Method and Apparatus for Improved Desktop Arrangement

A method of organizing and viewing information in a data processing system having a desktop and a cursor, comprising:

• displaying a first and second zone on the desktop, where the first and second zones conceal icons;
• adding a first plurality of icons into the first zone and a second plurality of icons into the second zone;
• expanding the first zone to reveal, on the desktop, the first plurality of icons upon a position of the cursor being in proximity to the first zone;
• and
• collapsing the first zone to conceal the first plurality of icons and expanding the second zone to reveal the second plurality of icons on the desktop upon the position of the cursor changing from being in proximity to the first zone to being in proximity of the second zone, wherein only one zone at a time can be fully expanded.

A method for organizing and viewing information in a data processing system having a desktop and a cursor, the method comprising:

• displaying a plurality of zones, where each of the plurality of zones represents different distinguishing characteristics, and wherein one or more icons are associated with the plurality of zones corresponding to the distinguishing characteristics;
• expanding one of the plurality of zones by one of a command to expand or by positioning the cursor in proximity to the one of the plurality of zones to display icons within the one of the plurality of zones;
• and
• previewing, on the display, an item that is represented by a single icon within the one of the plurality of zones in response to a position of the cursor being in proximity to the single icon within the one of the plurality of zones or in response to a command to cause the previewing, wherein the item is one of a file or another data processing system.

A method of organizing and displaying information in a data processing system having a desktop, the method comprising:

• displaying a first and second group on the desktop, wherein the first group includes one or more icons corresponding to a first characteristic and the second group includes one or more icons representing corresponding to a second characteristic;
• adding a single icon to the first and second group, wherein the single icon is associated to a single file;
• displaying the single icon in the first group while a position of a cursor is in proximity to the first group;
• and
• displaying the single icon in the second group while the position of the cursor is in proximity to the second group.

A method of launching an application on a data processing system having a desktop, comprising:

• displaying a toolbar on the desktop, wherein the toolbar includes an expansion command, and wherein the toolbar is capable of displaying a subset of a plurality of application icons without activation of the expansion command;
• receiving a single command from a user to expand the toolbar to display at least a portion of the plurality of application icons not in the subset of the plurality of application icons, wherein the at least the portion of the plurality of application icons are categorized according to application functionality;
• and
• launching an application upon receiving user input indicating application launch while a position of a cursor is in proximity to an application icon in the expanded toolbar.

A method of locating icons on a data processing system having a desktop, the method comprising:

• displaying a search field on the desktop;
• displaying one or more zones on the desktop, wherein at least one of the one or more zones contain a plurality of icons;
• receiving, from a user, a search request query entered into the search field for icons within the one or more zones, wherein the one or more zones are searched corresponding to the search request query;
• and
• illuminating zones from the one or more zones that contain at least one icon that match the search request query.

A method of launching an application on a data processing system having a desktop, the method comprising:

• displaying a region of a screen that is associated with an edge of the desktop that contains at least one icon that is capable of launching applications upon user selection of the at least one icon;
• receiving a single command from a user to expand the region of the screen that is associated with the edge of the desktop to display at least one different icon than is displayed on the region of the screen that is associated with the edge of the desktop;
• launching the application upon,
• receiving user input that positions a cursor to be in proximity of one of the icons in the expanded region of the screen, and
• receiving user input indicating application launch while the position of the cursor is in proximity to the one of the icons in the expanded region of the screen.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

• creating a group according to a predefined set of rules, wherein the group contains a plurality of icons;
• displaying the group on a desktop, where the group is visually identified on the desktop in a distinguishing manner;
• and
• expanding the group to display, on the desktop, the plurality of icons within the group, while a position of a cursor is in proximity to the group or in response to a command to expand.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

• displaying a first and second zone on a desktop, where the first and second zones conceal icons;
• adding a first plurality of icons into the first zone and a second plurality of icons into the second zone;
• expanding the first zone to reveal, on the desktop, the first plurality of icons upon a position of a cursor being in proximity to the first zone or in response to a command to expand;
• and
• collapsing the first zone to conceal the first plurality of icons and expanding the second zone to reveal the second plurality of icons on the desktop upon the position of the cursor changing from being in proximity to the first zone to being in proximity of the second zone, wherein only one zone at a time can be fully expanded.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

• displaying a plurality of zones, where each of the plurality of zones represents different distinguishing characteristics, and wherein one or more icons are associated with the plurality of zones corresponding to the distinguishing characteristics;
• expanding one of the plurality of zones by one of a command to expand or by positioning a cursor in proximity to the one of the plurality of zones to display icons within the one of the plurality of zones;
• and
• previewing, on a display, an item that is represented by a single icon within the one of the plurality of zones in response to a position of the cursor being in proximity to the single icon within the one of the plurality of zones or in response to a command to cause the previewing, wherein the item is one of a file or another data processing system.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

• displaying a first and second group on the desktop, wherein the first group includes one or more icons corresponding to a first characteristic and the second group includes one or more icons representing corresponding to a second characteristic;
• adding a single icon to the first and second group, wherein the single icon is associated to a single file;
• displaying the single icon in the first group while a position of a cursor is in proximity to the first group;
• and
• displaying the single icon in the second group while the position of the cursor is in proximity to the second group.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

• displaying a toolbar on a desktop, wherein the toolbar includes an expansion command, and wherein the toolbar is capable of displaying a subset of a plurality of application icons without activation of the expansion command;
• receiving a single command from a user to expand the toolbar to display at least a portion of the plurality of application icons not in the subset of the plurality of application icons, wherein the at least the portion of the plurality of application icons are categorized according to application functionality;
• and
• launching an application upon receiving user input indicating application launch while a position of a cursor is in proximity to an application icon in the expanded toolbar.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

• displaying a search field on a desktop;
• displaying one or more zones on the desktop, wherein at least one of the one or more zones contain a plurality of icons;
• receiving, from a user, a search request query entered into the search field for icons within the one or more zones, wherein the one or more zones are searched corresponding to the search request query;
• and
• illuminating zones from the one or more zones that contain at least one icon that match the search request query.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

• displaying a region of a screen that is associated with an edge of a desktop that contains at least one icon that is capable of launching applications upon user selection of the at least one icon;
• receiving a single command from a user to expand the region of the screen that is associated with the edge of the desktop to display at least one different icon than is displayed on the region of the screen that is associated with the edge of the desktop;
• launching an application upon,
• receiving user input that positions a cursor to be in proximity of one of the icons in the expanded region of the screen, and
• receiving user input indicating application launch while the position of the cursor is in proximity to the one of the icons in the expanded region of the screen.

An apparatus for organizing information in a data processing system having a desktop, the apparatus comprising:

• a means for displaying on the desktop one or more zones, wherein each of the one or more zones conceal a plurality of icons;
• a means for adding icons into the one or more zones;
• and
• a means for expanding the one or more zones to reveal the plurality of icons concealed within the one or more zones.