HK1181158A - Adjusting content to avoid occlusion by a virtual input panel - Google Patents

Description

Adjusting content to avoid being obscured by a virtual input panel

Technical Field

The invention relates to adjusting content to avoid occlusion by a virtual input panel.

Background

Many computing devices use virtual keyboards to input content. Deploying these virtual keyboards takes up a portion of the available display space. Some computing devices have a fixed location for displaying a virtual keyboard. Other devices allow a virtual keyboard to be displayed in different locations on a display. Deploying a virtual keyboard leaves a limited amount of display space for content that a user wants to edit.

Disclosure of Invention

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The display of the content area is automatically adjusted so that the display of the virtual input panel (e.g., virtual keyboard, gesture area, handwriting area, … …) does not obscure the content (interaction area) that the user is interacting with. After adjusting the display of the content area, the content being interacted with is visible within the content area. When the virtual input panel is displayed, the content area is automatically adjusted so that it remains visible during interaction (e.g., adding new content so that a new line appears, moving the cursor to another location). In some cases, the content area may also be temporarily resized while the virtual input panel is displayed. When the zoom ratio is set to automatically change in response to a change to the content area, the zoom ratio may be set to a fixed percentage in advance so that the content within the content area does not change in size when the display of the content area is adjusted. When the virtual input panel is dismissed, the content area may be reverted to its original configuration prior to the virtual input panel being displayed.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computing device;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system for adjusting the display of a content area such that the display of a virtual input panel does not obscure an interaction area;

FIG. 3 illustrates a process for adjusting the display of a content area such that the display of a virtual input panel does not obscure an interaction area when interacting with the content;

FIG. 4 illustrates a process for moving content and/or changing the size of a content area in an attempt to avoid occlusion by a virtual input panel;

FIG. 5 illustrates a system architecture for adjusting the display of a content area such that the display of a virtual input panel does not obscure an interaction area; and

6-13 show example displays showing adjusting a content region in response to determining that a virtual input template will occlude an interaction region.

Detailed Description

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements, various embodiments will be described. In particular, FIG. 1 and the corresponding discussion are intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment in which embodiments may be implemented.

Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Other computer system configurations may also be used, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Distributed computing environments may also be used where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an illustrative computer architecture for a computer 100 utilized in the various embodiments will be described. The computer architecture shown in fig. 1 may be configured as a server computing device, a desktop computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a smartphone, a notebook, a tablet … …) and includes a central processing unit 5 ("CPU"), a system memory 7 including a random access memory 9 ("RAM") and a read only memory ("ROM") 10, and a system bus 12 that couples the memory to the central processing unit ("CPU") 5.

A basic input/output system containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer, such as during startup, is stored in the ROM 10. The computer 100 also includes a mass storage device 14 for storing an operating system 16, applications 24, presentations/documents 27, and other program modules, such as a Web browser 25, an occlusion manager 26, which will be described in greater detail below.

The mass storage device 14 is connected to the CPU 5 through a mass storage controller (not shown) connected to the bus 12. The mass storage device 14 and its associated computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage for the computer 100. Although the description of computer-readable media contained herein refers to a mass storage device, such as a hard disk or CD-ROM drive, the computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer 100.

By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory ("EPROM"), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory ("EEPROM"), flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks ("DVD"), or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer 100.

According to various embodiments, the computer 100 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to remote computers through a network 18, such as the Internet. The computer 100 may connect to the network 18 through a network interface unit 20 connected to the bus 12. The network connection may be wireless and/or wired. The network interface unit 20 may also be used to connect to other types of networks and remote computer systems. The computer 100 may also include an input/output controller 22 for receiving and processing input from a number of other devices, such as a touch input device. The touch input device may utilize any technology that allows for the recognition of single/multi-touch inputs (touch/no-touch). For example, techniques may include, but are not limited to: heat, finger pressure, high capture rate cameras, infrared light, optical capture, tuned electromagnetic induction, ultrasonic receivers, sensing microphones, laser rangefinders, shadow capture, and the like. According to one embodiment, the touch input device may be configured to detect a proximity touch (i.e., within a certain distance from, but not in physical contact with, the touch input device). A touch input device may also serve as the display 28. An input/output controller 22 may also provide output to one or more display screens, printers, or other types of output devices.

