Method for layout of arbitrarily sized and shaped icons in a display

Claim 1

An automated method for calculating the positions of arbitrarily sized and shaped icons in a display area, comprising the steps of: (a) calculating a rectangular grid spacing based upon a preferred common size and spacing; (b) selecting an icon from an ordered group of icons to be displayed; (c) determining how many grids the icon requires for a rectangle which encompasses the icon using the minimum number of grids; (d) locating the icon in an empty position following the last placed icon on the grid based on a predetermined ordered representation, which representation is linear and sequential in both the horizontal and vertical directions; (e) testing to determine if the icon placement is possible in the located empty position and placing the icon if correct; if not correct, testing another empty position on the grid in accordance with the predetermined order by repeating steps (d)-(e); and (f) placing the icon in correctly determined empty positions.