Taskbar Icon Grouping by User Task Context
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating systems do not effectively group taskbar icons by task, instead grouping them by application or process, which can clutter the taskbar and make it difficult for users to access related files and objects needed for a specific project or task.
Innovation Solution
The system automatically groups taskbar icons by identifying objective measures such as common file paths or temporal associations to group objects belonging to a particular task together in a common taskbar icon, allowing users to quickly access files and objects needed for a task or project.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If taskbar icons are grouped by application or process, then the grouping is simple to implement, but the taskbar becomes cluttered and difficult to navigate for users working on specific tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the taskbar grouping logic by introducing multiple dimensions (application, task, window type) that can be used to organize icons. Instead of a single flat grouping structure, the system creates hierarchical segments that can be navigated through popup views, allowing users to access icons by different organizational criteria without increasing overall complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces popup views as an intermediary layer between the taskbar and the actual application icons. These popup views serve as a mediator that presents organized groups of icons based on the selected grouping dimension, reducing the complexity of direct taskbar organization while improving navigation ease
2Area of stationary object
If multiple application documents are grouped in a common taskbar icon, then the taskbar appears cleaner, but users must navigate through popup views to access specific documents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the taskbar grouping dynamic by allowing users to interact with common taskbar icons to reveal popup views containing the grouped documents. This dynamic behavior allows the taskbar to maintain a clean appearance with fewer icons visible at once, while providing quick access to specific documents through interactive popup displays that appear only when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary organization of documents into logical groups based on application and task associations before the user needs to access them. This preliminary grouping allows documents to be pre-organized in the background, so when users interact with a common taskbar icon, the relevant documents are already arranged and ready for quick selection
3Adaptability or versatility
If taskbar icons are grouped by application ID, then disparate processes can be grouped under common icons, but this does not account for user-specific task associations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different grouping strategies to be applied to different sets of icons based on their characteristics. Application ID grouping is applied where appropriate for technical organization, while task name grouping is applied where it better serves user needs for task-specific access. This localized application of different grouping qualities optimizes both versatility and ease of operation for different scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and products are described that provide taskbar grouping by user task. One aspect includes identifying a plurality of applications open on a computing device; identifying one or more objects open in said plurality of applications; determining one or more objective measures of said one or more objects belonging to a particular task; and automatically grouping objects sharing one or more objective measures of belonging to a particular task together in a common taskbar icon of a display.