User interface for multiple display regions

• US 9,720,584 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Peyton, Eric S., Bumgarner, Timothy W., Hynes, Christopher J., Louch, John O.
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US14/962,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 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 3/0481 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• 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

Abstract

User interfaces for multiple display regions are described. One embodiment provides an array of non-overlapping windows that are created from a set of overlapping windows, and a user can select one of the non-overlapping windows to obtain an enlarged view of that selected window while keeping the other windows in their non-overlapping state. In one embodiment, the array of non-overlapping windows can include minimized windows or windows in other virtual desktops (e.g. windows in other “Spaces”) or both. In one embodiment, only windows of a selected application are shown in non-overlapping mode while opened windows of other applications are not shown.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a display and one or more input devices;

concurrently displaying, on the display;

a plurality of windows displayed in an overlapping arrangement that includes a first window for a respective application and a second window for the respective application;

an application icon region that includes icons for a plurality of different applications, including a respective application icon for the respective application;

detecting a first input, via the one or more input devices, that corresponds to a request to drag a user interface object to a location within the application icon region corresponding to a location of the respective application icon for the respective application; and

in response to detecting the first input, moving the user interface object to the location of the respective application icon and displaying representations of the first window and the second window in a non-overlapping arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while displaying the representations of the first window and the second window in the non-overlapping arrangement, detecting a third input, via the one or more input devices, that corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of one of the representations of the windows in the non-overlapping arrangement; and

in response to detecting the third input;

in accordance with a determination that the third input corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of the representation of the first window, displaying the plurality of windows in an overlapping arrangement in which the first window is on top of the second window; and

in accordance with a determination that the third input corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of the representation of the second window, displaying the plurality of windows in an overlapping arrangement in which the second window is on top of the first window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the representations of the first window and the second window are reduced-scale representations of the first window and the second window.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a multi-application non-overlapping arrangement of the plurality of windows prior to detecting the first input.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the application icon region is displayed concurrently with the multi-application non-overlapping arrangement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the representations of the first window and the second window in a non-overlapping arrangement includes displaying representations of the plurality of windows in a non-overlapping arrangement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the representations of the first window and the second window in a non-overlapping arrangement includes displaying representations of windows for the respective application of the plurality of windows in a non-overlapping arrangement.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the representations of windows for the respective application of the plurality of windows includes not displaying windows of the plurality of windows for other applications.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of windows further includes a third window for a second respective application and a fourth window for the second respective application, wherein the icons for the plurality of different applications further include a second respective application icon for the second respective application, further comprising:

detecting a second input, via the one or more input devices, that corresponds to a request to drag a user interface object to a location within the application icon region corresponding to a location of the second respective application icon for the second respective application; and

in response to detecting the second input, moving the user interface object to the location of the second respective application icon and displaying representations of the third window and fourth window in a non-overlapping arrangement.

9. A non-transitory machine readable medium including instructions to, when executed by an electronic device with a display and one or more input devices, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

concurrently displaying, on the display;

a plurality of windows displayed in an overlapping arrangement that includes a first window for a respective application and a second window for the respective application;

an application icon region that includes icons for a plurality of different applications, including a respective application icon for the respective application;

detecting a first input, via the one or more input devices, that corresponds to a request to drag a user interface object to a location within the application icon region corresponding to a location of the respective application icon for the respective application; and

in response to detecting the first input, moving the user interface object to the location of the respective application icon and displaying representations of the first window and the second window in a non-overlapping arrangement.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

while displaying the representations of the first window and the second window in the non-overlapping arrangement, detecting a third input, via the one or more input devices, that corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of one of the representations of the windows in the non-overlapping arrangement; and

in response to detecting the third input;

in accordance with a determination that the third input corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of the representation of the first window, displaying the plurality of windows in an overlapping arrangement in which the first window is on top of the second window; and

in accordance with a determination that the third input corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of the representation of the second window, displaying the plurality of windows in an overlapping arrangement in which the second window is on top of the first window.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the representations of the first window and the second window are reduced-scale representations of the first window and the second window.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, further comprising displaying a multi-application non-overlapping arrangement of the plurality of windows prior to detecting the first input.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein the application icon region is displayed concurrently with the multi-application non-overlapping arrangement.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein displaying the representations of the first window and the second window in a non-overlapping arrangement includes displaying representations of the plurality of windows in a non-overlapping arrangement.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein displaying the representations of the first window and the second window in a non-overlapping arrangement includes displaying representations of windows for the respective application of the plurality of windows in a non-overlapping arrangement while not displaying windows of the plurality of windows for other applications.

16. An electronic device comprising:

one or more input devices;

a display to;

concurrently display;

a plurality of windows displayed in an overlapping arrangement that includes a first window for a respective application and a second window for the respective application;

an application icon region that includes icons for a plurality of different applications, including a respective application icon for the respective application;

a processor to;

detect a first input, via the one or more input devices, that corresponds to a request to drag a user interface object to a location within the application icon region corresponding to a location of the respective application icon for the respective application; and

in response to detecting the first input, moving the user interface object to the location of the respective application icon and displaying representations of the first window and the second window in a non-overlapping arrangement.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further to:

while the display displays the representations of the first window and the second window in the non-overlapping arrangement, detect a third input, via the one or more input devices, that corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of one of the representations of the windows in the non-overlapping arrangement; and

the display is further to, in response to the processor detecting the third input;

in accordance with a determination by the processor that the third input corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of the representation of the first window, display the plurality of windows in an overlapping arrangement in which the first window is on top of the second window; and

in accordance with a determination by the processor that the third input corresponds to a request to drag the user interface object to a location of the representation of the second window, display the plurality of windows in an overlapping arrangement in which the second window is on top of the first window.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the representations of the first window and the second window are reduced-scale representations of the first window and the second window.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the display is further to display a multi-application non-overlapping arrangement of the plurality of windows prior to detecting the first input.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the application icon region is displayed concurrently with the multi-application non-overlapping arrangement.