EP0548645A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for efficiently displaying windows on a computer display screen
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1992-12-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-12-05
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for distinctively and proportionally displaying windows on a computer display screen is disclosed. The amount of time each of the windows presented to the display screen is active ("in focus") is monitored. Upon receipt of a command from the user, the windows that were active a longer length of time are displayed more distinctively than windows that were active a shorter length of time. More specifically, windows are displayed on the display screen having a window size proportional to the length of time each of the window were active. For example, a window that was active 40% of the time will have a size that is 40% of the specified window tiling area. Windows that have not been active long enough to exceed a minimum window tiling threshold are displayed as icons and are not included in the calculations of percentage of activity of the windows.
Inventors
- 👤 Cary Lee Bates
- 👤 Jeffrey Michael Ryan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 10:40
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06F11/00; G06F11/30; G06F11/32; G06F11/324; G06F11/328; G09; G09G; G09G5/00; G09G5/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
50 words
A method for efficiently displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen, comprising the steps of: monitoring the length of time each of said plurality of windows has been active; and displaying each of said plurality of windows in a size proportional to the length of time being active.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying step further comprises the steps of: determining a tiling area on said display screen; splitting said tiling area into an H1 region and an H2 region; splitting said H1 region into a Q1 region and a Q2 region; and splitting said H2 region into a Q3 region and a Q4 region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
95 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said splitting said tiling area step is performed such that the size of said H1 region is proportional to the length of time said first window and said second window have been active relative to the length of time said first window through said Nth window have been active, and the size of said H2 region is proportional to the length of time said third window through said Nth window have been active relative to the length of time said first window through said Nth window have been active.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
89 words
The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein said splitting said H1 region step is performed such that the size of said Q1 region is proportional to the length of time said first window has been active relative to the length of time said first window and said second window have been active, and the size of said Q2 region is proportional to the length of time said second window has been active relative to the length of time said first window and said second window have been active.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
95 words
The method of any claim from 2 to 4, wherein said splitting said H2 region step is performed such that the size of said Q3 region is proportional to the length of time said third window has been active relative to the length of time said third window through said Nth window have been active, and the size of said Q4 region is proportional to the length of time said fourth window through said Nth window have been active relative to the length of time said third window through said Nth window have been active.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
39 words
The method of any claim from 2 to 5, further comprising the steps of: displaying said first window in said Q1 region; displaying a second window in said Q2 region; and displaying a third window in said Q3 region.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
122 words
The method of any claim from 2 to 6, further comprising the step of: splitting said Q4 region into a Q4-Q1 region and a Q4-Q2 region such that the size of said Q4-Q1 region is proportional to the length of time said fourth window has been in focus relative to the length of time said fourth window through said Nth window have been in focus, and the size of said Q4-Q2 region is proportional to the length of time said fifth window has been in focus relative to the length of time said fourth window through said Nth window have been in focus, wherein N=5; displaying said fourth window in said Q4-Q1 region; and displaying said fifth window in said Q4-Q2 region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 7, wherein said displaying step further comprises the steps of: determining that a sixth window has not been active long enough to exceed a minimum threshold; displaying said sixth window as an icon.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
38 words
The method of any claim from 2 to 8, wherein said splitting said tiling area step is performed vertically if the width of said tiling area is greater than or equal to the height of said tiling area.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
29 words
The method of any claim from 2 to 9, wherein said splitting said H1 region step is performed horizontally if said splitting said tiling area step was performed vertically.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
35 words
The method of any claim from 2 to 10, wherein said splitting said tiling area step is performed horizontally if the width of said tiling area is less than the height of said tiling area.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
29 words
The method of any claim from 2 to 11, wherein said splitting said H1 region step is performed vertically if said splitting said tiling area step was performed horizontally.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
103 words
A method for efficiently displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen, comprising the steps of: monitoring the length of time each of said plurality of windows has been active; determining a tiling area on said display screen; evenly splitting said tiling area into an H1 region and an H2 region; evenly splitting said H1 region into a Q1 region and a Q2 region; evenly splitting said H2 region into a Q3 region and a Q4 region; displaying said first window in said Q1 region; displaying a second window in said Q2 region; and displaying a third window in said Q3 region.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: evenly splitting said Q4 region into a Q4-Q1 region and a Q4-Q2 region; displaying said fourth window in said Q4-Q1 region; and displaying said fifth window in said Q4-Q2 region.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of: determining that a sixth window has not been active long enough to exceed a minimum threshold; and displaying said sixth window as an icon.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
65 words
A method for efficiently displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen, comprising the steps of: monitoring the length of time each of said plurality of windows has been active; determining that window N has not been active long enough to exceed a minimum threshold; displaying windows 1 through N-1 distinctively in a descending order of activity; and displaying window N as an icon.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
96 words
A computer system for efficiently displaying a plurality of windows on a display screen, comprising: a system unit (11), comprising: a processor(12); memory (13), connected to said processor; storage (14), connected to said processor; a display adapter (16), connected to said processor; a display (17), connected to said system unit; means in said processor for monitoring the length of time each of said plurality of windows has been active; and means in said processor for displaying on said display each of said plurality of windows in a size proportional to the length of time being active.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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