Method of transition between window states
AssigneeApple Computer, Inc.
InventorBas Ording
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for manipulating a window within a graphical user interface (GUI) of an operating system in a manner that provides a transitional effect between window states, which is pleasing to the user. This transitional effect includes changing the shape of a window while scaling and moving the window between two different sizes and positions. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect may be employed as a window is minimized into an icon, or restored from an icon. In another embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect is employed as a window is minimized within its title bar, or restored therefrom. The transitional effect may achieve scaling by a variety of filtering techniques including pixel averaging and pixel removal.
Claims20
A method of manipulating a window, comprising the steps of:
- obtaining location information associated with a first window position on a computer screen;
- obtaining location information associated with a second window position on the computer screen;
- defining a set of curves, wherein said curves connect said first window position to said second window position;
- scaling a window located at said first window position to fit within said curves;
- and
- moving said window within said curves from said first position to said second position in a manner so as to give the appearance of sliding.
A computer-readable medium containing a computer program that performs the steps of:
- obtaining location information for a first window position on a computer screen;
- obtaining location information for a second window position on a computer screen;
- calculating curves from said first window position to said second window position;
- scaling said window to fit within said curves;
- and
- sliding a window within said curves from said first position to said second position.
A computer system, comprising:
- a display device;
- and
- a processor which controls said display device to selectively display a first representation of a window at a first position and a second representation of said window at a second position, and which is responsive to a user input to calculate curves which define a path from said first position to said second position and control said display device to generate a transition from said first representation to said second representation by scaling said window to fit within said curves and moving an image of said window along said path.
A computer system, comprising:
- means for generating a first representation of a window at a first position on a display;
- means responsive to a user input for calculating curves to define a path from said first position to a second position on said display;
- means for scaling said first representation of a window to fit within said calculated curves;
- and
- means for moving the scaled representation of the window along the path defined by said curves from said first position to said second position on said display to create a second representation of said window at said second position on said display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.