Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090193364 | DISPLAYING THUMBNAIL COPIES OF RUNNING ITEMS - Methods, user interfaces, and computer-readable media for displaying thumbnail copies of running items for a particular running application on a display are provided. The displayed thumbnail copies are interactive, and provide the user with an easy and efficient way to identify and manage multiple items, such as windows, that are concurrently running. The thumbnail copies are either snapshots or real-time displays of the corresponding running items, depending on whether the running item is minimized or maximized at the time the thumbnail copies are displayed. The user interacts with the thumbnail copies by choosing to either close a particular running item by selecting the closing icon on the corresponding thumbnail copy, or view a particular running item on the display by selecting the corresponding thumbnail in any location other than the closing icon. | 07-30-2009 |
20100070922 | START MENU OPERATION FOR COMPUTER USER INTERFACE - Described is distinguishing between input mechanisms to determine which input mechanism was used to activate a start menu. A start menu is selected that corresponds to the input mechanism that was used to activate it. Further data corresponding to start menu interaction is received, and action is taken via based on the further interaction. For example, upon detecting activation of a start menu, how the start menu was activated from among activation types is used to present a first start menu/behavior for a first activation type, which may differ from a second start menu/behavior activated via a second activation type. For example, a determination may be made as to whether a start menu was invoked via a pointing device or via keyboard; when via keyboard, a search entry region may be provided, by which a user may directly enter search criteria via the keyboard. | 03-18-2010 |
20100077347 | DISPLAYING APPLICATION INFORMATION IN AN APPLICATION-SWITCHING USER INTERFACE - An application status system is described herein that informs the user about application-specific status updates and notifications through a changing status icon associated with an application-switching user interface displayed by an operating system when the application is running. When an application has focus, there is typically no way for another application to display status to the user without displaying a dialog box or a notification balloon that interrupts the user. The application status system takes advantage of the existing application-switching user interface to display a lightweight status icon overlay on the application-switching user interface itself. Thus, the application status system allows applications to provide application-specific status updates without interrupting a user's activity in another application and without adding additional UI for a user to process. | 03-25-2010 |
20120159382 | MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive environment. These techniques and/or apparatuses enable a user to select when, where, or under what conditions to present applications in this immersive environment. | 06-21-2012 |
20120299968 | MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE INTERFACE IN A MULTI-APPLICATION IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive interface in a multi-application immersive environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user to alter sizes and/or a layout of multiple immersive interfaces with as little as one selection. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304092 | MULTI-APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a multi-application environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable multi-application environments having combinations of immersive interfaces, windows-based interfaces, and a desktop treated as an immersive interface. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304108 | MULTI-APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a multi-application environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable multi-application environments having combinations of immersive interfaces, windows-based interfaces, and a desktop treated as an immersive interface. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304114 | MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE INTERFACE IN A MULTI-APPLICATION IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive interface in a multi-application immersive environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user to alter sizes and/or a layout of multiple immersive interfaces with as little as one selection. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304132 | SWITCHING BACK TO A PREVIOUSLY-INTERACTED-WITH APPLICATION - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for switching back to a previously-interacted-with application. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable selection of a user interface not currently exposed on a display through a simple gesture that is both easy-to-use and remember. | 11-29-2012 |
20130042203 | MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE INTERFACE IN A MULTI-APPLICATION IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive interface in a multi-application immersive environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user to alter sizes and/or a layout of multiple immersive interfaces with as little as one selection. | 02-14-2013 |
20130047105 | MULTI-APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a multi-application environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable multi-application environments having combinations of immersive interfaces, windows-based interfaces, and a desktop treated as an immersive interface. | 02-21-2013 |
20130047126 | SWITCHING BACK TO A PREVIOUSLY-INTERACTED-WITH APPLICATION - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for switching back to a previously-interacted-with application. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable selection of a user interface not currently exposed on a display through a simple gesture that is both easy-to-use and remember. | 02-21-2013 |
20130057572 | Multiple Display Device Taskbars - Multiple display device taskbars are described. A system is described that includes at least one or more modules implemented at least partially in hardware. The one or more modules are operable to configure a display environment of a computing device to display a first taskbar for display on a first display device of the display environment, the first taskbar configured to include a representation of a plurality of applications that are executed by the computing device. The one or more modules are also operable to configure a second taskbar for display on a second display device of the display environment, the second taskbar configured to include a representation of at least one application that corresponds to a user interface configured for output on the second display device and does not include a representation of another application that corresponds to a user interface configured for output on the first display device. | 03-07-2013 |
20130113703 | SHARED EDGE FOR A DISPLAY ENVIRONMENT - A shared edge for a display environment is described. In one or more implementations, a display environment of a computing device that is implemented using a plurality of display devices is configured to include a shared edge defined through a described arrangement of at least two of the display devices in relation to each other. Responsive to an input that describes movement of a cursor across at least a portion of the shared edge, an element is displayed in the display environment. | 05-09-2013 |
20130167058 | CLOSING APPLICATIONS - Application closing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a computing device recognizes an input as involving selection of an application displayed in a display environment by the computing device and subsequent movement of a point of the selection toward an edge of the display environment. Responsive to the recognizing of the input, the selected application is closed by the computing device. | 06-27-2013 |
20130219343 | THUMBNAIL-IMAGE SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling thumbnail-image selection of applications. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user interface having selectable thumbnail images for applications not currently exposed on a display. The techniques and apparatuses may enable selection of this user interface through a simple gesture that is both easy-to-use and remember. Further, selection of applications not currently exposed on the display may be selected through thumbnail images representing each application's application interface as it will appear on selection. | 08-22-2013 |
20130290903 | START MENU OPERATION FOR COMPUTER USER INTERFACE - A distinction is made between input mechanisms to determine which input mechanism was used to activate a start menu. A start menu is selected that corresponds to the input mechanism that was used to activate it. Further data corresponding to start menu interaction is received, and action is taken via based on the further interaction. For example, upon detecting activation of a start menu, how the start menu was activated from among activation types is used to present a first start menu/behavior for a first activation type, which may differ from a second start menu/behavior activated via a second activation type. For example, a determination may be made as to whether a start menu was invoked via a pointing device or via keyboard; when via keyboard, a search entry region may be provided, by which a user may directly enter search criteria via the keyboard. | 10-31-2013 |