User interface for multiple display regions

• US 8,555,185 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2009
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John, Bumgarner, Timothy W., Peyton, Eric S., Hynes, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US12/549,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 715/792, 715/769
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

User interfaces for multiple display regions are described. One embodiment provides an array of non-overlapping windows that are created from a set of overlapping windows, and a user can select one of the non-overlapping windows to obtain an enlarged view of that selected window while keeping the other windows in their non-overlapping state. In one embodiment, the array of non-overlapping windows can include minimized windows or windows in other virtual desktops (e.g. windows in other “Spaces”) or both. In one embodiment, only windows of a selected application are shown in non-overlapping mode while opened windows of other applications are not shown.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a system cause the system to perform a method comprising:

presenting a user interface in a first display mode, wherein in the first display mode the user interface is configured to display one or more windows of a first application and one or more windows of a second application in an overlapping manner;

receiving an input to enter a second display mode, wherein the input comprises receiving a selection of an indicia of the first application, wherein the indicia is selected from a set of indicia displayed in a side region of the user interface, and wherein the selection as part of the input causes, in response to the selection, entry into the second display mode;

presenting the user interface in the second display mode, wherein in the second display mode the user interface is configured to display the one or more windows of the first application in a non-overlapping manner while not displaying the one or more windows of the second application.

2. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the selection comprises one of (a) receiving a positioning of a cursor over the indicia and receiving a pressing of a button or (b) receiving a tap of a finger or stylus on a touchpad or touchscreen, and wherein the input comprises one of (i) receiving a continued pressing of the button or (ii) receiving a continued tap.

3. The medium as in claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of a first window of the windows of the first application;

displaying an enlarged version of the first window, while in the second display mode, in response to receiving an input to display the enlarged version, the first window at least partially overlapping other windows of the first application which do not overlap each other.

4. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the windows of the first and second applications are displayed across a plurality of desktops for the same user on the same system and all windows of the first application are concurrently displayed in the second display mode, including windows of the first application that are in different desktops in the plurality of desktops.

5. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the selection and the input both comprise receiving a positioning of an object being positioned over the indicia.

6. The medium as in claim 5 wherein the positioning of the object includes dragging the object over a desktop to the indicia which is an icon representing the first application.

7. The medium as in claim 6 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, while in the second display mode, a positioning of the object on one of the windows of the first application;

incorporating content from the object into the one of the windows of the first application in response to the receiving, while in the second display mode, of the positioning of the object.

8. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the displaying in the second display mode is in response to the input to enter the second display mode and the receiving of the selection of the indicia of the first application occurs after the receiving of the input.

9. The medium as in claim 1 wherein not displaying the one or more windows of the second application comprises:

removing the one or more windows of the second application from the user interface while the second application remains executing; and

displaying a miniature representation of the one or more windows on the user interface.

10. A machine implemented user interface method comprising:

presenting a user interface in a first display mode, wherein in the first display mode the user interface is configured to display one or more windows of a first application and one or more windows of a second application in an overlapping manner;

receiving an input to enter a second display mode, wherein the input comprises receiving a selection of an indicia of the first application, wherein the indicia is selected from a set of indicia displayed in a side region of the user interface, and

wherein the selection as part of the input causes, in response to the selection, entry into the second display mode;

presenting the user interface in the second display mode, wherein in the second display mode the user interface is configured to display the one or more windows of the first application in a non-overlapping manner while not displaying the one or more windows of the second application.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein the selection comprises one of (a) receiving a positioning of a cursor over the indicia and receiving a pressing of a button or (b) receiving a tap of a finger or stylus on a touchpad or touchscreen, and wherein the input comprises one of (i) receiving a continued pressing of the button or (ii) receiving a continued tap.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of a first window of the windows of the first application;

displaying an enlarged version of the first window, while in the second display mode, in response to receiving an input to display the enlarged version, the first window at least partially overlapping other windows of the first application which do not overlap each other.

13. The method as in claim 10 wherein the windows of the first and second applications are displayed across a plurality of desktops for the same user on the same system and all windows of the first application are concurrently displayed in the second display mode, including windows of the first application that are in different desktops in the plurality of desktops.

14. The method as in claim 10 wherein the selection and the input both comprise receiving a positioning of an object being positioned over the indicia.

