Application Window Placement via Screen Heat Map Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing application window management systems often place new windows in inconvenient locations, potentially obscuring important elements of other windows, which can disrupt user workflow and multitasking.

Innovation Solution

A method that identifies active areas of a computing device screen by creating a heat map based on the busyness of screen areas, and uses search algorithms to place a new application window in the least active area, minimizing the risk of obscuring other windows' elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If application windows are placed using traditional window management systems, then window placement is simple and fast, but new windows may obscure important elements of other windows

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewindow placement convenienceVSAvoidobscuring of other window elements

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the screen layout before placing a new window. It identifies active areas and interactive elements of existing windows in advance, then uses this information to determine the optimal placement location that avoids obscuring important elements, thus resolving the contradiction between simple placement and avoiding obstruction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If window placement algorithms analyze screen busyness to avoid obscuring elements, then window placement accuracy improves, but system complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewindow placement precisionVSAvoidplacement system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of analyzing the entire screen uniformly, the system divides the screen into local regions and identifies active areas where windows and interactive elements are present. This localized analysis approach maintains placement precision while reducing overall system complexity by focusing computational resources only on relevant screen regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If window placement considers interactive elements of existing windows, then user workflow is protected, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveworkflow continuityVSAvoidplacement processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces complex mechanical analysis of window interactions with a heat map-based computational model. By converting the screen layout into a heat map representation where active areas are visually encoded, the system can quickly process and determine optimal window placement without extensive computational analysis, thus maintaining workflow protection while reducing processing time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12283054B2Placing application windows to avoid obscuring existing displayed components

Publication Date: 2025.04.22 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a method, computer system, and computer program product for placing an application window is provided. The embodiment may include receiving a window opening event for the application window. In response to determining that the application window can be repositioned and resized, the embodiment may include identifying one or more active areas of a computing device screen. An active area is an area of the computing device screen which is currently displaying one or more other windows and their respective interactive elements. The embodiment may include utilizing one or more search algorithms to identify a least active area of the one or more active areas of the computing device screen. The embodiment may include displaying the application window within the least active area.