Multi-window display system and method for displaying and erasing window

• US 6,600,500 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kimiyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/559,761
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 345/779-783, 345/790-794, 345/795-797
• US Class Current: 715/795
• 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 multi-window display system is provided, capable of displaying only selected windows on the screen, erasing unnecessary information from the screen, and redisplaying the erased information without restarting the application. In the multi-window display system, when the window 2 is started, the focus moves to the window 2, which is displayed on the uppermost layer of the screen as an operation window. There is a window 1, which is partially or totally covered by the window 2 displayed on the uppermost layer, and another window remains uncovered. With reference to a data base storing the overlapping state of each of the windows, the window 1 which is partially or totally covered by the window 2 is erased, if the data base is not updated for a predetermined time, which results in improving the visibility of the screen. In addition, the erased window 1 can be redisplayed by means of a task bar mechanism.

Claims

1. A multi-window display system for displaying a plurality of windows on a display device, comprising:

a detection program for detecting a focused window among said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, said focused window being one of at least two top-most windows of said plurality of windows;

a database for storing information related to at least one of locations of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, information about overlapped ones of said plurality of windows and information about currently minimized windows;

a program for detecting location information of said focused window, for detecting overlapped ones of said plurality of windows, and for updating information in said database about ones of said plurality of windows that are overlapped by said focused window based on said detected location information of said focused window and said detected overlapped ones of said plurality of windows;

a timer program for detecting if said database is updated within a set time period; and

a minimization program for minimizing particular ones of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, based on said detected location information of said focused window and said detected overlapped ones of said plurality of windows, when said database has not been updated within said set time period, said particular ones being only those that are at least partially overlapped by said focused window.

2. The multi-window display system recited in claim 1, wherein a minimized window can be redisplayed by executing a task bar function which shifts focus to said minimized window.

3. A multi-window display system for displaying a plurality of windows on a display device, comprising:

a detection program for detecting a focused window among said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, said focused window being one of at least two top-most windows of said plurality of windows;

a database for storing information related to at least one of locations of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, information about overlapped ones of said plurality of windows and information about currently minimized windows;

a program for detecting location information of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, for detecting overlapped ones of said plurality of windows, and for updating information in said database about ones of said plurality of windows that are at least partially overlapped by other ones of said plurality of windows;

a timer program for detecting if said database is updated within a set time period; and

a minimization program for minimizing only said ones of said plurality of windows that are at least partially overlapped by other ones of said plurality of windows, based on said detected location information of said focused window and said detected overlapped ones of said plurality of windows, when said database has not been updated within said set time period.

4. The multi-window display system recited in claim 3, wherein a minimized window can be redisplayed by executing a task bar function which shifts focus to said minimized window.

5. A multi-window display system for displaying a plurality of windows on a display device, comprising:

a detection function for detecting a focused window among said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, said focused window being one of at least two top-most windows of said plurality of windows;

a memory for storing information related to locations of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, information about overlapped ones of said plurality of windows and information about currently minimized windows;

an adding function for detecting location information of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, for detecting overlapped ones of said plurality of windows, and for adding information about ones of said plurality of windows that are at least partially overlapped by other ones of said plurality of windows;

an update function for detecting if said memory is updated;

a timer function for determining an elapsed time period since said memory was last updated;

a comparing function for comparing said elapsed time period with a predetermined time period; and

a minimization function for determining if said memory has been updated within said predetermined time period and for minimizing only ones of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device that are at least partially overlapped by other ones of said plurality of windows, based on said detected location information of said focused window and said detected overlapped ones of said plurality of windows, when said memory has not been updated within said predetermined time period.

6. The multi-window display system recited in claim 5, wherein a minimized window can be redisplayed by executing a task bar function which shifts focus to said minimized window.

7. A method of displaying and minimizing windows in a multi-window display system, comprising:

displaying a plurality of windows on a display device, said focused window being one of at least two top-most windows of said plurality of windows;

detecting location information of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device;

automatically detecting that at least one of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device is overlapped by at least one other of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device;

setting a predetermined time period for updating said location information;

determining if said location information has been updated within said predetermined time period; and

minimizing particular ones of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device, based on said automatic detection, when said location information has not been updated within said predetermined time period, said particular ones being only those that are at least partially overlapped.

8. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising storing said location information in a memory.

9. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising storing said location information in a database.

10. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a newly focused window among said plurality of windows displayed on said display device; and

adding location information of said newly focused window to a database if said newly focused window is a new window or updating said location information of said newly focused window in said database if said newly focused window has previously been added to said database.

11. The method recited in claim 7, wherein determining if said location information has been updated within said predetermined time period comprises monitoring a database containing said location information to determine if said location information is updated within said predetermined time period.

12. The method recited in claim 7, wherein setting a predetermined time period for updating said location information comprises setting an idle-time value to be compared with an elapsed time period since said location information was last updated.

13. The method recited in claim 12, wherein said idle-time value is compared with said elapsed time period on a continuous basis.

14. The method recited in claim 12, wherein said elapsed time period is determined by an internal timer.

15. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising resetting said internal timer if said location information is updated prior to said predetermined time period.

16. A method of displaying and minimizing windows in a multi-window display system, comprising:

displaying a plurality of windows on a display device such that at least one of said plurality of windows is overlapped at least partially by at least one other of said plurality of windows and such that each of at least two windows of said plurality of windows are top-most windows;

detecting location information of said plurality of windows displayed on said display device;

detecting that the at least one of said plurality of windows is overlapped at least partially by the at least one other of said plurality of windows;

setting a predetermined time period for updating said location information;

determining if said location information has been updated within said predetermined time period; and

minimizing only said at least one of said plurality of windows at least partially overlapped by said at least one other of said plurality of windows, based on said overlap detection, when said location information has not been updated within said predetermined time period.

17. The method recited in claim 16, further comprising storing said location information in a memory.

18. The method recited in claim 16, further comprising storing said location information in a database.

19. The method recited in claim 16, wherein determining if said location information has been updated within said predetermined time period comprises monitoring a memory containing said location information to determine if said location information is updated within said predetermined time period.

20. The method recited in claim 16, wherein setting a predetermined time period for updating said location information comprises setting an idle-time value to be compared with a time period which has elapsed since said location information was last updated.