Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Thomas Henry Alphin, Iii

Michael John Novak

Brian R Meyers

Richard Jennings Duncan

Benjamin Salim Srour

Kenneth Lynn Crocker

John Michael Calandrino

Samer Fouad Sawaya

Henri-Charles Machalani

Jiwon Choi

Marina Dukhon

Colleen Elizabeth Hamilton

Brian Eric Uphoff

Ananda Sarkar

Sarah W McDevitt

Samuel D Clement

Daniel W DeKlotz

David S Amenta

Valerie Louise Wang

Muhammad Atif

Marko Panic

Naresh Chandrasekaran

Techniques are described for obtaining user activity information and navigational mnemonic information. The activity information and navigational mnemonic information can be used to control information presented in displays in a manner that can assist a user in locating an activity using displayed navigational mnemonics. User activity information can include an application identifier and a content identifier. Navigational mnemonic information can include a resource identifier and a relevance identifier. A user can search for activities based on a relationship between a navigational mnemonic and an activity, such as a temporal relationship. Applications can register both activity information and navigational mnemonic information through an interface, and a navigational mnemonic feed service can provide navigation mnemonics that are not directly related to user activity on user computer devices.

Control of displayed activity information using navigational mnemonics

Techniques are described for creating and modifying task records and for controlling information displayed to a user in corresponding task representations. The task records are associated with more or more user activities, where each activity is associated with a record having an identifier for the activity, an application identifier that indicates a software application associated with the activity, and a content identifier identifying content associated with the software application and the activity. The activity records can include activation information. A user can select a task representation and resume one or more activities associated with the task. Tasks records can be shared between different computer devices of the user, and with different users. Task and activity records can be associated with navigational mnemonics. Representations of task and activity records can be displayed proximate representations of associated navigational mnemonics to help a user locate tasks and activities of interest.

Collection and control of user activity set data and activity set user interface

Techniques for visual configuration and activation are described. Techniques discussed herein enable visuals to be presented to a user based on a user-specific visual configuration. The visuals are activated such that the visuals are selectable to access various functionalities. In at least some embodiments, a visualization that represents a user-specific visual configuration is provided to and displayed on a device. The visualization includes inactive visuals that are activated based on various considerations.

Visual configuration and activation

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

Techniques are described for obtaining and displaying user activity information. For example, user activity information can include an application identifier, a content identifier, and a relevance identifier. A summary display is rendered for display that presents user activity information for user activities meeting relevance criteria. A user can select to view an activity details view, presenting information regarding all of their activity over a time period. A user can search for activities meeting particular criteria, and can view past activities along with applications currently being executed by the user.

Collection and control of user activity information and activity user interface

Various systems, such as operating systems and application suites, have multiple programs that are installed and settings that are configured in order to put the system in a desired operational state (e.g., a substantially fully functioning state). Different users can have different experiences based on different programs they use, and the set of programs they use can come from network locations. A set of system readiness tasks is created that identifies the various actions to be performed to put the system in the desired operational state. Performance of the set of system readiness tasks is coordinated to display, prior to achieving the desired operational state, a preview of a user interface of the system that is customized to a specific user of the system. Performance of the set of system readiness tasks continues, while displaying the preview of the user interface, until the desired operational state is achieved.

Coordination of system readiness tasks

Techniques enabling live tiles without application-code execution permit live content to be presented in tiles without executing code of applications associated with those tiles. By so doing, live tiles may be presented more safely, faster, or using fewer resources.

Live tiles without application-code execution

Techniques enabling live tiles without application-code execution are described. These techniques permit live content to be presented in tiles without executing code of applications associated with those tiles. By so doing, live tiles may be presented more safely, faster, or using fewer resources.

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Kirkland, WA, United States of America

Thomas Henry Alphin, Iii