APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING LAYOUT OF A WINDOW

• US 20070192726A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Sung-min, Kim, Young-kuk
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0471 Vertical positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0478 Horizontal positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

An apparatus and method for managing the layout of a window is provided. The apparatus includes a display unit that displays the window on a screen; the screen is divided into a plurality of display areas; a pointer-position-checking unit that checks the coordinate position of a pointer moved by a user and determines the one display area corresponding to the position of the checked pointer; and a window-size-adjusting unit that moves the window to the one display area where the pointer is positioned and adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the one display area.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing the layout of a window, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit that displays the window and a plurality of display areas;

a pointer-position-checking unit that checks a coordinate position of a pointer moved by a user, and determines one of the display areas corresponding to the position of the checked pointer; and

a window-size-adjusting unit that moves the window to the one display area where the pointer is positioned and adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the one display area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a pointer input device to control the position of the pointer;

a signal-input unit to receive input from the pointer input device;

an input-signal-determining unit to analyze the output from the signal input unit to determine the type of input the user entered with the pointer input device; and

a control unit to control the display unit, receive output from the signal-input unit, and communicate with the input-signal-determining unit, pointer-position-checking unit, and window-size-adjusting unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of display areas are divided vertically.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of display areas are divided horizontally.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of display areas are divided vertically and horizontally.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit uses a division ratio to determine the relative size of the plurality of display areas and enables the user to set and change the division ratio.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the window-size adjusting unit adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the one display area by setting vertex values of the window to those of the one display area, taking into account any border and standard window features of the one display area.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the window-size-adjusting unit adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the one display area without additional input from the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the window-size-adjusting unit adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the one display area when the user operates the pointer input device in a predetermined manner.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pointer input device comprises a button;

and

the manner of operating the pointer input device to adjust the size of the window comprises the user operating the button of the pointer input device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the manner of operating the pointer input device to adjust the size of the window further comprises the user double-clicking, via the button of the pointer input device, on a title bar of the window.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the manner of operating the pointer input device to adjust the size of the window further comprises the user operating the pointer input device in a combination of movement of the pointer input device and clicking and/or holding of the button of the pointer input device.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of keys, wherein the window-size-adjusting unit adjusts the size of the window when the user operates a predetermined key.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

the display unit displaying a second window;

the pointer-position-checking unit checking the coordinate position of the pointer moved by the user, and determining another one of the display areas corresponding to the position of the checked pointer; and

the window-size-adjusting unit moving the second window to the another one of the display areas where the pointer is positioned and adjusting the size of the second window in proportion to the size of the another one of the display areas.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the window-size adjusting unit adjusts the size of the second window in proportion to the size of the another one of the display areas by setting vertex values of the second window to those of the another one of the display areas, taking into account any border and standard window features of the another one of the display areas.

16. An apparatus for managing the layout of a window, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit that displays the window and a plurality of display areas;

an input unit to receive the input of a user designating one of the display areas; and

a window-size-adjusting unit that moves the window to the designated display area and adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the designated display area.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

an input-signal-determining unit to analyze the output from the input unit to determine the designated display area;

a control unit to control the display unit, receive output from the input unit, and communicate with the input-signal-determining unit, and window-size-adjusting unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of display areas are divided vertically.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of display areas are divided horizontally.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of display areas are divided vertically and horizontally.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the input unit comprises one or more keys of a keyboard.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the control unit uses a division ratio to determine the relative size of the plurality of display areas and enables the user to set and change the division ratio.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the window-size adjusting unit adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the designated display area by setting vertex values of the window to those of the designated display area, taking into account any border and standard window features of the designated display area.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the window-size-adjusting unit adjusts the size of the window in proportion to the size of the designated display area without additional input from the user.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the window-size-adjusting unit moves the window but does not adjust the size of the window in proportion to the size of the designated display area until the user operates a designated key.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

the display unit displaying a second window;

the pointer-position-checking unit checking the coordinate position of the pointer moved by the user, and determining another one of the display areas corresponding to the position of the checked pointer; and

the window-size-adjusting unit moving the second window to the another one of the display areas where the pointer is positioned and adjusting the size of the second window in proportion to the size of the another one of the display areas.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the window-size adjusting unit adjusts the size of the second window in proportion to the size of the another one of the display areas by setting vertex values of the second window to those of the another one of the display areas, taking into account any border and standard window features of the another one of the display areas.

28. A method of managing the layout of a window, the method comprising:

displaying the window and a plurality of display areas divided based on a division ratio;

moving the window to one of the display areas;

determining the display area where the window is positioned based on the coordinates of the window; and

adjusting the size of the window in proportion to the size of the determined display area.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

changing the division ratio of the plurality of display areas to modify the relative sizes of the plurality of display areas; and

resizing the window in proportion to the size of the modified display area corresponding to the window.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

adjusting the relative size of the window in proportion to the size of the determined display area by setting vertex values of the window to those of the determined display area, taking into account any border and standard window features of the determined display area.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

adjusting the size of the window in proportion to the size of the determined display area without additional input from the user.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

adjusting the size of the window in proportion to the size of the determined display area when the user operates a pointer input device in a predetermined manner.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

adjusting the size of the window in proportion to the size of the determined display area when the user operates a button of the pointer input device.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

adjusting the size of the window in proportion to the size of the determined display area when the user double-clicks on the title bar of the window, via the pointer input device.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

adjusting the size of the window in proportion to the size of the determined display area when the user operates the pointer input device in a combination of movement and clicking of at least one button of the pointer input device.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

adjusting the size of the window in proportion to the size of the determined display area when the user operates a predetermined key on a keyboard.

37. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

displaying a second window on the screen;

moving the second window to another one of the display areas;

determining the another one of the display areas where the second window is positioned based on the coordinates of the second window; and

adjusting the size of the second window in proportion to the size of the another one of the display areas.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

adjusting the relative size of the second window in proportion to the size of the another one of the display areas by setting vertex values of the window to those of the another one of the display areas, taking into account any border and standard window features of the another one of the display areas.