Controlling application launch

• US 10,761,717 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bell, David R., Phillips, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatia, Ajay M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Phoebe X
• Application Number:
  US14/508,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and/or computer program product control how an application window of a graphical user interface will open. A computing device defines a time period immediately after an application launch selection action by a user and before an on-screen drawing of the application window. A gesture input hardware sensing device senses a gesture input during the time period. A gesture recognition engine recognizes the gesture input. Based on at least one of a type and location of a recognized gesture input, the computing device selects the window location and window dimensions of the application window. The computing device draws the application window on-screen using a selected window location and selected window dimensions for the application window.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

defining, by a computing device, a time period immediately after an application launch selection action by a user and before displaying an application window on a first display of the computing device and a second display of the computing device;

sensing, by a gesture input hardware sensing device, a first gesture input part during the time period, wherein the first gesture input part is a first user-created input that draws a geometric shape on the first display of the computing device;

sensing, by the gesture input hardware sensing device, a second gesture input part during the time period, wherein the second gesture input part is a second user-created input that draws a line that crosses from the first display to the second display;

sensing, by the gesture input hardware sensing device, a third gesture input part during the time period, wherein the third gesture input part is a third user-created input that draws the geometric shape on the second display of the computing device;

recognizing the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part by a gesture recognition engine; and

in response to the gesture recognition engine recognizing the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part, displaying, by the computing device, the application window across areas of both the first display and the second display.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sensing, by the computing device, continuing gesture input at an end of the time period; and

extending, by the computing device, the time period by an additional time period so as to allow recognition of a further gesture input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part are generated by a cursor control device that does not contact the first display and the second display that are displaying the application window.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cursor control device comprises one of a mouse, a joystick, a trackball and a touchpad.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is a predefined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the areas of both the first display and the second display are specific halves of the first display and the second display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the areas of both the first display and the second display are specific quadrants of the first display and the second display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the areas of both the first display and the second display are full areas of both the first display and the second display.

9. A computing apparatus for controlling how an application window of a graphical user interface will open on a display screen apparatus, the computing apparatus comprising:

a timer hardware component for defining a time period immediately after an application launch selection action by a user and before displaying the application window on a first display screen apparatus and a second display screen apparatus of a computing device;

a listener process hardware component for;

sensing a first gesture input part during the time period, wherein the first gesture input part is a first user-created input that draws a geometric shape on the first display screen apparatus of the computing device;

sensing a second gesture input part during the time period, wherein the second gesture input part is a second user-created input that draws a line that crosses from the first display screen apparatus to the second display screen apparatus; and

sensing a third gesture input part during the time period, wherein the third gesture input part is a third user-created input that draws the geometric shape on the second display screen apparatus of the computing device;

a gesture recognition engine hardware component for recognizing the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part by a gesture recognition engine; and

a display controller for, in response to the gesture recognition engine recognizing the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part, displaying the application window across areas of both the first display screen apparatus and the second display screen apparatus.

10. The computing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the listener process hardware component senses continuing gesture input at an end of the time period, and wherein the computing hardware apparatus extends the time period by an additional time period so as to allow recognition of a further gesture input.

11. The computing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part are generated by a cursor control device that does not contact a screen apparatus that is displaying the application window.

12. The computing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein a start of the time period is defined by holding down a selection button and an end of the time period is defined by a release of the selection button, wherein the listener process hardware component receives, from the user, the user-created input that draws the geometric shape while the selection button is being held down, and wherein the computing device launches the application window in the selected window location in response to the selection button being released.

13. The computing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the areas of both the first display screen apparatus and the second display screen apparatus are specific halves of the first display screen apparatus and the second display screen apparatus.

14. The computing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the areas of both the first display screen apparatus and the second display screen apparatus are specific quadrants of the first display screen apparatus and the second display screen apparatus.

15. The computing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the areas of both the first display screen apparatus and the second display screen apparatus are full areas of both the first display screen apparatus and the second display screen apparatus.

16. A computer program product for controlling how an application window of a graphical user interface will open, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

defining a time period immediately after an application launch selection action by a user and before displaying an application window on a first display of the computing device and a second display of the computing device;

sensing a first gesture input part during the time period, wherein the first gesture input part is a first user-created input that draws a geometric shape on the first display of the computing device;

sensing a second gesture input part during the time period, wherein the second gesture input part is a second user-created input that draws a line that crosses from the first display to the second display;

sensing a third gesture input part during the time period, wherein the third gesture input part is a third user-created input that draws the geometric shape on the second display of the computing device;

recognizing the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part by a gesture recognition engine; and

in response to recognizing the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part, displaying the application window across areas of both the first display and the second display.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

sensing continuing gesture input at an end of the time period; and

extending the time period by an additional time period so as to allow recognition of a further gesture input.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein a start of the time period is defined by holding down a selection button and an end of the time period is defined by a release of the selection button, wherein a computing device receives, from the user, the user-created input that draws the geometric shape while the selection button is being held down, and wherein the computing device launches the application window in the selected window location in response to the selection button being released.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first gesture input part, the second gesture input part, and the third gesture input part are generated by a cursor control device that does not contact a screen apparatus that is displaying the application window.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the areas of both the first display and the second display are full areas of both the first display and the second display.