Content and proximity based window layout optimization

• US 7,890,882 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZAHR, ASHRAF A
• Application Number:
  US11/408,832
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 715/788, 715/792
• US Class Current: 715/788
• 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: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A content and proximity based window layout optimizer is described, including receiving a request to adjust one or more windows in a user interface, the one or more windows having content, determining an adjustment order based on the request, the adjustment order comprising a sequence of the one or more windows on which the request to adjust is applied successively, adjusting the one or more windows based on the request, the adjustment order, and the content of the one or more windows being adjusted.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a resizing request in regard to a plurality of windows in a user interface wherein the resizing request is generated using a manipulation element of the user interface, the plurality of windows having content;

determining a sequence of the plurality of windows, wherein the sequence is determined dependent on respective proximities of the plurality of windows to the manipulation element; and

adjusting the plurality of windows based on the request, the sequence, and the content of the one or more windows being adjusted, wherein said adjusting is performed successively on each window according to the sequence such that one or more of the plurality of windows closest to the manipulation element are adjusted prior to adjusting one or more windows farther from the manipulation element, wherein said adjusting comprises adjusting one of the plurality of windows in the sequence in response to determining that a previous window in the sequence has been adjusted to a maximum or minimum size such that the window is not adjusted until the previous window in the sequence has reached the maximum or minimum size, wherein the maximum or minimum size is dependent on an amount of content in the previous window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the manipulation element corresponds to a splitter and wherein receiving the resizing request further comprises:

detecting a change in position of the splitter, the splitter separating a plurality of child windows within the user interface; and

calculating an available space, the available space being calculated based on a difference between a beginning position of the splitter and an ending position of the splitter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the plurality of windows further comprises applying the available space to enlarge a first window on a first side of the splitter and applying the available space to reduce a second window on a second side of the splitter, the enlarging and reducing occurring substantially simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sequence of windows is in an order of proximity to the splitter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the resizing request further comprises receiving a request to add another window to the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the resizing request further comprises receiving a request to remove one of the plurality of windows from the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the resizing request further comprises receiving a request to size a container window, the container window having one or more of the plurality of windows.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of windows is in order of a leftmost and topmost window in the user interface to a bottommost and rightmost window in the user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the plurality of windows further comprises applying an available space to the one or more windows of the plurality of windows according to the sequence until the available space is depleted, the available space comprising a quantity of screen space.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the available space to the one or more windows in the sequence further comprises enlarging a first window in the sequence to a maximum size or reducing the first window in the sequence to a minimum size prior to enlarging or reducing a second window in the sequence, the maximum size comprising a parameter indicating a maximum of content for display, the minimum size comprising another parameter indicating a minimum of content for display.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the available space to the one or more windows in the sequence further comprises each of the one or more windows using a portion of the available space, the portion being less than or equal to an amount of space used to adjust the one or more windows from a current size to a respective minimum or maximum size.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the available space to the one or more windows in the sequence further comprises each of the one or more windows using a portion of the available space, the portion being greater than or equal to an amount of space used to adjust the one or more windows from a current size to a respective minimum or maximum size if additional available space remains after the one or more windows are adjusted.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to adjust a user interface, the user interface having a plurality of container windows separated by splitters, the request being made by an adjustment of one of the splitters, the container windows having a plurality of child windows, the child windows comprising content, wherein at least one of the plurality of container windows has a plurality of child windows;

calculating an adjustment space, the adjustment space comprising a portion of screen space made available by the adjustment of the user interface;

determining a sequence of child windows, wherein the sequence is determined dependent on respective proximities of the child windows to the one of the splitters; and

sizing the plurality of child windows in the sequence based on the request to adjust the user interface, the adjustment space, and the sequence, wherein said sizing is performed successively on each window according to the sequence and comprises adjusting one of the child windows in the sequence in response to determining that a previous child window in the sequence has been adjusted to a maximum or minimum size such that the child window is not adjusted until the previous child window in the sequence has reached the maximum or minimum size, wherein the maximum or minimum size is dependent on an amount of content in the previous child window.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sequence is the sequence of the child windows as bounded by a topmost and leftmost window and a bottommost and rightmost window when the request to adjust the user interface includes a size change of one or more of the plurality of container windows, or adding a child window to or removing a child window from the plurality of container windows.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the sequence is ordered by proximity of the child windows to the one of the splitters when the request to adjust the user interface includes a change in position of the one of the splitters to adjust a size of the child windows, the one of the splitters being configured to separate the child windows.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of child windows are sized by expanding a first child window size on a first side of the one of the splitters and reducing a second child window size on a second side of the one of the splitters, the expanding and reducing occurring substantially simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein sizing the plurality of child windows based on the request to adjust the user interface further comprises applying the adjustment space to the plurality of child windows successively until the adjustment space is consumed.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein sizing the plurality of child windows based on the request to adjust the user interface further comprises applying a first portion of the adjustment space to size a first child window in the sequence to a maximum or minimum size prior to applying a second portion of the adjustment space to a second child window in the sequence, the maximum size being a first size parameter at which a maximum content is displayed, the minimum size being a second size parameter at which a minimum of content is displayed.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein sizing the plurality of child windows based on the request to adjust the user interface further comprises sizing a first child window in the sequence beyond the maximum or minimum size when the adjustment space is available, wherein the plurality of child windows being adjusted are at the maximum size or the minimum size, and a first child window exceed parameter indicates that the first child window exceeds the first size parameter.

20. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor and configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to implement;

a user interface including a plurality of container windows separated by one or more container splitters, wherein at least one of the plurality of container windows has a plurality of child windows separated by one or more child splitters, wherein each child window has content, and the user interface is configured to receive a command to adjust one or more of the plurality of child windows, the command being generated by adjustment of one of the child splitters;

a sequencing module configured to determine a sequence of child windows, wherein the sequence of child windows is determined dependent on respective proximities of the child windows in the user interface to the one of the child splitters; and

an adjusting module configured to adjust the plurality of child windows in the sequence based on the command, the child window sequence, and the content of each child window of the plurality of child windows being adjusted, wherein said adjusting is performed successively on each child window in the sequence and comprises adjusting one of the child windows in the sequence in response to determining that a previous child window in the sequence has been adjusted to a maximum or minimum size such that the child window is not adjusted until the previous child window in the sequence has reached the maximum or minimum size, wherein the maximum or minimum size is dependent on an amount of content in the previous child window.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the user interface receives the command based on the movement of the one of the child splitters.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the sequencing module is further configured to determine whether the child window sequence is a proximity sequence, the proximity sequence being a child window sequence in which the child windows are displayed in an order of proximity to the adjusted one of the child splitters.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the adjusting module is further configured to adjust a first proximate child window to a maximum size or a minimum size before adjusting a second proximate child window, the maximum size displaying a maximum of content, the minimum size displaying a minimum of content.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the adjusting module is further configured to adjust the plurality of child windows in the window sequence until an available space has been depleted, the available space being determined by the area difference between a starting position of the one of the splitters and an ending position of the one of the splitters.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive another command to adjust a size of one of the plurality of container windows.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the user interface is further configured to receive another command to add a child window to one of the plurality of container windows or to delete one of the plurality of child windows from a container window.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the sequencing module is further configured to determine the child window sequence to start at a top left position and to end at a bottom right position of the one or more of the plurality of container windows.

28. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a resizing request in regard to a plurality of windows in a user interface wherein the resizing request is generated using a manipulation element of the user interface, the plurality of windows having content;

determining a sequence of the plurality of windows, wherein the sequence is determined dependent on respective proximities of the plurality of windows to the manipulation element; and

adjusting the plurality of windows based on the request, the sequence, and the content of the one or more windows being adjusted, wherein said adjusting is performed successively on each window according to the sequence such that one or more of the plurality of windows closest to the manipulation element are adjusted prior to adjusting one or more windows farther from the manipulation element, wherein said adjusting comprises adjusting one of the plurality of windows in the sequence in response to determining that a previous window in the sequence has been adjusted to a maximum or minimum size such that the window is not adjusted until the previous window in the sequence has reached the maximum or minimum size, wherein the maximum size is dependent on an amount of content in the previous window.

29. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a request to adjust a user interface, the user interface having a plurality of container windows separated by splitters, the request being made by an adjustment of one of the splitters, the container windows having a plurality of child windows, the child windows comprising content, wherein at least one of the plurality of container windows has a plurality of child windows;

calculating an adjustment space, the adjustment space comprising a portion of screen space made available by the adjustment of the user interface;

determining a sequence of child windows, wherein the sequence is determined dependent on respective proximities of the child windows to the one of the splitters; and

sizing the plurality of child windows in the sequence based on the request to adjust the user interface, the adjustment space, and the sequence, wherein said sizing is performed successively on each child window according to the sequence and comprises adjusting one of the child windows in the sequence in response to determining that a previous child window in the sequence has been adjusted to a maximum or minimum size such that the child window is not adjusted until the previous child window in the sequence has reached the maximum or minimum size, wherein the maximum size is dependent on an amount of content in the previous child window.