, the computer process comprising:

detecting a selection of visible content of a first application window within a user interface and detecting an initiation of a directional placement instruction regarding the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface;

converting the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface into a placeable representation of an application associated with the selected visible content responsive to the initiation of the directional placement instruction and prior to completion of the directional placement instruction;

detecting the completion of the directional placement instruction after conversion of the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface; and

launching a second application window associated with the selected visible content, the launching being triggered by the detection of the completion of the directional placement instruction.

10. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein placement of the second application window within the user interface is determined based on the directional placement instruction.

11. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the directional placement instruction includes a selected area of the user interface screen.

12. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the process further comprises:

displaying the second application window within the user interface in place of another application window indicated by the directional placement instruction.

13. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the second application window is not a window of an already-executing application.

14. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the directional placement instruction includes dragging the selected visible content to a selected area.

15. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the directional placement instruction includes keyboard input.

16. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the directional placement instruction includes selection of another application window to be replaced by the second application window.

20. The tangible article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein the visible content is different from the placeable representation of the application associated with the selected visible content.

17. A system comprising:

a computing device presenting a user interface;

a window management module configured to detect a selection of visible content of a first application window within a user interface and to detect an initiation of a directional placement instruction regarding the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface;

a conversion module configured to convert the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface into a placeable representation of an application associated with the selected visible content responsive to the initiation of the directional placement instruction and prior to completion of the directional placement instruction; and

the window management module further configured to detect the completion of the directional placement instruction after conversion of the selected visible content of the first application window within the user interface, the window management module further configured to launch a second application window associated with the selected visible content, the launching being triggered by the detection of the completion of the directional placement instruction.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the window management system is further configured to display the second application window in the user interface in place of another application window indicated by the directional placement instruction.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the visible content is different from the placeable representation of the application associated with the selected visible content.