Window system preventing overlap of multiple always-visible windows
First Claim
1. A method for displaying information on a display device of a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
- simultaneously displaying information in a plurality of windows on said display device, wherein said plurality of windows includes a first always-visible window;
maintaining a plurality of configurations that correspond to said plurality of windows, wherein the configuration for each of said plurality of windows reflects a location and dimensions of the window on the display device;
detecting an event that causes a portion of a second window of said plurality of windows to occupy a common region on said display device with a portion of said first always-visible window;
determining whether said second window is an always-visible window;
if said second window is an always-visible window, thenaltering either the configuration of the first always-visible window or the configuration of the second window, or the configurations of both said first always-visible window and second window, so that no portion of said second window occupies a common region on said display device with any portion of said first always-visible window.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for establishing an always-visible class of windows in a computer-implemented windowing environment is provided. A user may designate one or more windows as always-visible windows. If an always-visible window overlaps with a non-always-visible window, then the always-visible window is displayed on top of the non-always-visible window. Always-visible windows are prevented from overlapping with each other. Techniques are provided for implementing the always-visible window class in a manner that complies with the X Windows system. According to one technique, the override redirect attribute is used as a flag to designate which windows are always-visible windows. According to an alternative technique, a list of always-visible windows is maintained as a property attached to a root window.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for displaying information on a display device of a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
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simultaneously displaying information in a plurality of windows on said display device, wherein said plurality of windows includes a first always-visible window; maintaining a plurality of configurations that correspond to said plurality of windows, wherein the configuration for each of said plurality of windows reflects a location and dimensions of the window on the display device; detecting an event that causes a portion of a second window of said plurality of windows to occupy a common region on said display device with a portion of said first always-visible window; determining whether said second window is an always-visible window; if said second window is an always-visible window, then altering either the configuration of the first always-visible window or the configuration of the second window, or the configurations of both said first always-visible window and second window, so that no portion of said second window occupies a common region on said display device with any portion of said first always-visible window. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A window management system for use on a computer system that has a display device, the window management system comprising:
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a memory that contains a plurality of attributes of a plurality of windows, wherein said plurality of attributes indicate whether each window of said plurality of windows is an always-visible window, wherein said plurality of attributes indicate a stack order position for each window of said plurality of windows; an input reception unit for receiving input from a user, said input designating changes in said plurality of attributes; a window display unit for displaying said plurality of windows on said display device based on said plurality of attributes; wherein if portions of two or more windows of said plurality of windows share a common screen region, then the window display unit displays in said common screen region the portion of the window of said two or more windows that has a higher position in said stack order than the other of said two or more windows; wherein the window display unit includes an overlap processing unit for determining whether said changes cause two or more always-visible windows to overlap; and an overlap correction unit for altering said plurality of attributes to prevent overlap between said two or more always-visible windows; a stack order processing unit for determining whether said changes cause an always-visible window to have a lower position in said stack-order than any window that is not an always-visible window; and a stack order correction unit for altering said plurality of attributes to prevent said always-visible window from having a lower position in said stack-order than any window that is not an always-visible window. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for displaying important information in a window-based interface on a screen of a display device in a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a plurality of windows on said screen, said plurality of windows including one or more always-visible windows; displaying said important information in an always-visible window of said plurality of windows; receiving user input that would cause a selected window of said plurality of windows to cover a portion of said always-visible window; if said selected window is an always-visible window, then preventing said selected window from overlapping with said always-visible window; and if said selected window is not an always-visible window, then displaying on said screen said always-visible window on top of said selected window. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification