CONTENT-BASED DIRECTIONAL PLACEMENT APPLICATION LAUNCH

• US 20140325430A1
• Filed: 04/29/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vranjes, Miron, Worley, Matthew Isaac, Sareen, Chaitanya, Jarrett, Robert James, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Sundelin, Nils Anders, Steinglass, Alice, Fang, Richie
• Granted Patent: US 10,754,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/788
• 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:

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

presenting a second application window associated with the application within the user interface based on the directional placement instruction.

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

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

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

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

6. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

presenting a second application window associated with the application within the user interface based on the directional placement instruction.

11. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the second application window displays the selected visible content.

12. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein placement of the second application window within the user interface is determined based on the directional placement instruction.

13. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the directional placement instruction includes a selected area of the user interface screen.

14. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, 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.

15. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the second application window is not a window of an already-executing application.

16. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the directional placement instruction includes dragging the selected visible content to a selected area.

17. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the directional placement instruction includes keyboard input.

18. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the directional placement instruction includes selection of another application window to be replaced by the second application window.

19. A system comprising:

a computing device presenting a user interface;

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

a window management module configured to present a second application window associated with the application within the user interface based on the directional placement instruction.

20. The system of claim 19, 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.