INFORMATION DEVICE AND WINDOW DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20090235203A1
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iizuka, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,627,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• 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

An information device includes a controller for controlling the display position and the display size of a window, a semi-maximization instruction receiving part for receiving instructions for semi-maximizing the window, a semi-maximization region setting part for setting a plurality of display regions in which the window can be semi-maximized, and a display region determination part for determining the display region in which the window is semi-maximized. When the semi-maximization instruction receiving part receives the instructions for semi-maximizing the window, the controller allows the window to be enlarged and displayed in the entire area of the display region determined by the display region determination part from the plurality of display regions.

Claims

1. An information device for displaying a window capable of changing its display position and its display size on a screen, the information device comprising:

a controller for controlling the display position and the display size of a window;

a semi-maximization instruction receiving part for receiving instructions for semi-maximizing the window;

a semi-maximization region setting part for setting a plurality of display regions in which the window can be semi-maximized; and

a display region determination part for determining a display region in which the window is semi-maximized, from the plurality of display regions, wherein

when the semi-maximization instruction receiving part receives the instructions for semi-maximizing the window, the controller allows the window to be displayed in an entire area of the display region determined by the display region determination part from the plurality of display regions.

2. The information device of claim 1, wherein

the display region determination part determines the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, based on the display position of a reduced window before being semi-maximized.

3. The information device of claim 1, further comprising:

a region setting receiving part for receiving instructions for setting the plurality of display regions, wherein

the semi-maximization region setting part sets the plurality of display regions based on the instructions received by the region setting receiving part.

4. The information device of claim 1, wherein

the display region determination part includes a preferred region receiving part for receiving instructions on an association between an application running in the window and the display region in which the window is semi-maximized;

and

the display region determination part determines the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, by placing priority on the instructions received by the preferred region receiving part.

5. The information device of claim 1, further comprising:

a region selection receiving part for receiving instructions for selecting a display region in which the window is semi-maximized, wherein

the display region determination part determines the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, based on the instructions received by the region selection receiving part.

6. The information device of claim 1, wherein

a multi-step enlarging process is performed, the process including:

first semi-maximization in which the window is enlarged and displayed in an entire area of one of the plurality of display regions that is determined by the display region determination part; and

second semi-maximization in which the window is enlarged and displayed in an entire area of at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of display regions.

10. The information device of claim 2, wherein

the display region determination part includes a preferred region receiving part for receiving instructions on an association between an application running in the window and the display region in which the window is semi-maximized;

and

the display region determination part determines the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, by placing priority on the instructions received by the preferred region receiving part.

7. A method for displaying a window capable of changing its display position and its display size on a screen, wherein

upon receiving instructions for semi-maximizing a reduced window, the reduced window is semi-maximized and displayed in an entire area of one of a plurality of display regions predetermined based on the display position of the reduced window.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

the display region in which the window is semi-maximized is determined based on a predetermined association of an application running in the window and the display region to be semi-maximized of the window.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein

a multi-step enlarging process is performed, the process including:

first semi-maximization in which the window is enlarged and displayed in an entire area of one of the plurality of display regions; and

second semi-maximization in which the window is enlarged and displayed in an entire area of at least two of the plurality of display regions.