Activity management tool

• US 9,152,299 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: McCann, William Jon, Perry, Jeremy Gray
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US12/576,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/783, 715/788, 715/789, 715/790, 715/792, 715/802
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/482 Application
• 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 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A method for providing an activity management tool includes receiving a user request for an activity overview, identifying currently running applications, applications that are likely to be run in the future, and open windows of the currently running applications. The method further includes presenting an activity overview graphical user interface (GUI) having a first area and a second area. The first area includes visual indicators of the currently running applications and the applications likely to be run in the future. The second area includes the open windows of the currently running applications, where the open windows are resized and positioned in such a way as to be simultaneously viewable by the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, on a screen of a computing system, a currently active window of one of a plurality of applications installed on the computing system, and a menu bar comprising an activities menu bar item;

receiving a user request for an overview of activities available to a user on the computing system in response to the user activating the activities menu bar item on the menu bar while interacting with the currently active window;

in response to the user request for the overview of the available activities, identifying, by the computing system, the available activities pertaining to the plurality of applications installed on the computing system, the plurality of installed applications comprising installed applications running on the computing system and one or more installed applications likely to be run on the computing system;

identifying, by the computing system, open windows of the installed applications running on the computing system, the open windows comprising the currently active window;

transitioning, by the computing system, from the displayed currently active window to a desktop environment represented by an activity overview graphical user interface (GUI) for presenting the overview of the available activities, the activity overview GUI having a first area and a second area, the first area comprising visual indicators of the installed applications running on the computing system and visual indicators of the installed applications likely to be run on the computing system, and the second area comprising the open windows of the installed applications running on the computing system, wherein transitioning from the displayed currently active window to the desktop environment represented by the activity overview GUI comprises including the currently active window in the second area in a resized form as one of the open windows; and

responsive to the user opening a new window of one of the installed applications, resizing, by a processing device of the computing system, the open windows, to have data within each of the open windows and data within the new window be simultaneously viewable in the second area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

a transition from the currently active window to the activity overview GUI is animated.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user request for the activity overview is received upon the user activating any one of a hardware menu button, a designating keyboard key or a designated control on a top menu bar, or upon the user placing a cursor in a designated region in the first area; and

responsive to the user request for the activity overview, the visual indicators of the installed applications running on the computing system, the visual indicators of the installed applications likely to be run on the computing system, and the open windows of the installed applications are displayed on the screen of the computing system as part of the desktop environment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying, by the computing system, the available activities comprises:

receiving user input specifying favorite applications of the user; and

adding the favorite applications to a list of user activities.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying, by the computing system, the available activities comprises:

automatically determining favorite applications of the user based on frequency of use; and

adding the favorite applications to a list of user activities.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the visual indicators of the running applications and the applications likely to be run in the future graphically illustrates a function or a brand of a respective application, and a state of the respective application, the state of the application comprising any one of inactive, active with a single open window, active with multiple open windows, active with one or more messages, or active with window urgency.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

detecting user activation of a visual indicator of an application in the first area;

determining whether the application is currently running;

if the application is not currently running, adding a window for the application in the second area; and

if the application is currently running, activating a most recently used window of the application.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a user request for an application menu associated with an application having a plurality of open windows;

displaying the application menu next to a visual indicator of the application, the application menu including a list of open windows of the application and an option to create a new window for the application;

as the user moves the cursor through the list of windows, highlighting or increasing the size of a corresponding window in the second area; and

upon a user selection of a window from the list of windows, activating the selected window.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a user request for an application switcher;

displaying a list of active applications ordered by time of last use; and

allowing the user to view a list of open windows for an application.

