Unified desktop docking rules

• US 9,268,518 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Reeves, Paul E., Sirpal, Sanjiv, Gimpl, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US13/543,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20130214996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/121 using a cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 Control of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface or “desktop” across two devices are provided. More particularly, a unified desktop is presented across a device and a computer system that comprise a unified system. The unified desktop acts as a single user interface that presents data and receives user interaction in a seamless environment that emulates a personal computing environment. To function within the personal computing environment, the unified desktop includes a process for docking and undocking the device with the computer system. The unified desktop presents desktops or windows based on a set of pre-determined rules.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device having at least a first display;

providing a computer system having a second display;

docking the device to the computer system to form a unified system;

generating a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes a first portion associated with the first display of the device and a second portion associated with the second display of the computer system;

in response to the docking, executing a first docking rule, wherein the first docking rule governs a display of a first application window after the docking;

determining if the first application window was displayed, before the docking, on the first display of the device;

in response to the docking, executing a second docking rule, wherein the second docking rule is associated with changes in the display of a second application window after docking the device;

determining if the second application window was displayed, during a previous docking, on the second display of the computer system; and

in response to determining that the second application window was displayed on the second display of the computer system during the previous docking, again displaying the second application window on the second display of the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the first application window was displayed on the first display of the device, migrating the first application window, after the docking, from the first display to the second display of the computer system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first application window is not displayed on the first display of the device after the docking, and wherein the first portion of the unified desktop is displayed on the first display of the device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to the docking, executing a third docking rule, wherein the third docking rule is associated with changes in the display of a third application window after docking the device;

determining if the third application window was displayed, before the docking, on the second display of the computer system; and

in response to determining that the third application window was displayed on the second display of the computer system, hiding the third application window after the docking.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device controls the computer system after the docking.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

undocking the device from the computer system to end the unified system;

in response to the undocking, executing a first undocking rule, wherein the first undocking rule is associated with changes in the display of a fourth application window after undocking the device; and

determining if the fourth application window was displayed, before the undocking, on the first display of the device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to determining that the fourth application window was displayed on the first display of the device, displaying the fourth application window, after the undocking, on the first display of the device.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

undocking the device from the computer system to end the unified system;

in response to the undocking, executing a second undocking rule, wherein the second undocking rule is associated with changes in the display of the third application window after undocking the device; and

determining if the third application window was displayed, before the docking, on the second display of the computer system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to determining that the third application window was displayed on the second display of the computer system before the docking, again displaying the third application window on the second display of the computer system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes a second display.

11. A unified system, comprising:

a computer system comprising;

a first screen;

a processor; and

a memory;

a device comprising;

a second screen;

a second memory; and

a second processor,

wherein the device is docked with the computer system to form the unified system, the device is operable to execute two or more docking rules, comprising;

a first docking rule, wherein the first docking rule governs a display of a first application window after the docking, and wherein the device determines if the first application window was displayed, before the docking, on the second screen of the device; and

a second docking rule executed in response to the docking, the second docking rule associated with changes in the display of a second application window on the computer system after docking the device, wherein the device determines if the second application window was displayed, during a previous docking, on the first screen of the computer system and, in response to determining that the second application window was displayed on the first screen of the computer system during the previous docking, again displaying the second application window on the first screen of the computer system.

12. The unified system of claim 11, wherein in response to determining that the first application window was displayed on the second screen of the device, migrating the first application window, after the docking, from the second screen to the first screen of the computer system, wherein first application window is not displayed on the second screen of the device after the docking, and wherein a first portion of a unified desktop of the unified system is displayed on the second screen of the device.

13. The unified system of claim 11, wherein a third docking rule is executed in response to the docking, the third docking rule associated with changes in the display of a third application window on the computer system after docking the device, wherein the device determines if the third application window was displayed, before the docking, on the first screen of the computer system, and in response to determining that the third application window was displayed on the first screen of the computer system, hiding the third application window after the docking.

14. The unified system of claim 13, wherein in response to undocking the device from the computer system, the device is operable to execute two or more undocking rules, comprising:

a first undocking rule associated with changes in the display of a fourth application window on the device after undocking the device, wherein the device determines if the fourth application window was displayed, before the undocking, on the second screen of the device, and in response to determining that the fourth application window was displayed on the second screen of the device, displaying the fourth application window, after the undocking, on the second screen of the device; and

a second undocking rule associated with changes in the display of the third application window after undocking the device, wherein the device determines if the third application window was displayed, before the docking, on the first screen of the computer system and, in response to determining that the third application window was displayed on the first screen of the computer system before the docking, again displaying the third application window on the first screen of the computer system.

15. The unified system of claim 11, wherein the device includes a first display and a second display.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a unified system, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

upon docking a device with a computer system, instructions to generate a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes a first portion associated with the device and a second portion associated with the computer system;

based on the docking, instructions to execute a first docking rule that governs a display of a first application window after the docking;

instructions to determine if the first application window was displayed, before the docking, on the device;

based on the docking, instructions to execute a second docking rule that governs a display of a second application window after the docking;

instructions to determine if the second application window was displayed, during a previous docking, on the computer system; and

in response to determining that the second application window was displayed on the computer system during the previous docking, instructions to again display the second application window on the computer system.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

in response to determining that the first application window was displayed on the device, instructions to migrate the first application window, after the docking, from the device to the computer system, wherein the first application window is not displayed on the device after the docking.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

based on the docking, instructions to execute a third docking rule that governs a display of a third application window after the docking;

instructions to determine if the third application window was displayed, before the docking, on the computer system; and

in response to determining that the third application window was displayed on the computer system, hiding the third application window after the docking.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

upon undocking the device from the computer system, instructions to end the unified system;

in response to the undocking, instructions to execute a first undocking rule associated with changes in the display of a fourth application window after undocking the device;

instructions to determine if the fourth application window was displayed, before the undocking, on the device;

in response to determining that the fourth application window was displayed on the device, instructions to display the fourth application window, after the undocking, on the device;

in response to the undocking, instructions to execute a second undocking rule associated with changes in the display of the third application window after undocking the device;

instructions to determine if the third application window was displayed, before the docking, on the computer system; and

in response to determining that the third application window was displayed on the computer system before the docking, instructions to again display the third application window on the computer system.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the device includes a first display and a second display.