Smart window creation in a graphical user interface

• US 8,875,048 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCormick, Timothy, Mitchell, Alexander, Pilkington, Adam J., Wilkinson, Stuart P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIXON, MARY E
• Application Number:
  US13/657,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20130117709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 715/788
• US Class Current: 715/788
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

A method for controlling a graphical user interface (GUI) comprises preparing a window for displaying at an intended display location in a window display operation. The location of GUI control elements of the window at the intended display location and the location of a graphical cursor are identified. GUI control element location and the graphical cursor location are compared. The window display operation is modified if the two coincide, for example by moving the window display location so that they do not coincide.

Claims

1. A computer system for controlling a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

a processor;

a display device in communication with the processor;

a window display component for creating a window on the graphical user interface at an intended window creation location in a window creation operation;

a first identifying component for identifying bounding coordinates of a GUI control element of the window at the intended window creation location;

a second identifying component for identifying coordinates of a graphical cursor;

a comparison component for comparing the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element with the coordinates of the graphical cursor at a time of window creation;

a third identifying component for identifying that the coordinates of the graphical cursor are within the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element of the window at the intended window creation location at the time of window creation; and

a modifier component for modifying the window creation operation by changing the intended window creation location of the window to a different window creation location so that the coordinates of the graphical cursor are not within the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element of the window at the time of window creation in response to the third identifying component identifying that the coordinates of the graphical cursor are within the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element of the window at the intended window creation location at the time of window creation.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the GUI control element is one of a close button, a minimize button, a maximize button, a menu button, a check box and a radio button.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the location of the graphical cursor is a current location.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the location of the graphical cursor is a predicted location.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the predicted location of the graphical cursor is determined from information concerning speed and direction of cursor movement at the time of window creation.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the modifier component is for modifying the window creation operation by disabling the operation of the GUI control element until the graphical cursor has moved away from an intended GUI control element creation location of the GUI control element.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising the comparison component repeating the comparison after a time interval, and in response to determining that the graphical cursor has moved away from the intended GUI control element creation location of the GUI control element, the window display component creating the window with GUI control element operation enabled.

8. A computer program product for controlling a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising computer-readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that is operable to, when loaded into a computer system and executed thereon, cause the computer system to perform a method of:

creating a window on the graphical user interface at an intended window creation location in a window creation operation;

identifying bounding coordinates of a GUI control element of the window at the intended window creation location;

identifying coordinates of a graphical cursor;

comparing the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element with the coordinates of the graphical cursor at a time of window creation;

identifying that the coordinates of the graphical cursor are within the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element of the window at the intended window creation location at the time of window creation; and

modifying the window creation operation by changing the intended window creation location of the window to a different window creation location so that the coordinates of the graphical cursor are not within the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element of the window at the time of window creation in response to identifying that the coordinates of the graphical cursor are within the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element of the window at the intended window creation location at the time of window creation.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the GUI control element is one of a close button, a minimize button, a maximize button, a menu button, a check box and a radio button.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the location of the graphical cursor is a current location.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the location of the graphical cursor is a predicted location.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the predicted location of the graphical cursor is determined from information concerning speed and direction of cursor movement at the time of window creation.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the modifying of the window creation operation further comprises:

disabling the operation of the GUI control element until the graphical cursor has moved away from an intended GUI control element creation location of the GUI control element.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

repeating the comparing of the bounding coordinates of the GUI control element with the coordinates of the graphical cursor at the time of window creation after a time interval; and

responsive to determining that the graphical cursor has moved away from the intended GUI control element creation location of the GUI control element, creating the window with GUI control element operation enabled.