System for and method of generating and navigating within a workspace of a computer application

Abstract

A computer application and method for generating a workspace and navigating therein are disclosed. Code can be used to generate an application workspace for an associated computer application, wherein the application workspace is comprised of a plurality of screens and each screen has dimensions that are generally coextensive with a viewable area defined by the computer application. Code can be used to logically associate a plurality of sub-application windows for displaying viewable content with respective locations of the application workspace.

1 . A computer-readable medium storing a computer application workspace generation and navigation tool that comprises:
 computer code within a main computer application that generates a continuous logical main application workspace that is larger in size than a physically viewable operating system desktop work area displayed on a physical computer system display, the continuous logical main application workspace comprised of a plurality of logical screen areas, wherein:
 each logical screen has predetermined dimensions that are coextensive with the physically viewable work area on the physical computer system display such that each logical screen has dimensions that are the same as every other logical screen; 
 the logical screens are arranged contiguously in predetermined locations in the logical main application workspace such that the logical main application workspace is a single and functionally continuous logical workspace that is larger in size than the physical computer system display used to display the physically viewable work area; and 
 each logical screen is individually selectable for navigation within the logical main application workspace; and 
   computer code that, by user action, jumps from the physically viewable area in the logical main application workspace to a selected one of the logical screens, the selected one of the logical screens being any logical screen in the logical main application workspace.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , further comprising code that logically associates a plurality of sub-application windows with respective logical screens within the logical main application workspace, the sub-application windows for displaying content of at least one open sub-application. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 2 , further comprising code that logically associates each sub-application window location with a logical screen of the continuous main application workspace in which a majority of the sub-application window is disposed. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 2 , further comprising code that stores an arrangement of sub-application windows locations disposed within the logical main application workspace. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 4 , further comprising code that retrieves the stored arrangement of sub-application windows. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 2 , further comprising code that stores a layout of the continuous logical main application workspace including a number and arrangement of logical screens and relative locations of each sub-application window within each logical screen within the continuous logical main application workspace. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 6 , further comprising code that retrieves the stored layout. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 6 , wherein the code stores a plurality of separate layouts for the logical main application workspace, wherein each layout has a different arrangement of logical screens and relative locations of each sub-application window within each logical screen within the continuous logical main application workspace. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 8 , further comprising code that retrieves a selected stored layout from among the plurality of stored layouts. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 2 , further comprising code that scales the continuous logical application workspace and sub-application windows to zoom the application workspace in or out. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 2 , further comprising code that, upon initiation of one of the sub-application windows, logically associates the sub-application window with a logical screen within the continuous logical main application workspace identified by user action. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 11 , further comprising code to provide the user with a user moveable placement means, wherein the logical screen associated with a sub-application window within the continuous logical main application workspace identified by user action corresponds to a logical screen including a location of the placement means relative to the continuous logical main application workspace. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the logical screens are contiguously arranged in a matrix. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , further comprising code that increases the number of logical screens and a corresponding dimension of the continuous logical main application workspace in accordance with a user action. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , further comprising code that decreases the number of logical screens and a corresponding dimension of the continuous logical main application workspace in accordance with a user action. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , further comprising code that provides a drop down menu from which a user can select and jump to one of the plurality of logical screens for display on the computer system display in the physically viewable work area defined by the logical main computer application. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the code that generates the continuous logical main application workspace generates a plurality of logical application workspaces for the logical main computer application. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , wherein each logical screen is associated with a unique identifying feature. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 18 , wherein the unique identifying feature is selected from a background color, a background pattern and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 12 , wherein the placement means is a placement pointer having a position that defines the location within the continuous logical workspace identified by user action. 
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 12 , wherein the placement means is a placement tool for marking the location within the continuous logical workspace identified by user action. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , further comprising code that generates a navigation box that includes a representation of the continuous logical main application workspace including an indication of each logical screen within the workspace; and
 code that jumps from the physically viewable work area in the logical main application workspace to a logical screen selected by a user action from the navigation box.   
     
     
         23 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 22 , further comprising code that logically associates a plurality of sub-application windows with respective locations within the continuous logical main application workspace, the sub-application windows for displaying content of at least one open sub-application, and code that displays an iconic representation of each sub-application window in association with the representation of the logically associated screen shown in the navigation box. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 23 , further comprising code that moves and associates a user selected sub-application window from a logically associated screen to another logical screen in response to user initiated movement of the corresponding iconic representation of the user selected sub-application window in the navigation box, wherein the user selected sub-application window is moved without changing the display of the currently displayed logical screen within the physically viewable work area. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the selected logical screen does not contain any sub-application windows. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , further comprising code that generates a plurality of main application workspaces, wherein each main application workspace is a logical main application workspace and has a different arrangement of logical screens; and
 code that retrieves a selected main application workspace from among the plurality of main application workspaces.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 1 , wherein the main computer application is an operating system desktop. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium according to  claim 2 , wherein the main computer application is an operating system desktop, and the plurality of sub-application windows comprise windows that display content generated by programs executed via the operating system. 
     
