Unified desktop independent focus in an application manager

• US 9,703,468 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Reeves, Paul E., Gimpl, Martin, Sirpal, Sanjiv
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrett, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang, Haimei
• Application Number:
  US13/627,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20130111371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

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 a new user interface to allow access to functions of the unified desktop.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device with a first display;

providing a computer system with a second display;

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

generating a unified desktop for the unified system, the unified desktop including at least a first user interface displayed on the first display of the device and a second user interface displayed on the second display of the computer system;

receiving a first user interface input on the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first user interface input, displaying a first application manager interface on the first user interface that includes thumbnails associated with each of at least two application windows displayed on the unified desktop;

receiving a second user interface input on the second user interface;

in response to receiving the second user interface input, displaying a second application manager interface on the second user interface that includes thumbnails associated with each of the at least two application windows displayed on the unified desktop;

receiving a third user interface input in the second application manager interface; and

in response to the third user interface input;

reordering two or more thumbnails in the second application manager interface;

reordering two or more thumbnails in the first application manager interface that correspond to the two or more reordered thumbnails in the second application manager interface; and

changing, in the unified desktop, a display of the two or more application windows associated with the two or more reordered thumbnails.

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the device further includes a first screen with the first display and a second screen with the second device display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a display order of the thumbnails in the first application manager interface is similar to a display order of the thumbnails in the second application manager interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first application manager interface and the second application manager interface display thumbnails for all executing applications, and wherein the second application manager interface includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion to display thumbnails of application windows displayed on the first user interface and the second portion to display thumbnails of application windows displayed on the second user interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a first window of a first application is displayed on the first user interface and a second window of a second application is displayed on the second user interface, and wherein a first thumbnail associated with the first window is displayed in the first portion of the second application manager and a second thumbnail associated with the second window is displayed in the second portion of the second application manager.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first application is a device focus application and the second application is a computer system focus application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein both the first application manager interface and the second application manager interface display thumbnails for the first application differently than thumbnails for the second application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first application is an Android application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second application is an Android application or a personal computer productivity application.

11. A unified system, comprising:

a device comprising;

a first screen with a first display;

a first memory; and

a first processor;

a computer system comprising;

a second screen with a second display;

a second memory; and

a second processor, wherein the device is docked with the computer system to form the unified system including a first user interface displayed on the first display of the device and a second user interface displayed on the second display of the computer system; and

wherein the unified system is configured to;

display windows associated with open applications on the first and second user interfaces;

receive a first user interface input on the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first user interface input, display a first application manager interface on the first user interface that includes thumbnails associated with windows displayed on the first and second user interfaces;

receive a second user interface input on the second user interface;

in response to receiving the second user interface input, display a second application manager interface on the second user interface that includes thumbnails associated with windows displayed on the first and second user interfaces;

receive a third user interface input in the second application manager interface; and

;

in response to the third user interface input;

reorder two or more thumbnails in the second application manager interface;

reorder two or more thumbnails in the first application manager interface that correspond to the two or more thumbnails reordered in the second application manager interface; and

change, in the first and second user interfaces, a display of two or more application windows associated with the two or more reordered thumbnails.

12. The unified system of claim 11, wherein an order of the thumbnails in the first application manager interface is similar to an order of thumbnails in the second application manager interface.

13. The unified system of claim 11, wherein one or more windows of open applications displayed on the first user interface are device-focused and one or more windows of open applications displayed on the second user interface are computer system-focused.

14. The unified system of claim 13, wherein the one or more device-focused applications are Android applications and the one or more computer system-focused are one or more of Android applications and personal computer productivity applications.

15. The unified system of claim 11, wherein the second application manager interface includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion to display thumbnails of windows displayed on the first user interface and the second portion to display thumbnails of windows displayed on the second user interface.

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

upon docking a device with a computer system, instructions to generate the unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes a first user interface displayed on a first display of the device and a second user interface displayed on a second display of the computer system;

instructions to receive a first user interface input on the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first user interface input, instructions to display a first application manager interface on the first user interface, the first application manager interface displaying thumbnails that correspond to windows of open applications displayed on the first user interface and the second user interface;

instructions to receive a second user interface input on the second user interface;

in response to receiving the second user interface input, instructions to display a second application manager interface on the second user interface, the second application manager interface displaying thumbnails of the windows of open applications displayed on the first user interface and the second user interface;

instructions to receive a third user interface input in one of the first user interface and the second user interface; and

in response to the third user interface input;

instructions to reorder two or more thumbnails in each of the first and second application manager interfaces; and

instruction to change, in the unified desktop, a display of the two or more windows corresponding to the two or more reordered thumbnails.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein an order of the thumbnails in the first application manager interface is similar to an order of the thumbnails in the second application manager interface.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein one or more windows displayed on the first user interface are associated with device-focused applications and one or more windows displayed on the second user interface are associated with computer system-focused applications.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein visual indicia of the thumbnails in the second application manager interface that correspond to windows displayed on the first user interface is different from visual indicia of the thumbnails in the second application manager interface that correspond to windows displayed on the second user interface.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein one or more thumbnails of the computer system-focused applications in the first application manager interface and the second application manager interface are grouped together, and wherein one or more thumbnails of the device-focused applications in the first application manager interface and the second application manager interface are also grouped together.