IP Library Granted Patent US 11,416,131
Granted Patent B2
US 11,416,131 · App. 16/894,380 · Granted Aug 16, 2022

Unified desktop input segregation in an application manager

Inventors: Paul E. Reeves (Oakville, CA); Sanjiv Sirpal (Oakville, CA); Alexander de Paz (Burlington, CA); Martin Gimpl (Helsinki, FI)
Assignee: Z124
G06F3/04845G06F1/1641G06F3/017G06F3/048G06F3/0482G06F3/0486G06F3/04883G06F3/1423G09G5/14G06F2203/04803G09G2354/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,416,131
App. No.
16/894,380
Granted
Aug 16, 2022
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (49)

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, by a mobile device, windows of one or more open device-focused applications, each device-focused application comprising an application that is executed on the mobile device and the windows of each device-focused application are displayed in a first user interface associated with the mobile device;

detecting, by the mobile device, docking of the mobile device to a computer system, wherein the computer system displays windows of one or more open computer system-focused applications, each computer system-focused application comprising an application that is executed on either the computer system or the mobile device and the windows of each computer system-focused application are displayed in a second user interface associated with the computer system and wherein docking of the mobile device to the computer system forms a unified system;

in response to the docking, generating, by the mobile device, a unified desktop for the unified system which includes at least the first user interface associated with the mobile device and the second user interface associated with the computer system, wherein the unified desktop is a single logical display that spans each of a display of the mobile device and a display of the computer system, wherein the unified desktop displays windows of the device-focused applications and the computer system-focused applications, and wherein the unified desktop displays at least one status indicator for a function of the mobile device and at least one status indicator for a function of the computer system;

receiving, by the mobile device, a first user interface input on the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first user interface input, displaying, by the mobile device, a first application manager interface on the first user interface, wherein the first application manager interface displays one or more application representations of the device-focused applications and the computer system-focused applications;

receiving, by the mobile device, a second user interface input, wherein the second user interface input reorders the two or more application representations in the first application manager interface;

receiving, by the mobile device, a third user interface input, the third user interface input selecting one or the computer system focused applications; and

in response to the third user interface input, changing, by the mobile device, the selected computer system-focused application to a device-focused application, and moving a window of the computer-system application from the second user interface to the first user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the docking, the mobile device controls the computer system, and wherein the second user interface input changes the display of one or more windows of the applications displayed in the second user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

before receiving the second user interface input, receiving, by the mobile device, a fourth user interface input on the second user interface; and

in response to receiving the fourth user interface input, displaying, by the mobile device, a second application manager interface on the second user interface, wherein the second application manager interface also displays one or more application representations of the device-focused applications and the computer system-focused applications, and wherein second user interface input also reorders the one or more application representations in the second application manager interface.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the second user interface input is one of: an input into a touch sensitive display of the mobile device and an input into a gesture capture region of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more windows displayed on the first user interface a re associated with the device-focused applications and one or more windows displayed on the second user interface are associated with the computer system-focused applications, and wherein the first application manager interface displays the application representations of the device-focused applications differently than the application representations of the computer system-focused applications.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unified desktop prevents the second user interface input from changing a computer system-focused application to a device-focused application.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third user interface input changes the display of the application representations in the first application manager interface.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the third user interface input is a drag and drop operation from the second user interface to the first user interface.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein a fifth user input reorders the two or more application representations in the second application manager interface and the one or more applications, associated with the one or more application representations, in a window stack associated with the first user interface, wherein the window stack is a logical arrangement of active and inactive windows of applications associated with the mobile device.

10. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

display windows of one or more open device-focused applications, each device-focused application comprising an application that is executed on the mobile device and the windows of each device-focused application are displayed in a first user interface associated with the mobile device;

detect docking of the mobile device to a computer system, wherein the computer system displays windows of one or more open computer system-focused applications, each computer system-focused application comprising an application that is executed on either the computer system or the mobile device and the windows of each computer system-focused application are displayed in a second user interface associated with the computer system and wherein docking of the mobile device to the computer system forms a unified system;

in response to the docking, generate a unified desktop for the unified system which includes at least the first user interface associated with the mobile device and the second user interface associated with the computer system, wherein the unified desktop is a single logical display that spans each of a display of the mobile device and a display of the computer system, wherein the unified desktop displays windows of the device-focused applications and the computer system-focused applications, and wherein the unified desktop displays at least one status indicator for a function of the mobile device and at least one status indicator for a function of the computer system;

receive a first user interface input on the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first user interface input, display a first application manager interface on the first user interface, wherein the first application manager interface displays one or more application representations of the device-focused applications and the computer system-focused applications;

receive a second user interface input, wherein the second user interface input reorders the two or more application representations in the first application manager interface;

receive a third user interface input, the third user interface input selecting one or the computer system focused applications; and

in response to the third user interface input, change the selected computer system-focused application to a device-focused application, and moving a window of the computer-system application from the second user interface to the first user interface.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein after the docking, the mobile device controls the computer system, and wherein the second user interface input changes the display of one or more windows of the applications displayed in the second user interface.

12. The mobile device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

before receiving the second user interface input, receive a fourth user interface input on the second user interface; and

in response to receiving the fourth user interface input, display a second application manager interface on the second user interface, wherein the second application manager interface also displays one or more application representations of the device-focused applications and the computer system-focused applications, and wherein second user interface input also reorders the one or more application representations in the second application manager interface.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein the second user interface input is one of: an input into a touch sensitive display of the mobile device and an input into a gesture capture region of the mobile device.

14. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein one or more windows displayed on the first user interface are associated with the device-focused applications and one or more windows displayed on the second user interface are associated with the computer system-focused applications, and wherein the first application manager interface displays the application representations of the device-focused applications differently than the application representations of the computer system-focused applications.

15. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the unified desktop prevents the second user interface input from changing a computer system-focused application to a device-focused application.

16. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the third user interface input changes the display of the application representations in the first application manager interface.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the third user interface input is a drag and drop operation from the second user interface to the first user interface.

18. The mobile device of claim 12 , wherein a fifth user input reorders the two or more application representations in the second application manager interface and the one or more applications, associated with the one or more application representations, in a window stack associated with the first user interface, wherein the window stack is a logical arrangement of active and inactive windows of applications associated with the mobile device.

19. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

display windows of one or more open device-focused applications, each device-focused application comprising an application that is executed on the mobile device and the windows of each device-focused application are displayed in a first user interface associated with the mobile device;

detect docking of the mobile device to a computer system, wherein the computer system displays windows of one or more open computer system-focused applications, each computer system-focused application comprising an application that is executed on either the computer system or the mobile device and the windows of each computer system-focused application are displayed in a second user interface associated with the computer system and wherein docking of the mobile device to the computer system forms a unified system;

in response to the docking, generate a unified desktop for the unified system which includes at least the first user interface associated with the mobile device and the second user interface associated with the computer system, wherein the unified desktop is a single logical display that spans each of a display of the mobile device and a display of the computer system, wherein the unified desktop displays windows of the device-focused applications and the computer system-focused applications, and wherein the unified desktop displays at least one status indicator for a function of the mobile device and at least one status indicator for a function of the computer system;

receive a first user interface input on the first user interface;

in response to receiving the first user interface input, display a first application manager interface on the first user interface, wherein the first application manager interface displays one or more application representations of the device-focused applications and the computer system-focused applications;

receive a second user interface input, wherein the second user interface input reorders the two or more application representations in the first application manager interface;

receive a third user interface input, the third user interface input selecting one or the computer system focused applications; and

in response to the third user interface input, change the selected computer system-focused application to a device-focused application, and moving a window of the computer-system application from the second user interface to the first user interface.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2024
From: Z124
To: MULTIFOLD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 068949/0894 →
QUITCLAIM EXCLUSIVE LICENSE/RIGHTS Recorded Sep 12, 2024
From: Z124
To: MULTIFOLD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 068947/0065 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2021
From: REEVES, PAUL E.; SIRPAL, SANJIV; DE PAZ, ALEXANDER; GIMPL, MARTIN
To: Z124
Reel/Frame 056673/0118 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,547,294