Smart icon placement across desktop size changes

• US 7,730,422 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2006
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Russo, Thomas P
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIENER, ERIC A
• Application Number:
  US11/338,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/835, 715/764, 715/765, 715/788, 715/810, 715/815, 715/833, 715/834, 715/799, 715/800
• US Class Current: 715/815
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

Intelligent rearrangement of icons on a desktop in response to changes in desktop size, such as orientation, may be provided using a number of approaches. Desktop area in multiple orientations may be divided into a grid having equal numbers of rows and columns, and placement of icons in each orientation may use common grid coordinates. Icons may alternatively be reflected along a diagonal of desktops in different orientations, such that some icon positional relationships may be maintained. Placement of icons on a desktop may be restricted to a predefined subset region of the desktop, where the subset region will fit in multiple orientations without requiring adjustment. Additionally, areas of a desktop in multiple orientations may be reserved for predefined types of icons, and changes in orientation may result in placement of icons in corresponding reserved areas based on icon attribute.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method for placing icons on a graphical desktop when changing orientations, comprising the steps of:

defining a subset region in a first orientation of the graphical desktop, the graphical desktop being rectangular and having a long side and a short side, wherein the subset region has a length and width both equal to or shorter than a length of the short side of the graphical desktop, and wherein the subset region encompasses a plurality of pixels, wherein the dimensions of the subset region are defined by receiving user input that moves a slidebar along an edge of the graphical desktop;

placing a plurality of icons in the subset region of the first orientation, wherein said placing restricts placement of said icons to within the subset region of the graphical desktop;

changing said graphical desktop from said first orientation to a second orientation by rotating the graphical desktop ninety degrees; and

in response to said changing, redrawing said subset region on said graphical desktop in said second orientation without rotating the subset region such that the top side of the subset region in the first orientation is also the top side of the subset region in the second orientation, and replacing the plurality of icons on the graphical desktop in the second orientation such that the icons in said subset region maintain the same relative spatial relationship between each of the plurality of icons with both of said first and second orientations.

2. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said subset region is a square region.

3. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said step of restricting further comprises the step of, in response to receiving a request to place a new icon in a first area of said graphical desktop outside of said subset region, automatically displaying said new icon in a second area of said graphical desktop inside of said subset region.

4. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 3, wherein said step of automatically displaying further comprises the step of selecting said second area based on proximity to said first area.

5. A method performed by a processor of a computing system for placing icons on a graphical desktop when changing orientations, comprising the steps of:

defining a subset region in a first orientation of the graphical desktop, the graphical desktop being rectangular and having a long side and a short side, wherein the subset region has a length and width both equal to or shorter than a length of the short side of the graphical desktop, and wherein the subset region encompasses a plurality of pixels, wherein the dimensions of the subset region are defined by receiving user input that moves a slidebar along an edge of the graphical desktop;

placing a plurality of icons in the subset region of the first orientation, wherein said placing restricts placement of said icons to within the subset region of the graphical desktop;

changing said graphical desktop from said first orientation to a second orientation by rotating the graphical desktop ninety degrees; and

in response to said changing, redrawing said subset region on said graphical desktop in said second orientation without rotating the subset region such that the top side of the subset region in the first orientation is also the top side of the subset region in the second orientation, and replacing the plurality of icons on the graphical desktop in the second orientation such that the icons in said subset region maintain the same relative spatial relationship between each of the plurality of icons with both of said first and second orientations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said subset region is a square region.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of restricting further comprises the step of, in response to receiving a request to place a new icon in a first area of said graphical desktop outside of said subset region, automatically displaying said new icon in a second area of said graphical desktop inside of said subset region.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of automatically displaying further comprises the step of selecting said second area based on proximity to said first area.

9. A system comprising a processor and memory, wherein the memory stores computer executable instructions which when executed by the processor perform steps for placing icons on a graphical desktop when changing orientations, comprising the steps of:

defining a subset region in a first orientation of the graphical desktop, the graphical desktop being rectangular and having a long side and a short side, wherein the subset region has a length and width both equal to or shorter than a length of the short side of the graphical desktop, and wherein the subset region encompasses a plurality of pixels, wherein the dimensions of the subset region are defined by receiving user input that moves a slidebar along an edge of the graphical desktop;

placing a plurality of icons in the subset region of the first orientation, wherein said placing restricts placement of said icons to within the subset region of the graphical desktop;

changing said graphical desktop from said first orientation to a second orientation by rotating the graphical desktop ninety degrees; and

in response to said changing, redrawing said subset region on said graphical desktop in said second orientation without rotating the subset region such that the top side of the subset region in the first orientation is also the top side of the subset region in the second orientation, and replacing the plurality of icons on the graphical desktop in the second orientation such that the icons in said subset region maintain the same relative spatial relationship between each of the plurality of icons with both of said first and second orientations.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said subset region is a square region.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said step of restricting further comprises the step of, in response to receiving a request to place a new icon in a first area of said graphical desktop outside of said subset region, automatically displaying said new icon in a second area of said graphical desktop inside of said subset region.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said step of automatically displaying further comprises the step of selecting said second area based on proximity to said first area.