# US 8,543,935 B2 · Full-screen heterogeneous desktop display and control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,935 B2 - Document ID: US8543935B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/195,196 - Filed: 2008-08-20 - Published: 2010-02-25 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-20 - Assignees: Red Hat, Inc. - Applicants: Maureen Emily Duffy - Inventors: Maureen Emily Duffy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543935B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range - G06F 9/451: Execution arrangements for user interfaces - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Described herein is a method and apparatus for generating and managing multiple desktops. The desktops can be tied to virtual software environments, remote desktops, separate user account desktops, shared desktops, full screen applications or similar sources. The desktops are managed through a desktop management interface that displays a scale image of each current desktop. The desktops can also be marked by type in the interface. The desktop management system queries a user during start-up for each program to determine whether a new desktop is to be generated for the program. The desktop management system also manages the switching between the available desktops. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: determining, by a computing device, that a source is initializing, wherein the source is a candidate for display via a desktop graphical user interface (GUI) of the computing device; querying, by a desktop manager of an operating system (OS) of the computing device, a user of the computing device during the initialization of the source to determine, whether the source is assigned to an existing desktop GUI managed by the desktop manager; when the user indicates that the source is not assigned to an existing desktop GUI, generating a new desktop GUI on the computing device for the source; and assigning the new desktop GUI for the source to a user interface element in a desktop management interface provided by the desktop manager, the user interface element providing representations for a plurality of desktop GUIs provided on the computing device including the new desktop GUI for the source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: populating the desktop management interface with executing processes based on configuration data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying an overlay for the new desktop GUI that provides a description of the new desktop GUI. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying a scaled version of the new desktop GUI through the desktop management interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: retrieving meta-data for the new desktop GUI. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: automatically switching to the new desktop GUI in response to user selection of an element of the desktop management interface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: moving the new desktop GUI or source to the desktop management interface using an animation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: generating a query window during source initialization to obtain the desktop data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: marking desktops in the desktop management interface with an indicator for at least any one of a virtual, a remote or a full screen desktop. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed, cause a computer to perform a set of operations comprising: determining, by a computing device, that a source is initializing, wherein the source is a candidate for display via a desktop graphical user interface (GUI) of the computing device; querying, by a desktop manager of an operating system (OS) of the computing device, a user of the computing device during the initialization of the source to determine whether the source is assigned to an existing desktop GUI managed by the desktop manager; when the user indicates that the source is not assigned to an existing desktop GUI, generating a new desktop GUI on the computing device for the source; and assigning the new desktop GUI for the source to a user interface element in a desktop management interface provided by the desktop manager, the user interface element providing representations for a plurality of desktop GUIs provided on the computing device including the new desktop GUI for the source. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising: populating the desktop management interface with executing processes based on configuration data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising: marking desktops in the desktop management interface with an indicator for at least any one of a virtual, a remote or a full screen desktop. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising: displaying an overlay for the new desktop GUI that provides a description of the new desktop GUI. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising: displaying a scaled version of the new desktop GUI through the desktop management interface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising: retrieving meta-data for the new desktop GUI. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising: automatically switching to the new desktop GUI in response to user selection of an element of the desktop management interface. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising: moving the new desktop GUI or source to the desktop management interface using an animation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, having further instructions therein, which when executed, cause the computer to perform a further set of operations, further comprising: generating a query window during source initialization to obtain the desktop data. ### Claim 19 A system comprising: a processing device; a system memory coupled to the processing device; and a desktop management module executed from the system memory by the processing device, the desktop management module configured to: determine that a source is initializing, wherein the source is a candidate for display via a desktop graphical user interface (GUI) of the computing device; query a user of the computing device during the initialization of the source to determine whether the source is assigned to an existing desktop GUI managed by the desktop manager; when the user indicates that the source is not assigned to an existing desktop GUI, generate a new desktop GUI on the computing device for the source; and assign the new desktop GUI for the source to a user interface element in a desktop management interface provided by the desktop manager, the user interface element providing representations for a plurality of desktop GUIs provided on the computing device including the new desktop GUI for the source. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the desktop management module is further configured to interface with a remote connection manager to generate a remote desktop. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the desktop management module is further configured to interface with a sharing manager to generate a shared desktop.