Method and apparatus for proportionally displaying windows on a computer display screen

• US 5,390,295 A
• Filed: 12/20/1991
• Issued: 02/14/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Cary L., Ryan, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US07/811,548
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 340/715, 395/155, 395/157, 395/159, 395/161
• US Class Current: 715/789
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• 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: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A method and apparatus for logically organizing windows displayed on a display screen. The amount of time each of the windows presented to the display screen is active (also known as "in focus") is monitored. Upon receipt of a command from the user, the windows that were active a longer length of time are displayed more distinctively than windows that were active a shorter length of time. More specifically, windows are displayed on the display screen having a window size proportional, to the length of time each of the window were active. For example, a window that was active 40% of the time will have a size that is 40% of the specified window tiling area. Windows that have not been active long enough to exceed a minimum window tiling threshold are displayed as icons outside of or under the specified window tiling area and are not included in the calculations of percentage of activity of the windows.

Claims

1. A method for efficiently displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a length of time that each of said plurality of windows has been active; and

displaying each of said plurality of windows within said display screen in a size proportional to said length of time being active.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying step further comprises the steps of:

determining a tiling area on said display screen;

splitting said tiling area into an H1 region and an H2 region;

splitting said H1 region into a Q1 region and a Q2 region; and

splitting said H2 region into a Q3 region and a Q4 region.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said splitting said tiling area step is performed such that the size of said H1 region is proportional to said length of time that a first window and a second window have been active relative to said length of time that said first window through an Nth window have been active, and the size of said H2 region is proportional to said length of time that a third window through said Nth window have been active relative to said length of time that said first window through said Nth window have been active.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said splitting said H1 region step is performed such that the size of said Q1 region is proportional to said length of time that said first window has been active relative to said length of time that said first window and said second window have been active, and the size of said Q2 region is proportional to said length of time that said second window has been active relative to said length of time that said first window and said second window have been active.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said splitting said H2 region step is performed such that the size of said Q3 region is proportional to said length of time that a third window has been active relative to said length of time that said third window through said Nth window have been active, and the size of said Q4 region is proportional to said length of time that a fourth window through said Nth window have been active relative to said length of time that said third window through said Nth window have been active.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

displaying said first window in said Q1 region;

displaying a second window in said Q2 region; and

displaying a third window in said Q3 region.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

splitting said Q4 region into a Q4-Q1 region and a Q4-Q2 region such that the size of said Q4-Q1 region is proportional to said length of time that a fourth window has been in focus relative to said length of time that said fourth window through said Nth window have been in focus, and the size of said Q4-Q2 region is proportional to said length of time that a fifth window has been in focus relative to said length of time that said fourth window through said Nth window have been in focus, wherein N=5;

displaying said fourth window in said Q4-Q1 region; and

displaying said fifth window in said Q4-Q2 region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said displaying step further comprises the steps of:

determining that a sixth window has not been active long enough to exceed a minimum threshold;

displaying said sixth window as an icon.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said splitting said tiling area step is performed vertically if the width of said tiling area is greater than or equal to the height of said tiling area.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein said splitting said H1 region step is performed horizontally if said splitting said tiling area step was performed vertically.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said splitting said tiling area step is performed horizontally if the width of said tiling area is less than the height of said tiling area.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said splitting said H1 region step is performed vertically if said splitting said tiling area step was performed horizontally.

13. A computer system for efficiently displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen, comprising:

a system unit, comprising;

a processor;

memory, connected to said processor;

storage, connected to said processor;

a display adapter, connected to said processor;

a display, connected to said system unit;

means in said processor that monitoring a length of time for each of said plurality of windows has been active; and

means in said processor for displaying on said display each of said plurality of windows in a size proportional to said length of time being active.

14. A method for efficiently displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a length of time that each of said plurality of windows has been active;

determining a tiling area on said display screen;

splitting said tiling area into an H1 region and an H2 region wherein the size of said H1 region is proportional to said length of time that a first window and a second window have been active relative to said length of time that said first window through an Nth window has been active, and the size of said H2 region is proportional to said length of time that a third window through said Nth window have been active relative to said length of time that said first window through said Nth window have been active;

splitting said H1 region into a Q1 region and Q2 region wherein the size of said Q1 region is proportional to said length of time that said first window has been active relative to said length of time that said first window and said second window have been active, and the size of said Q2 region is proportional to said length of time that said second window has been active relative to said length of time that said first window and said second window have been active;

splitting said H2 region into a Q3 region and Q4 region; and

displaying each of a plurality of windows within a region in a size proportional to said length of time being active.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said splitting said H2 region is performed such that the size of said Q3 region is proportional to said length of time that a third window has been active relative to said length of time that said third window through said Nth window have been active, and the size of said Q4 region is proportional to said length of time that a fourth window through said Nth window have been active relative to said length of time that said third window through said Nth window have been active.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

displaying said first window in said Q1 region;

displaying a second window in said Q2 region; and

displaying a third window in said Q3 region.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

splitting said Q4 region into a Q4-Q1 region and a Q4-Q2 region such that the size of said Q4-Q1 region is proportional to said length of time that a fourth window has been in focus relative to said length of time that said fourth window through said Nth window have been in focus, and the sizes of said Q4-Q2 region is proportional to said length of time that a fifth window has been in focus relative to said length of time that said fourth window through said Nth window have been in focus, wherein N=5;

displaying said fourth window in said Q4-Q1 region; and

displaying said fifth window in said Q4-Q2 region.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said displaying step further comprises the steps of:

determining that a sixth window has not been active long enough to exceed a minimum threshold; and

displaying said sixth window as an icon.