System and method for switching between software applications in multi-window operating system
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsGarrett McAuliffe, Leonard Zuvela
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer implemented method and system for switching from one application to a second application. A user enters a “switch to” command, either directly or imbedded within a macro. A determination is then made whether the application to be switched to is running. If the application is running, the focus of the operating system is switched to the second application. If the second application is not running, then the application is launched. When determining whether the application is running, determinations are made regarding whether the application is invisible or owned.
Claims17
A computer implemented method for using a switch to command to switch a focus of an operating system of the computer form a first application currently in focus to a second application currently not in focus, said first and second applications each having at least one associated window and said operating system maintaining a list of all windows associated with said first and second applications, comprising the steps of:
- a) determining that a single switch to voice command for said second application has been detected by said computer;
- b) determining if said second application is running;
- c) switching the focus of the operating system to said second application if said second application is determined to be running in step (b);
- and
- d) launching said second application if said second application is determined not to be running, wherein steps b), c), and d) are performed in response to the single switch to voice command.
A computer based system for switching a focus of an operating system of the computer using a switch to command from a first application currently in focus to a second application currently not in focus, said first and second applications each having at least one associated window and said operating system maintaining a list of all windows associated with said first and second applications, comprising:
- a) means for determining if a single voice command to switch to said second application has been detected by said computer;
- b) means for determining if said second application is running;
- c) means for switching the focus of the operating system to said second application if said second application is determined to be running by said means for determining if said second application is running;
- and
- d) means for launching said second application based on the single voice command if said second application is determined not to be running.
A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform a method of switching operating system focus from a fist application, currently in focus to a second application, not currently in focus, the method comprising:
- detecting a single voice command to switch focus;
- and
- based on the single voice command:
- determining whether the second application is running;
- if the second application is running, switching the focus to the second application;
- and
- if the second application is not running, launching the second application and switching the focus to the second application.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.