The camera and/or some other sensing device may be operable to record one or more users and capture motions and/or gestures made by the user of the computing device. The sensing device may also be operable to capture words such as dictated by a microphone and/or to capture other input from the user such as by a keyboard and/or mouse (not depicted). The sensing device may comprise any motion detection device capable of detecting movement of a user. For example, the camera may include Microsoft WindowsA motion capture device comprising a plurality of cameras and a plurality of microphones.

Embodiments of the invention may be practiced with a system on a chip (SOC) in which each or many of the components/processes shown in the figures may be integrated onto a single integrated circuit. Such SOC devices may include one or more processing units, graphics units, communication units, system virtualization units, and various application functions, all integrated (or "burned") onto a chip substrate as a single integrated circuit. When running via an SOC, all/some of the functionality described herein may be integrated with other components of the computer 100 onto a single integrated circuit (chip).

As mentioned briefly above, a number of program modules and data files may be stored in the mass storage device 14 and RAM 9 of the computer 100, including an operating system 16 suitable for controlling the operation of a networked computer, such as WINDOWS from MICROSOFT CORPORATION of Redmond, WashWINDOWSAnd (4) operating the system.

The mass storage device 14 and RAM 9 may also store one or more program modules. In particular, the mass storage device 14 and the RAM 9 may store one or more applications such as an occlusion filter 26, a productivity application 24 (e.g., a presentation application such as microsoft POWERPOINT, a WORD processing application such as microsoft WORD, a spreadsheet application such as microsoft EXCEL, a messaging application such as microsoft OUTLOOK, etc.), and may store one or more Web browsers 25. The Web browser 25 may be used to request, receive, render, and provide interaction with electronic content, such as Web pages, videos, documents, and the like. According to one embodiment, the Web browser includes the INTERNET EXPLORER Web browser application program from MICROSOFT CORPORATION.

The occlusion filter 26 may be a client device and/or a server device (e.g., within the service 19). The occlusion filter 26 may be configured for use in applications/processes that provide resources to different tenants (e.g., microsoft OFFICE 365, microsoft WEB APPS, microsoft SHAREPOINT ONLINE) and/or as part of a cloud-based multi-tenant service.

In general, the occlusion filter 26 is configured to automatically adjust the display of the content area such that the display of virtual input panels (e.g., virtual keyboards, gesture areas, handwriting areas, and other software input panels) do not occlude the content that the user is interacting with. After adjusting the display of the content area, the content being interacted with is visible within the content area. The content area is automatically adjusted so that the portion of the content that the user is interacting remains visible during the interaction (e.g., adding new content so that a new line appears, moving the cursor to another location). In some cases, the content area may also be temporarily resized while the virtual input panel is displayed. When the zoom ratio is set to automatically change in response to a change to the content area, the zoom ratio may be set to a fixed percentage in advance so that the content within the content area does not change in size when the display of the content area is adjusted. When the virtual input panel is dismissed, the content area may be reverted to its original configuration prior to the virtual input panel being displayed. Additional details regarding the operation of the occlusion manager 26 will be provided below.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system for adjusting the display of a content area such that the display of a virtual input panel does not obscure an interaction area. As shown, the system 200 includes a service 210, an occlusion filter 240, storage 245, a touchscreen input device/display 250 (e.g., a tablet), and a smartphone 230.

As shown, service 210 is a cloud-based and/or enterprise-based service that may be configured to provide productivity services (e.g., microsoft OFFICE 365, microsoft WEB APPS, microsoft POWERPOINT). The functionality of one or more of the services/applications provided by service 210 may also be configured as client-based applications. For example, the client device may include a presentation application for displaying slides, and the service 210 may provide functionality of a productivity application. While the system 200 shows one productivity service, other services/applications can also be configured to adjust the display of the content area so that the display of the virtual input panels (e.g., 232, 254) does not obscure the area (interaction area) in which the user is interacting with the content.

