Computer interface having a virtual single-layer mode for viewing overlapping objects

• US 20040261038A1
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Louch, John, Ording, Bas
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,248 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/792
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A computer-human interface provides a mechanism to manage the available space of a computer display in a manner that facilitates navigation among multiple windows that are overlaid upon one another. The interface includes a user-selectable mode in which the windows are rearranged, and resized if necessary, so that all open windows can be simultaneously viewed within the area of the display, thereby enabling any one of the windows to be easily selected for access. In effect, the presentation of the windows is “flattened” so that all windows appear at the same virtual depth, rather than overlapping one another. With this approach, there is no need to minimize windows in order to access one that is overlaid by another, thereby enabling the user to keep the content of all windows visible and accessible. Subsets of windows can be repositioned in the same manner, or all windows can be removed from the display area.

Claims

1. A method of providing an alternative view of a plurality of open windows on a display for a graphical user interface, comprising the step of:

in response to a command to present the alternative view, repositioning the windows so that the open windows of the user interface appear in a respective area of the display without overlap of said windows.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of returning the windows to their original positions in response to a user action.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said user action is selection of one of the windows.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said user action is issuance of a second command.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of resizing the windows so that all of the displayed windows appear within a defined boundary area of the display in the alternative view.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein all of the repositioned windows are resized according to a common factor to maintain their relative sizes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein all open primary windows are repositioned in response to said command.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the step of repositioning a subset of all open windows, which are related to one another, in response to a second command to present a second alternative view.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said related windows are associated with a common application program.

10. The method of claim 9 further including the step of repositioning and displaying a different subset of windows that are associated with a different application program in response to a predetermined command issued while in the second alternative view.

11. The method of claim 9, further including the step of maintaining non-related open windows in their original positions.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of dimming the appearance of said non-related windows.

13. The method of claim 8 further including the step of moving all windows out of the area of said display in response to a third command to present a third alternative view.

14. The method of claim 7 further including the step of moving all windows out of the area of said display in response to a second command to present a second alternative view.

15. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

detecting a user action indicating selection of one of said repositioned windows, in the alternative view; and

returning the windows to their original positions, while displaying the selected window in the foreground of the display.

16. The method of claim 1 further including the step of dimming the desktop portion of the user interface as the windows are being moved.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said windows are repositioned in a manner to maintain their relative positions.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said repositioning step includes the steps of:

establishing a vector that indicates the relative positions of two overlapping windows, and

determining directions of movement for said overlapping windows in accordance with said vector.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said windows are repositioned in an iterative manner, with a direction and amount of movement determined during each iteration.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein each iteration comprises the following steps:

determining a direction and amount of movement for each window to be repositioned;

scaling the movement amounts by a moderating factor; and

moving the windows by the scaled amounts.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the moderating factor is constant during the iterations.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the moderating factor is varied for respective iterations.

23. The method of claim 20 further including the step of computing an external force factor to maintain the windows within a boundary area, and adding said force factor to the movement amounts.

24. The method of claim 19 further including the steps of determining whether the windows lie outside of a defined boundary area after the last iteration, and resizing the windows to fit within said boundary area if they lie outside of the boundary area.

25. The method of claim 1 further including the step of adding a border region to each window being repositioned, and repositioning the windows such that the border regions of the windows do not overlap.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said border region is invisible.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said border region is visible.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said command is initiated by user action.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said user action is actuation of a physical element of a computer system.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said user action is positioning of a cursor in a predetermined area of the display.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said area is a predetermined corner of the display.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein said command is issued by a program.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said program issues the command in response to detection of a specified condition.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein said program is a component of a computer operating system.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein said program is an application program.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein said repositioning step comprises moving said windows from their original positions to said respective areas over a discernable period of time to create an animation effect.

37. A computer system, comprising:

a display device;

a graphical user interface that normally displays a plurality of objects in a layered mode in which an object can overlap and obscure at least a portion of another object; and

means for repositioning said plurality of objects in an alternative viewing mode such that each of said objects appears in a respective area of the display device without overlapping any of the other objects of said plurality.

38. The computer system of claim 37, wherein said repositioning means comprises a component of an operating system program for said computer system.

39. The computer system of claim 37, wherein said repositioning means is contained in an application program that executes on said computer system.

40. The computer system of claim 37, wherein said repositioning means is contained in a plug-in module that cooperates with an operating system for said computer system.

41. A graphical user interface for a computer having a first mode in which plural objects are displayed in a layered environment in positions in which an object can overlap and obscure at least some of the contents of another object, and a second mode in which said plural objects are moved from their positions in said first mode to respective areas within a display such that the entire content of each of said plural objects is visible without overlap.

42. The graphical user interface of claim 41 wherein said objects comprise windows.

43. The graphical user interface of claim 41 wherein said objects comprise a combination of windows and other user interface elements.

44. A program providing an alternative view for a computer user interface of the type that presents a normal viewing mode in which plural objects are displayed in a layered environment in positions in which an object can overlap and obscure at least some of the contents of another object, wherein said program causes said plural objects to move from their positions in said normal viewing mode to respective areas within a display such that the entire content of each of said plural objects is visible without overlap in said alternative viewing mode.

45. The program of claim 44, wherein said program comprises a component of an operating system for a computer.

46. The program of claim 44, wherein said program is contained in an application program that executes on a computer.

47. The program of claim 44, wherein said program comprises a plug-in module that cooperates with an operating system for a computer.

48. The program of claim 44 wherein said objects comprise windows.

49. The program of claim 44 wherein said objects comprise a combination of windows and other user interface elements.

50. A computer-readable medium containing a computer program that is responsive to a predetermined command to execute a sequence of steps that animate overlapping objects on a display to move to respective areas of the display such that the entire content of each of said objects is visible without overlap of any of said objects.

51. The program of claim 50 wherein said objects comprise windows.

52. The program of claim 50 wherein said objects comprise a combination of windows and other user interface elements.

53. A method of providing an alternative view of a plurality of overlapping objects on a display for a graphical user interface, comprising the step of:

in response to a command to present the alternative view, moving the objects to respective positions on the display so that they appear without overlap.

54. The method of claim 53 further including the step of returning the objects to their original positions in response to a user action.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein said user action is selection of one of the objects.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein said user action is issuance of a second command.

57. The method of claim 53 further including the step of resizing the objects so that all of the displayed objects appear within a defined boundary area of the display in the alternative view.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein all of the repositioned objects are resized according to a common factor to maintain their relative sizes.

59. The method of claim 53 wherein said objects comprise user interface elements.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein said user interface elements include icons.

61. The method of claim 53 wherein said objects include images.

62. The method of claim 53 wherein said objects are repositioned in a manner to maintain their relative positions.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein said repositioning step includes the steps of:

establishing a vector that indicates the relative positions of two overlapping objects, and

determining directions of movement for said overlapping objects in accordance with said vector.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein said objects are repositioned in an iterative manner, with a direction and amount of movement determined during each iteration.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein each iteration comprises the following steps:

determining a direction and amount of movement for each object to be repositioned;

scaling the movement amounts by a moderating factor; and

moving the objects by the scaled amounts.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein the moderating factor is constant during the iterations.

67. The method of claim 65 wherein the moderating factor is varied for respective iterations.

68. The method of claim 65 further including the step of computing an external force factor to maintain the objects within a boundary area, and adding said force factor to the movement amounts.

69. The method of claim 64 further including the steps of determining whether the objects lie outside of a defined boundary area after the last iteration, and resizing the objects to fit within said boundary area if they lie outside of the boundary area.