Optimal Display of Multiple Windows within a Computer Display

• US 20070250788A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rigolet, Jean-Yves
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An apparatus and method for optimally displaying multiple windows on a display is provided. The multiple windows can be sequentially or simultaneously resized and/or repositioned. The method performs at least one of resizing or repositioning operation on at least one of the multiple windows to fit within the available display area. The method provides the user the ability to see a maximum of information from multiple windows and allows access to the scroll bars, title bars, status bars and command window of the multiple windows.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

a. finding parameters of a display;

b. finding parameters of multiple windows;

c. calculating new parameters for a selected window based on the content of the selected window; and

d. performing at least one of resizing and repositioning operation on the selected window based on the new parameters by altering outline edges of the selected window and moving the selected window to a corresponding immediate corner of the display and an abutment of outline edges of the adjacent windows, wherein the resultant window is positioned near the initial location after at least resizing or repositioning the selected window.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising initiating a process for managing the arrangement of the multiple windows sequentially.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising initiating a process for managing the arrangement of the multiple windows simultaneously.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising moving a hidden and overlapped window to an active window of the display.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising checking whether a scroll bar, a status bar, a toolbar and a title bar of the selected window is visible in the display.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of resizing and repositioning operation is performed sequentially.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of resizing and repositioning operation is performed simultaneously.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameters of the display include form factor, display resolution and available size on the display.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameters of the selected window include outline of the window, window size and form factor.

10. A computer implemented method of resizing and repositioning multiple windows in a display utilizing available display size, the method comprising:

a. finding parameters of the display;

b. finding parameters of the multiple windows;

c. calculating new parameters of a selected window based on the content of the selected window;

d. modifying the size of the selected window to the maximum available display size;

e. modifying the size of the selected window in accordance with the new parameters of the selected window to fit with the available display size;

f. resizing resolution of images in the selected window;

g. repositioning the selected window with respect to the multiple windows and an immediate corner of the display;

h. moving a hidden and overlapped window to an active window in the display;

i. aligning the selected window by edges abutment; and

j. providing accessibility to any scroll bar, any status bar, any toolbar and any title bar of the selected window in the display.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

a. find parameters of a display;

b. find parameters of multiple windows;

c. calculate new parameters for a selected window based on the content of the selected window; and

d. perform at least one of resizing and repositioning operation on the selected window based on the new parameters by altering outline edges of the selected window and moving the selected window to a corresponding immediate corner of the display and an abutment of outline edges of the adjacent windows, wherein the resultant window is positioned near the initial location after resizing and repositioning of the selected window.

12. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a computer readable program for initiating a process for managing the arrangement of the multiple windows sequentially.

13. The computer program product as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a computer readable program for initiating a process for managing the arrangement of the multiple windows simultaneously.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a. a memory;

b. a resizing module, residing in the memory, for performing at least one of resizing and repositioning operation on one or more windows in a display utilizing available display size, wherein the resizing module determines parameters of the display and the one or more windows;

wherein the resizing module calculates new parameters for a selected window based on the content of the selected window;

wherein the resizing module modifies the size and position of at least one window by altering outline edges of the selected window and moving the selected window to a corresponding immediate corner of the display and an abutment of outline edges of the adjacent windows; and

c. at least one processor coupled to the memory executing the process steps associated with the resizing module.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises an icon for resizing a window in a title bar of each window.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a desk command menu.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the resizing module resizes and repositions the one or more windows sequentially in response to a first button being configured in a desk command menu.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the resizing module resizes and repositions the one or more windows simultaneously in response to a second button being configured in a desk command menu.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a configuration module residing in the memory, wherein the configuration module manages simultaneous arrangement of multiple windows to be resized and repositioned in response to a global window action button being triggered in a configuration panel.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a configuration module residing in the memory, wherein the configuration module manages sequential arrangement of one or more windows to be resized and repositioned in response to a local window action button being triggered in a configuration panel.