Operating System Tab Previews via API Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operating systems provide limited previews of application windows, hiding inactive tabs within tabbed document interfaces, requiring users to navigate back to the application window and select the desired tab, which is inefficient and resource-intensive.
Innovation Solution
An application programming interface (API) shares tab information with the operating system to generate and display proxy windows for each tab alongside application windows, utilizing features like task switchers, taskbars, and window snaps to provide a comprehensive view of all open tasks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the operating system provides previews of application windows, then the user can quickly switch between tasks, but inactive tabs within tabbed document interfaces remain hidden and require additional navigation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the application window preview into multiple proxy windows, each representing a specific tab within the tabbed document interface. This allows the operating system to display previews of individual tabs separately, making inactive tabs visible and accessible without requiring users to navigate back to the full application window.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimensional approach by creating proxy windows that exist alongside the main application window preview. These proxy windows provide an additional layer of information display, allowing users to see inactive tabs in a different dimensional space (the preview area) without interfering with the main application interface.
2Productivity
If the operating system displays only the last active tab in application window previews, then the preview remains simple and performant, but users cannot view or quickly access other open tabs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates proxy windows that are copies or representations of the actual tabs within the application. Each proxy window contains a simplified version of the tab's content, allowing users to view and select from multiple tabs in the preview without the operating system needing to manage the full complexity of the original tabbed interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy windows act as intermediaries between the operating system's preview mechanism and the application's tabbed interface. They translate the complex tab structure into a format that the preview system can efficiently display, reducing the complexity burden on the operating system while still providing comprehensive tab visibility.
3Loss of time
If users must navigate to the application window and select the desired tab, then the system maintains simple preview generation, but user interaction time and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by displaying all tabs in the application window preview through proxy windows before the user needs to switch tabs. This allows users to see and select from available tabs in advance, eliminating the need for additional navigation steps and reducing the time and resources required for tab switching.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments described herein are directed to simultaneously displaying proxy windows for application windows and/or tabs included in such application windows via a graphical user interface of an operating system. For instance, an application programming interface (API) associated with an application that supports a tabbed document interface (TDI) provides information associated with each tab opened within an application window associated with the application. An API of the operating system receives and utilizes such information to generate and display a proxy window for each tab. The proxy windows for the tabs may be displayed alongside proxy windows of application windows for other applications. The proxy windows may be generated and displayed in response to user invocation of various features of the operating system graphical user interface, including, but not limited to, a task switcher feature, a taskbar feature, or a window snap feature.