Shared edge for a display environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9588604-B2
Application number	US-201113290400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2011
Priority date	Nov 7, 2011
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computing device comprising:
a processor; and
a user experience module configured to, by the processor:
configure a display environment of the computing device that is implemented using a plurality of display devices to include a shared edge defined through an arrangement of at least two of the display devices in relation to each other, the display environment including a cursor;
upon determining that a received input causes the cursor to move across at least a portion of the shared edge, initiate the display of a visual element in the display environment in addition to the cursor, wherein the visual element was not previously displayed prior to the cursor moving across at least the portion of the shared edge; and
continue display of the visual element in the display environment responsive to a determination that (i) an additional input has caused subsequent movement of the cursor and (ii) that after the subsequent movement of the cursor, the cursor remains between the shared edge and at least one gate.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the subsequent movement includes at least one additional movement of the cursor across the shared edge.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the user experience module is further configured to remove the display of the visual element in the display environment responsive to an input defining movement of the cursor across the at least one gate defined in the display environment.

4. The computing device of claim 3 , wherein the user experience module is further configured such that the element is displayable throughout movement of the cursor within the visual element that is outside the at least one gate.

5. The computing device of claim 4 , wherein the user experience module is further configured such that subsequent movement of the cursor from within the visual element to outside a display of the visual element causes the display of the visual element to cease.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the user experience module is further configured to:
initiate display of the visual element responsive to a determination that the cursor is moving at a rate that is below a threshold; and
not initiate display of the visual element responsive to a determination that the cursor is moving at a rate that is above the threshold.

7. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the user experience module is further configured to configure the display environment to include a second portion of the shared edge through which movement of the cursor between the at least two display devices is prevented.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the visual element is a first visual element, and wherein the user experience module is further configured to display another visual element that is different from the first visual element when an input is received that causes the cursor to interact with the second portion of the shared edge.

9. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the visual element is a menu.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the menu includes an option that is user selectable to cause an action to be performed by the computing device.

11. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement is defined through configuration settings of the computing device.

12. A method comprising:
generating a display environment by a computing device for display using a plurality of display devices, the display environment including:
a shared edge defined through an arrangement of at least two of the display devices in relation to each other; and
a portion defined in relation to the shared edge to support:
a first rate of movement of a cursor described by an input provided by a cursor control device, the first rate used for display of the cursor inside of the portion;
a second rate of movement of the cursor described by an input provided by the cursor control device, the second rate being greater than the first rate and used for display of the cursor outside of the portion; and

managing display of the cursor in the generated display environment on the plurality of display devices by the computing device responsive to inputs received from the cursor control device.

13. A method as described in claim 12 , wherein the portion is defined such that responsive to detection that a direction of the input of the cursor inside the portion has changed, the second rate of movement is used by the computing device for the cursor.

14. A method as described in claim 12 , wherein the first rate is defined such that a display of the cursor in the portion is not moved until movement of the cursor control device over a threshold amount is detected.

15. A method as described in claim 14 , wherein responsive to detection that the movement is over the threshold amount, the cursor is displayed outside of the portion.

16. A computing device comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more computer readable storage media comprising instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to configure a display environment of an operating system executed by the computing device for implementation by a plurality of display devices, the display environment including a shared edge defined through a described arrangement specified in settings of the operating system of at least two of the display devices in relation to each other, the operating system configured to cause display of a menu responsive to receipt of an input to cause a cursor to move across at least a portion of the shared edge and to remove the display of the menu in the display environment responsive to an input defining movement of the cursor across at least one gate defined in the display environment.

17. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the operating system is configured to remove the display of the menu in the display environment responsive to an input defining movement of the cursor across at least one gate defined in the display environment.

18. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the operating system is configured to continue display of the menu in the display environment responsive to a determination that an input that describes subsequent movement of the cursor is to remain between the shared edge and at least one gate.

19. The computing device of claim 16 , wherein the operating system is configured to:
display the menu responsive to a determination that the input describes movement at a rate that is below a threshold; and
not display the menu responsive to a determination that the input describes movement at a rate that is above the threshold.

Assignees

• Zheng Qixing
• Satterfield Jesse Clay
• Duignan Matthew P
• Wei Yaou
• Nan Jennifer
• Anderson Bret P
• Clow Joshua A
• Jarrett Robert J
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Zheng Qixing
• Satterfield Jesse Clay
• Duignan Matthew P
• Wei Yaou
• Nan Jennifer
• Anderson Bret P
• Clow Joshua A
• Jarrett Robert J

Classifications

• G06F3/038 Primary

  Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry · CPC title

• G06F3/04812

  Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects · CPC title

• G06F3/1423

  controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display · CPC title