APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR POSITIONING WINDOWS ON A DISPLAY

• US 20090300541A1
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel P. Nelson
• Original Assignee: Daniel P. Nelson
• Inventors: Nelson, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,434,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/799
• 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 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A method for positioning a window on a user'"'"'s display may include providing, in a window-based computing environment, an image representing a display area of a user'"'"'s computer screen. This image may be divided into a plurality of regions. Each region may represent an area within the display area. The method may further include enabling a user to select a region from the plurality of regions, such as, for example, with a mouse click, keystroke, keystroke combination, or the like. The method may then include automatically moving a window, such as the active window, in the window-based computing environment to the area represented by the region.

Claims

1. A method for positioning a window on a user'"'"'s display, the method comprising:

providing, in a window-based computing environment, an image representing a display area of a user'"'"'s computer screen, the image divided into a plurality of regions, each region representing an area within the display area;

enabling a user to select a region from the plurality of regions; and

automatically moving a window in the window-based computing environment to the area represented by the region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing comprises providing at the prompting of a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the window is the active window in the window-based computing environment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically hiding the image when the user selects a region.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a user to select more than one region from the plurality of regions.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising automatically moving a window in the window-based computing environment to the area corresponding to the more than one region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is one of a plurality of images, wherein selected images of the plurality of images correspond to different computer screens of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is provided proximate at least one of the upper right hand corner of the window, a mouse pointer of the user, and a system tray of the window-based computing environment

9. An apparatus for positioning a window on a user'"'"'s display, the apparatus comprising:

a presentation module to display, in a window-based computing environment, an image representing a display area of a user'"'"'s computer screen, the image divided into a plurality of regions, each region representing an area within the display area;

a selection module to enable a user to select a region from the plurality of regions; and

a positioning module to automatically move a window in the window-based computing environment to the area represented by the region.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an initiation module to trigger operation of the presentation module at the prompting of a user.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the window is the active window in the window-based computing environment.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a concealment module to automatically hide the image when the user selects a region.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the selection module enables a user to select more than one region from the plurality of regions

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the positioning module automatically moves a window in the window-based computing environment to the area corresponding to the more than one region.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the presentation module displays a plurality of images, wherein selected images of the plurality of images correspond to different computer screens of the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the presentation module displays the image proximate at least one of the upper right hand corner of the window, a mouse pointer of the user, and a system tray of the window-based computing environment.

17. A computer-readable medium storing a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a computer to perform operations to position a window on a user'"'"'s display, the operations comprising:

providing, in a window-based computing environment, an image representing a display area of a user'"'"'s computer screen, the image divided into a plurality of regions, each region representing an area within the display area;

enabling a user to select a region from the plurality of regions;

automatically moving a window in the window-based computing environment to the area represented by the region.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein providing comprises providing at the prompting of a user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the window is the active window in the window-based computing environment.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the image is one of a plurality of images, wherein selected images of the plurality of images correspond to different computer screens of the user.