Computer Interface Having A Virtual Single-Layer Mode For Viewing Overlapping Objects

Abstract

A computer-human interface provides a mechanism to manage the available space of a computer display in a manner that facilitated navigation among multiple windows that are overlaid upon one another. The interface includes a user-selectable mode in which the windows are rearranged, and resized if necessary, so that all open windows can be simultaneously viewed within the area if the display, thereby enabling any one of the windows is “flattened” so that all windows appear at the same virtual depth, rather than overlapping one another. With this approach, there is no need to minimize windows in order to access one that is overlaid by another, thereby enabling the user to keep the content of all windows visible and accessible. Subsets of windows can be repositioned in the same manner, or all windows can be removed from the display area for access to desktop objects.

1 . A method of providing alternate views of a plurality of windows on a display for a graphical user interface executing on a computer, comprising the steps of: 
 displaying a plurality of windows in a first view where at least one window can obscure another window;    in response to entry of a command to present an alternative view, displaying the windows at respective locations on the display so that at least a portion of each of said windows is visible to a user, while maintaining the proportional sizes of said windows relative to one another, in said alternative view; and    returning the windows to their original locations in response to a user action.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further including the step of resizing the windows according to a common scale factor to maintain their relative proportional sizes in said alternative view.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the windows are resized so that all of the displayed windows appear within a defined boundary area of the display in the alternative view.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further including the step of maintaining the same respective aspect ratios for said windows in both the first view and the alternative view.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user action is selection of one of the windows.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further including the step of displaying the selected window in the foreground when the windows are returned to their original positions.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said user action is issuance of a second command.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said windows are displayed without any overlap of one another in said alternative view.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further including the step of displaying an animation that shows movement of said windows from their locations in said first view to their respective locations in the alternative view.  
     
     
         10 . A computer-readable medium containing a program that is executed by a computer to provide an alternative view for a computer user interface of the type that presents a normal viewing mode in which plural windows are displayed in a layered environment in positions where a window can overlap and obscure another window, said program causing said plural windows to move from their positions in said normal viewing mode to respective locations within a display in response to a user command to invoke the alternative view, such that at least a portion of each of said plural windows is visible in said alternative viewing mode, while maintaining the relative proportional sizes of said plural windows, and then return to the positions they occupied in the normal viewing mode.  
     
     
         11 . The program of  claim 10 , wherein said program is responsive to the selection of one of said windows while in said alternative viewing mode to cause the selected window to be displayed in the foreground when the windows are returned to their positions in the normal viewing mode.  
     
     
         12 . The program of  claim 10 , wherein the aspect ratio of each of said windows remains constant in said normal and alternative viewing modes.  
     
     
         13 . The program of  claim 10 , wherein said windows are displayed without any overlap of one another in said alternative viewing mode.  
     
     
         14 . The program of  claim 10 , wherein the movement of said windows to their respective locations in said alternative viewing mode is displayed as an animation.  
     
     
         15 . A computer system, comprising: 
 a display device; and    a graphical user interface having a first mode in which plural windows are displayed in a layered view on said device such that a window can overlap and obscure another window, and a second mode that is invoked upon entry of a command to switch to said second mode, in which said plural windows are temporarily moved from their positions in said first mode to respective locations within the area of said display such that at least a portion of each of said plural windows is visible, while maintaining the relative proportional sizes of said plural windows, and subsequently returned to the positions they occupied in said first mode.    
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein said windows are returned to their positions in the first mode, in response to selection of one of the windows while they are displayed in said second mode.  
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the selected window is displayed in the foreground when the windows are returned to their positions in the first mode.  
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein said windows are displayed without any overlap of one another in said second mode.  
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 15  wherein the windows are resized according to a common factor to maintain their relative proportional sizes in said second mode.  
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 19  wherein the windows are resized in said second mode so that all of the displayed windows appear within a defined boundary area of the display.