Presenting an application change through a tile

• US 9,015,606 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zaman, Nazia, Flynn, Sean L., Deutsch, Rebecca, Leonard, Chantal M., Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Machaj, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/089,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 715/785, 715/744, 715/729, 715/835, 715/863, 715763-765, 715/790, 715/840, 715/771
• US Class Current: 715/756
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for presenting an application change through a tile. These techniques enable a user to see content associated with content changes to an application or other information about the application, such as a new article, new email, or a software update having become available since a user last visited the application. By so doing, the techniques enable a user to forgo visiting the application or permit the user to quickly and easily decide whether or not to visit the application.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising;

presenting a first selectable area associated with but not generated by a first application, the first selectable area including a first content of multiple content changes of the first application, the first content;

received from an entity other than the first application; and

received without necessitating execution of the first application;

receiving a first selection from a user of at least a portion of the first selectable area, to present second content different from the first content, the second content of the multiple content changes of the first application; and

responsive to the first selection, presenting the second content within the first selectable area or visually associated with the first selectable area, the second content received without necessitating execution of the first application.

2. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the first selectable area is part of a user interface that includes a second selectable area different from the first selectable area, the operations further comprising presenting the second selectable area associated with but not generated by a second application;

and receiving a second selection from the user of at least a portion of the second selectable area to present third content associated with the second application.

3. A computing device as described in claim 2, wherein the first selectable area includes a first tile within the user interface including multiple tiles and the second selectable area includes a second tile of the multiple tiles.

4. A computing device as described in claim 2, wherein the first selectable area includes a large tile of multiple tiles within the user interface and the second selectable area includes a small tile of the multiple tiles, the large tile including the first content and the small tile including the third content, the third content including a status of the second application.

5. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein presenting the first selectable area includes presenting the first selectable area in accordance with a first report indicating a preferred presentation format for the first selectable area.

6. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise, prior to presenting the first selectable area including the first content, presenting the first selectable area including third content associated with the multiple content changes, and wherein presenting the first selectable area is responsive to inactivity with the first selectable area including the third content, rotating off presentation of the third content, and rotating on presentation of the first content.

7. A computing device as described in claim 6, wherein presenting the first content includes presenting the first content within the first selectable area and displacing at least part of the third content.

8. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third selection to launch the first application associated with the first selectable area; and

responsive to the third selection, launching the first application or presenting an interface associated with the first application through which selection to launch the first application can be made.

9. A computing device as described in claim 8, wherein the receiving the third selection includes receiving an input from the user to a portion of the first selectable area in which the first content is presented, and wherein launching the application launches with a Universal Resource Locator (URL) in which a full representation of the first content is found.

10. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting, in the first selectable area, an indicator indicating:

a progress of installation of the first application or an update to the first application;

that the first application is or is not currently executing;

an upcoming expiration of a trial period;

or

that a software update is available for the first application.

11. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the first content is new to the first application since a most-recent presentation or launch of the first application.

12. A computing device comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media; and

a reporter, the reporter having instructions stored in the one or more computer-readable storage media that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, perform operations comprising;

presenting, within a selectable area associated with but not generated by an application, multiple content associated with multiple content changes for the application, the multiple content;

received from an entity other than the application associated with the selectable area; and

received without necessitating execution of the application associated with selectable area;

receiving selection, through the selectable area, to present additional content associated with one of the multiple content changes; and

responsive to selection, presenting the additional content associated with the one of the multiple changes within the selectable area or visually associated with the selectable area, the additional content received without necessitating execution of the application associated with the selectable area.

13. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the selectable area is part of a user interface that includes one or more other selectable areas, the one or more other selectable areas associated with but not generated by one or more other applications, respectively, the one or more other selectable areas enabling selection to present content associated with the one or more other applications, respectively.

14. A computing device as described in claim 13, wherein the selectable area and the one or more other selectable areas within the user interface are each included within one of multiple tiles.

15. A computing device as described in claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise receiving reports for the multiple tiles in the user interface, the reports indicating a preferred presentation format for each of the multiple tiles, and wherein the multiple tiles are presented in the user interface having their respective, preferred presentation format.

16. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise receiving selection to enlarge the selectable area and, responsive to selection, enlarging the selectable area.

17. A computing device as described in claim 16, wherein the selection to enlarge is a selection to present additional content.

18. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein presenting the multiple content presents in a content presentation area of the selectable area and wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting, in an application-identifying area of the selectable area, an identifier of the application;

receiving selection of the application-identifying area; and

responsive to selection of the application-identifying area, presenting the application at a default or prior-viewed setting.

19. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein receiving selection receives selection through a gesture received to the selectable area in which the content associated with the one of the multiple changes is presented.

20. A computing device as described in claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise presenting, in the selectable area, an indicator indicating:

a progress of installation of the application or an update to the application;

that the application is or is not currently executing;

an upcoming expiration of a trial period;

or

that a software update is available for the application.