As shown, service 210 is a multi-tenant service that provides resources 215 and services to any number of tenants (e.g., tenants 1-N). According to an embodiment, multi-tenant service 210 is a cloud-based service that provides resources/services 215 to tenants that subscribe to the service and maintains data for each tenant separately and protects it from other tenant data.

The system 200 as shown includes a touch screen input device/display 250 (e.g., a tablet/tablet device) and a mobile phone 230 that detects when a touch input is received (e.g., a finger touch or near touch to the touch screen). Any type of touch screen that detects a touch input by a user may be utilized. For example, a touch screen may include one or more layers of capacitive material that detect touch inputs. Other sensors may be used in addition to or in place of capacitive materials. For example, an Infrared (IR) sensor may be used. According to an embodiment, the touch screen is configured to detect an object in contact with or above the touchable surface. Although the term "above" is used in this specification, it should be understood that the orientation of the touch panel system is irrelevant. The term "above" is intended to be applicable to all such orientations. The touch screen may be configured to determine a location (e.g., a start point, an intermediate point, and an end point) at which the touch input is received. The actual contact between the touchable surface and the object may be detected by any suitable means, including, for example, a vibration sensor or microphone coupled to the touch panel. A non-exhaustive list of examples of sensors for detecting contact includes: pressure-based mechanisms, micromechanical accelerometers, piezoelectric devices, capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, inductive sensors, laser vibrometers, and LED vibrometers.

As shown, the touch screen input device/display 250 displays an exemplary document 252 (e.g., a slide, a word processing document, a spreadsheet document). The occlusion manager 240 is configured to receive input from a user (e.g., using the touch-sensitive input device 250 and/or keyboard input (e.g., physical keyboard and/or SIP)). For example, the occlusion manager 240 may receive touch input associated with the document 252. The touch input may indicate an area/object within the document that the user wants to interact with. For example, a user may tap an object (e.g., a chart), a word in a row, a cell in a spreadsheet, a portion within a document (e.g., notes, annotations) to begin editing/interacting at a selected location. The area around/near this selection is called the interaction area. The interaction zone may be set to a predetermined size around the selection and/or may be determined based on the type of selection made by the user. For example, if the user selects a chart, the interaction region may include the entire chart. However, if the user selects a line of text to edit, the interactive area may include one or more lines above/below the selection. Generally, the interactive area is defined to be large enough to allow the user to edit the content without the content being obscured by the display of the virtual input panel.

Document 260 is intended to illustrate the initial display of document 252 before a Virtual Input Panel (VIP) is displayed on a computing device (e.g., smartphone 230 and tablet 250). In response to interacting with the document, a determination is made as to whether the display of the VIP will occlude (e.g., cover) the interaction region including content that the user has selected. As shown, the user has selected a diagram located near the bottom left of the document 252 using their finger 264. The interactive area 262 will be obscured by the VIP if the VIP is displayed without any adjustment to the content area. When the display of the VIP occludes the interaction zone, the display of the content zone is adjusted so that it does not occlude the interaction zone. As shown, the tablet 250 and mobile device 230 display that the display of the content area has been moved upward so that the graphics within the interaction are not obscured by the VIPs (e.g., VIP 254 and VIP 232). As discussed, the amount of display of the content area is adjusted and determined based on the configurable interaction area. For example, the display of the content area may be moved such that there is a predetermined amount of space for the content to interact with (e.g., the user may add two lines of content before the display of the content area is adjusted again). According to an embodiment, the scale of the content remains the same (e.g., maintains the same scale) as before the display of the content region was adjusted. The display of the content area may be adjusted using different methods. For example, the scroll zone associated with the document may be adjusted to move the content in the interaction zone so that it is not obscured when the VIP is displayed. The content area may also be resized such that at least an interaction area of the resized content area is visible to allow for input. The content region may also be adjusted such that it overlays a portion of other displayed content (e.g., one or more user interface elements, such as a menu bar, a border of a window, a status display, etc.). More detail is provided below related to adjusting the display of the content area so that the interaction area indicated by the user is not obscured by the display of the VIP.

