Method and apparatus for arranging the display of sets of information while preserving context

• US 8,365,084 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Andrew, Sundermeyer, Mike, Gough, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US11/445,409
• Time in Patent Office: 2,435 Days
• Field of Search: 571/728, 571/769, 571/770, 571/768, 571/79, 571/794, 571/796, 571/797
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows

Abstract

A system and method allows panels to be dragged into position using an icon displayed on a selector user interface or from another position, and as the panels are moved over a position in which another panel is displayed, the other panel, and panels in subsequent positions, are animated to move out of the position over which the panel being dragged is positioned.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a first set of information at a location on a display screen, comprising:

determining whether the location corresponds to a first position at which a second set of information is displayed;

responsive to the location corresponding to the first position at which the second set of information is displayed, providing a preview of a repositioning of the second set of information by animating a potentially reversible movement of the second set of information from the first position to a second position along a trajectory between the first and second positions, wherein the animating is performed before completion of a selection; and

displaying the first set of information at the location;

wherein the second set of information comprises rendered content, the content comprising text data; and

wherein;

the first set of information is dragged to the location using a pointing device; and

wherein the completion of the selection is performed by releasing the first set of information from the pointing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of information comprises a placeholder.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the placeholder is displayed in response to a drag of an icon from another location.

4. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising animating a movement, from the second position to a third position, of a third set of information that had been displayed at the second position prior to the determining.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of information had been displayed at a position other than the first position prior to the determining.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining follows a selection of an icon displayed in a set of at least one icon corresponding to identifiers of information sets not displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of information is displayed:

semi-transparently; and

in a manner that causes it to appear over at least one object on the display screen.

8. A system for displaying a first set of information at a location on a display screen, comprising:

a position identifier having an input for receiving a location of the first set of information, and positions of at least two other sets of information comprising a second set of information, the position identifier for determining whether the location corresponds to a first position at which the second set of information is displayed and signaling at an output responsive to the location corresponding to the first position;

an animation manager having a first input coupled to the position identifier for receiving the signal, and a second input for receiving an identifier of the first position, the animation manager for, responsive to the signal indicating the location corresponds to the first position at which the second set of information is displayed, causing, via an output, display of a preview of a repositioning of the second set of information by an animation of a potentially reversible movement of the second set of information from the first position to a second position along a trajectory between the first and second positions, wherein the animation is performed before completion of a selection; and

a display manager having an input for receiving the location, the display manager for causing, via an output, display of the first set of information at the location;

wherein the second set of information comprises rendered content, the content comprising text data; and

wherein;

the first set of information is dragged to the location using a pointing device; and

the completion of the selection being performed by releasing the first set of information from the pointing device.

9. A computer program product comprising a storage device having computer readable program code embodied therein for displaying a first set of information at a location on a display screen, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

determine whether the location corresponds to a first position at which a second set of information is displayed;

responsive to the location corresponding to the position at which the second set of information is displayed, provide a preview of a repositioning of the second set of information by animating a potentially reversible movement of the second set of information from the first position to a second position along a trajectory between the first and second positions; and

display the first set of information at the location;

wherein the second set of information comprises rendered content, the content comprising text data; and

wherein;

the first set of information is dragged to the location using a pointing device; and

the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to animate the movement before completion of a selection of the location by releasing the first set of information from the pointing device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first set of information comprises a placeholder.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the placeholder is displayed in response to a drag of an icon from another location.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to animate a movement, from the second position to a third position, of a third set of information that had been displayed at the second position prior to an operation of the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to determine.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first set of information had been displayed at a position other than the first position prior to an operation of the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to determine.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein an operation of the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to determine follows a selection of an icon displayed as a set of at least one icon corresponding to identifiers of information sets not displayed.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first set of information is displayed:

semi-transparently; and

in a manner that causes it to appear over at least one object on the display screen.