MULTIPLE DASHBOARDS

• US 20090228824A1
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Chaudhri, Imran A., Louch, John O., Peyton, Eric Steven
• Application Number:
  US12/469,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228824A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/779
• 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 3/04817 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Systems, methods, computer-readable mediums, user interfaces and other implementations are disclosed for organizing, managing and presenting widgets in display areas associated with multiple dashboard environments. In some implementations, a first display area associated with a first dashboard environment is configured for displaying at least one widget from a first set of widgets. A second display area associated with a second dashboard environment is configured for displaying at least one widget from a second set of widgets.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a desktop user interface in a display area; and

invoking a first dashboard including one or more widgets, where invoking the first dashboard includes shrinking the desktop user interface to a portion of the display area and presenting the first dashboard in a larger portion of the display area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the desktop user interface when the first dashboard is presented.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

restoring the desktop user interface including reactivating the desktop user interface and expanding the desktop user interface within the display area.

4. The method of claim 1, where shrinking the desktop user interface includes presenting the desktop user interface as a widget in the display.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking a second dashboard distinct from the first dashboard.

6. The method of claim 5, where invoking the second dashboard further comprises:

displaying the second dashboard; and

dismissing the first dashboard.

7. The method of claim 5, where invoking the second dashboard further comprises:

automatically adjusting a size of the first dashboard and the second dashboard to display the first dashboard and the second dashboard concurrently in the display area along with a representation of the desktop user interface.

8. The method of claim 7, where the first dashboard is identified as an active dashboard and the second dashboard is identified as an inactive dashboard.

9. The method of claim 8, where the active dashboard is presented at a higher resolution than the inactive dashboard.

10. The method of claim 8, where the active dashboard is presented in a larger portion of the display area than the inactive dashboard.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a widget for installation in a dashboard environment;

selecting a dashboard of the first and second dashboard; and

installing the widget in the selected dashboard.

12. The method of claim 11, where selecting the dashboard includes:

evaluating the widget to determine a theme associated with the widget; and

selecting the dashboard based on the theme.

13. The method of claim 11, where selecting the dashboard includes receiving a user selection of the dashboard for installing the widget.

14. The method of claim 5, where the second dashboard is invoked from the first dashboard.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured to interact with a display device to perform the operations of;

presenting a desktop user interface in a display area; and

invoking a first dashboard including one or more widgets, where invoking the first dashboard includes shrinking the desktop user interface to a portion of the display area and presenting the first dashboard in a larger portion of the display area.

16. The system of claim 15, further configured to perform operations comprising:

deactivating the desktop user interface when the first dashboard is presented.

17. The system of claim 16, further configured to perform operations comprising:

restoring the desktop user interface including reactivating the desktop user interface and expanding the desktop user interface within the display area.

18. The system of claim 15, where shrinking the desktop user interface includes presenting the desktop user interface as a widget in the display.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising invoking a second dashboard distinct from the first dashboard.

20. The system of claim 19, where invoking the second dashboard further comprises:

displaying the second dashboard; and

dismissing the first dashboard.

21. The system of claim 19, where invoking the second dashboard further comprises:

automatically adjusting a size of the first dashboard and the second dashboard to display the first dashboard and the second dashboard concurrently in the display area along with a representation of the desktop user interface.

22. The system of claim 21, where the first dashboard is identified as an active dashboard and the second dashboard is identified as an inactive dashboard.

23. The system of claim 22, where the active dashboard is presented at a higher resolution than the inactive dashboard.

24. The system of claim 22, where the active dashboard is presented in a larger portion of the display area than the inactive dashboard.

25. The system of claim 15, further configured to perform operations comprising:

identifying a widget for installation in a dashboard environment;

selecting a dashboard of the first and second dashboard; and

installing the widget in the selected dashboard.

26. The system of claim 25, where selecting the dashboard includes:

evaluating the widget to determine a theme associated with the widget; and

selecting the dashboard based on the theme.

27. The system of claim 25, where selecting the dashboard includes receiving a user selection of the dashboard for installing the widget.

28. The system of claim 15, where the second dashboard is invoked from the first dashboard.