Multi-Screen User Interface

• US 20100223574A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiangwei, Zhang, Haidong, Wang, Min, Wang, Jian, Zhang, Chunhui
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/778
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A user interface and techniques for presenting content in a multiple virtual screens are described. The user interface has one or more multiple virtual screen to define separate and distinct portions of content data. Overview, related content information may be placed in the various multiple virtual screens. Navigation buttons facilitate movement from display of content information in one virtual screen to the display of content information in another virtual screen. With the bar navigation element, a user can intuitively move among the multiple virtual screens using just a single actuation (e.g., a single click of a mouse, or a stylus tap). The multiple virtual screens remain in their original orientation and relative positioning, and remain visible in the user interface so that the user can track their location.

Claims

1. A user interface comprising:

multiple virtual screens to define separate and distinct portions of content information;

one or more navigation buttons to browse the separate and distinct portions of content information in the multiple virtual screens, the one or more navigation buttons being actuatable to browse the separate and distinct portions of content information displayed in a first virtual screen and the separate and distinct portion of content information displayed in a second virtual screen, such that actuation of a navigation button displays the separate and distinct portions of content information in the second virtual screen, while simultaneously no longer displaying the separate and distinct portions of content information in the first virtual screen; and

a title bar to identify an hierarchical organization of the separate and distinct portions of content information in each of the multiple virtual screens.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the separate and distinct portions of content information comprises being reorganized to at least one of a root-level or a sub-layer.

3. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a third virtual screen.

4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein the one or more navigation buttons comprise:

facilitating forward and backward movements from the first virtual screen to the second virtual screen in response to a single actuation; and

facilitating forward and backward movements from the second virtual screen to the third virtual screen in response to a single actuation.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more navigation buttons comprise being placed in a top location or a bottom location in each of the multiple virtual screens, the one or more navigation buttons being actuatable to browse the separate and distinct portions of content information in each of the multiple virtual screens in a vertical order.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more navigation buttons comprise being placed in a right side or a left side in each of the multiple virtual screens, the one or more navigation buttons being actutable to browse the separate and distinct portions of content information in each of the multiple virtual screens in a horizontal order.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more navigation buttons comprise one or more arrows facilitating forward and backward movements from the first virtual screen to the second virtual screen in a direction indicated by the one or more arrows.

8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more navigation buttons being actutable to facilitate movement among the multiple virtual screens comprising at least one of a right direction, a left direction, an upward direction, or a downward direction.

9. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising automatically adjusting the content information in each of the multiple virtual screens in response, to the content information in a currently viewed virtual screen.

10. A method comprising:

presenting a user interface to view content information in one or more multiple virtual screens, the content information being configured to hold one or more types of related subject matter;

presenting one or more navigation buttons as part of the user interface; and

facilitating movement to and from a first virtual screen to a second virtual screen with the one or more navigation buttons.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising reorganizing the content information into separate and distinct portions of related subject matter for each of the multiple virtual screens.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising presenting the one or more navigation buttons on a right side or a left side of the multiple virtual screens, the one or more navigation buttons being actutable to browse the content information in each of the multiple virtual screens in a horizontal order.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising presenting the one or more navigation buttons in a top location or a bottom location of the multiple virtual screens, the one or more navigation buttons being actuatable to browse the content information in each of the multiple virtual screens in a vertical order.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the movement of the navigation buttons occurs in response to a single actuation comprising at least one of a mouse click, a screen tap, a keyboard, a finger, a stylus, or a voice activation.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

enabling movement from the first virtual screen to the second virtual screen when a navigation button on a right side of the first virtual screen is activated;

enabling movement from the second virtual screen to a third virtual screen when the navigation button on the right side of the second virtual screen is activated;

enabling movement from the third virtual screen to the second virtual screen when the navigation button on a left side of the third virtual screen is activated; and

enabling movement from the second virtual screen to the first virtual screen in response when a navigation button on the left side of the second virtual screen is activated.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising presenting a title bar to identify an hierarchical organization of the content information in each of the multiple virtual screens.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the one or more navigation buttons being actuatable to browse the content information displayed in a first virtual screen and the content information displayed in a second virtual screen, such that actuation of a navigation button displays the content information in the second virtual screen, while simultaneously no longer displaying the content information in the first virtual screen.

18. One or more computer readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform acts comprising:

presenting content information in one or more multiple virtual screens, the content information being configured to hold one or more types of related subject matter;

presenting one or more navigation buttons to facilitate navigation; and

facilitating movement to and from a first virtual screen to a second virtual screen with the one or more navigation buttons, such that actuation of a navigation button displays the content information in the second virtual screen, while simultaneously no longer displaying the content information in the first virtual screen.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the one or more navigation buttons comprise being actutable to facilitate movement among the multiple virtual screens comprising at least one of a right direction, a left direction, an upward direction, or a downward direction.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 18, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform the additional acts of presenting a title bar to identify an hierarchical organization of the content information in each of the one or more multiple virtual screens.