Distribution of application windows in a computing device display

• US 7,036,089 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Bauer, Jason M
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US10/128,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/789, 715/790, 715/792, 715/794, 715/802, 715/807, 715/798, 715/799, 715/800, 715/801, 715/804, 715/806, 715/911, 715/827
• US Class Current: 715/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 for distributing windows in a computing device desktop, comprises opening at least one window in the computing device desktop. The method continues with distributing the at least one window in response to a control input such that at least one window is resized and located to fit the desktop such that the icons in the at least one distributed window can be viewed by a user of the computing device.

Claims

1. A method for distributing windows on a computing device desktop, comprising the steps of:

opening at least two windows;

distributing the at least two opened windows in response to a keyboard input such that the at least two opened windows are resized and located to occupy the desktop such that the area in the at least two opened windows can be viewed by the user of the computing device, wherein a first window of the at least two opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a left side portion of the computing device desktop and wherein a second window of the at least two opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a right side portion of the computing device desktop; and

activating a plurality of user-defined layout distributions, locations, and coverage configurations with a plurality of input mechanisms, wherein each input mechanism activates a different layout distribution, location and coverage configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a first window of the at least two opened windows occupies a greater area than a second window of the at least two opened windows.

3. An apparatus for distributing windows on a display of a computing device, comprising:

means for opening a plurality of windows on the display;

means for receiving an input from a user, the means for receiving the input being coupled to the means for opening; and

means for distributing the plurality of opened windows in response to the received input such that at least two of the plurality of opened windows are distributed such that any icons located in each distributed window are visible on the display, wherein a first window of the plurality of opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a left side portion of the computing device desktop and wherein a second window of the plurality of opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a right side portion of the computing device desktop; and

means for activating a plurality of user-defined layout distributions, locations, and coverage configurations with a plurality of input mechanisms, wherein each input mechanism activates a different layout distribution, location, and coverage configuration.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least two of the plurality of opened windows correspond to applications in a user-defined list.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least two of the plurality of opened windows comprises the last two windows opened by the user of the computing device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the means for distributing expands a first window of the last two opened windows horizontally and relocates the first window to a top portion of the computing device display, the means for distributing additionally expanding a second window of the last two opened windows horizontally and relocating the second window to a bottom portion of the computing device display.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for distributing expands a first window of the last two opened windows vertically and relocates the first window to a left side portion of the computing device display, the means for distributing additionally expanding a second window of the last two opened windows vertically and relocating the second window to a right side portion of the computing device display.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for distributing additionally determines, from a configuration file, the at least two windows to be distributed.

9. A method for distributing windows in a computing device display comprising the steps of:

opening a plurality of windows on the desktop of the computing device display;

requesting an operating system to allow control over certain ones of the plurality of the opened windows;

distributing the certain ones of the plurality of the opened windows within the computing device display, wherein a first window of the plurality of the opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a left side portion of the computing device desktop and wherein a second window of the plurality of opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a right side portion of the computing device desktop; and

activating a plurality of user-defined layout distribution, location, and coverage configurations with a plurality of input mechanisms, wherein each input mechanism activates a different layout distribution, locations and coverage configuration.

10. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising receiving an input to distribute the certain ones of the plurality of the opened windows within the computing device display, the receiving step being performed prior to the requesting step.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining the current ordering of the opened windows, the determining step being performed prior to the requesting step.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of reading the screen size of the computing device display.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the certain ones of the plurality of the opened windows correspond to the last two opened windows and wherein the distributing step includes distributing the last two opened windows within the computing device display.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein each of the certain ones of the plurality of the opened windows distributed on the computing device display occupies a substantially equal area.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the certain ones of the plurality of the opened windows distributed within the computing device display occupies an area substantially unequal to at least one other of the certain ones of the plurality of the opened windows distributed within the computing device display.

16. A computing device-readable medium having computer readable instructions thereon for causing the distribution of windows on a computing device display by causing the computing device to execute the steps of:

opening a plurality of windows on a desktop of the computing device display;

receiving an input to distribute the plurality of opened windows on the desktop of the computing device display;

requesting an operating system that runs on the computing device to allow control over the plurality of the opened windows;

distributing the plurality of the opened windows within the computing device display, wherein a first window of the plurality of the opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a left side portion of the computing device desktop and wherein a second window of the plurality of opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a right side portion of the computing device desktop; and

activating a plurality of user-defined layout distribution, locations and coverage configurations with a plurality of input mechanisms, wherein each input mechanism activates a different layout distribution, locations, and coverage configuration.

17. A method for distributing windows on a computing device desktop, comprising the steps of:

opening a plurality of windows on the computing device desktop;

distributing the plurality of windows in response to an input such that certain ones of the plurality of windows are resized and located to occupy the desktop, wherein the area in the at least one distributed window can be viewed by the user of the computing device, wherein a first window of the certain ones of the opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a left side portion of the computing device desktop and wherein a second window of the certain ones of the opened windows expands vertically and relocates to a right side portion of the computing device desktop; and

activating a plurality of user-defined layout distribution, locations, and coverage configurations with a plurality of input mechanisms, wherein each input mechanism activates a different layout distribution, locations, and coverage configuration.