15. The method as in claim 10 wherein the positioning of the object includes dragging the object over a desktop to the indicia which is an icon representing the first application.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, while in the second display mode, a positioning of the object on one of the windows of the first application;

incorporating content from the object into the one of the windows of the first application in response to the receiving, while in the second display mode, of the positioning of the object.

17. The method as in claim 10 wherein the displaying in the second display mode is in response to the input to enter the second display mode and the receiving of the selection of the indicia of the first application occurs after the receiving of the input.

18. The method as in claim 10 wherein not displaying the one or more windows of the second application comprises:

removing the one or more windows of the second application from the user interface while the second application remains executing; and

displaying a miniature representation of the one or more windows on the user interface.

19. A data processing system comprising:

means for presenting a user interface in a first display mode, wherein in the first display mode the user interface is configured to display one or more windows of a first application and one or more windows of a second application in an overlapping manner;

means for receiving an input to enter a second display mode, wherein the input comprises receiving a selection of an indicia of the first application, wherein the indicia is selected from a set of indicia displayed in a side region of the user interface, and wherein the selection as part of the input causes, in response to the selection, entry into the second display mode;

means for presenting the user interface in the second display mode, wherein in the second display mode the user interface is configured to display the one or more windows of the first application in a non-overlapping manner while not displaying the one or more windows of the second application of windows.

20. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a system cause the system to perform a method comprising:

presenting a user interface in a first display mode, wherein in the first display mode a user interface is configured to display one or more windows of a first application and one or more windows of a second application simultaneously;

receiving, while in the first display mode, an input to enter a second display mode, wherein the input comprises receiving a positioning of an object over a display region, wherein the display region is an indicia of the first application from a set of indicia displayed in a region of the user interface, and wherein the positioning as part of the input causes, in response to the positioning, entry into the second display mode;

presenting the user interface in the second display mode, wherein in the second display mode the user interface is configured to display the one or more windows of the first application in a non-overlapping manner while not displaying the one or more windows of the second application;

receiving, while in the second display mode, a positioning of the object over one of the windows of the first application;

incorporating content from the object into the one of the windows of the first application in response to the receiving, while in the second display mode, of the positioning of the object.

21. The medium as in claim 20 wherein the positioning of the object over the indicia includes dragging the object over a desktop to the indicia which is an icon representing the first application.

22. The medium as in claim 20 wherein the method further comprises receiving an input to enter the first display mode, wherein the input comprises receiving the incorporation of content from the object into the one of the windows of the first application, wherein the incorporation as part of the input causes, in response to the incorporation, entry into the first display mode.

23. The medium as in claim 20 wherein not displaying the one or more windows of the second application comprises:

removing the one or more windows of the second application from the user interface while the second application remains executing; and

displaying a miniature representation of the one or more windows on the user interface.

24. A machine implemented user interface method comprising:

presenting a user interface in a first display mode, wherein in the first display mode the user interface is configured to display one or more windows of a first application and one or more windows of a second application simultaneously;

receiving, while in the first display mode, an input to enter a second display mode, wherein the input comprises receiving a positioning of an object over a display region, wherein the display region is an indicia of the first application from a set of indicia displayed in a region of the user interface, and wherein the positioning as part of the input causes, in response to the positioning, entry into the second display mode;

presenting the user interface in the second display mode, wherein in the second display mode the user interface is configured to display the one or more windows of the first application in a non-overlapping manner while not displaying the one or more windows of the second application;

receiving, while in the second display mode, a positioning of the object over one of the windows of the first application;

incorporating content from the object into the one of the windows of the first application in response to the receiving, while in the second display mode, of the positioning of the object.

25. The method as in claim 24 wherein the positioning of the object over the indicia includes dragging the object over a desktop to the indicia which is an icon representing the first application.

26. The method as in claim 24 wherein the method further comprises receiving an input to enter the first display mode, wherein the input comprises receiving the incorporation of content from the object into the one of the windows of the first application, wherein the incorporation as part of the input causes, in response to the incorporation, entry into the first display mode.

27. The method as in claim 24 wherein not displaying the one or more windows of the second application comprises:

removing the one or more windows of the second application from the user interface while the second application remains executing; and

displaying a miniature representation of the one or more windows on the user interface.