Smart Window Creation in a Graphical User Interface

• US 20130185672A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 07/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCormick, Timothy, Mitchell, Alexander, Pilkington, Adam J., Wilkinson, Stuart P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,863,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 method for controlling a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising:

preparing a window for displaying at an intended display location in a window display operation;

identifying a location of a GUI control element of the window at the intended display location;

identifying a location of a graphical cursor;

comparing the GUI control element location with the graphical cursor location;

identifying that the GUI control element location and the graphical cursor location coincide; and

responsive to identifying that the GUI control element location and the graphical cursor location coincide, modifying the window display operation.

2. The method 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 method of claim 1 wherein modifying the window display operation comprises changing the window display location so that the GUI control element location and graphical cursor location do not coincide.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the graphical cursor is a current location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location of the graphical cursor is a predicted location.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the predicted location is determined from cursor movement speed and direction information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the window display operation comprises disabling the operation of the GUI control element.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising repeating the comparison after a time interval, and if the locations do not coincide, displaying the window with GUI control element operation enabled.

9. A computer program comprising computer program code stored on a computer readable medium that is operable to, when loaded into a computer system and executed thereon, cause the computer system to perform the method according to claim 1.