Information device and window display method

• US 8,627,229 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Iizuka, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US12/402,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20090235203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 345418-475, 715/764, 715/781, 715/788, 715/800
• US Class Current: 715/800
• 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

Abstract

An information device includes a controller for controlling the display position and the display size of a window, a semi-maximization instruction receiving part for receiving instructions for semi-maximizing the window, a semi-maximization region setting part for setting a plurality of display regions in which the window can be semi-maximized, and a display region determination part for determining the display region in which the window is semi-maximized. When the semi-maximization instruction receiving part receives the instructions for semi-maximizing the window, the controller allows the window to be enlarged and displayed in the entire area of the display region determined by the display region determination part from the plurality of display regions.

Claims

1. An information device for displaying a window with a singular semi-maximize button on a screen, the information device comprising:

a processor configured to;

set a plurality of display regions on the screen of a single display in which the window is capable of being semi-maximized and displayed based on instructions received from a user of the information device, wherein the plurality of display regions are user defined,

determine a display region of the plurality of regions, wherein the processor is configured to a) determine the display region in which the window is semi-maximized based on the display position of the window before being semi-maximized, and to b) determine the display position of the window based on center of gravity of the window, wherein the center of gravity of the window is the point representing the center of the window,

semi-maximize the window, and

display the semi-maximized window in the determined display region in response to the semi-maximize button on the window being activated.

2. The information device of claim 1 , wherein

the processor is configured to:

receive instructions on an association between an application running in the window and the display region in which the window is semi-maximized; and

determine the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, by placing priority on the instructions received.

3. The information device of claim 1, wherein,

the processor is configured to:

receive instructions for selecting a display region in which the window is semi-maximized, and

determine the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, based on the instructions received.

4. An information device for displaying a window with a singular semi-maximize button on a screen, the information device comprising:

a processor configured to;

set a plurality of display regions on the screen of a single display in which the window is capable of being semi-maximized and displayed based on instructions received from a user of the information device, wherein the plurality of display regions are user defined,

determine a display region of the plurality of regions,

wherein the processor is configured to a) determine the display region in which the window is semi-maximized based on the display position of the window before being semi-maximized, and to b) determine the display position of the window based on center of gravity of the window, wherein the center of gravity of the window is the point representing the center of the window,

multi-step semi-maximize the window, including at least

a first semi-maximization in which the window is enlarged in the determined display region and

a second semi-maximization in which the window is enlarged in two adjacent display regions, one of the two adjacent display regions being the determined display region, and

display the enlarged window in the determined display region and the two adjacent display regions in response to the semi-maximize button on the window being activated.

5. The information device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive instructions on an association between an application running in the window and the display region in which the window is semi-maximized; and

determine the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, by placing priority on the instructions received.

6. The information device of claim 4, wherein

the processor is configured to:

receive instructions for selecting a display region in which the window is semi-maximized; and

determine the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, based on the instructions received.

7. The information device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:

Receive instructions on an association between an application running in the window and the display region in which the window is semi-maximized; and

determine the display region in which the window is semi-maximized, by placing priority on the instructions received.