3-4 show illustrative processes for adjusting the display of a content area so that the display of a virtual input panel does not obscure the interaction area when interacting with the content. When reading the discussion of the routines provided herein, it should be appreciated that the logical operations of various embodiments are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules running on a computing system and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit modules within the computing system. The implementation is selected depending on the performance requirements of the computing system implementing the invention. Accordingly, the logical operations illustrated and making up the embodiments described herein are referred to variously as operations, structural devices, acts or modules. These operations, structural devices, acts and modules may be implemented in software, in firmware, in special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof.

FIG. 3 shows a process for adjusting the display of a content area so that the display of a virtual input panel does not obscure the interaction area when interacting with the content.

After a start operation, the process flows to operation 310, where the content is displayed within the content area. The content may be any content displayed by the application. For example, the content may be a presentation slide, a word processing document, a spreadsheet, a note list, a web page, a graphical page, an electronic message, and so forth. The display may include one or more content areas. For example, a document may have different document portions (e.g., cells, portions of slides (e.g., title, subtitle, content, … …), objects (e.g., table, chart, object, pivot table, … …), non-scrollable areas (e.g., note portion, comment portion), and so forth that may be independently edited.

Moving to operation 320, the process receives an interaction with the content within the content area. The interaction may be a variety of different interactions, such as but not limited to: touch input, mouse input, pointer input, and the like. The interaction indicates an interaction area where the user wants to interact with the content. For example, the user may tap a word in a row, a cell in a spreadsheet, a portion within a document (e.g., note, annotation) to begin editing/interacting at that location.

Flowing to decision operation 330, a determination is made as to whether a Virtual Input Panel (VIP) receiving input to interact with the content would obscure the interaction region when displayed. According to one embodiment, the VIP is an element that may be displayed anywhere within the display (including elements that overlay currently displayed content). The one or more VIPs may be configured to receive a variety of different inputs. For example, the VIP may be a virtual keyboard, a handwriting area, a gesture area, and the like. When the display of the VIP does not occlude the interaction region, the process moves to operation 350. When the display of the VIP does occlude the interaction region, the process moves to operation 340.

Turning to operation 340, the display of the content area is adjusted such that it does not occlude the interaction area. The reality of the content area can be adjusted using different methods. For example, the scroll zone may be adjusted to move content in the interaction zone so that it is not obscured when the VIP is displayed. The content area may also be resized such that at least an interaction area of the resized content area is visible to allow for input. For example, the input panel may be temporarily resized rather than scroll through the content. A combination of these two approaches may also be used. According to an embodiment, the scale of the content within the content area may be temporarily scaled to display the interaction area without being obscured. The content region may also be adjusted such that it overlays a portion of other displayed content (e.g., one or more user interface elements, such as a menu bar, a border of a window, a status display, etc.).

Moving to operation 350, the VIP is displayed. The VIP may be displayed at any determined location within a display showing the content area. For example, the VIP may be displayed at the top of the display, at the bottom of the display, at the sides of the display, within the middle of the display, and so forth. Different VIPs may be displayed based on the interaction (e.g., a virtual keyboard to receive keyboard input, a virtual gesture panel to receive touch gestures, a handwriting input panel to receive signatures, etc.). The VIP may be of various sizes. For example, a larger VIP may cause the display of the content area to be adjusted, while a smaller VIP may not cause the display of the content area to be adjusted.

Flowing to operation 360, input is received while the VIP and the content within the interaction zone are displayed. As long as the VIP is displayed, a determination is made in response to user interaction as to whether the display of the content area needs to be adjusted so that it will not be occluded. For example, editing may result in one or more new lines being inserted (e.g., typed, posted content) within the content area, which may be occluded if the display of the content area is not adjusted. The user may also select another location within the content while the VIP is displayed. The display of the content area is adjusted so that the content within the interaction area remains visible to the user.

Turning to operation 370, the display of the VIP is removed and the display of the content area may be reverted to the same display as before the display of the content area was adjusted.

The process then moves to an end operation and returns to processing other actions.

FIG. 4 illustrates a process for moving content and/or changing the size of a content region in an attempt to avoid occlusion by a virtual input panel.

