Method for managing simultaneous display of multiple windows in a graphical user interface

In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface input device, a method of communicating between a first computer process and a second computer process, the first computer process causing display of a primary window on the display and being operative to receive user commands via the user interface input device, the second computer process operative for displaying a target window on the display and being operative to receive user commands via the user interface input device, comprising the steps of:

• in the first computer process, defining a container region for display of the primary window, the container region comprising a predetermined area on the display within which the target window may be displayed;
• in the first computer process, defining an avoidance region in the primary window, the avoidance region comprising a predetermined area on the display which the target window is to avoid in any movement operations;
• and
• in response to a predetermined trigger condition, passing parameters associated with the container region and with the avoidance region to a target window motion function associated with the second computer process.

In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface input device, a method for displaying a target window relative to a primary window, comprising the steps of:

• displaying a primary window on the display, the primary window comprising a predetermined region for displaying information and/or receiving user commands;
• displaying a target window on the display, the target window comprising a predetermined region for displaying information and/or receiving user commands, the target window being displayed in a higher z-order relative to the primary window;
• and
• defining a container area on the display, the container area comprising a predetermined area within which the target window is allowed to move;
• defining a boundary region relative to the target window, the boundary region comprising an undisplayed region of a predetermined size extending outwardly from the displayed area of the target window;
• in response to a user operation with the user interface input device relative to the display, defining an avoidance region in the container area, the avoidance region comprising a predetermined region defined by a user avoidance region defining operation within which the target region is not to be displayed;
• and
• in response to a predetermined trigger condition, moving the target window to an area in the container area such that neither the boundary region nor the target window obscures the avoidance region.

In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface input device, a method for displaying a target window relative to a primary window, comprising the steps of:

• displaying a primary window on the display, the primary window comprising a predetermined region for displaying information and/or receiving user commands;
• displaying a target window on the display, the target window comprising a predetermined region for displaying information and/or receiving user commands, the target window being displayed in a higher z-order relative to the primary window;
• defining a container area on the display, the container area comprising a predetermined area within which the target window is allowed to move;
• defining a plurality of predetermined anchor points on the display, the each anchor point defining a different predetermined fixed location on the display;
• in response to a user operation with the user interface input device relative to the display, defining an avoidance region in the container area, the avoidance region comprising a predetermined region defined by a user avoidance region defining operation within which the target region should not be displayed;
• determining whether the target window can be redrawn displaced a predetermined minimal distance away from the avoidance region;
• in response to a determination that the target window can be redrawn displaced a predetermined minimal distance away from the avoidance region without overlapping the avoidance region, redrawing the target window at a location displaced a predetermined minimal distance away from the avoidance region in a selected direction of movement;
• in response to a determination that the target window cannot be redrawn displaced a predetermined minimal distance away from the avoidance region without overlapping the avoidance region, determining the amount of overlap of the target window with the avoidance region at each of the plurality of anchor points;
• selecting the particular anchor point that results in minimized overlap of the target window with the avoidance region;
• and
• redrawing the target window at a location associated with the particular anchor point that results in minimized overlap of the target window with the avoidance region.