IN-DOCUMENT FLOATING OBJECT RE-ORDERING

• US 20100107101A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lang, Brent, Shaw, Han-Yi
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/766
• 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

Techniques are disclosed herein for re-ordering floating objects in an electronic document. An electronic document having floating objects is displayed in a first mode. Each floating object has an x-y location in the document and has a position on a z-order stack. In the first mode the floating objects are displayed in an x-y plane based on the z-order stack. Then, the electronic document is displayed in a second mode in which the electronic document is depicted as x-y plane slices. Each x-y plane slice corresponds to one position on the z-order stack. The x-y plane slices are displayed in particular order to depict the position of the floating objects on the z-order stack. A re-ordering of the x-y plane slices is displayed based on a request. Then, the electronic document is displayed in the first mode again based on the re-ordering of the x-y planes.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

displaying at least a portion of an electronic document in a first mode, the portion of the electronic document comprises a plurality of floating objects, the portion of the electronic document has a z-order stack, each floating object has an x-y location in the portion of the electronic document and has a position in the z-order stack, in the first mode the floating objects are displayed in an x-y plane based on the z-order stack;

displaying the portion of the electronic document in a second mode, in the second mode the electronic document is depicted as a plurality of x-y plane slices, each x-y plane slice corresponds to one position on the z-order stack and depicts the floating object that is associated with that position on the z-order stack, the x-y plane slices are displayed in a particular order to depict the position of the floating objects on the z-order stack, displaying the portion of the electronic document in a second mode includes displaying only a subset of the floating objects that are included in the portion of the electronic document;

receiving a request to re-order the x-y plane slices when in the second mode;

displaying a re-ordering of the x-y plane slices based on the request to re-order; and

displaying the portion of the electronic document in the first mode based on the re-ordering of the x-y planes slices.

2. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the displaying a re-ordering of the x-y plane slices based on the request to re-order includes:

displaying a first x-y plane slice of the x-y plane slices in different positions relative to the other x-y plane slices, the displaying the first x-y plane slice in different positions is in response to the request to re-order the x-y plane slices; and

displaying a position indicator on the first x-y plane slice, the position indicator specifies the relative position of the first x-y plane slice to the other x-y plane slices when at each of the different positions.

5. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining the subset by determining which of the floating objects overlap a first floating object.

6. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining the subset by determining which of the floating objects were identified by a user as associated with a first floating object.

7. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the displaying the portion of the electronic document in a second mode includes preserving the x-y location in the portion of the electronic document of each floating object in the subset.

8. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to store an indication that a first floating object of the floating objects is to be displayed without being obscured by other floating objects when in the first mode, the request is received when in the second mode; and

wherein displaying the portion of the electronic document in the first mode based on the re-ordering includes displaying the first floating object to allow the first floating object to be viewed for editing by the user, the first floating object would be otherwise be obscured in the first mode.

9. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a position of a cursor as the cursor moves across the x-y plane slices; and

displaying a numerical indicator on an x-y plane slice that the cursor is currently over as the cursor moves, the numerical indicator specifies the relative position of the x-y plane slice that the cursor is currently over to other x-y plane slices.

22. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving a request to re-order the x-y plane slices when in the second mode and the displaying a re-ordering of the x-y plane slices based on the request to re-order include:

receiving a selection of a first of the x-y plane slices when in the second mode;

receiving a request to move the first x-y plane slice when in the second mode; and

displaying the first x-y plane slice in different positions relative to the other x-y plane slices while the request to move the first x-y plane slice is ongoing.

