DYNAMIC DISPLAY OF CONTENT USING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120311436A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: STEELE, Jay David, JOHANSEN, Shaun R., MORGAN, Glen Dwayne
• Application Number:
  US13/152,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20120311436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing

Abstract

A device, system and method are provided for processing and displaying content received in a content feed. Dimensions of a page layout area available to display a articles are determined, and a page layout is generated with a first layout region whose size is based at least in part on the content of a first article, and a second layout region occupying a subdivision of the remaining area of the page layout area. The second layout region position and size is thus determined by the page layout area dimensions and size of the first layout region. A further layout region may be defined in the remaining area of the page layout area after the second layout region is defined, again based on the page layout area dimensions and the size of the second layout region. Articles are then laid out in a corresponding one of the layout regions for display.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:

determining dimensions of a page layout area available to display a plurality of articles including a first article and a second article;

generating a page layout including at least a first layout region and a second layout region within the page layout area, a size of the first layout region based at least in part upon content of the first article, and the second layout region occupying a subdivision of a remaining area of the page layout area not occupied by the first layout region, a size and position of the second layout region thus being dependent in part on at least the dimensions of the page layout area and the size of the first layout region; and

displaying the first article in the first layout region and the second article in the second layout region in accordance with the page layout.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the page layout area are determined based upon an orientation of the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the plurality of articles in a content feed, each of the plurality of articles including one or more article elements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the page layout is generated in further dependence on how many articles are included in the plurality of articles.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the page layout is generated in further dependence on a quantity of article elements associated with ones of the plurality of articles.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the page layout is generated in further dependence on whether a media element is associated with ones of the plurality of articles.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of articles comprises a syndicated content feed document.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an article layout for the first article within the first layout region based at least in part upon content of the first article and the size of the first layout region.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating comprises:

subdividing the remaining area of the page layout area into one or more subdivisions having at least a minimum dimension and that are either horizontally adjacent or vertically adjacent to the first layout region; and

assigning the second layout region to occupy one of said one or more subdivisions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the size and position of the first layout region is based upon a reference point of the page layout area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the reference point is an upper left-hand corner of the page layout area.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a size and position of the second layout region is based upon a second reference point relative to said one of said one or more subdivisions.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said generating further comprises:

determining a new remaining area of said one of said one or more subdivisions not occupied by the second layout region;

subdividing the new remaining area into one or more new subdivisions having at least the minimum dimension and that are either horizontally adjacent or vertically adjacent to the second layout region; and

assigning a third layout region to occupy one of said one or more new subdivisions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein subdividing the new remaining area comprises:

if during the subdividing one of the one or more new subdivisions does not have at least the minimum dimension, including the area of said one of the one or more new subdivisions as part of the second layout region.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a display interface; and

a processor in communication with the display interface and configured to execute computer readable instructions stored in a memory to;

determine dimensions of a page layout area available to display a plurality of articles including a first article and a second article;

generate a page layout including at least a first layout region and a second layout region within the page layout area, a size of the first layout region based at least in part upon content of the first article, and the second layout region occupying a subdivision of a remaining area of the page layout area not occupied by the first layout region, a size and position of the second layout region thus being dependent in part on at least the dimensions of the page layout area and the size of the first layout region; and

display, using the display interface, the first article in the first layout region and the second article in the second layout region in the page layout area in accordance with the page layout.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 further comprising a network communication interface, wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer readable instructions stored in the memory to:

receive, using the network communication interface, the plurality of articles in a content feed, each of the plurality of articles including one or more article elements.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer readable instructions stored in the memory to:

determine an article layout for the first article within the first layout region based at least in part upon content of the first article and the size of the first layout region.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer readable instructions stored in the memory to generate the page layout by:

subdividing the remaining area of the page layout area into one or more subdivisions having at least a minimum dimension and that are either horizontally adjacent or vertically adjacent to the first layout region; and

assigning the second layout region to occupy one of said one or more subdivisions.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the size and position of the first layout region is based upon a reference point of the page layout area.

20. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of articles in a content feed;

determining dimensions of a page layout area available to display the plurality of articles;

generating a page layout by;

assigning a first layout region to occupy the page layout area, a size of the first layout region being based at least in part upon content of a first article of the plurality of articles;

subdividing a remaining area of the page layout area not occupied by the first layout region into one or more subdivisions having at least a minimum dimension, each of said one or more subdivisions being either horizontally adjacent or vertically adjacent to the first layout region;

for each of the one or more subdivisions as a new layout area,

assigning a further layout region corresponding to a further article of the plurality of articles to occupy said subdivision;

subdividing a further remaining area of the new layout area not occupied by said further layout region into a further one or more subdivisions having at least the minimum dimension, each of said further one or more subdivisions being either horizontally adjacent or vertically adjacent to said further layout region; and

repeating said assigning and subdividing for each of said further one or more subdivision until a dimension of a subdivision after said subdividing is less than the minimum dimension; and

displaying the first article in the first layout region and each further article in the corresponding further layout region in the page layout area in accordance with the page layout.