Slideshow display of images for user-defined groups of applications

Abstract

A group is defined by a user to include two or more different applications executed on a computing device. The group is associated with one foreground window and one or more background windows on a screen of the computing device. Images of one application selected as a foreground application is displayed in the foreground window. The applications not selected as the foreground application displays images in the background windows. The foreground window is overlaid on the top of the windows of other applications, thereby partially or totally occluding the windows of other applications in the same group. The foreground application changes with elapse of time or upon detection of an event. Therefore, the same foreground window display images for different applications in the group at different times. The number of windows cluttering a screen of the application can be reduced because the user can interact with different applications in the group using the same foreground window.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a user-selected definition of a plurality of groups of applications, each of the plurality of groups including two or more different applications and associated with a foreground window occupying an area of a screen, the user-selected definition of each of the plurality of groups including a sequence by which the different applications of the plurality of groups of applications are to be displayed in the foreground window;   receive a selection of a first application for each of the plurality of groups as a foreground application of each of the plurality of groups;   display images of the selected foreground application in the foreground window of each of the plurality of groups;   change the foreground application of each of the plurality of groups to a second application of each of the plurality of groups according to the sequence of each of the plurality of groups responsive to detecting elapse of a predetermined amount of time; and   display images of the changed foreground application in the foreground window of each of the plurality of groups.   
     
     
         2 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions to display images in background windows for applications in each of the plurality of groups other than the foreground application in each of the plurality of groups, the background windows entirely overlaid by the foreground window. 
     
     
         3 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions to display images in background windows for applications in each of the plurality of groups other than the foreground application in each of the plurality of groups, the background windows partially overlaid by the foreground window. 
     
     
         4 . The storage medium of  claim 3 , wherein the foreground window and the background windows are of a same size. 
     
     
         5 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , further comprising instructions to change the foreground application of each of the groups to a third application by overriding the sequence of each of the groups responsive to detecting a predetermined event at the third application of each of the groups. 
     
     
         6 . The storage medium of  claim 5 , wherein the user selected definition includes the predetermined event for overriding the sequence of each of the groups. 
     
     
         7 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the two or more different applications comprise widgets. 
     
     
         8 . The storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more different applications receives information for display from different remote servers via a network. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a user-selected definition of a plurality of groups of applications, each of the plurality of groups including two or more different applications and associated with a foreground window occupying an area of a screen, the user-selected definition of each of the plurality of groups including a sequence by which the different applications of the plurality of groups of applications are to be displayed in the foreground window;   receiving a selection of a first application of each of the plurality of groups as a foreground application of each of the plurality of groups;   displaying images of the selected foreground application in the foreground window of each of the plurality of groups;   changing the foreground application of each of the plurality of groups to a second application of each of the plurality of groups according to the sequence of each of the plurality of groups responsive to detecting elapse of a predetermined amount of time; and   displaying images of the changed foreground application in the foreground window of each of the plurality of groups.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising displaying images in background windows for applications in each of the plurality of groups other than the foreground application in each of the plurality of groups, the background windows entirely overlaid by the foreground window. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising displaying images in background windows for applications in each of the plurality of groups other than the foreground application in each of the plurality of groups, the background windows partially overlaid by the foreground window. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the foreground window and the background windows are of a same size. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising changing the foreground application of each of the groups to a third application by overriding the sequence of each of the groups responsive to detecting a predetermined event at the third application of each of the groups. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the user selected definition includes the predetermined event for overriding the sequence of each of the groups. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the two or more different applications comprise widgets. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of the two or more different applications receives information for display from different remote servers via a network. 
     
     
         17 . A computing device, comprising:
 a processor;   a user input module configured to receive a user-selected definition of a plurality of groups of applications, each of the plurality of groups including two or more different applications and associated with a foreground window occupying an area of a screen, the user-selected definition of each of the plurality of groups including a sequence by which the different applications of the plurality of groups of applications are to be displayed in the foreground window;   an application display organizer connected to the user input for selecting a first application in each group as a foreground application, the application display organizer configured to change the foreground application of each of the plurality of groups to a second application of each of the plurality of groups according to the sequence of each of the plurality of groups responsive to detecting elapse of a predetermined amount of time, the application display organizer configured to display images of the changed foreground application in the foreground window of each of the plurality of groups; and   a display driver connected to the application display organizer, the display driver configured to generate images for at least the foreground window of each of the plurality of groups on the screen.   
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein images in background windows for applications in each of the plurality of groups other than the foreground application in each of the plurality of groups are displayed, the background windows partially overlaid by the foreground window. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the application display organizer is further configured to change the foreground application of each of the groups to a third application by overriding the sequence of each of the groups responsive to detecting a predetermined event at the third application of each of the groups. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the two or more different applications comprise widgets. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 17 , further comprising a communication interface connected to the application display organizer, the two or more different applications receiving information from different remote servers via the communication interface.