Method and apparatus for application window grouping and management

• US 7,581,192 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stabb, Charles W., Ligameri, Mark R., Lindsay, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECKER, SHASHI KAMALA
• Application Number:
  US11/094,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/759, 715/795, 715/797, 715/802
• US Class Current: 715/781
• 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: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method for displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen is described. The method includes steps of displaying a first application window and a second application window on a display screen, declaring the first application window and the second application window as a group, the second application window being independent of and external to the first application window, grouping the first application window and the second window into a group, and displaying the group as a representation on the display screen. As new application windows are opened, they may be added to the group and/or they may become members of a second group of application windows. A user may switch between various groups.

Claims

1. A method for grouping a plurality of application windows, the method comprising steps of:

presenting a first application window and a second application window on a display, wherein each of the first and second application windows is in an open state, and further wherein the first application window corresponds to a first application and the second application window corresponds to a second application, the second application being different than the first;

presenting a first taskbar button corresponding to the first application window and a second taskbar button corresponding to the second application window in a taskbar area on the display;

declaring the first application window and the second application window as a first group such that the first and second application windows are members of the first group, the second application window being independent of and external to the first application window;

presenting a representation of the first group on the display, the representation of the first group being separate from the first application window and the second application window, wherein the representation of the first group is positioned on a portion of the display that does not coincide with the taskbar area;

removing the first and second application windows from the display in response to presenting the representation of the first group;

removing the first and second taskbar buttons from the taskbar area of the display in response to presenting the representation of the first group;

presenting a third application window in an open state on the display;

presenting a third taskbar button corresponding to the third application window in the taskbar area on the display;

receiving a user input comprising a command to restore the first and second application windows from the representation of the first group;

automatically declaring the third application window as a second group in response to receiving the command to restore the first and second application windows from the representation of the first group, wherein the second group is independent of and external to the first group;

restoring the first application window and the second application window in an open state on the display in response to receiving the command to restore the first and second application windows from the representation of the first group;

restoring the first and second taskbar buttons to the taskbar area on the display in response to receiving the input;

presenting a representation of the second group on the display in response to restoring the first and second application windows from the first group, the representation of the second group being separate from the third application window;

removing the third application window from the display in response to presenting the representation of the second group; and

removing the third taskbar button from the taskbar area of the display in response to presenting the representation of the second group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of performing an operation on the first group.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of performing an operation is based upon receipt of a command from an input device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of performing an operation is performed on a subset of the members of the first group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of declaring the first application window and the second application window as the first group is performed in response to receiving an input from an input device, the input comprising a command to group the first application window and the second application window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the first group comprises a thumbnail image depicting the first and second application windows.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the first group comprises an icon.

8. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of grouping a plurality of application windows, the method comprising:

presenting a first application window in an open state on a display, wherein the first application window corresponds to a first application;

presenting a second application window in an open state on the display, the second application window corresponding to a second application, wherein the second application window is independent of and external to the first application window, and further wherein the first and second applications are different;

presenting a first taskbar button corresponding to the first application window and a second taskbar button corresponding to the second application window in a taskbar area on the display;

declaring the first application window and the second application window as a first group;

grouping the first application window and the second application window into the first group;

presenting a representation of the first group on the display, the representation of the first group being separate from the first application window and the second application window, wherein the representation of the first group is positioned on a portion of the display that does not coincide with the taskbar area;

removing the first and second application windows from the display in response to presenting the representation of the first group;

removing the first second taskbar buttons from the taskbar area of the display in response to presenting the representation of the first group;

presenting a third application window in an open state on the display;

presenting a third taskbar button corresponding to the third application window in the taskbar area on the display;

receiving an input to restore the first application window and the second application window to the display;

declaring the third application window as a second group, wherein said declaring is performed automatically in response to receiving the input to restore the first and second application windows to the display;

grouping the third application window into the second group, wherein said grouping is performed automatically in response to receiving the input to restore the first and second application windows to the display;

restoring the first application window and the second application window to an open state on the display in response to receiving the input;

restoring the first and second taskbar buttons to the taskbar area on the display in response to receiving the input;

presenting a representation of the second group on the display automatically in response to restoring the first and second application windows to the display, the representation of the second group being separate from the third application window;

removing the third application window from the display automatically in response to restoring the first and second application windows to the display; and

removing the third taskbar button from the taskbar area automatically in response to restoring the first and second application windows to the display.

9. The media of claim 8, further comprising performing an operation on the first group, wherein said performing an operation comprises performing the operation on each member of the first group.

10. The media of claim 9, wherein said performing an operation comprises performing the operation on a subset of the members of the first group.

11. The media of claim 9, wherein the step of performing an operation is based upon receipt of a command from an input device.

12. The media of claim 8, wherein the step of declaring the first application window and the second application window as the first group is performed in response to receiving an input from an input device to group the first application window and the second application window.

13. The media of claim 8, wherein the representation of the first group comprises a thumbnail image depicting the first and second application windows.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the representation of the first group comprises an icon.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of grouping a plurality of application windows, the method comprising:

presenting a first application window on a display in an open state, wherein the first application window corresponds to a first application;

presenting a first instance of a second application window on a display in an open state, the second application window corresponding to a second application, wherein the first and second applications are different;

presenting a first taskbar button corresponding to the first application window and a second taskbar button corresponding to the first instance of the second application window in a taskbar area on the display;

declaring the first application window and the first instance of the second application window as a first group;

grouping the first application window and the first instance of the second application window into the first group, wherein each of the first and second application windows comprises a member of the first group;

presenting a representation of the first group on a portion of the display that does not coincide with the taskbar area, the representation of the first group comprising a thumbnail image that depicts both the first application window and the second application window, wherein the representation of the first group is separate from the first application window and the second application window;

removing the first application window and the first instance of the second application window from the display in response to presenting the representation of the first group;

removing the first and second taskbar buttons from the taskbar area in response to presenting the representation of the first group;

receiving an instruction to present a second instance of the second application window in an open state on the display without removing the representation of the first group;

presenting the second instance of the second application window on the display in an open state in response to receiving the instruction such that the second instance of the second application window and the representation of the first group are both presented on the display;

presenting a third taskbar button corresponding to the second instance of the second application window in the taskbar area on the display;

declaring the second instance of the second application window as a second group, wherein the second group is separate from the first group;

grouping the second instance of the second application window into the second group such that each of the first and second groups comprises an instance of the second application window;

receiving an instruction to restore the members of the first group to the display;

presenting a representation of the second group on a portion of the display that does not coincide with the taskbar area automatically in response to receiving the instruction to restore the members of the first group to the display, the representation of the second group comprising a thumbnail image of the second application window, wherein the representation of the second group is separate from the second application window;

removing the second instance of the second application window from the display automatically in response to presenting the representation of the second group;

removing the second taskbar button from the taskbar area automatically in response to presenting the representation of the second group;

restoring the first application window and the first instance of the second application window to an open state on the display in response to receiving the instruction to restore the members of the first group to the display; and

restoring the first and second taskbar buttons to the taskbar area on the display in response to receiving the instruction to restore the members of the first group to the display.

16. The media of claim 15, further comprising programmatically saving the first group during a logout session.

17. The media of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to perform an operation on the second application window;

performing the operation on the first instance of the second application window; and

performing the operation on the second instance of the second application window.

18. The media of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an instruction to perform an operation on the first instance of the second application window; and

performing the operation on the first instance of the second application window, wherein the operation is not performed on the second instance of the second application window.