Dynamic multi monitor display and flexible tile display

• US 10,990,419 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2019
• Issued: 04/27/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Eli, Foynes, Michael Andrew, Vakaluk, Alexander, Levy, Nir, Kantor, Irit Shalom, Arbel, Eli, Livne, Eyal, Shahar-Kashtan, Avner
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US16/291,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20190324630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24568 Data stream processing; Continuous queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Interfaces utilize two types of tiles, including boundary spanning type tiles and boundary non-spanning type tiles. The boundary non-spanning tile each have a boundary non-spanning parameter/property that prevent the tile from overlapping a particular type of display boundary and that is operable for triggering a modification of a layout presentation of the canvas by causing/modifying the one or more tiles in the first set of tiles to be automatically resized and/or repositioned within the canvas layout presentation when it is determined the boundary non-spanning type tile(s) would overlap the particular type of boundary in a current/prior layout. The boundary spanning type tiles omit the boundary non-spanning parameter/property or have it set to an inactive state.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage medium having stored executable instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more processors, for configuring the computer system to control configuration of an interface having multiple types of tiles that each render content for presentation on different types of display systems having different pluralities of display devices with different numbers of display devices, and by at least configuring the computer system to perform the following;

create the interface having a plurality of tiles, the interface being configured to be automatically and dynamically adjusted in size or arrangement of tiles to accommodate different display systems having different pluralities of display devices with different numbers of display devices, the interface being created with a plurality of tiles including;

a first set of one or more tiles that each has a boundary display parameter that specifies a particular type of display area boundary between two or more display devices of the different display systems that the first set of tiles is prohibited from overlapping during display, and

a second set of one or more tiles that omits the boundary display parameter or that has the boundary display parameter set to inactive;

identify a display parameter for a particular display system of the different display systems, the display parameter comprising one or more of;

(i) quantity of display devices of the particular display system, or (ii) relative positioning of the display devices of the particular display system;

determine a layout presentation of the interface for rendering the interface on at least two display devices of the particular display system of the different display systems simultaneously, the layout presentation of the interface being at least partially based on the display parameter for the particular display system; and

render the interface within display areas of the at least two display devices of the particular display system simultaneously without any of the first set of tiles overlapping a boundary of the particular type of display area boundary between the at least two display devices of the particular display system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the boundary display parameter is a boundary non-spanning parameter that causes the first set of one or more tiles to be automatically resized and/or repositioned within a layout presentation for display on the particular display system when it is determined the one or more tiles would overlap the particular type of display area boundary between the at least two display devices of the particular display system during rendering of the interface and in a manner to prevent any of the first set of tiles from overlapping the particular type of boundary during rendering on the particular display system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second set of one or more tiles omits the boundary non-spanning parameter, such that the second set of one or more tiles is displayed without being automatically resized and/or repositioned to avoid overlapping the particular type of boundary within the display areas of the at least two display devices.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second set of one or more tiles includes the boundary non-spanning parameter, but the boundary non-spanning parameter is set to an inactive state, such that the second set of one or more tiles is displayed without being automatically resized and/or repositioned to avoid overlapping the particular type of boundary within the display areas of the at least two display devices.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further executable to configure the computer system to modify the second set of one or more tiles in response to a modification of the first set of one or more tiles.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer-executable instructions are further executable to configure the computer system to render at least one of the second set of tiles overlapping the particular type of boundary between the at least two display devices of the particular display system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the different display systems include a plurality of different multi monitor display configurations having different quantities of boundaries of the particular type of display area boundary and wherein the computer-executable instructions are further executable to configure the computer system to render the interface on each of the different display systems with a different layout presentation for each different display system to prevent the one or more first set of one or more tiles from spanning any of the boundaries of the particular type of display area boundary between two or more display devices of the different display systems.

20. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the display devices of the display systems are physical hardware display devices.

