Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Brian Eric Uphoff

Priya Vaidyanathan

Manav Mishra

Edward Boyle Averett

Wentao Chen

Poorva Singal

Richard Jacob White

Brandon H Paddock

Yin Liu

Derek S Gebhard

Stephanie M Monk

Dona Sarkar

Matthew Neil Akers

Chaitanya Dev Sareen

Michael Jay Gilmore

Christopher Doan

Ethan Nelson Ray

Michael J Patten

Richard Jennings Duncan

Nazia Zaman

Mirko Mandic

Miron Vranjes

Daryl Tanghe

Anshul Rawat

Rolf Arnold Ebeling

Ross Nathaniel Luengen

Jaclyn Carley Knapp

Jiwon Choi

Richard Fang

Megan Lesley Tedesco

Rebecca J Deutsch

Phoi Heng Lew

Thomas Henry Alphin, Iii

Jonathan Ian Gordner

Henri-Charles Machalani

Richie Fang

Jeff G Arnold

Xiao Wei

Robyn Elizabeth Dunn

Muhammad Atif

Scott James Krieder

Darren Christopher Laybourn

Matthew N Akers

Thomas Henry Iii Alphin

A system level search module receives system level search user interface registration information for an application of the computing device. The registration information includes an indication of how the system level search module can launch the application. The registration information is added to a registration store, and the application is included as one of one or more applications that can be searched using the system level search user interface.

Registration for system level search user interface

Techniques to control arrangement of items in a user interface is described. In one or more implementations, intuitive rearrangement of items in a user interface is caused by a computing device. A priority ordering of items, one to another, is determined that is specified for display of the items in a first layout in a user interface of the computing device. The items are assigned into respective ones of a plurality of groups that together compose one or more linear arrangements of the groups. Arrangement of the items is controlled by the computing device for display in a second layout in the user interface that is different from the first layout by an amount of display area available in the user interface along one or more dimensions. The control includes following the priority ordering of the items to select positions of the items within respective groups based on availability of an open area that is available to fit a display of a respective item within the group and that minimizes a display area consumed by the group in the user interface.

Control of item arrangement in a user interface

Techniques for a contextual new tab experience in a heterogeneous tab environment are described. In at least some implementations, relevant content associated with a user's current task is determined based on contextual information collected from tabs presented in a heterogeneous tab environment. According to various implementations, a new tab is launched displaying the relevant content in the heterogeneous tab environment. Thus, contextually relevant content can be determined from a current task and displayed in a single location via a heterogeneous tab environment.

Contextual new tab experience in a heterogeneous tab environment

Technologies are described for resuming activities using activity data collected by an operating system. An operating system provides an application programming interface ('API') through which applications can submit activity data. The activity data identifies an application and an activity previously performed using the application. The activity data can be presented to users in a UI that includes UI controls corresponding to the reported activities. The UI controls can identify the activity and the application used to perform the activity. The UI controls can be presented in an order determined based upon the time at which the corresponding activity was performed. The UI controls can be selected to resume the corresponding activity. Functionality can also be provided for scrolling through the UI controls, searching the activity data, filtering the represented activities, deleting the activity data corresponding to an activity, and performing other functions.

Resumption of activities using activity data collected by an operating system

A system level search user interface that includes both a data entry portion and a search identification portion is displayed. Data input by a user as a search term is displayed in the data entry portion, and identifiers of each of one or more scopes on the computing device that can be searched using the search term are displayed in the search identification portion. Search results based on a selected scope are displayed in a search results portion of the system level search user interface. A set of keyboard shortcuts allow users to quickly search using any of the scopes, and see previews of a number of results that each of the scopes return. Additionally, the system level search user interface allow users to easily focus on different search result entries, and efficiently change scopes for searching.

Facilitating interaction with system level search user interface

Application launcher sizing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a likely usage context is determined, by a computing device, of a user in interacting with the computing device. An application launcher is dynamically sized within a display area of the user interface by the computing device based on the determined likely usage context of the user. The application launcher is configured for output responsive to an input received from a user and includes a plurality of representations of applications that are selectable to navigate to a user interface corresponding with a respective said application.

Application launcher sizing

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for implementing a reverse protocol launch. For example, the reverse protocol launch may be implemented between apps (e.g., as an app-to-app protocol) such that a user may navigate between apps in a contextually relevant manner using the reverse protocol launch. In an example, a search app may display vacation search results based upon a search query. Responsive to a selection of a vacation movie search result, a transition to a movie app may occur. A context, specifying a contextual state of the search app (e.g., information regarding the vacation search results, the search query, etc.), may be sent to the movie app. The movie app may implement a reverse protocol launch using the context to transition from the movie app back to the search app in the contextual state (e.g., the search app may be repopulated with the vacation search results, etc.).

Reverse launch protocol

Display screen with user interface

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Brian Eric Uphoff