After a start operation, process 400 flows to operation 410 where displayed scale information for the content area is determined and stored. For example, when the scale is "suitable for the content area," the scale factor is saved as an explicit value (e.g., 65%, 90%, 100%, … …). According to an embodiment, when the VIP is displayed, the size of the content in the content area remains at the same scale as before the VIP was displayed (e.g., the content does not get smaller in response to the VIP being displayed). When the VIP is removed from the display, the scale may be restored to the stored scale value.

Moving to operation 420, upon confirmation, the content within the content area is moved. For example, the scroll position of the window may be adjusted to move the content in the content area so that it is not obscured when the VIP is displayed. Scrolling may be vertical and/or horizontal (panning). The content may also be moved to some other location to avoid being obscured by the display of the VIP.

Flow to operation 430, where the content area containing the interaction zone may be resized so that the display of the VIP does not obscure the interaction zone. The interactive area may be located within the portion of the document that cannot be scrolled and may be completely obscured by the VIP when displayed. For example, panes within the content area may be displayed higher than the VIP. When the VIP is removed, the pane returns to its original height.

The process then moves to an end operation and returns to processing other actions.

FIG. 5 illustrates a system architecture for adjusting the display of a content area such that the display of a virtual input panel does not obscure an interaction area as described herein. Content used and displayed by applications (e.g., application 1020) and occlusion manager 26 may be stored in different locations. For example, application 1020 may use/store data using directory service 1022, web portals, mailbox service 1026, instant messaging store 1028, and social networking sites 1030. The application 1020 may use any of these types of systems or the like. The server 1032 may be used to adjust the display of the content area so that the display of the VIP does not obscure the interaction area. For example, the server 1032 may generate a display of the application 1020 for display at a client (e.g., a browser or some other window). As one example, server 1032 may be a web server configured to provide productivity services (e.g., presentations, word processing, messaging, spreadsheets, document collaboration, etc.). The server 1032 may interact with clients using the web through the network 1008. The server 1032 may also include application programs (e.g., productivity applications). Examples of clients that may interact with the server 1032 and the presentation application include computing device 1002, which computing device 1002 may include any general purpose personal computer, tablet computing device 1004, and/or mobile computing device 1006 that may include a smart phone. Any of these devices may obtain content from storage 1016.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary landscape (landscaped) flat panel display showing the adjustment of the content area associated with a presentation slide prior to displaying a VIP.

Display 610 shows that user 622 is selecting a portion 620 of presentation slide 625. Line 615 indicates where the display of the VIP, if displayed, would overlay the slide (line 615 is for illustration purposes and not displayed). It can be seen that if VIP 660 is displayed without adjusting the display of the content area of the slide, the interactive area that the user has selected will be obscured by the VIP.

Display 650 shows slide 625 having been moved upward to expose the interaction area indicated by the user prior to displaying VIP 660.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary landscape (landscaped) flat panel display showing resizing of the content area of the presentation slide prior to displaying the VIP.

The display 710 shows a user 722 selecting a portion 720 of a presentation slide 725 using a stylus 724. In the current example, section 720 is a note section, typically a constant size area, that is used to enter some notes for the slide. Line 715 indicates where the display of VIP 760 would overlay the slide if VIP 760 were displayed without adjusting the display of the content. It can be seen that if the VIP is displayed without adjusting the display of the content area of the slide show, the interactive area that the user has selected, including the note section 720, will be obscured by the VIP 660.

Display 750 shows note area 720 having been resized to a larger size before VIP 760 is displayed. It can be seen that the user can now enter notes within the note taking area 720 using the VIP 760 without the notes being obscured by the display of the VIP 760. In the current example, the display 725 of the slide has remained in the same location. According to an embodiment, in addition to changing the size of the content area, the display of the content area may also change (see, e.g., FIG. 10).

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary flat panel display in a portrait mode (Portrait mode), which shows the adjustment of the content area of a word processing document prior to displaying a VIP.

