Method and system for re-arranging a display

• US 20060086022A1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clee, Scott J., Would, Daniel E., Masters, Peter B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,940,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/584
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method and system are described for re-arranging a display in a viewable area (110). The method comprises dividing the viewable area (110) into units (130); determining the contents of units (130) of the viewable area (110); prioritising the availability of the units (130) by content; and allocating one or more display items (140) in the prioritised available units. A plurality of display items (140) is provided and the display items (140) are allocated according to a determined order which may depend on one or more of a user preference, the contents of the viewable area, the activity of the user, and environmental parameters.

Claims

1. A method for re-arranging a display in a viewable area, comprising:

dividing the viewable area into units;

determining the contents of units of the viewable area;

prioritising the availability of the units by content; and

allocating one or more display items in the prioritised available units.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of display items are provided and are allocated according to a determined order.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the determined order is by one or more of the following determinations:

a user preference;

the contents of the viewable area;

the activity of the user; and

environmental parameters.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of display items is determined by one or more of the following determinations:

a user preference;

the contents of the viewable area;

the activity of the user; and

environmental parameters.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more display items may have allocation preferences determining their position and association with other display items.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the contents of the viewable area translates the contents into computer understood terms.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of prioritising the availability of the units by content excludes some units from availability for display.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viewable area is divided into a virtual grid of grid units.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps of determining the contents of units of the viewable area, prioritising the availability of the units by content, and allocating one or more display items in the prioritised available units are repeated at regular intervals.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps of determining the contents of units of the viewable area, prioritising the availability of the units by content, and allocating one or more display items in the prioritised available units are repeated when the contents changes.

11. A system for re-arranging a display in a viewable area, comprising:

means for dividing the viewable area into units;

recognition means for determining the contents of the units of the viewable area;

an expert system for prioritising the availability of the units by content; and

means for allocating one or more display items in the prioritised available units.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the expert system uses heuristic rules to rate the importance of seeing units of the viewable area.

13. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for dividing the viewable area divides the viewable area into a virtual grid with grid units.

14. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the viewable area is a graphical user interface and the units are the minimum size for a graphical icon.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the contents of the viewable area are current graphical user interface displays and the display items are any one or more of application icons, data icons, toolbars, system preferences and settings, and non-current application interfaces.

16. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the viewable area is a heads up display in a vehicle and the contents of the viewable area is a real time view of the vehicle environment.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the display items are information display items including one or more of control information, direction information, environment information, entertainment information.

18. A system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the recognition means includes means for real time video feed of the viewable area and conversion to computer understood terms.

19. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the viewable area is a computer game display.

20. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable program code means for re-arranging a display in a viewable area by performing the steps of:

dividing the viewable area into units;

determining the contents of units of the viewable area;

prioritising the availability of the units by content; and

allocating one or more display items in the prioritised available units.