Unified desktop triad control user interface for an application launcher

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016124698-A1
Application number	US-201514930092-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2015
Priority date	Aug 24, 2011
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

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.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method, comprising:
providing a mobile device, having a call function; providing a computer system; directly docking the mobile device to the computer system to form a unified system; generating a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the mobile device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment; while docked, receiving a first user interface input in a triad control area, wherein the triad control includes a first two or more user-selectable icons that provide functionality associated with either the mobile device or the computer system, wherein the triad control area provides access to the call function of the mobile device; in response to the first user interface input, providing a triad control; receiving a second user interface input on a user-selectable icon in the triad control, wherein the user-selectable icon is associated with an application launcher; and in response to the second user interface input, providing an application launcher user interface, wherein the application launcher user interface includes a second two or more user-selectable icons that launch application associated with either the mobile device or the computer system, wherein the application launcher user interface includes a search function, wherein the search function includes a search user interface that accepts input by a user interface action, wherein the search user interface accepts a search string, and wherein, based on the search string, the search function searches both the mobile device and computer system for applications that match the search string, the application launcher presents displays the matching applications as a first selectable icon associated with a mobile device application and a second selectable icon associated with a computer system application, wherein the third and fourth selectable icons are associated with the search string.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein, before searching, the application launcher user interface includes at least a first and third selectable icons associated with mobile device applications and a second and fourth selectable icons associated with computer system applications.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the second two or more selectable icons are selected to execute an application associated with the selected icon.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the direct docking is either wired or wireless.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the application launcher user interface is formed in two sections, wherein the first section presents a first application executed on the mobile device and the second section presents a second application executed on the computer system.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the first section displays two or more Android applications.

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the second section presents two or more personal computer productivity applications.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the search function accepts typed input.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the search function is presented in a banner of the application launcher.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the search string includes two or more letters.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein, based on the search string, the application launcher presents the third selectable icon in the first section of the application launcher and the fourth selectable icon in the second section of the application launcher.

32 . A unified system, comprising:
a mobile device comprising:
a first screen;
a first memory;
a first processor
a cellular telephony module operable to provide a call function;
a computer system comprising:
a second screen;
a second memory;
a second processor, wherein the mobile device is directly docked with the computer system to form the unified system;
wherein the unified system is configured to:
generate a unified desktop for the unified system, wherein the unified desktop includes at least a first user interface associated with the mobile device and a second user interface associated with the computer system, and wherein the unified desktop emulates a personal computer environment;
while docked, receive a first user interface input in a triad control area;
in response to the first user interface input, provide a triad control, wherein the triad control includes a first two or more user-selectable icons that provide functionality associated with either the mobile device or the computer system, wherein the triad control area provides access to the call function of the mobile device;
receive a second user interface input on a user-selectable icon in the triad control, wherein the user-selectable icon is associated with an application launcher; and
in response to the second user interface input, provide an application launcher user interface, wherein the application launcher user interface includes a second two or more user-selectable icons that launch application associated with either the mobile device or the computer system, wherein the application launcher user interface includes a search function, wherein the search function includes a search user interface that accepts input by a user interface action, wherein the search user interface accepts a search string, the search function searches both the mobile device and computer system for applications that match the search string, and wherein, based on the search string, the application launcher presents displays the matching applications as a first selectable icon associated with a mobile device application and a second selectable icon associated with a computer system application, wherein the third and fourth selectable icons are associated with the search string.

33 . The unified system of claim 32 , wherein, before searching, the application launcher user interface includes at least a first and third selectable icon associated with mobile device applications and a second and fourth selectable icon associated with computer system applications.

34 . The unified system of claim 32 , wherein at least one of the second two or more selectable icons are selected to execute an application associated with the selected icon, and wherein the application launcher user interface is formed in two sections, wherein a first section presents applications executed on the mobile device and a second section presents applications executed on the computer system, and wherein direct docking is either wired or wireless.

35 . The unified system of claim 32 , wherein the search function accepts typed input, and wherein the search function is presented in a banner of the application launcher.

36 . The unified system of claim 35 , wherein the search string includes two or more letters, and wherein, based on the search string, the application launcher presents the third selectable icon in the first section of the application launcher and the fourth selectable icon in the second section of the application launcher.

37 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a unified desktop, the computer-executable instructions comprising:
upon directly docking a mobile device, having a call function, with a computer system, instructions to generate a unified desktop for the unified

Assignees

• Z124

Inventors

• Reeves Paul E
• Sirpal Sanjiv
• De Paz Alexander
• Gimpl Martin
• Schrock Rodney W

Classifications

• H04M1/72412

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• G09G2358/00

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• G09G2300/026

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