     
         29 . A method of generating a computer application workspace by executing a program stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising:
 generating within a main computer application a continuous logical main application workspace that is larger in size than a physically viewable operating system desktop work area displayed on a physical computer system display, the continuous logical main application workspace comprised of a plurality of logical screen areas, wherein:
 each logical screen has predetermined dimensions that are coextensive with the physically viewable work area on the physical computer system display such that each logical screen has dimensions that are the same as every other logical screen; 
 the logical screens are arranged contiguously in predetermined locations in the logical main application workspace such that the logical main application workspace is a single and functionally continuous logical workspace that is larger in size than the physical computer system display used to display the physically viewable work area; and 
 each logical screen is individually selectable for navigation within the logical main application workspace; 
   by user action, jumping from the physically viewable area in the logical main application workspace to a selected one of the logical screens, the selected one of the logical screens being any logical screen in the logical main application workspace.   
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising logically associating a plurality of sub-application windows with respective logical screens within the logical main application workspace, the sub-application windows for displaying content of at least one open sub-application. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising logically associating each sub-application window location with a logical screen of the continuous main application workspace in which a majority of the sub-application window is disposed. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising storing an arrangement of sub-application windows locations disposed within the logical main application workspace. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 32 , further comprising retrieving the stored arrangement of sub-application windows. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising storing a layout of the continuous logical main application workspace including a number and arrangement of logical screens and relative locations of each sub-application window within each logical screen within the continuous logical main application workspace. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising retrieving the stored layout. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising storing a plurality of separate layouts for the logical main application workspace, wherein each layout has a different arrangement of logical screens and relative locations of each sub-application window within each logical screen within the continuous logical main application workspace. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising retrieving a selected stored layout from among the plurality of stored layouts. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising scaling the continuous logical application workspace and sub-application windows to zoom the application workspace in or out. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising, upon initiation of one of the sub-application windows, logically associating the sub-application window with a logical screen within the continuous logical main application workspace identified by user action. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , further comprising providing the user with a user moveable placement means, wherein the logical screen associated with a sub-application window within the continuous logical main application workspace identified by user action corresponds to a logical screen including a location of the placement means relative to the continuous logical main application workspace. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the logical screens are contiguously arranged in a matrix. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising increasing the number of logical screens and a corresponding dimension of the continuous logical main application workspace in accordance with a user action. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising decreasing the number of logical screens and a corresponding dimension of the continuous logical main application workspace in accordance with a user action. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising providing a drop down menu from which a user can select and jump to one of the plurality of logical screens for display on the computer system display in the physically viewable work area defined by the logical main computer application. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising generating a plurality of logical application workspaces for the logical main computer application. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein each logical screen is associated with a unique identifying feature. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the unique identifying feature is selected from a background color, a background pattern and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the placement means is a placement pointer having a position that defines the location within the continuous logical workspace identified by user action. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the placement means is a placement tool for marking the location within the continuous logical workspace identified by user action. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising generating a navigation box that includes a representation of the continuous logical main application workspace including an indication of each logical screen within the workspace; and
 jumping from the physically viewable work area in the logical main application workspace to a logical screen selected by a user action from the navigation box.   
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 50 , further comprising logically associating a plurality of sub-application windows with respective locations within the continuous logical main application workspace, the sub-application windows for displaying content of at least one open sub-application, and displaying an iconic representation of each sub-application window in association with the representation of the logically associated screen shown in the navigation box. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 51 , further comprising code moving and associating a user selected sub-application window from a logically associated screen to another logical screen in response to user initiated movement of the corresponding iconic representation of the user selected sub-application window in the navigation box, wherein the user selected sub-application window is moved without changing the display of the currently displayed logical screen within the physically viewable work area. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the selected logical screen does not contain any sub-application windows. 
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising generating a plurality of main application workspaces, wherein each main application workspace is a logical main application workspace and has a different arrangement of logical screens; and
 retrieving a selected main application workspace from among the plurality of main application workspaces.   
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the main computer application is an operating system desktop. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the main computer application is an operating system desktop, and the plurality of sub-application windows comprise windows that display content generated by programs executed via the operating system.