Dynamic, optimized placement of computer-based windows

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9703445-B2
Application number	US-201414271505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2014
Priority date	May 7, 2014
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A computer system displays a first window corresponding to an aspect of a first executing program in a first display area on one or more display devices. The computer system identifies an activity of a second program. The computer system determines whether the activity of the second program meets a threshold of priority. In response to determining that the activity meets the threshold, the computer system manipulates the first window such that the display area can be distributed, at least partially, between the first window and a second window corresponding to the activity of the second program. The computer system displays the second window with the first window within the display area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing dynamic placement of computer-based windows, the method comprising:
displaying, by one or more computer processors, a first window corresponding to an aspect of a first executing program in a display area on one or more display devices;
identifying, by one or more computer processors, an activity of a second program;
dynamically determining, by one or more computer processors, a relationship between data associated with the second program and data associated with one or more executing programs utilizing the display area, wherein the data associated with each of the one or more executing program and the second program includes metadata, the metadata comprising: one or more keyword-based triggers defined by a user, one or more metadata-based triggers defined by the user, an owner of the data, and a name of the second a program associated with the metadata;
dynamically determining, by one or more computer processors, whether the activity of the second program meets a threshold of priority based on the determined relationship between data associated with the second program and data associated with one or more executing programs utilizing the display area;
in response to determining that the activity of the second program meets the threshold, dynamically manipulating the first window to distribute the display area, at least partially, between the first window and a second window corresponding to the activity of the second program; and
displaying, by one or more computer processors, the second window with the first window within the display area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein manipulating the first window comprises dynamically reshaping the first window within the display area and relocating the first window within the display area.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the activity of the second program meets the threshold of priority comprises:
determining an activity level corresponding to the first executing program; and
adjusting the threshold of priority based on the activity level.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata associated with the second program further comprising metadata selected from the group consisting of a flag of priority, a hierarchy of priorities, information within a message subject line, script and macro names, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), date last accessed, application name and version number, user ID and password, an ID of another user, and dialog box modality.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by one or more computer processors, an activity of a third program;
determining, by one or more computer processors, that the activity of the third program does not meet the threshold of priority; and
in response to determining that the activity of the third program does not meet the threshold of priority, displaying a visual aspect of the third program in another second display area.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, by one or more computer processors, that a change occurred to a display configuration as related to the one or more display devices;
determining, by one or more computer processors, the display area, was distributed across the display configuration prior to the change; and
redefining, by one or more computer processors, the display area and distributing the display area within the changed display configuration based on one or more rules associated with one or more executing programs utilizing the display area, wherein the one or more rules are selected from the group consisting of a threshold of priority value corresponding to each of the one or more executing programs, one or more pre-defined metadata-based triggers, and metadata corresponding to a size and a location of a window of each of the one or more executing programs.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a relationship between data associated with the second program and one or more executing programs utilizing the display area further comprises:
determining that the second program utilizes data from an executing program that is in the display area to generate output data; and
determining the relationship between data associated with the second program and one or more executing programs utilizing the display area based on the generated output data from the second program.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second widow is a fixed shape, as defined by the user within metadata dictating an application window size and location.

9. A computer program product for providing dynamic placement of computer-based windows, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to display a first window corresponding to an aspect of a first executing program in a display area on one or more display devices;
program instructions to identify an activity of a second program;
program instructions to dynamically determine a relationship between data associated with the second program and data associated with one or more executing programs utilizing the display area, wherein the data associated with each of the one or more executing program and the second program includes metadata, the metadata comprising: one or more keyword-based triggers defined by a user, one or more metadata-based triggers defined by the user, an owner of the data, and a name of the second a program associated with the metadata;
program instructions to dynamically determine whether the activity of the second program meets a threshold of priority based on the determined relationship between data associated with the second program and data associated with one or more executing programs utilizing the display area;
program instructions to respond to determining that the activity of the second program meets the threshold by dynamically manipulating the first window to distribute the display area, at least partially, between the first window and a second window corresponding to the activity of the second program; and
program instructions to display the second window with the first window within the display area.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the program instructions to manipulate the first window comprise:
program instructions to dynamically reshape the first window within the display area; and
program instructions to relocate the first window within the display area.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein program instructions to determine whether the activity of the second program meets the threshold of priority comprises:
program instructions to determine an activity level corresponding to the first executing program; and
program instructions to adjust the threshold of priority based on the activity level.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the metadata associated with the second program further comprising metadata selected from the group consisting of a flag of priority, a hierarchy of priorities, information within a message subject line, script and macro names, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), date last accessed, application name and version number, user ID and password, an ID of another user, and dialog box modality.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein program instructions to determine a relationship between data associated with the second program and one or more executing programs utilizing the display area further comprises:
program instructions to determine that the second program utilizes data

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Brown Gene L
• Coffey Brendan F
• Dawson Christopher J
• Harris Clifford V

Classifications

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G09G2340/0464

  Positioning · CPC title

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F3/1423

  controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display · CPC title