Method, apparatus and computer program products to display objects using windows
First Claim
1. A method for displaying, in a window comprisingan outer area and an inner area, each area being located within the window and having a plurality of locations, at least one object in a plurality of objects, each object having an original position, the method comprising:
- a. selecting one of the objects;
b. determining whether the selected object has an original position outside the window;
c. responsive to the selected object having an original position outside the window, selecting a location in the outer area of the window;
d. responsive to the selected object having an original position inside the window, selecting a location in the inner area of the window; and
e. displaying the selected object at the window location selected.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparati and computer program products prepare objects for display in a window. Objects which would otherwise not be displayed because they have a position outside the borders of the window are repositioned to be displayed inside the window at a position near the border of the window that indicates the original position of the object. Objects that have been repositioned according to the present invention may also have other characteristics modified, such as size, shape, color or display intensity. Where objects are arranged in a hierarchy, they may be displayed in a color corresponding to their level in the hierarchy.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for displaying, in a window comprising
an outer area and an inner area, each area being located within the window and having a plurality of locations, at least one object in a plurality of objects, each object having an original position, the method comprising: -
a. selecting one of the objects; b. determining whether the selected object has an original position outside the window; c. responsive to the selected object having an original position outside the window, selecting a location in the outer area of the window; d. responsive to the selected object having an original position inside the window, selecting a location in the inner area of the window; and e. displaying the selected object at the window location selected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for preparing for display, in a window having a position and comprising an outer area and an inner area, each area being located within the window and having a plurality of locations, at least one object in a plurality of objects, each object having an original position described by a position identifier, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one window coordinate input corresponding to the position of the window; a position adjuster having; a window coordinate input coupled to the apparatus window coordinate input; an object position identifier input coupled to receive the original position identifier of the object; and an output selectively providing the position identifier received at the object position identifier input responsive to the original position of the object fully inside the window described by the window coordinate input, and an identifier corresponding to a location in the outer area of the window responsive to the original position of the object at least partially outside the window; and a position output coupled to the position identifier output. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for preparing for display, in a window having a position and comprising an outer area and an inner area, each area being located within the window and having a plurality of locations, at least one object in a plurality of objects, each object having an original position described by a position identifier, wherein the position of the window comprises at least one coordinate describing at least a part of the position of the window, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one window coordinate input corresponding to the position of the window; a position adjuster having; a window coordinate input coupled to the apparatus window coordinate input; an object position identifier input coupled to receive the original position identifier of the object; and an output selectively providing the position identifier received at the object position identifier input responsive to the original position of the object fully inside the window described by the window coordinate input, and an identifier corresponding to a location in the outer area of the window responsive to the original position of the object at least partially outside the window; and a comparator comprising; a window input coupled to the position adjuster window coordinate input; an object input coupled to the object position identifier input; and at least one comparator having; a first input coupled to the window input to receive one of the window coordinates; and a second input coupled to the object input to receive one of the object position identifiers corresponding to the window coordinate received at the first input; and a position output coupled to the position identifier output; a window input coupled to the position adjuster window coordinate input; an object input coupled to the object position identifier input; and at least one comparator having; a first input coupled to the window input to receive one of the window coordinates; and a second input coupled to the object input to receive one of the object position identifiers corresponding to the window coordinate received at the first input; and a first output coupled to at least one comparator output having a first state responsive to the object position identifier at the second input having a value indicating a position inside the window described by the window coordinate at the first input and a second state responsive to the object position identifier at the second input having a value not indicating a position inside the window described by the window coordinate at the first input; wherein the position identifiers comprise a plurality of coordinates and the position adjuster additionally comprises an adjuster comprising; a window input coupled to the window coordinate input; an object input coupled to the object position identifier input; and a plurality of computational units, each having; a first input coupled to the position adjuster window input to receive one of the window coordinates; as a second input coupled to the position adjuster object input to receive one of the object coordinates corresponding to the window coordinate received at the first input; a third input having a first state and a second state coupled to one of the comparator outputs; a fourth input; a first output coupled to the fourth input of another computational unit corresponding to an opposite border of the window to provide a number substantially equal to a difference between the first and second computational units; and at least one output coupled to the position adjuster output for providing a coordinate substantially equal to; the coordinate received at the second input mathematically combined using an operator selected from addition or subtraction with the fourth input responsive to the third input in the first state; and the coordinate received at the first input responsive to the third input in the second state.
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17. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for displaying, in a window comprising an outer area and an inner area, each area being located within the window and having a plurality of locations, at least one object in a plurality of objects, each object having an original position, the computer program product comprising:
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a. computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to select one of the objects; b. computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to determine whether the selected object has an original position outside the window; c. computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to select a location in the outer area of the window responsive to the selected object having an original position outside the window; d. computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to select a location in the inner area of the window responsive to the selected object having an original position inside the window; and e. computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to display the selected object at the window location selected. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for displaying, in a window comprising an outer area and an inner area, each area being located within the window and having a plurality of locations, at least one object in a plurality of objects, each object having an original position, the apparatus comprising:
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a. means for selecting one of the objects; b. means for determining whether the selected object has an original position outside the window; c. means for selecting a location in the outer area of the window responsive to the selected object having an original position outside the window; d. means for selecting a location in the inner area of the window responsive to the selected object having an original position inside the window; and e. means for displaying the selected object at the window location selected. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification