Changing a virtual workspace based on user interaction with an application window in a user interface

• US 9,658,732 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas, Louch, John O.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burwell, Joseph R
• Application Number:
  US12/907,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,408 Days
• Field of Search: 715799
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Providing a bridge interface for managing virtual workspaces is disclosed. A plurality of workspace images is presented in a user interface, each workspace image corresponding to a different virtual workspace available to a user of a computer system. A plurality of application windows associated with one of the virtual workspaces is displayed. A user'"'"'s selection of at least one of the displayed application windows and dragging the selected application window in the user interface from a first location to a second location in the user interface is detected. A virtual workspace associated with the selected application window is changed based on the second location in the user interface.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors executing on a computer system with a display and one or more input devices, the method comprising:

concurrently displaying in a user interface on the display;

a plurality of workspace images that correspond to different virtual workspaces, including a first virtual workspace, that are available to a user of the computer system, the workspace images having a first size; and

a view of the first virtual workspace, the view including a representation of a window that is associated with the first virtual workspace, wherein the view is displayed at a second size, larger than the first size;

while concurrently displaying, on the display, the plurality of workspace images and the view of the first virtual workspace, receiving, via the one or more input devices, user input indicating a movement of the representation of the window from a first location to a respective location in the user interface other than the first location; and

in response to receiving the user input indicating the movement of the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location in the user interface;

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is a second location, associating the representation of the window with a second virtual workspace, different from the first virtual workspace; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is a third location that is different from the second location, associating the representation of the window with a third virtual workspace, different from the first virtual workspace and the second virtual workspace.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location in the user interface is a second workspace image of the plurality of workspace images, the second workspace image associated with the second virtual workspace, the second workspace image different from a workspace image associated with the representation of the window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input comprises dragging the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location in the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third location in the user interface is an area of the user interface outside of the plurality of workspace images.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising creating the third virtual workspace in response to dragging of the representation of the window to the third location, the third virtual workspace including at least the representation of the window, and the third virtual workspace not in existence before the dragging of the representation of the window to the third location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein associating the representation of the window with the third virtual workspace comprises disassociating the representation of the window from the first virtual workspace.

7. The method of claim 5, associating the representation of the window with the third virtual workspace comprises maintaining the association of the representation of the window with the first virtual workspace.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the third location overlaps with a user interface element for creating the third virtual workspace, the user interface element for creating the third virtual workspace in existence before the dragging of the representation of the window to the third location.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising in response to creating the third virtual workspace:

creating a workspace image corresponding to the third virtual workspace; and

concurrently displaying, in the user interface;

the workspace image corresponding to the third virtual workspace;

the plurality of workspace images; and

the view of the first virtual workspace.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a workspace image, of the plurality of workspace images, corresponding to the first virtual workspace includes a second representation of the window, different from the representation of the window.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of workspace images are displayed in a first region of the user interface, and the view of the first virtual workspace is displayed in a second region of the user interface, different from the first region.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the view of the first virtual workspace is displayed in a first region of the user interface, and the respective location is outside of the first region of the user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the respective location overlaps with a respective workspace image of the plurality of workspace images,

the representation of the window is displayed at a first size before the movement of the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location, and

the representation of the window is displayed at a second size, smaller than the first size, when the representation of the window is at the respective location.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, generate on a display device, of a computer system with one or more input devices, a user interface for presenting virtual workspaces and perform the following operations:

concurrently display in the user interface on the display;

a plurality of workspace images that correspond to different virtual workspaces, including a first virtual workspace, that are available to a user of the computer system, the workspace images having a first size; and

a view of the first virtual workspace, the view including a representation of a window that is associated with the first virtual workspace, wherein the view is displayed at a second size, larger than the first size;

while concurrently displaying, on the display device, the plurality of workspace images and the view of the first virtual workspace, receive, via the one or more input devices, user input indicating a movement of the representation of the window from a first location to a respective location in the user interface other than the first location; and

in response to receiving the user input indicating the movement of the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location in the user interface;

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is a second location, associate the representation of the window with a second virtual workspace, different from the first virtual workspace; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is a third location that is different from the second location, associating the representation of the window with a third virtual workspace, different from the first virtual workspace and the second virtual workspace.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the second location in the user interface is a second workspace image of the plurality of workspace images, the second workspace image associated with the second virtual workspace, the second workspace image different from a workspace image associated with the representation of the window.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the user input comprises dragging the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location in the user interface.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the third location in the user interface is an area of the user interface outside of the plurality of workspace images.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further storing instructions that, when executed, create the third virtual workspace in response to dragging of the representation of the window to the third location, the third virtual workspace including at least the representation of the window, and the third virtual workspace not in existence before the dragging of the representation of the window to the third location.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein associating the representation of the window with the third virtual workspace comprises disassociating the representation of the window from the first virtual workspace.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, associating the representation of the window with the third virtual workspace comprises maintaining the association of the representation of the window with the first virtual workspace.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the third location overlaps with a user interface element for creating the third virtual workspace, the user interface element for creating the third virtual workspace in existence before the dragging of the representation of the window to the third location.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further storing instructions that, when executed:

in response to creating the third virtual workspace;

create a workspace image corresponding to the third virtual workspace; and

concurrently display, in the user interface;

the workspace image corresponding to the third virtual workspace;

the plurality of workspace images; and

the view of the first virtual workspace.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein:

a workspace image, of the plurality of workspace images, corresponding to the first virtual workspace includes a second representation of the window, different from the representation of the window.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein:

the plurality of workspace images are displayed in a first region of the user interface, and the view of the first virtual workspace is displayed in a second region of the user interface, different from the first region.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the view of the first virtual workspace is displayed in a first region of the user interface, and the respective location is outside of the first region of the user interface.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein:

the respective location overlaps with a respective workspace image of the plurality of workspace images,

the representation of the window is displayed at a first size before the movement of the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location, and

the representation of the window is displayed at a second size, smaller than the first size, when the representation of the window is at the respective location.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the user input comprises dragging the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location in the user interface.

27. A system comprising:

a display device;

one or more input devices; and

a computing device in communication with the display device, wherein the computing device is configured to perform at least the following;

concurrently display in a user interface on the display device;

a plurality of workspace images that correspond to different virtual workspaces, including a first virtual workspace, that are available to a user of the computing device, the workspace images having a first size; and

a view of the first virtual workspace, the view including a representation of a window that is associated with the first virtual workspace, wherein the view is displayed at a second size, larger than the first size;

while concurrently displaying, on the display device, the plurality of workspace images and the view of the first virtual workspace, receive, via the one or more input devices, user input indicating a movement of the representation of the window from a first location to a respective location in the user interface other than the first location; and

in response to receiving the user input indicating the movement of the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location in the user interface;

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is a second location, associate the representation of the window with a second virtual workspace, different from the first virtual workspace; and

in accordance with a determination that the respective location is a third location that is different from the second location, associating the representation of the window with a third virtual workspace, different from the first virtual workspace and the second virtual workspace.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the second location in the user interface is a second workspace image of the plurality of workspace images, the second workspace image associated with the second virtual workspace, the second workspace image different from a workspace image associated with the representation of the window.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the third location in the user interface is an area of the user interface outside of the plurality of workspace images.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform the following:

create the third virtual workspace in response to dragging of the representation of the window to the third location, the third virtual workspace including at least the representation of the window, and the third virtual workspace not in existence before the dragging of the representation of the window to the third location.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein associating the representation of the window with the third virtual workspace comprises disassociating the representation of the window from the first virtual workspace.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the third location overlaps with a user interface element for creating the third virtual workspace, the user interface element for creating the third virtual workspace in existence before the dragging of the representation of the window to the third location.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform:

in response to creating the third virtual workspace;

creating a workspace image corresponding to the third virtual workspace; and

concurrently displaying, in the user interface;

the workspace image corresponding to the third virtual workspace;

the plurality of workspace images; and

the view of the first virtual workspace.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein:

a workspace image, of the plurality of workspace images, corresponding to the first virtual workspace includes a second representation of the window, different from the representation of the window.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the plurality of workspace images are displayed in a first region of the user interface, and the view of the first virtual workspace is displayed in a second region of the user interface, different from the first region.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein the view of the first virtual workspace is displayed in a first region of the user interface, and the respective location is outside of the first region of the user interface.

38. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the respective location overlaps with a respective workspace image of the plurality of workspace images,

the representation of the window is displayed at a first size before the movement of the representation of the window from the first location to the respective location, and

the representation of the window is displayed at a second size, smaller than the first size, when the representation of the window is at the respective location.