Method and apparatus for dynamically resizing windows

• US 7,904,832 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ubillos, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuong; Truc T
• Application Number:
  US12/277,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 715716-723, 715/838, 715/798, 715/800, 370/225
• US Class Current: 715/838
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for resizing windows and an apparatus for resizing windows. The method, in one embodiment, involves selecting a seam bordering a window, building a list of windows, and resizing more than one window in response to a single seam movement by a user. The apparatus, in one embodiment, is a computer readable medium comprising a computer program for resizing windows.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution by at least one processor, said computer program comprising:

a set of instructions for displaying a plurality of independently resizable windows, each window having a set of outer edges that are individually selectable and movable to resize the window;

a set of instructions for defining a selectable and movable seam between first and second windows when a first outer edge of the first window is brought into contact with a first outer edge of the second window;

a set of instructions for detecting that a cursor is over the seam;

a set of instructions for displaying an item for selecting and moving the seam when the cursor is determined to be over the seam for longer than a set period of time;

a set of instructions for resizing the first and second windows in response to a selection and a movement of the seam;

a set of instructions for resizing the first window but not the second window in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the first window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact; and

a set of instructions for resizing the second window but not the first window in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the second window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said first and second windows are separate windows that do not encompass one another.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said seam is a first seam, wherein the computer program further comprises:

a set of instructions for identifying a second seam that is continuous with said first seam; and

a set of instructions for resizing each window that borders said second seam in response to the selection and the movement of the first seam.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first window has a predetermined minimum size and a predetermined maximum size, the computer program further comprising:

a set of instructions for expanding or contracting a set of windows that border the first window in response to the selection and the movement of the seam when the first window reaches the predetermined minimum size or the predetermined maximum size.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said first window comprises a display having an aspect ratio, wherein the set of instructions for resizing the first and second windows comprises a set of instructions for maintaining the aspect ratio of the display while resizing the first and second windows in response to the selection and the movement of the seam.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said first and second windows have a size ratio relationship with one another, wherein the set of instructions for resizing the first and second windows comprises a set of instructions for resizing said second window in a same proportion as the resizing of the first window in order to maintain the size ratio relationship between said first and second windows.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for resizing the first and second windows comprises a set of instructions for resizing the first and second windows in accord with a direction of the movement of the seam.

8. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution by at least one processor, said computer program comprising:

a set of instructions for displaying a plurality of independently resizable windows, said windows comprising first and second windows that are brought together to abut one another, said first window having a selectable first outer edge that is in contact with a selectable first outer edge of the second window;

a set of instructions for defining a selectable seam between the first and second windows;

a set of instructions for detecting that a cursor is over the seam;

a set of instructions for displaying an item for selecting and moving the seam once the cursor is determined to be over the seam for longer than a set period of time;

a set of instructions for resizing the first and second windows in response to a selection and a movement of the seam;

a set of instructions for resizing the first window but not the second window in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the first window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact; and

a set of instructions for resizing the second window but not the first window in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the second window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first and second windows have a size ratio relationship with one another, wherein the set of instructions for resizing the first and second windows comprises a set of instructions for resizing the second window in a same proportion as the resizing of the first window in order to maintain the size ratio relationship between the first and second windows.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of independently resizable windows comprises a plurality of pairs of abutting windows, each abutting window in a pair having a selectable outer edge that abuts a selectable outer edge of another abutting window in the pair, the computer program further comprises:

a set of instructions for displaying a selectable seam between each pair of abutting windows; and

a set of instructions for resizing each particular pair of abutting windows in response to a selection and a movement of the seam of the particular pair of abutting windows.

11. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for execution by at least one processor, said computer program comprising:

a set of instructions for displaying a plurality of windows, each window having a set of outer edges that are individually selectable and movable to resize the window;

a set of instructions for defining a selectable and movable seam between first and second windows when a first outer edge of the first window is brought into contact with a first outer edge of the second window;

a set of instructions for extending the seam to include a first outer edge of a third window when the third window is moved to overlap a portion of the first window;

a set of instructions for detecting that a cursor is over the seam;

a set of instructions for displaying an item for selecting and moving the seam once the cursor is determined to be over the seam for longer than a set period of time;

a set of instructions for concurrently resizing the first, second, and third windows in response to a selection and a movement of the seam;

a set of instructions for resizing the first window but not the second and third windows in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the first window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact; and

a set of instructions for resizing the second window but not the first and third windows in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the second window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third windows includes a display having an aspect ratio, wherein the aspect ratio of the display is maintained when the window is resized in response to the selection and the movement of the seam.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein at least two of the first, second and third windows have a size ratio relationship with one another, wherein the set of instructions for resizing the first, second, and third windows comprises a set of instructions for resizing the two windows proportionally in order to maintain the size ratio relationship between the two windows.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer program further comprises:

a set of instructions for identifying another seam that is continuous with said seam; and

a set of instructions for resizing all the windows that border said continuous seam in response to the selection and the movement of the seam.

15. A method for resizing windows, said method comprising:

displaying a plurality of independently resizable windows, said windows comprising first and second abutting windows, said first window having a selectable first outer edge that is in contact with a selectable first outer edge of the second window;

defining a selectable and movable seam between the first and second windows;

detecting that a cursor is over the seam;

displaying an item for selecting and moving the seam once the cursor is determined to be over the seam for longer than a set period of time;

resizing the first and second windows in response to a selection and a movement of said seam;

resizing the first window but not the second window in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the first window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact; and

resizing the second window but not the first window in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the second window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first window includes a display having an aspect ratio, wherein the aspect ratio of the display is maintained when the first window is resized in response to the selection and the movement of the seam.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second windows have a size ratio relationship with one another, wherein resizing the first and second windows comprises resizing the second windows in a same proportion as the resizing of the first window in order to maintain the size ratio relationship between the two windows.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said seam is a first seam, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a second seam that is continuous with the first seam; and

resizing each window that borders said second seam in response to the selection and the movement of the first seam.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first window has a predetermined minimum size and a predetermined maximum size, wherein the method further comprises resizing a set of windows that border the first window in response to the selection and the movement of the seam when the first window reaches the predetermined minimum size or the predetermined maximum size.

20. A method of defining a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

), said method comprising;

defining a plurality of independently resizable windows, each window having a set of outer edges that are individually selectable and movable to resize the window;

for resizing multiple windows, defining sets of instructions for (i) defining a selectable and movable seam between first and second windows when a first outer edge of the first window is brought into contact with a first outer edge of the second window, (ii) detecting that a cursor is over the seam, (iii) displaying an item for selecting and moving the seam once the cursor is determined to be over the seam for longer than a set period of time, (iv) resizing the first and second windows in response to a selection and a movement of the seam, (v) resizing the first window but not the second window in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the first window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact, and (vi) resizing the second window but not the first window in response to a selection and a movement of the first outer edge of the second window when the first outer edges of the first and second windows are in contact.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said first window comprises a display having an aspect ratio, wherein the sets of instructions for resizing the multiple windows further comprises a set of instructions for maintaining the aspect ratio of the display while resizing the first and second windows in response to the selection and the movement of the seam.