Method of navigating an extended computer desktop on multiple display devices
Mechanisms to allow a user to flexibly display visual content on multiple display devices connected to a computer. Each of the multiple displays may be configured to display a portion of visual content from a computer desktop or from an external content source. Each portion of visual content to be outputted may first be enhanced, such as via magnification, before being displayed on one of the multiple display devices. The user may be provided with a first control that enables the user to adjust a portion of visual content displayed on a first display device independently of a portion of visual content displayed on a second display device. A second control may also be provided that enables the user to adjust the portion of visual content displayed on the second display device independently of the portion of visual content displayed on the first display device.
1. A method of displaying and panning sections of a virtual area of an extended computer desktop on first and second display devices, the virtual area of the extended computer desktop being divided by a boundary into at least a first section corresponding to the first display device and a second section corresponding to the second display device, the method comprising:
displaying a first viewport on the first display device, wherein the first viewport displays a first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop;
displaying a second viewport on the second display device, wherein the second viewport displays a second portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop;
responsive to a first user input, panning the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the first viewport on the first display device, wherein panning within the first viewport is independent of panning within the second viewport displayed on the second display device, whereby the virtual area of the extended computer desktop can be panned in its entirety within the first viewport including panning across the boundary between the first section and the second section thereof; and
responsive to a second user input, panning the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the second viewport on the second display device, wherein panning within the second viewport is independent of panning within the first viewport displayed on the first display device, whereby the virtual area of the extended computer desktop can be panned in its entirety within the second viewport including panning across the boundary between the first section and the second section thereof.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are magnified views of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying color enhancements, highlighting, or magnification to the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the first viewport independently of the second portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the second viewport.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the first viewport is magnified to a first magnification level and the second portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the second magnification viewport is magnified to a second magnification level.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a user interface by which a first magnification level at which the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop is displayed within the first viewport can be adjusted.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions, that, when executed on a processor in a computing device, perform a method of displaying and panning a virtual area of an extended computer desktop on first and second display devices, the virtual area of the extended computer desktop being divided by a boundary into at least a first section corresponding to the first display device and a second section corresponding to the second display device, the instructions comprising:
displaying a first viewport on the first display device, wherein the first viewport displays a first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop;
displaying a second viewport on the second display device, wherein the second viewport displays a second portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop;
panning the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the first viewport on the first display device, wherein panning within the first viewport is independent of panning within the second viewport displayed on the second display device, whereby the virtual area of the extended computer desktop can be panned in its entirety within the first viewport including panning across the boundary between the first section and the second section thereof; and
panning the virtual area of extended computer desktop displayed within the second viewport on the second display device, wherein panning within the second viewport is independent of panning within the first viewport displayed on the first display device, whereby the virtual area of the extended computer desktop can be panned in its entirety within the second viewport including panning across the boundary between the first section and the second section thereof.
7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are magnified views of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop.
8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the first portion is magnified to a first magnification level and the second portion is magnified to a second magnification level, the second magnification level being different from the first magnification level.
9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein panning the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed on the first display device is performed in response to user input.
10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , the instructions further comprising adjusting the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed on the first display device in response to a system-initiated notification on the computer.
11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , the instructions further comprising adjusting the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed on the first display device in response to a change in a current user focus.
12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , the instructions further comprising adjusting the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed on the first display device when a current position of a mouse cursor is within a predetermined range of a boundary of the first viewport.
13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , the instructions further comprising applying color enhancements, highlighting, or magnification to the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the first viewport independently of the second portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the second viewport.
14. A system comprising:
a computing device comprising a processor, the computing device being configured with machine-readable instructions that, when executed on the processor, perform a method of displaying visual content on first and second display devices, the instructions comprising:
displaying a first viewport on the first display device, wherein the first viewport displays a first portion of a virtual area of an extended computer desktop;
displaying a second viewport on the second display device, wherein the second viewport displays a second portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop;
panning the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the first viewport on the first display device, wherein panning within the first viewport is independent of panning within the second viewport displayed on the second display device, whereby the virtual area of the extended computer desktop can be panned in its entirety within the first viewport including panning across the boundary between the first section and the second section thereof; and
panning the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the second viewport on the second display device, wherein panning within the second viewport is independent of panning within the first viewport displayed on the first display device, whereby the virtual area of the extended computer desktop can be panned in its entirety within the second viewport including panning across the boundary between the first section and the second section thereof.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are magnified views of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop.
16. The system of claim 14 , the instructions further comprising applying color enhancements, highlighting, or magnification to the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the first viewport independently of the second portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the second viewport.
17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the first viewport is magnified to a first magnification level and the second portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop displayed within the second magnification viewport is magnified to a second magnification level.
18. The system of claim 14 , the instructions further comprising providing a user interface by which a first magnification level at which the first portion of the virtual area of the extended computer desktop is displayed within the first viewport can be adjusted.