Adjusting sizes of attached windows

• US 9,069,434 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuscher, Alexander Friedrich, Jitkoff, John Nicholas, Violet, Scott Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiberou, Mahelet
• Application Number:
  US13/659,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for adjusting sizes of attached windows is provided. The method includes attaching two or more windows to each other to form a common border shared by each of the two or more attached windows, and providing a resize area for simultaneously adjusting sizes of the two or more attached windows when a user input indicator is within a predetermined proximity to the common border. The method also includes and simultaneously adjusting the sizes of the two or more attached windows when the user input indicator moves into the resize area and a resize input is received based on the user input indicator that has moved into the resize area. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adjusting sizes of attached windows, the method comprising:

attaching two or more windows to each other to form a common border shared by each of the two or more attached windows;

providing a resize area covering a portion of the common border and an amount of each of the two or more windows when a user input indicator is within a predetermined proximity to the common border;

providing for display of the resize area adjacent to the user input indicator, wherein the display of the resize area is visually distinguished from other portions of the two or more windows not covered by the resize area; and

simultaneously adjusting the sizes of the two or more attached windows when the user input indicator moves into the resize area and a resize input is received based on the user input indicator that has moved into the resize area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the two or more windows are within a predetermined proximity to each other;

wherein the step of attaching comprises attaching the two or more windows to each other when the two or more windows are determined to be within the predetermined proximity to each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more attached windows have different heights.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more attached windows have different widths.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the resize area for simultaneously adjusting sizes of the two or more attached windows is configured to be visually distinguished from the rest of the two or more windows outside of the resize area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the resize area is adjacent to the user input indicator that is within the predetermined proximity of the common border.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attached two or more windows comprises two windows that are horizontally attached, and a third window that is vertically attached to both of the horizontally attached windows, wherein a border of the third window is attached to portions of both horizontally attached windows.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more windows are displayed on a user interface of a computer system.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that one of the two or more windows is active; and

adjusting the size of only the determined active window of the two or more windows when another resize input is received at the common border outside of the resize area.

9. A system for adjusting sizes of attached windows, the system comprising:

a memory storing executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory configured to execute the stored executable instructions to;

determine whether two or more windows are within a predetermined proximity to each other;

attach the two or more windows to each other to form a common border shared by each of the two or more attached windows, when the two or more windows are determined to be within the predetermined proximity to each other;

provide a resize area covering a portion of the common border larger than a shared point of the two or more attached windows for simultaneously adjusting sizes of the two or more attached windows when a user input indicator is within a predetermined proximity to the common border;

provide for a visually distinguished display of the resize area; and

simultaneously adjust the sizes of the two or more attached windows when the user input indicator is placed inside the displayed resize area and a resize input is received based on the user input indicator that is placed inside the displayed resize area.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the two or more attached windows have different heights.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the two or more attached windows have different widths.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the resize area for simultaneously adjusting sizes of the two or more attached windows intersects a portion of the common border.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the resize area is adjacent to the user input indicator that is within the predetermined proximity of the common border.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the attached two or more windows comprises two windows that are horizontally attached, and another window that is vertically attached to both of the horizontally attached windows.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the two or more windows are displayed on a user interface of a computer system.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that one of the two or more windows is active; and

adjust the size of the determined active window when another resize input is received at the common border outside of the resize area.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

determining whether two or more windows are within a predetermined proximity to each other;

attaching the two or more windows to each other to form a common border shared by each of the two or more attached windows, when the two or more windows are determined to be within the predetermined proximity to each other;

providing a resize area for simultaneously adjusting sizes of the two or more attached windows when a user input indicator is within a predetermined proximity to the common border, the resize area including a portion of the common border larger than a shared point of the two or more attached windows;

providing for a visually distinguished display of the resize area, wherein the visually distinguished displayed resize area and the user input indicator do not overlap;

receiving a resize input for adjusting the size of at least one of the two or more attached windows;

determining whether the received resize input is received from inside the resize area;

simultaneously adjusting the sizes of the two or more attached windows based on the received resize input if the received resize input is received from within the resize area; and

determining an active window from the two or more attached windows and adjusting the size of the determined active window based on the received resize input if the received resize input is received from outside the resize area.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the resize area is adjacent to the user input indicator that is within the predetermined proximity of the common border.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the attached two or more windows comprises two windows that are horizontally attached, and another window that is vertically attached to both of the horizontally attached windows, wherein the common border in the resize area is configured to adjust the sizes of all of the windows relative to the position of the common border.