8. A computer implemented method for controlling configuration of an interface having multiple types of tiles is configured for presentation on different types of display systems having different numbers of display devices, the method comprising:

obtaining an interface having a plurality of tiles, the interface being configured to be automatically and dynamically adjusted in size or arrangement of tiles to accommodate different display systems having different pluralities of display devices with different numbers of display devices, the plurality of tiles including;

a first set of one or more tiles that each has a boundary display parameter that specifies a particular type of display area boundary between two or more display devices of the different display systems that the first set of tiles is prohibited from overlapping during display, and

a second set of one or more tiles that omits the boundary display parameter or that has the boundary display parameter set to inactive;

identifying one or more display parameters for the different display systems, the one or more display parameters comprising one or more of;

(i) quantity of display devices of the different display systems, or (ii) relative positioning of display devices of the different display systems; and

generating one or more layout presentations of the interface for rendering on the different pluralities of display devices of the different display systems by at least modifying tile display characteristics for at least one of the first set of tiles in the one or more layout presentations to ensure none of the first set of tiles overlap a boundary of the particular type of display area boundary between at least two display devices of the different display systems when being rendered on the at least two display devices of the different display systems, the one or more layout presentations of the interface being at least partially based on the one or more display parameters.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the boundary display parameter is a boundary non-spanning parameter that causes the first set of one or more tiles to be automatically resized and/or repositioned within a layout presentation for display on a corresponding display system when it is determined the one or more tiles would overlap a particular type of boundary of display areas of a set of two or more display devices of the corresponding display system during rendering of the interface and in a manner to prevent any of the first set of tiles from overlapping the particular type of boundary during rendering on the corresponding display system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second set of one or more tiles omits the boundary non-spanning parameter, such that the second set of one or more tiles is displayed without being automatically resized and/or repositioned to avoid overlapping the particular type of boundary within the display areas of the set of two or more display devices.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second set of one or more tiles includes the boundary non-spanning parameter, but the boundary non-spanning parameter is set to an inactive state, such that the second set of one or more tiles is displayed without being automatically resized and/or repositioned to avoid overlapping the particular type of boundary within the display areas of the set of two or more display devices.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the method includes modifying the second set of one or more tiles in response to a modification of the first set of one or more tiles.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the different display systems include a plurality of different multi monitor display configurations having different quantities of boundaries of the particular type of display area boundary and wherein the method includes rendering the interface on each of the different display systems with a different layout presentation for each different display system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the method includes rendering at least one of the second set of tiles overlapping the particular type of display area boundary between the at least two display devices of the different display systems.

15. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable hardware storage device having stored computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a computing system to configure the computing system to control configuration of an interface having multiple types of tiles is configured for presentation on different types of display systems having different numbers of display devices, and by configuring the computer system to perform at least the following:

obtain an interface having a plurality of tiles, the interface being configured to be automatically and dynamically adjusted in size or arrangement of tiles to accommodate different display systems having different pluralities of display devices with different numbers of display devices, the plurality of tiles including;

a first set of one or more tiles that each has a boundary display parameter that specifies a particular type of display area boundary between two or more display devices of the different display systems that the first set of tiles is prohibited from overlapping during display, and

a second set of one or more tiles that omits the boundary display parameter or that has the boundary display parameter set to inactive;

identify one or more display parameters for the different display systems, the one or more display parameters comprising one or more of;

(i) quantity of display devices of the different display systems, or (ii) relative positioning of display devices of the different display systems; and

generate one or more layout presentations of the interface for rendering on the different pluralities of display devices of the different display systems by at least modifying tile display characteristics for at least one of the first set of tiles in the one or more layout presentations to ensure none of the first set of tiles overlap a boundary of the particular type of display area boundary between at least two display devices of the different display systems when being rendered on the at least two display devices of the different display systems, the one or more layout presentations of the interface being at least partially based on the one or more display parameters.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the boundary display parameter is a boundary non-spanning parameter that causes the first set of one or more tiles to be automatically resized and/or repositioned within a layout presentation for display on a corresponding display system when it is determined the one or more tiles would overlap a particular type of boundary of display areas of a set of two or more display devices of the corresponding display system during rendering of the interface and in a manner to prevent any of the first set of tiles from overlapping the particular type of boundary during rendering on the corresponding display system.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the second set of one or more tiles includes the boundary non-spanning parameter, but the boundary non-spanning parameter is set to an inactive state, such that the second set of one or more tiles is displayed without being automatically resized and/or repositioned to avoid overlapping the particular type of boundary within the display areas of the set of two or more display devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer executable instructions are further executable to cause the computing system to modify the second set of one or more tiles in response to a modification of the first set of one or more tiles.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the different display systems include a plurality of different multi monitor display configurations having different quantities of boundaries of the particular type of display area boundary and wherein the computer-executable instructions are executable by the one or more processors to configure the computing system to render the interface on each of the different display systems with a different layout presentation for each different display system and rendering at least one of the second set of tiles overlapping the particular type of display area boundary between the at least two display devices of the different display systems.