System and method for visually browsing of open windows

• US 8,341,541 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Holecek, Ales, Stabb, Charles W., Cooperman, Hillel N., Pettiross, Jeffrey W., Ligameri, Mark R., VedBrat, Kanwal, Lindsay, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US11/036,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,898 Days
• Field of Search: 715/766, 715/782, 715/757, 715/759, 715/790, 715/800, 715/802, 715/794, 715/836, 715/852, 715/781, 715/793, 715/796, 715/767
• US Class Current: 715/782
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• 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

Abstract

A method referred to as visual window browsing allows a user to browse through windows on their desktop. Aspects of the invention include responsive to a command, moving open windows to form a visual stack with the topmost window in the stack being in focus. Responsive to a browse the windows in the visual stack can be browsed, where the topmost window moves to the bottom of the visual stack and the other windows move higher in the stack, with the second highest window becoming the topmost window and being in focus. Successive browse commands causes this behavior to repeat allowing a user to cycle through each of the open windows.

Claims

1. A method for concurrently displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen, the method comprising in order the steps of:

responsive to a first command, reconfiguring a plurality of windows to present a first three dimensional visual representation of the windows overlapping, wherein a first window has focus, is scaled to be smaller than the remaining plurality of windows, and is the top window of Z-order and the plurality of windows are arranged alphabetically by window title; and

responsive to a second command, reconfiguring the plurality of windows to present a second three dimensional visual representation of the windows overlapping, in which a second window is located in a different position by transitioning the second window by animation from its position in the first three dimensional visual representation to its position in the second three dimensional visual representation, wherein all content of the second window is revealed while the Z-order of all the windows remains the same and the first window retains focus and the animation represents an effect of sliding out the second window from its position in the first three dimensional visual representation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the Z-ordering of the windows prior to reconfiguring responsive to the first command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the Z-order is based on file name.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of reconfiguring each three dimensional visual representation includes resizing the windows presented based on the Z-ordering from smallest to largest.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first window is not in focus immediately prior to reconfiguring responsive to the first command and becomes in focus responsive to the first command.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconfiguring responsive to the first command further includes:

determining that a number of open windows presented on the display screen when receiving the first command exceeds a threshold number; and

presenting only the threshold number of windows in the first three dimensional visual representation.

7. A computer readable storage medium, not a signal per se, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method of concurrently displaying a plurality of windows for a plurality of applications on a display screen when executed by a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

responsive to a first command, reconfiguring a plurality of windows to present a first three dimensional visual representation of the windows overlapping, wherein a first window has focus, is scaled to be smaller than the remaining plurality of windows, and is the top window of Z-order and the plurality of windows are arranged alphabetically by window title; and

responsive to a second command, reconfiguring the plurality of windows to present a second three dimensional visual representation of the windows overlapping, in which a second window is located in a different position by transitioning the second window by animation from its position in the first three dimensional visual representation to its position in the second three dimensional visual representation, wherein all content of the second window is revealed while the Z-order of all the windows remains the same and the first window retains focus and the animation represents an effect of sliding out the second window from its position in the first three dimensional visual representation.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the reconfiguring responsive to the first command further includes restoring a minimized or hidden window.

9. The media of claim 7, wherein the steps of reconfiguring include skewing the windows in the first and second three dimensional visual representations, wherein the amount of skew is based on the number of windows in the respective three dimensional visual representation.

10. The media of claim 7, wherein each three dimensional visual representation exposes at least title information for each window displayed.

11. A computer having a processor, memory, and display, the computer executes a display method, the method comprising the steps of:

responsive to a first command, reconfiguring a plurality of windows to present a first three dimensional visual representation of the windows overlapping, wherein a first window has focus, is scaled to be smaller than the remaining plurality of windows, and is the top window of Z-order and the plurality of windows are arranged alphabetically by window title; and

responsive to a second command, reconfiguring the plurality of windows to present a second three dimensional visual representation of the windows overlapping, in which a second window is located in a different position by transitioning the second window by animation from its position in the first three dimensional visual representation to its position in the second three dimensional visual representation, wherein all content of the second window is revealed while the Z-order of all the windows remains the same and the first window retains focus and the animation represents an effect of sliding out the second window from its position in the first three dimensional visual representation.

12. The computer of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to a subsequent command, reconfiguring the plurality of windows to present another three dimensional visual representation of the overlapping windows, wherein a window, absent from the display screen when prior three dimensional visual representations are presented, is included.

13. The computer of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to a subsequent command, reconfiguring the plurality of windows to present another three dimensional visual representation of the windows overlapping, wherein the plurality of windows are arranged in Z-order based on distance from an edge of the display screen.

14. The computer of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to a subsequent command, reconfiguring the plurality of windows to present another three dimensional visual representation of the windows overlapping, in which a window is located in a different position wherein more content of the window is revealed than in a prior three dimensional visual representation while having all of the windows presented in the prior visual representation.

15. The computer of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to a cursor hovering over a portion of another window in the second three dimensional visual representation, displays a portion of content associated with the other window, wherein the portion of content is displayed as a thumbnail.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising

responsive to a command to preview contents of a specific window in the three-dimensional visual stack that is not the topmost window, revealing additional content of the specific window for a predetermined amount of time.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining the Z-ordering of the windows prior to reconfiguring responsive to the first command, wherein the Z-order is based on file name.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of reconfiguring each three dimensional visual representation includes resizing the windows presented based on the Z-ordering from smallest to largest.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first window is not in focus immediately prior to reconfiguring responsive to the first command and becomes in focus responsive to the first command.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the reconfiguring responsive to the first command further includes:

determining that a number of open windows presented on the display screen when receiving the first command exceeds a threshold number; and

presenting only the threshold number of windows in the first three dimensional visual representation.