Patent ID: 8694920
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for displaying a status icon for an application having a group of two or more windows opened by the application, the method comprising: providing a status overlay icon API that allows the application to provide the status icon that will be displayed by an operating system in an application-switching user interface window, wherein calling the API instructs the operating system to manage multiple status icons belonging to the group; providing the application-switching user interface window, wherein the user interface window displays a user interface element for the group; receiving a call to the API from the application, wherein the API call includes a window handle and a handle to the status icon which indicates a status of the application; storing a timestamp of the current time when the API call was received and using the timestamp to determine that the status icon is the most recent one of the multiple status icons to display for the application; providing the status icon to the application-switching user interface window; storing a copy of the status icon in association with the application-switching user interface window; and displaying the status icon when the application-switching user interface window draws the user interface element associated with the application, wherein a display location of the status icon is selected to overlay an application taskbar interface already displayed for the application and without employing a separate area outside of the application's already displayed interface to which to direct the user for application status information.