Application switcher

• US 9,479,568 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Collin, Richard Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US13/814,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20140304612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

In one or more embodiments described herein, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory having computer program code stored thereon, the at least one memory and computer program code being configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to provide an application switcher to a first device, the application switcher providing an indication of content available to the first device from one or more open applications on a second device, wherein at least part of the content of the one or more open applications of the second device is shareable in real time with an application on the first device; and provide, in response to user-selection of content from the application switcher, the user-selected shareable content of the open application of the second device for use on the first device using a first device application.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having computer program code stored thereon, the at least one memory and computer program code being configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

provide an application switcher to a first device, the application switcher providing an indication of content available to the first device from one or more open applications on a second device, wherein at least part of the content of the one or more open applications of the second device is shareable in real time with an application on the first device, and wherein the application switcher provides an indication of content available to the first device that is provided by open applications on the first device in addition to the provision of the indication of content available to the first device that is provided by open applications on the second device to thereby provide an aggregated list of possible applications for access;

provide, in response to user-selection of content from the application switcher, the user-selected shareable content of the open application of the second device for use on the first device using a first device application; and

configure at least the first device application of the first device in accordance with the user-selected shareable content, wherein the content comprises transient state information associated with the open application of the second device to which the user-selected shareable content relates, such that the first device application is configured using the transient state information which includes one or more of window positioning onscreen, selection indication onscreen, scroll position onscreen, volume settings, presentational information of the application, temporary settings of the application, user-defined application appearance or zoom magnification.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

in response to the user-selection, open a first device application which is a counterpart application to that of the open application on the second device to which the user-selected shareable content relates.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

in response to user-selection, instruct the second device to exit the open application of the second device to which the user-selected shareable content relates.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide, using the application switcher, an indication of content available to the first device from one or more open applications of a second device when that second device is one or more of;

paired with the first device, connected to a network/cloud server that the first device is also connected to, and within a predetermined proximity of the first device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide visual cue(s) as to which indication(s) of content available to the first device are from;

one or more open applications of the first device itself; and

/or

one or more open applications of the second device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

in response to selection of content of an open application on the second device, initiate a counterpart first device application on the first device to which at least part of that user-selected content is shareable.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

in response to selection of content of an open application on the second device, initiate a default counterpart first device application.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transient state information includes one or more of:

unsaved data, cursor positioning onscreen, one or more functional settings, current instances of temporary data, or position of screen.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

allow for sharing of one or more open applications on the first device with the second device, wherein at least part of the content from the first device open applications is shareable in real time with open applications on a second device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

maintain synchronisation of content between the open application of the second device, to which the user-selected shareable content relates, and the first device application to which the shareable content is provided.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide, using the application switcher, an indication of content available to the first device from respective one or more open applications on a plurality of other devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is one or more of:

a portable electronic device, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a Smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, a watch, a server, the first device, and a module/circuitry for one or more of the same.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is one or more of:

a non-portable electronic device, a desktop computer, a monitor, a server, and a module/circuitry for one or more of the same.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more open applications comprise one or more of a word processing application, a web browser application, a map application, a notepad application or spreadsheet application.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transient state information is shared between the first device and second device upon prompting or upon detection of a change in the transient state information.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a subset of content provided by the second device and useable by the first device is used by the first device.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having computer program code stored thereon, the at least one memory and computer program code being configured to, when run on the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

provide for use by an application switcher of a first device, an indication of content available to the first device from one or more open applications on a second device, wherein at least part of the content of the one or more open applications of the second device is shareable in real time with an application on the first device, and wherein the application switcher provides an indication of content available to the first device that is provided by open applications on the first device in addition to the provision of the indication of content available to the first device that is provided by open applications on the second device to thereby provide an aggregated list of possible applications for access;

provide, in response to user-selection of content from the application switcher of the first device, the user-selected shareable content of the open application of the second device for use on the first device using a first device application; and

configure at least the first device application of the first device in accordance with the user-selected shareable content, wherein the content comprises transient state information associated with the open application of the second device to which the user-selected shareable content relates, such that the first device application is configured using the transient state information which includes one or more of window positioning onscreen, selection indication onscreen, scroll position onscreen, volume settings, presentational information of the application, temporary settings of the application, user-defined application appearance or zoom magnification.

18. A method, comprising:

providing an application switcher to a first device, the application switcher providing an indication of content available to the first device from one or more open applications on a second device, wherein at least part of the content of the one or more open applications of the second device is shareable in real time with an application on the first device, and wherein the application switcher provides an indication of content available to the first device that is provided by open applications on the first device in addition to the provision of the indication of content available to the first device that is provided by open applications on the second device to thereby provide an aggregated list of possible applications for access;

providing, in response to user-selection of content from the application switcher, the user-selected shareable content of the open application of the second device for use on the first device using a first device application; and

configuring at least the first device application of the first device in accordance with the user-selected shareable content, wherein the content comprises transient state information associated with the open application of the second device to which the user-selected shareable content relates, such that the first device application is configured using the transient state information which includes one or more of window positioning onscreen, selection indication onscreen, scroll position onscreen, volume settings, presentational information of the application, temporary settings of the application, user-defined application appearance or zoom magnification.

19. A non-transient computer readable medium programmed with computer program code that upon execution by a processor causes the processor to:

provide an application switcher to a first device, the application switcher providing an indication of content available to the first device from one or more open applications on a second device, wherein at least part of the content of the one or more open applications of the second device is shareable in real time with an application on the first device, and wherein the application switcher provides an indication of content available to the first device that is provided by open applications on the first device in addition to the provision of the indication of content available to the first device that is provided by open applications on the second device to thereby provide an aggregated list of possible applications for access;

provide, in response to user-selection of content from the application switcher, the user-selected shareable content of the open application of the second device for use on the first device using a first device application; and

configure at least the first device application of the first device in accordance with the user-selected shareable content, wherein the content comprises transient state information associated with the open application of the second device to which the user-selected shareable content relates, such that the first device application is configured using the transient state information which includes one or more of window positioning onscreen, selection indication onscreen, scroll position onscreen, volume settings, presentational information of the application, temporary settings of the application, user-defined application appearance or zoom magnification.