Computer interface having a virtual single-layer mode for viewing overlapping objects
First Claim
1. A method of displaying windows in a user interface for a computer, comprising the steps of:
- displaying a plurality of windows in a first view where at least one window can obscure another window;
in response to a command, repositioning said windows in a second view so that at least a portion of each of said plurality of windows is visible to a user;
in response to selection of one of said windows in said second view, returning the windows to said first view; and
displaying said selected window at the forefront of said plurality of windows upon returning to said first view.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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 for access to desktop objects.
154 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method of displaying windows in a user interface for a computer, comprising the steps of:
-
displaying a plurality of windows in a first view where at least one window can obscure another window;
in response to a command, repositioning said windows in a second view so that at least a portion of each of said plurality of windows is visible to a user;
in response to selection of one of said windows in said second view, returning the windows to said first view; and
displaying said selected window at the forefront of said plurality of windows upon returning to said first view. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method of displaying windows in a user interface for a computer, comprising the steps of:
-
displaying a plurality of windows at locations in a first view where at least one window can obscure another window;
in response to a command, determining destination positions for said windows in a second view where at least a portion of each of said plurality of windows is visible to a user; and
displaying an animation that shows transition of said windows from said locations in said first view to said destination positions in said second view. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
- 12. A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for a graphical user interface that is displayed on a computer system, in which a plurality of windows are displayed in a first view such that at least one window can obscure another window, and in which, in response to a user command, said windows are repositioned in a second view so that at least a portion of each of said plurality of windows is visible to a user, and including a preference element for user designation of a mechanism to invoke said command to reposition said windows in said second view.
-
20. A method of displaying windows in a user interface for a computer, comprising the steps of:
-
displaying a plurality of windows in a first view on a display device, where at least one window can obscure another window; and
in response to manual positioning of a pointing element in a predetermined area of said display device, repositioning said windows in a second view so that at least a portion of each of said plurality of windows is visible to a user. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
-
- 25. A computer-readable medium containing program code for graphical user interface that executes on a computer, said user interface having a first mode in which plural windows are displayed in a layered environment in positions in which a window can overlap and obscure another window, and a second mode that is invoked upon entry of a user command, in which said plural windows are temporarily moved from their positions in said first mode to respective locations within a display area such that at least a portion of each of said plural windows is visible, while maintaining the proportional sizes of said plural windows relative to one another, and subsequently returned to the positions they occupied in said first mode.
Specification