User interface for multiple display regions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720584-B2
Application number	US-201514962386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Jun 8, 2009
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

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.

First claim

We claim:

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.

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.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Louch John O
• Bumgarner Timothy W
• Peyton Eric S
• Hynes Christopher J

Classifications

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• G06F3/04847 Primary

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  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 title