Overflow stack user interface

• US 8,892,997 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John O., Hynes, Christopher, Bumgarner, Timothy Wayne, Peyton, Eric Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hope, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US11/760,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,720 Days
• Field of Search: 715/826, 715/811, 715/815, 715/273, 715/782
• US Class Current: 715/273
• 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

Systems and methods for providing an overflow stack. An overflow stack can be generated based upon adjustments to a group display area and based upon application of one or more display criterion. An overflow stack can include representation of any system objects that can not be displayed in an adjusted group display area based upon the one or more display criterion.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing for display, in a group display area, a first graphical representation of a first object at an original position, the group display area having a size adjustable by a user;

providing for display one or more second graphical representations each representing a separate second object in the group display area;

resizing the group display area, including reducing the size of the group display area upon receiving a user input;

determining that at least one second graphical representation is located in a portion of the group display area that is visible before the size of the group display area is reduced and invisible after the size of the group display area is reduced, and that the first graphical representation is located in a portion of the group display area that is visible both before and after the size of the group display area is reduced;

generating a stack item including a first stack element and one or more second stack elements, the first stack element representing the first object, each second stack element representing a second object;

excluding the first graphical representation and the one or more second graphical representations from the resized group display area such that both the first graphical representation and the one or more second graphical representations are invisible; and

providing for display, in the resized group display area, the stack item at the original position of the first graphical representation, wherein a greater reduction in the size of the group display area during the resizing causes more second graphical representations to be excluded from display and more second graphical objects be represented in the stack item.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

prioritizing the first stack element and a second stack element based upon a prioritization of the first object and a second object.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the prioritization of the first object and the second object is based upon user input.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the prioritization of the first object and the second object is based upon a date associated with each of the first object and the second object.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the prioritization of the first object and the second object is based upon an application associated with each of the first object and the second object.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting an aspect ratio associated with each of the first graphical representation and each second graphical representation based upon adjusting the group display area.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, comprising determining that the first graphical representation is to be excluded based on one or more display criteria, wherein the one or more display criteria comprise a minimum aspect ratio associated with the first graphical representation and each second graphical representation.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the one or more display criteria comprise a prioritization associated with the first object and each second object.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first stack element and the one or more second stack elements are aggregated in an overlapping arrangement.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a display environment associated with the group display area has been terminated; and

displaying graphical representations of objects in the group in a new stack item in a second display environment.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein each second graphical representation does not fit within the resized group display area.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

resizing the resized group display area into a second resized group display area;

further determining, based upon one or more display criteria, that the first graphical representation and the first graphical representation are to be displayed in the second resized group display area;

in response to the further determining, removing the stack item; and

displaying the first representation and second representation in the second resized group display area.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, where resizing the group display area includes scaling the group display area.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

providing for display, in a group display area, a first graphical representation of a first object at an original position, the group display area having a size adjustable by a user;

providing for display one or more second graphical representations each representing a separate second object in the group display area;

resizing the group display area based upon a first user input, including reducing the size of the group display area upon receiving a user input;

determining that at least one second graphical representation is located in a portion of the group display area that is visible before the size of the group display area is reduced and invisible after the size of the group display area is reduced, and that the first graphical representation is located in a portion of the group display area that is visible both before and after the size of the group display area is reduced;

generating a stack item including a first stack element and one or more second stack elements, the first stack element representing the first object, each second stack element representing the second object;

excluding the first graphical representation and the one or more second graphical representations from the resized group display area such that both the first graphical representation and the one or more second graphical representations are invisible; and

providing for display, in the resized group display area, the stack item in the original position of the first graphical representation, wherein a greater reduction in the size of the group display area during the resizing causes more second graphical representations to be excluded from display and more second graphical objects be represented in the stack item.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations comprising:

prioritizing the first stack element and a second stack element based upon a prioritization of the first object and a second object.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations comprising:

adjusting an aspect ratio associated with each of the first graphical representation and each second graphical representation based upon adjusting the group display area.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, comprising determining that the first graphical representation is to be excluded based on one or more display criteria, wherein the one or more display criteria comprise a minimum aspect ratio associated with the first graphical representation and each second graphical representation.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more display criteria comprise a prioritization associated with the first object and each second object.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations comprising:

associating the first graphical representation and each second graphical representation in response to a second user input.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations comprising:

resizing the resized group display area into a second resized group display area;

further determining, based upon one or more display criteria, that the first graphical representation and the first graphical representation are to be displayed in the second resized group display area;

in response to the further determining, removing the stack item; and

displaying the first representation and second representation in the second resized group display area.

21. A system, comprising:

one or more computers configured to perform operations comprising;

providing for display, in a group display area, a first graphical representation of a first system object in an original position, the group display area having a size adjustable by a user;

providing for display one or more second graphical representations each representing a separate second object in the group display area;

resizing the group display area, including reducing the size of the group display area upon receiving a user input;

determining that at least one second graphical representation is located in a portion of the group display area that is visible before the size of the group display area is reduced and invisible after the size of the group display area is reduced, and that the first graphical representation is located in a portion of the group display area that is visible both before and after the size of the group display area is reduced;

generating a stack item including a first stack element and one or more second stack elements, the first stack element representing the first object, each second stack element representing a second object;

excluding the first graphical representation and the second graphical representation from the resized group display area such that both the first graphical representation and the one or more second graphical representations are invisible; and

providing for display, in the resized group display area, the stack item in the original position of the first graphical representation, wherein a greater reduction in the size of the group display area during the resizing causes more second graphical representations to be excluded from display and more second graphical objects be represented in the stack item.

22. The system of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

prioritizing the first stack element and a second stack element based upon a prioritization of the first object and a second object.

23. The system of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

adjusting an aspect ratio associated with each of the first graphical representation and the second graphical representation based upon adjusting the group display area.

24. The system of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

adjusting a spacing between each of the first graphical representation and the second graphical representation based upon adjusting the group display area.

25. The system of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

receiving user input requesting association of the first graphical representation and the second graphical representation into a group; and

associating the first graphical representation and the second graphical representation into the group based upon the user input.