3-4. -4. (canceled)

10. A computer implemented comprising:

displaying a page of an electronic document in a first mode, the electronic document page comprises a plurality of floating objects and a plurality of ordered layers, each floating object has an x-y location in the electronic document page, each floating object is associated with one of the layers, in the first mode the floating objects are displayed in a single x-y plane based on the order of the layers;

receiving a selection of a first of the floating objects while displaying the electronic document page in the first mode;

determining a subset of floating objects that are associated with the first floating object, the subset of floating objects are associated with a subset of the layers;

displaying the electronic document page in a second mode, in the second mode the electronic document page is depicted as a plurality of slices, each of the slices corresponds to a layer of the subset of layers, the slices are arranged in a first order to depict the relative order of the subset of layers, each of the slices contains a floating object depicted in the x-y location in the electronic document page for the floating object;

receiving a request to re-order the slices when in the second mode;

displaying a first slice of the slices in different positions relative to the other slices, the displaying the first slice in different positions is in response to the request to re-order the slices;

receiving an indication that the first slice is in a final position, the indication is received when displaying the first slice in the different positions, the slices are in a final order when the first slice is in the final position; and

displaying the electronic document page in the first mode based on the final order of the slices.

11. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 10, wherein the displaying a first slice of the slices in different positions relative to the other slices includes displaying a position indicator on the first slice, the position indicator specifies what position the first slice occupies relative to the other slices when at each of the different positions.

12. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 10, further comprising determining the subset by determining which of the floating objects overlap the first floating object.

13. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 10, further comprising determining the subset by determining which of the floating objects were identified by a user as associated with the first floating object, the identified floating objects are associated with layers of the plurality of ordered layers other than the layer with which the first floating object is associated.

14. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 10, wherein the displaying the electronic document page in a second mode includes preserving the x-y location in the electronic document page of each floating object.

15. A computer implemented method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request to store an indication that the first floating object is to be displayed without being obscured by other floating objects when in the first mode, the request is received when in the second mode; and

wherein the displaying the electronic document page in the first mode based on the final position of the first slice and positions of the other slices includes displaying the first floating object to allow the first floating object to be viewed for editing by the user, the first floating object would be otherwise be obscured in the first mode.

16. A computer storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed on a processor, implement a method comprising:

displaying a page of an electronic document in a first mode, the document page comprises a plurality of floating objects and a plurality of layers, each floating object has an x-y location in the document page, each floating object is associated with one of the layers, in the first mode the floating objects are displayed in a single x-y plane based on the order of the layers;

providing an option for a user to request that all of the floating objects be displayed in a layer editing mode or that only floating objects that overlap a selected floating object be displayed in the layer editing mode;

receiving a request to display the document page in the layer editing mode, the request is one of displaying all floating objects or only displaying floating objects that overlap a selected floating object;

determining a set of the floating objects to display in the layer editing mode to satisfy the request, the set of the floating objects are associated with a set of the layers;

displaying the document page in the layer editing mode, the layer editing mode depicts the document page as a plurality of windows, each window corresponds to a layer of the set of layers, the windows are arranged to depict the relative order of the set of layers, each of the windows contains a floating object depicted in the x-y location in the document page for that floating object;

receiving a request to re-order the windows when in the layer editing mode;

displaying a first window of the windows in different positions relative to the other windows, the displaying the first window in different positions is in response to the request to re-order the windows;

receiving an indication that the first window is in a final position, the indication is received when displaying the first window in the different positions; and

receiving a request to display the document page in the first mode, the request to display the document page in the first mode is received when the first window is in the final position, the windows are in a final order when the first window is in the final position; and

displaying the document page in the first mode in response to the request to display the document page in the first mode, the displaying the document page in the first mode is based on the final order of the windows.

17. A computer storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the displaying a first window in different positions relative to the other windows includes displaying a position indicator on the first window, the position indicator specifies what position the first window occupies relative to the other windows when at each of the different positions.

18. A computer storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the determining a set of the floating objects to display in the layer editing mode includes determining a set of the floating objects in layers other than the layer in which the selected floating object is in that form a cluster with the selected floating object.

19. A computer storage medium method as recited in claim 16, wherein the determining a set of the floating objects to display in the layer editing mode includes determining a set of the floating objects in layers other than that directly overlap the selected floating object.

20. A computer storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the displaying the object in a layer editing mode includes preserving the x-y location in the document page of each floating object.

21. A computer storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the receiving a request to display the document page in the layer editing mode includes receiving a request to display only floating objects that overlap a selected floating object.