System and method that facilitates computer desktop use via scaling of displayed objects

Abstract

The techniques described herein provide user interface(s) for managing display objects on a display surface. The techniques define a central focus area where the display objects are displayed and behave as usual, and a periphery outside the focus area where the display objects are reduced in size based on their location, getting smaller as they near an edge of the display surface so that many more objects can remain visible.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM[0001]This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 374,351, filed Feb. 25, 2003 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,230,359, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates generally to user interfaces, and more particularly to a graphical user interface, data structure and method to facilitate management of data.BACKGROUND[0003]Various graphical user interfaces have been developed to provide a rich experience for computer users. Computer programs typically provide a graphical user interface (GUI) to facilitate data entry, to enable viewing output on a display screen, as well as to manipulate or rearrange data. A graphical user interface can be associated with an application program or operating system shell, which may be running on a user's local machine and / or remotely, such as in a distributing computing system or over the Internet.[0004]In view of continuing...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]By grouping windows in the periphery into clusters, and supporting cluster operations (e.g., move all cluster windows into the focus area, or move windows in the focus area back to their peripheral location), the invention significantly facilitates task management, allowing user(s) to easily swap from one task (or activity) to another.

[0017]Another aspect of the invention relates to display object occlusion avoidance within a display area (e.g., focus area, periphery or progressive shrink area)—such aspect of the invention mitigates objects from obscuring one another. An extension of this aspect relates to cluster occlusion avoidance which mitigates clusters from obscuring other clusters as well as mitigating merging (e.g., since clustering can be proximity based) of clusters as a result of moving clusters.

[0018]Thus, the subject invention mitigates many of the aforementioned windows and task management problems by keeping windows open but making them much smaller when they are not in use. By doing so, it becomes possible to maintain a large number of windows around the periphery of the display. Task management is supported by placing windows into clusters that represent tasks and adding some simple mechanisms for task switching. Human spatial memory can be used to facilitate locating a desired window or task. The invention also mitigates a display object management problem for small displays, because the objects in the periphery take so little space.

Problems solved by technology

. . ) since they may be too small for standard techniques.

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