Dialog box positioning

• US 7,594,186 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Cary Lee, Jones, Steven Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roswell; Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/128,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 715/788, 715/809, 715/811, 715/812, 715/790, 715/802, 715/808
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Methods, systems and articles of manufacture for enhanced control over the positioning of dialog boxes in relation to hyperlinks within electronic documents. The controlled positioning is implemented to mitigate any undesirable placement of dialog boxes that might limit to user access to hyperlinks contained within the electronic document. Accordingly, embodiments are provided for determining a location within a displayed electronic document at which a dialog box may be positioned without obscuring any hyperlinks. In the event that such positioning is not possible, steps are taken to position the dialog box in a location that will result in the least interference between the user and a displayed document.

Claims

1. A method of positioning a non-modal dialog box in a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying content comprising hyperlinks, the method comprising:

determining whether the GUI includes a display area at least equal to an area of the non-modal dialog box and absent of any hyperlinks; and

if so, displaying the non-modal dialog box in the display area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises Web content and the GUI comprises a browser interface.

3. A method of positioning a non-modal dialog box in a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying content comprising hyperlinks, the method comprising:

processing a request to retrieve the content from a network address;

parsing a response to the request;

rendering the content in a viewable manner;

determining a position for the non-modal dialog box, wherein the determining comprises at least one of;

(i) determining whether the non-modal dialog box can be positioned in a display area of the GUI where none of the hyperlinks are obscured from a view of a user; and

(ii) determining whether the non-modal dialog box can be positioned in a display area of the GUI where a least number of hyperlinks are obscured from the view of the user; and

displaying the non-modal dialog box in the position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the position further comprises comparing an area of the non-modal dialog box with the display area.

5. A computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, causes operations to position a non-modal dialog box in a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying content comprising hyperlinks, the operations comprising:

determining whether the GUI includes a display area at least equal to an area of the non-modal dialog box and absent of any hyperlinks; and

if so, displaying the dialog box in the display area.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the content comprises Web content and the GUI comprises a browser interface.

7. A computer readable storage medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, causes operations to position a non-modal dialog box in a graphical user interface (GUI) displaying content comprising hyperlinks, the operations comprising:

processing a request to retrieve the content from a network address;

parsing a response to the request;

rendering the content in a viewable manner;

determining a position for the non-modal dialog box, wherein the determining comprises at least one of;

(i) determining whether the non-modal dialog box can be positioned in a display area of the GUI where none of the hyperlinks are obscured by a user; and

(ii) determining whether the non-modal dialog box can be positioned in a display area of the GUI where a least number of hyperlinks are obscured from the view of the user; and

displaying the dialog box in the position.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein determining the position further comprises comparing an area of the non-modal dialog box with the display area.