Method and system for re-arranging a display

• US 7,940,285 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clee, Scott J., Would, Daniel E., Masters, Peter B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Washburn; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): BADER, ROBERT N.
• Application Number:
  US11/242,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20060086022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,045 Days
• Field of Search: 345/637, 345/633, 463/6
• US Class Current: 345/637
• 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. The method comprises dividing the viewable area into units; determining the contents of units of the viewable area; prioritizing the availability of the units by content; and allocating one or more display items in the prioritized available units. A plurality of display items is provided and the display items 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, the viewable area including first objects to be displayed;

determining the contents of units of the viewable area that includes the first objects by;

representing the units as a picture of letters wherein the letters represent first objects of the contents, different letters being used to indicate different first objects;

identifying a particular first object by removing letters not associated with the particular first object to form a compressed form of the particular first object;

storing the compressed form of the particular first object;

comparing the compressed form of the particular first object with a plurality of stored images of respective known types to find a match that indicates the type of the particular first object, each first object type having a respective associated rule that indicates importance that the first object type remain uncluttered;

prioritizing into 3 or more grades of importance the availability of the units for display of objects other than the first objects according to the contents of the units, the prioritizing into 3 or more grades of importance including considering first object type and the associated rule that indicates importance that the first object type remain uncluttered;

supplying display items including second objects to be displayed in the viewable area, the second objects being different from the first objects;

prioritizing each second object for display according to importance that it be displayed; and

allocating one or more display items for display in the viewable area as a function of both the first prioritizing step of prioritizing the availability of the units for display of objects other than the first objects and the second prioritizing step of prioritizing each second object for display according to importance that it be displayed.

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

3. The method of 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. The method of 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. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more display items may have allocation preferences determining their position and association with other display items.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the contents of the viewable area translates the contents into computer understood terms.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of prioritizing the availability of the units for display of objects other than the first objects according to the contents of the units excludes some units from availability for display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewable area is divided into a virtual grid of grid units.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the following steps are repeated at regular intervals:

determining the contents of units of the viewable area that includes the first objects;

prioritizing into 3 or more grades of importance the availability of the units for display of objects other than the first objects according to the contents of the units;

supplying display items including second objects to be displayed in the viewable area, the second objects being different from the first objects;

prioritizing each second object for display according to importance that it be displayed; and

allocating one or more display items for display in the viewable area as a function of both the first prioritizing step of prioritizing the availability of the units for display of objects other than the first objects and the second prioritizing step of prioritizing each second object for display according to importance that it be displayed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of determining the contents of units of the viewable area, prioritizing the availability of units by content, and allocating one or more display items in the prioritized available units are repeated when the contents change.

11. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable program code that rearranges a display in a viewable area by performing the steps of:

dividing the viewable area into units, the viewable area including first objects to be displayed;

determining the contents of units of the viewable area that includes the first objects by;

representing the units as a picture of letters wherein the letters represent first objects of the contents, different letters being used to indicate different first objects;

identifying a particular first object by removing letters not associated with the particular first object to form a compressed form of the particular first object;

storing the compressed form of the particular first object;

comparing the compressed form of the particular first object with a plurality of stored images of respective known types to find a match that indicates the type of the particular first object, each first object type having a respective associated rule that indicates importance that the first object type remain uncluttered;

prioritizing into 3 or more grades of importance the availability of the units for display of objects other than the first objects according to the contents of the units, the prioritizing into 3 or more grades of importance including considering first object type and the associated rule that indicates importance that the first object type remain uncluttered;

supplying display items including second objects to be displayed in the viewable area, the second objects being different from the first objects;

prioritizing each second object for display according to importance that it be displayed; and

allocating one or more display items for display in the viewable area as a function of both the first prioritizing step of prioritizing the availability of the units for display of objects other than the first objects and the second prioritizing step of prioritizing each second object for display according to importance that it be displayed.