Active Z order manipulation of a popup window in multimonitor systems

• US 20060206825A1
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heritage Union, LLC, Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Heritage Union, LLC
• Inventors: Graf, Oliver, Dorn, Karlheinz, Scharf, Christian, Von Stockhausen, Hans-Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/761
• 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 method and apparatus are disclosed for controlling positioning for a child window, produced by a main window, on at least one monitor in a multimonitor computer system, where a first and a second positioning mechanism control the positioning of the child window on the monitors such that the child window is positioned at the topmost position and fully visibly on all monitors.

Claims

1. A method for controlling positioning for a child window in a multimonitor computer system, in which a plurality of applications are running in parallel which each include a main window respectively associated with at least one of the monitors such that the main windows do not overlap, where the child window is respectively produced by a main window and is positioned on the basis of a first positioning mechanism at the topmost position on the first monitor of the producing main window, the method comprising:

accessing, via the control for the positioning of the child window, a further positioning mechanism which controls the positioning of the child window when it is to be displayed fully or proportionally on at least one further monitor, with which the main window producing the child window is not associated, the further positioning mechanism positioning each main window associated with the further monitor respectively at the bottommost position on the further monitor, so that the child window is also positioned on the further monitor fully visibly at the topmost position.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control for the positioning takes place centrally.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further positioning mechanism manipulates an original positioning for the windows on the further monitor by positioning all full screen main windows of the further monitor at the bottommost position on the further monitor.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the child window is displayed at least one of partly or fully on the first monitor and partly or fully on at least one of the further monitors at the topmost position.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the child window is positioned at the topmost position regardless of whether the associated main window has been activated.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the further positioning mechanism is based on a Z order arrangement.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further positioning mechanism is activated on the further monitor as soon as a change of position for at least one of the main windows positioned on the further monitor has been detected.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the control and the positioning mechanisms are executed automatically.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the child window comprises all subsequent windows produced by the respective associated main window.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of main windows and a plurality of further monitors are provided, with a monitor displaying a respective main window.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of main windows are positioned on a monitor so as not to overlap.

23. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the further positioning mechanism manipulates an original positioning for the windows on the further monitor by positioning all full screen main windows of the further monitor at the bottommost position on the further monitor.

24. A computer program product, including a computer program, adapted to, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1.

25. A computer readable medium including program segments for, when executed on a computer, causing the computer to implement the method of claim 1.

12. An apparatus for controlling positioning for a child window in a multimonitor computer system, in which a plurality of applications are running in parallel which each have a main window respectively associated with at least one of the monitors such that the main windows do not overlap, where the child window is respectively produced by a main window and is positioned on the basis of a first positioning module at the topmost position on the first monitor of the producing main window, the apparatus comprising:

means for controlling the positioning of the child window; and

a further positioning module, control for the positioning of the child window accessing the further positioning module which controls the positioning of the child window when it is to be displayed fully or proportionally on at least one further monitor, with which the main window producing the child window is not associated and the further positioning module positioning each main window associated with the further monitor respectively at the bottommost position on the further monitor, so that the child window is also positioned on the further monitor fully visibly at the topmost position.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the apparatus operates centrally.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the further positioning module manipulates an original positioning for the windows on the further monitor by positioning full-screen main windows of the further monitor at the bottommost position.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the child window is displayed at least one of partly or fully on the first monitor and partly or fully on at least one of the further monitors at the topmost position.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the child window is positioned at the topmost position regardless of whether the associated main window has been activated.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the first and the further positioning module is based on a Z order arrangement.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the further positioning module is activated on the further monitor as soon as a change of position for at least one of the main windows positioned on the further monitor has been detected.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the control and the positioning modules are executed automatically.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the child window includes all subsequent windows which are produced by the respective associated main window.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of main windows and a plurality of further monitors are provided, with a monitor being intended to display a respective main window.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of main windows are positioned on a monitor so as not to overlap.