Smart icon placement across desktop size changes

• US 20070174782A1
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Russo, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

Intelligent rearrangement of icons on a desktop in response to changes in desktop size, such as orientation, may be provided using a number of approaches. Desktop area in multiple orientations may be divided into a grid having equal numbers of rows and columns, and placement of icons in each orientation may use common grid coordinates. Icons may alternatively be reflected along a diagonal of desktops in different orientations, such that some icon positional relationships may be maintained. Placement of icons on a desktop may be restricted to a predefined subset region of the desktop, where the subset region will fit in multiple orientations without requiring adjustment. Additionally, areas of a desktop in multiple orientations may be reserved for predefined types of icons, and changes in orientation may result in placement of icons in corresponding reserved areas based on icon attribute.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method for placing icons on a graphical desktop when changing orientations, comprising the steps of:

placing a plurality of icons on said desktop in a first orientation, wherein said placing restricts placement of said icons to a first grid in a first orientation of said desktop, said first grid having an equal number of rows and columns of cells;

changing an orientation of said desktop from said first orientation to a second orientation;

in response to changing the orientation, re-placing said plurality of icons on said desktop in said second orientation, wherein said step of re-placing places said icons in accordance with a second grid of said desktop in said second orientation, wherein said second grid has the same number of rows and columns as the first grid, and said icons maintain common grid coordinates in said first and second grids.

2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said step of placing places each of said plurality of icons in a center of a corresponding one of said plurality of cells.

3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein said step of re-placing further comprises the step of changing a size, color, image, or text of one of said icons.

4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 3, wherein said step of changing a size, color or text of one of said icons includes the step of modifying a dimension of said one of said icons.

5. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 3, wherein said step of changing a size, color or text of one of said icons includes the step of modifying text associated with said one of said icons.

6. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving user input defining the equal number of rows and columns of cells in said first and second grids.

7. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method for placing icons on a graphical desktop when changing orientations, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of icons on a desktop in a first orientation;

changing said desktop from said first orientation to a second orientation; and

reflecting locations of said plurality of icons across a diagonal region of said desktop for display in said second orientation.

8. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein said diagonal region is defined as a line connecting two opposite corners of said desktop.

9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein said step of reflecting further includes the steps of:

identifying X- and Y-coordinate values for said icons in said first orientation; and

using said X-coordinate values for said icons in said first orientation as Y-coordinate values for said icons in said second orientation, and using said Y-coordinate values for said icons in said first orientation as X-coordinate values for said icons in said second orientation.

10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 7, wherein said plurality of icons are arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, and wherein said step of reflecting causes rows in said first orientation to become columns in said second orientation.

11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, wherein said step of reflecting further includes the steps of:

identifying a point along said diagonal from which a perpendicular line intersects one of said icons;

identifying a distance between said identified point and said icon; and

identifying a new point along said perpendicular line, said new point being said distance away from said point along said diagonal, and wherein said new point and said icon are on opposite sides of said diagonal.

12. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method for placing icons on a graphical desktop when changing orientations, comprising the steps of:

displaying a desktop having a plurality of icons in a first orientation, said desktop being rectangular and having a long side and a short side, wherein said icons are restricted to a subset region having a length and width both equal to or shorter than a length of said short side of said desktop;

changing said desktop from said first orientation to a second orientation;

in response to said changing, redrawing said subset region on said desktop in said second orientation, wherein icons in said subset region maintain the same spatial relationship between said first and second orientations.

13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein said step of defining further comprises the step of receiving user input to define dimensions of said subset region.

14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein said subset region is a square region.

15. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein said step of defining further comprises the step of receiving user input to move a graphical element along an edge of said desktop.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein said step of restricting further comprises the step of, in response to receiving a request to place a new icon in a first area of said desktop outside of said subset region, automatically displaying said new icon in a second area of said desktop inside of said subset region.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein said step of automatically displaying further comprises the step of selecting said second area based on proximity to said first area.

18. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method of placing icons on a GUI desktop, comprising the steps of:

defining a first plurality of regions on a GUI desktop in a first desktop orientation;

assigning at least one icon type to each of said first plurality of regions; and

restricting the placement of new icons on said desktop based on a type of said icons and said assigned icon types.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

defining a second plurality of regions on said desktop in a second desktop orientation, wherein each of said second plurality of regions corresponds in appearance to one of said first plurality of regions; and

in response to changing said desktop from said first orientation to said second orientation, moving icons between corresponding pairs of regions in said first and second orientations.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said icon type is based on an attribute of an object represented by said icon.