10. A computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a set of operations comprising:

displaying, on a screen of the computing system, a currently active window of one of a plurality of applications installed on the computing system, and a menu bar comprising an activities menu bar item;

receiving a user request for an overview of activities available to a user on the computing system in response to the user activating the activities menu bar item on the menu bar while interacting with the currently active window;

in response to the user request for the overview of the available activities, identifying, by the computing system, the available activities pertaining to the plurality of applications installed on the computing system, the plurality of installed applications comprising installed applications running on the computing system and one or more installed applications likely to be run on the computing system;

identifying, by the computing system, open windows of the installed applications running on the computing system, the open windows comprising the currently active window;

transitioning, by the computing system, from the displayed currently active window to a desktop environment represented by an activity overview graphical user interface (GUI) for presenting the overview of the available activities, the activity overview GUI having a first area and a second area, the first area comprising visual indicators of the installed applications running on the computing system and visual indicators of the installed applications likely to be run on the computing system, and the second area comprising the open windows of the installed applications running on the computing system, wherein transitioning from the displayed currently active window to the desktop environment represented by the activity overview GUI comprises including the currently active window in the second area in a resized form as one of the open windows; and

responsive to the user opening a new window of one of the installed applications, resizing, by a processing device of the computing system, the open windows, to have data within each of the open windows and data within the new window be simultaneously viewable in the second area.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein:

a transition from the currently active window to the activity overview GUI is animated.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein each of the visual indicators of the running applications and the applications likely to be run in the future graphically illustrates a function or a brand of a respective application, and a state of the respective application, the state of the application comprising any one of inactive, active with a single open window, active with multiple open windows, active with one or more messages, or active with window urgency.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the set of operations further comprises:

detecting user activation of a visual indicator of an application in the first area;

determining whether the application is currently running;

if the application is not currently running, adding a window for the application in the second area; and

if the application is currently running, activating a most recently used window of the application.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the set of operations further comprises:

receiving a user request for an application menu associated with an application having a plurality of open windows;

displaying the application menu next to a visual indicator of the application, the application menu including a list of open windows of the application and an option to create a new window for the application;

as the user moves the cursor through the list of windows, highlighting or increasing the size of a corresponding window in the second area; and

upon a user selection of a window from the list of windows, activating the selected window.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein the set of operations further comprises:

receiving a user request for an application switcher;

displaying a list of active applications ordered by time of last use; and

allowing the user to view a list of open windows for an application.

16. A computing system comprising:

a memory;

a display device, coupled to the memory, to display a currently active window of one of a plurality of applications installed on the computing system, and a menu bar comprising an activities menu bar item;

at least one processor coupled to the memory and the display device; and

an operating system executed by the at least one processor to;

receive a user request for an overview of activities available to a user on the computing system in response to the user activating the activities menu bar item on the menu bar while interacting with the currently active window;

identify the available activities pertaining to the plurality of applications installed on the computing system, the plurality of installed applications comprising installed applications currently running on the computing system and one or more installed applications likely to be run on the computing system in the future;

identify open windows of the installed applications running on the computing system, the open windows comprising the currently active window;

transition, on the display device, from the displayed currently active window to a desktop environment represented by an activity overview graphical user interface (GUI) having a first area and a second area, the first area comprising visual indicators of the installed applications currently running on the computing system and the installed applications likely to be run on the computing system in the future, and the second area comprising the open windows of the installed applications currently running on the computing system, wherein transitioning from the displayed currently active window to the desktop environment represented by the activity overview GUI comprises including the currently active window in the second area in a resized form as one of the open windows; and

responsive to the user opening a new window of one of the installed applications, resize the open windows, to have data within each of the open windows and data within the new window be simultaneously viewable in the second area.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each of the visual indicators of the currently running applications and the applications likely to be run in the future graphically illustrates a function or a brand of a respective application, and a state of the respective application, the state of the application comprising any one of inactive, active with a single open window, active with multiple open windows, active with one or more messages, or active with window urgency.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the activity overview GUI is to:

detect user activation of a visual indicator of an application in the first area;

determining whether the application is currently running;

if the application is not currently running, add a window for the application in the second area; and

if the application is currently running, activate a most recently used window of the application.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the activity overview GUI is to:

receive a user request for an application menu associated with an application having a plurality of open windows;

display the application menu next to a visual indicator of the application, the application menu including a list of open windows of the application and an option to create a new window for the application;

as the user moves the cursor through the list of windows, highlight or increase the size of a corresponding window in the second area; and

upon a user selection of a window from the list of windows, activate the selected window.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the activity overview GUI is to:

receive a user request for an application switcher;

display a list of active applications ordered by time of last use; and

allow the user to view a list of open windows for an application.