Display Element Manager for Digital TV Window Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies lack an effective solution for cross-application window management in digital television environments, particularly in HAVi-compliant systems, which fail to provide elegant mechanisms for coordinating and managing display elements across multiple applications, leading to issues like overlapping windows and inefficient resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A display element manager is introduced that controls overlapping display elements between applications, reserves screen real estate, and allows a privileged application to manage window priorities, using a visibility stack to order HAVi HScenes and dynamically adjust display priorities, enabling remote control of display elements through a network device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple applications run concurrently on CPE without cross-application window management, then application diversity and functionality are improved, but display element coordination deteriorates leading to overlapping windows and user interface conflicts
Solution Approach 1:
A window manager intermediary component is introduced between multiple applications and the display system. This window manager receives window management requests from different applications, coordinates their display elements, and resolves conflicts regarding window positioning, sizing, and overlapping. The intermediary maintains a window registry and enforcement mechanism that ensures proper display element coordination while allowing multiple applications to run concurrently.
2Adaptability or versatility
If no screen real estate reservation mechanism is implemented, then application flexibility is improved, but display element interference worsens causing windows to overlap and block each other
Solution Approach 1:
The window manager implements preliminary action by pre-reserving screen real estate for each application's display elements before they are actually rendered. When an application requests to create or move a window, the window manager checks the proposed location against already-reserved areas and adjusts positioning or sizing to prevent overlaps. This proactive reservation system ensures that display elements do not interfere with each other while maintaining application flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If equal window management rights are given to all applications, then application equality is improved, but system control efficiency deteriorates without privileged application capability
Solution Approach 1:
The window manager implements local quality by assigning different management rights to different applications based on their specific needs and priorities. Most applications receive standard window management capabilities, while selected privileged applications (such as system-critical or user-designated applications) are granted enhanced control rights. The window manager enforces these differentiated permissions, allowing privileged applications to override standard window placement rules or force their windows to the foreground, thereby improving system control efficiency while maintaining equality for regular applications.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for managing display elements such as GUI windows in a client device (e.g., consumer premises equipment in a cable network) running multiple related or unrelated applications. In one embodiment, an improved window management entity is provided within the device with which HAVi-compliant application(s) can interface in order to access display elements according to a priority structure or hierarchy. One or more privileged applications are designated and allowed to affect the priority structure, including requesting a new in-focus application to be placed atop the priority structure. The network operator can also optionally control the operation of the window manager remotely via a network agent. Improved client device and network configurations, as well as methods of operating these systems, are also disclosed.