Resuming Items in their Last-Used Presentation Modes

• US 20150199085A1
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Churchill, John E., Wheeler, Joseph, Vasseur, Jrme Jean-Louis, Fuller, Thomas R., Giles, Jason D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,910,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

Functionality is described herein for presenting representations of the z most recently presented items. The functionality also presents indicators which convey the presentation modes that were last used to present the z items. When the user selects one of the z items, the functionality presents it, as a default, using the last-used presentation mode, as conveyed by the indicator associated with this item. In one particular case, the last-used presentation mode corresponds to a full mode or a snap mode.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by one or more computing devices, for interacting with items, comprising:

receiving a triggering selection;

in response to the triggering selection, accessing a data store that provides information regarding n items that have been most recently presented; and

based on the information provided in the data store, presenting;

representations of z items that have been most recently presented, selected from among the n items; and

for at least one item of the z items, a presentation mode indicator that conveys a presentation mode in which said at least one item was most recently presented.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the representations associated with the z items, to provide a selected item; and

based on a presention mode indicator associated with the selected item, presenting an output associated with the selected item in a presentation mode that matches a presentation mode in which the selected item was most recently presented.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the representations associated with the z items, to provide a selected item;

receiving a selection of a new presentation mode, compared to a presentation mode in which the selected item was most recently presented; and

presenting an output associated with the selected item in the new presentation mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said receiving of a selection of a new presentation mode comprises:

providing a menu that identifies a set of presentation modes; and

receiving a selection of the new presentation mode,

wherein the set of presentation modes excludes presentation modes which cannot be used for the selected item.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a new item, the output of which is presented in a particular presentation mode; and

storing, in the data store, information that conveys;

(a) an indication that the new item was a most recent item that has been presented; and

(b) the particular presentation mode in which the new item has been presented.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data store comprises a local data store and a remote data store.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the triggering selection is a request to visit a homepage presentation, corresponding to a hub presentation from which other presentations can be reached, and

wherein the representations of the z items that have been most recently presented are provided as part of the homepage presentation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the representations of the z items that have been most recently presented comprise z tiles associated with the respective items.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting a current item tile, which represents an item that is currently being presented.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the current item tile is larger than each of the z tiles associated with the z items that have been most recently presented.

11. The method of claim 1,

wherein, in a full presentation mode, said one or more computing devices presents an output associated with a chosen item in a primary display region of an output presentation,

wherein, in a snap presentation mode, said one or more computing devices presents an output associated with the chosen item in a secondary display region of the output presentation, the secondary display region being less prominent than the primary display region, and

wherein a presentation mode indicator, for the chosen item, conveys whether an output of the chosen item was last presented in the full presentation mode or the snap presentation mode.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein, in a move-to-peripheral presentation mode, said one or more computing devices presents an output associated with a chosen item on a particular output device,

wherein a presentation mode indicator for the chosen item conveys whether an output of the chosen item was last presented on the particular output device in the move-to-peripheral mode.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein, in a play-in-background presentation mode, said one or more computing devices presents an output associated with a chosen item as background content, with respect to an output of at least one other item,

wherein a presentation mode indicator, for the chosen item, conveys whether an output of the chosen item was last presented as background content in the play-in-background mode.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a state status indicator for a particular item that conveys a state of the particular item from which the particular item will resume, once reactivated.

15. A computer readable storage medium for storing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions providing a presentation management module when executed by one or more processing devices, the computer readable instructions comprising:

logic configured to present a visual output presentation, the visual output presentation comprising;

a set of z tiles associated with z items that have been most recently presented; and

for at least one such item that has been most recently presented, a visual presentation mode indicator that conveys a presentation mode in which said at least one item was most recently presented.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15,

wherein the output presentation further includes a current item tile that provides a representation of an item that is currently being presented, and

wherein the current item tile is larger than each of the z tiles associated with the z items that have been most recently presented.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising logic configured to:

receive a selection of one of the tiles associated with the z items that have been most recently presented, to provide a selected item; and

based on a presentation mode indicator for the selected item, present an output associated with the selected item in a presentation mode that matches a presentation mode in which the selected item was most recently presented.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15,

wherein, in a full presentation mode, the presentation management module presents an output associated with a chosen item in a primary display region of an output presentation,

wherein, in a snap presentation mode, the presentation management module presents an output associated with the chosen item in a secondary display region of the output presentation, the secondary display region being less prominent than the primary display region, and

wherein a visual presentation mode indicator, for the chosen item, conveys whether an output of the chosen item was last presented in the full presentation mode or the snap presentation mode.

19. A computer system for managing a multi-tasked presentation of items, comprising:

a data store that provides information regarding n items that have been most recently presented; and

a presentation management module configured to present, based on the information provided in the data store;

representations of z items that have been most recently presented, selected from among the n items; and

for at least one such item that has been most recently presented, a presentation mode indicator that conveys a presentation mode in which said at least one item was most recently presented,

the presentation management module being also configured to;

receive a selection of one of the representations associated with the z items, to provide a selected item; and

based on a presentation mode indicator for the selected item, present an output associated with the selected item in a presentation mode that matches a presentation mode in which the selected item was most recently presented.

20. The computer system of claim 19,

wherein the presentation mode in which the selected item was most recently presented corresponds to a full presentation mode or a snap presentation mode,

wherein, in the full presentation mode, the computer system has most recently presented an output associated with the selected item in a primary display region of an output presentation,

wherein, in the snap presentation mode, the computer system has most recently presented the output associated with the selected item in a secondary display region of the output presentation, the secondary display region being less prominent than the primary display region.