MOVING COMPUTER DISPLAYABLE CONTENT INTO A PREFERRED USER INTERACTIVE FOCUS AREA

• US 20090049381A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Baudisch, Patrick Markus, Robertson, George G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,679,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/700
• 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 system for displaying content, such as a computer'"'"'s displayed desktop, to a user such that remote content may be easily accessed, is presented. An exemplary display system includes a preferred interaction area through which the user interacts with the displayed content. The display system detects a user'"'"'s reposition action and repositions the displayed content on the display system according to the detected reposition action. A user may reposition any portion of the displayed content to any location within the preferred interaction area. That portion of the displayed content falling outside of the preferred interaction area is displayed according to the available display area outside of the preferred interaction area. The displayed content outside of the preferred interaction area may be scaled according to the available display area. Display areas uncovered by repositioning the displayed content may be displayed with empty space.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a display system displaying desktop content and having a defined preferred interaction area on the display system in which the user interacts with the computer system, wherein the display surface is larger than the preferred interaction area, a method for relocating the desktop content on the display system, the method comprising:

detecting a reposition action indicating that the desktop content is to be repositioned with respect to the preferred interaction area;

repositioning the desktop content of the entire computer system according to the detected reposition action, such that a portion of the desktop content located outside of the preferred interaction area prior to the reposition action is repositioned and displayed within the preferred interaction area; and

displaying the desktop content falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the desktop content falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area comprises selectively displaying a portion of the desktop content in a scaled manner or clipping the desktop content falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area for that portion of the desktop content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the desktop content falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area comprises displaying the desktop content in an unscaled manner and clipping that portion of the desktop content that extends beyond the available display area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the desktop content falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area comprises displaying representative empty space in display areas that the desktop content no longer covers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein repositioning the desktop content according to the detected reposition action comprises repositioning the desktop content in an incremental manner according to a predetermined increment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein repositioning the desktop content according to the detected reposition action comprises repositioning the desktop content in an absolute manner, such that a predetermined portion of the desktop content is positioned to a specific location in the preferred interaction area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the desktop content fills the entire display area of the display system when the desktop content is unscaled.

8. A computer system for displaying desktop content to a user, the computer system comprising:

a user interaction means for detecting a repositioning action from a user, and for controlling the repositioning of desktop content displayed on a display system; and

a logical display surface, the logical display system having a preferred interaction area through which a user interacts with the desktop content in the logical display surface via the user interaction means, wherein the logical display surface, when unscaled, comprises an area greater than preferred interaction area;

wherein the computer system, upon detecting a repositioning action from a user;

repositions the logical display surface according to the detected repositioning action, such that a portion of the logical display surface previously outside of the preferred interaction area is now located within the preferred interaction area; and

displays that portion of the logical display surface falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area.

9. The computer system of claim 8 comprising a plurality of display devices, and wherein the logical display surface corresponds to the display areas for the plurality of display devices.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein displaying that portion of the logical display surface falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area comprises displaying a portion of the logical display surface in a scaled manner according to the available display area for that portion of the logical display surface.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein displaying that portion of the logical display surface falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area comprises displaying empty space in the display area that the logical display surface no longer covers.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein displaying that portion of the logical display surface falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area comprises displaying the logical display surface in an unscaled manner and clipping that portion of the logical display surface that extends beyond the available display area.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein repositioning the logical display surface according to the detected repositioning action comprises repositioning the logical display surface in an incremental manner according to a predetermined increment.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein repositioning the logical display surface according to the detected repositioning action comprises repositioning the logical display surface in an absolute manner, such that a predetermined portion of the logical display surface is positioned to a specific location in the preferred interaction area.

15. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the logical display surface equals the size of the entire display area of the display system when the logical display surface is unscaled.

16. A display system for displaying content to a user, the display system comprising:

a preferred interaction area, the preferred interaction area comprising an area of the display system through which a user may interact with the display system to reposition the logical display surface of the display system; and

a user interaction means through which a user repositions the logical display surface of the display system;

wherein the display system, upon detecting a repositioning action from a user;

repositions the logical display surface within the display system according to the detected repositioning action, such that a portion of the logical display surface previously outside of the preferred interaction area is now located within the preferred interaction area; and

displays the that portion of the logical display surface falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area for displaying content outside of the preferred interaction area.

17. The display system of claim 16, wherein displaying that portion of the logical display surface falling outside of the preferred interaction area according to the available display area comprises displaying a portion of the logical display surface in a scaled manner according to the available display area for that portion of the logical display surface.

18. The display system of claim 16, wherein the logical display surface corresponds to the display areas of a plurality of display devices, and wherein the preferred interaction area corresponds to the display area of one of the plurality of display devices.