Virtual desktop manager

• US 7,010,755 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shapiro, Daniel J., Anderson, Bret Paul, Rollin, Kelly Elizabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu D.
• Application Number:
  US10/117,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20030189597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 715/792, 715/778, 715/798, 715/800, 715/838, 715/801, 715/781, 715/799, 715/795, 715/796, 715/782, 715/783, 715/788, 715/779, 345/473, 345/660, 345/661
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method for a user to preview multiple virtual desktops in a graphical user interface is described. The method comprises receiving an indication from a user to preview the multiple virtual desktops and displaying multiple panes on the display. Each pane contains a scaled virtual desktop having dimensions that are proportionally less than the dimensions of a corresponding full-size virtual desktop. Each scaled virtual desktop displays with one or more scaled application windows as shadows if the corresponding full-size virtual desktop has one or more corresponding application windows that are active.

Claims

1. Method for presenting multiple virtual desktops in a single graphical user interface formed on a display of a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication from a user to preview the multiple virtual desktops;

displaying multiple panes on the display, each pane containing a scaled virtual desktop having dimensions that are proportionally less than the dimensions of a corresponding full-size virtual desktop, each scaled virtual desktop being displayed with one or more scaled application windows if the corresponding full-size virtual desktop has one or more corresponding application windows that are active, each scaled virtual desktop being displayed with a taskbar with one or more task buttons which correspond to one or more application windows;

receiving an indication from a user to share an application window;

displaying a task button representing the application window in a first virtual desktop in which the application window is opened, the task button being displayed in other virtual desktops besides the first virtual desktop in which the application window is opened and being selectable from any virtual desktop to switch from another running application window to the application window;

receiving a selection event by the task button from a second virtual desktop;

displaying the application window in the second virtual desktop;

removing the presentation of the application window from the first virtual desktop while maintaining the presentation of the task button representing the application window in the first virtual desktop;

receiving an indication from a user to refrain from sharing the application window; and

displaying the task button representing the application window in the second virtual desktop in which the application window is opened, the task button being removed from other virtual desktops so that the task button cannot be selected from other virtual desktops to switch from another running application window to the application window.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of receiving an indication from the user to animate the presentation of the multiple panes on the display, the multiple virtual desktops including a current full-size virtual desktop in the view of the user, the dimensions of the current full-size virtual desktop being progressively shrunken to the dimensions of the corresponding scaled virtual desktop in one of the multiple panes when the method receives the indication from the user to preview the multiple virtual desktops.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising an act of receiving an indication from the user to select one scaled virtual desktop from the scaled virtual desktops in the multiple panes, the dimensions of the one scaled virtual desktop being progressively grown to the dimensions of the corresponding full-size virtual desktop, which is defined as the current full-size virtual desktop in the view of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of displaying a preview button so that the user may select the preview button to allow the method to receive the indication from the user to preview the multiple virtual desktops.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of displaying one or more quick switch buttons so that the user may select a quick switch button to switch to a full-size virtual desktop associated with the quick switch button.

6. Storable computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions of performing a method for presenting multiple virtual desktops in a single graphical user interface formed on a display of a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving an indication from a user to preview the multiple virtual desktops;

displaying multiple panes on the display, each pane containing a scaled virtual desktop having dimensions that are proportionally less than the dimensions of a corresponding full-size virtual desktop, each scaled virtual desktop being displayed with one or more scaled application windows if the corresponding full-size virtual desktop has one or more corresponding application windows that are active, each scaled virtual desktop being displayed with a taskbar with one or more task buttons which correspond to one or more application windows;

receiving an indication from a user to share an application window;

displaying a task button representing the application window in a first virtual desktop in which the application window is opened, the task button being displayed in other virtual desktops besides the first virtual desktop in which the application window is opened and being selectable from any virtual desktop to switch from another running application window to the application window;

receiving a selection event by the task button from a second virtual desktop;

displaying the application window in the second virtual desktop;

removing the presentation of the application window from the first virtual desktop while maintaining the presentation of the task button representing the application window in the first virtual desktop;

receiving an indication from a user to refrain from sharing the application window; and

displaying the task button representing the application window in the second virtual desktop in which the application window is opened, the task button being removed from other virtual desktops so that the task button cannot be selected from other virtual desktops to switch from another running application window to the application window.