Display 810 shows that user 822 is selecting a portion 820 of a presentation word processing document 825. Line 815 indicates where the display of VIP 860 would obscure the slide if displayed. It can be seen that if the VIP is displayed without adjusting the display of the word processing document, the interactive area that the user has selected will be obscured by the VIP. If the user selects a position above line 815, the display of the content area is not adjusted.

The display 850 shows that the word processing document 825 has been moved upward to expose the interaction area indicated by the user prior to displaying the VIP 860. If the VIP 860 were to be displayed in a different area of the display, the display of the content area would be adjusted appropriately (e.g., scrolling the content down instead of up).

Figure 9 illustrates an exemplary flat panel display in landscape mode showing the adjustment of the content area of a word processing document prior to displaying a VIP.

Display 910 displays a portion 920 of a word processing document 925 that user 922 is selecting has been segmented by a screen splitter 930. The screen splitter 930 splits the word processing document so that two different portions of the document can be seen within the same display. Line 915 indicates where the display of the VIP 960, if displayed, would overlay the word processing document. It can be seen that if the VIP is displayed without adjustment to the display of the word processing document, the interactive region will obscure almost the entire lower half of the segmented document 925.

The display 950 shows that the word processing document 925 has been moved upward to expose the interaction area indicated by the user prior to displaying the VIP 960. According to another embodiment, the screen splitter 930 may also be moved upward to change a portion of the document displayed below the screen splitter.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary flat panel display in landscape mode showing the resizing of the content area and changing the size of the annotation area of the word processing document prior to displaying the VIP.

The display 1050 shows that the user 1066 is selecting the annotation area 1060 associated with the word processing document 1052. In this example, the user has entered a note 1054, which may or may not be displayed with the display of the notes area 1060. Line 1055 indicates where the display of the VIP 1085, if displayed, would overlay the word processing document and annotations. As can be seen, if the VIP is displayed without adjusting the display of the word processing document, the VIP 1085 will cover the entire annotation area.

Display 1080 shows that word processing document 1052 has been placed to reveal the relevant annotations associated with the user selections. The annotation region 1060 has also been resized to allow the user to interact with the annotation. As can be seen, the user can not only view the content of the annotations in the annotation region, but the user can also view the annotations in the document itself. When the user selects a different annotation, the annotation region and the content region of the word processing document are adjusted so that the user can see both the annotation in the document and the annotation in the annotation region. According to one embodiment, the user may determine what they want to display (e.g., just display the annotation region and not the corresponding annotation in the document).

Fig. 11 illustrates an exemplary flat panel display in landscape mode, showing the adjustment of content areas within the spreadsheet before displaying the VIP.

Display 1110 shows that user 1122 is selecting a portion 1120 of spreadsheet 1125. Block 1115 indicates where the display of VIP 1155, if displayed, would obscure the spreadsheet. As can be seen, if the VIP is displayed without adjusting the display of the spreadsheet, the VIP will obscure the selected content 1120. The VIP may be of various sizes. For example, a larger VIP may cause the display of the content area to be adjusted, while a smaller VIP may not cause the display of the content area to be adjusted.

Display 1150 shows that spreadsheet 1125 has been moved upward to expose the interaction area indicated by the user prior to displaying VIP 1155. According to an embodiment, the VIP may be transparently displayed (e.g., alpha blended) such that a portion of the content underlying the display of the VIP may also be seen. The transparency may be set to a predetermined level and/or the transparency level may change during use of the VIP. For example, when a user begins interacting with VIP 1155, transparency may be automatically removed.

Figure 12 shows an exemplary lateral flat panel display showing adjustment of the display of a user interface associated with a presentation slide prior to displaying a VIP.

Display 1210 shows that user 622 is selecting a portion 1220 of presentation slide 1225. Line 1215 indicates where the display of the VIP, if displayed, would obscure the slide. As can be seen, this portion is very close to where it would be occluded if the VIP 1260 were displayed without adjusting the display of the content area of the slide.

Display 1250 shows that slide 1225 has been moved up to expose more interaction area before displaying VIP 1260, and slide 1225 is displayed over the display of user interface 1212/in place of user interface 1212. Line 1255 shows (for illustrative purposes only) an additional portion of slide 1225 that can be seen by displaying the slide over/in place of user interface 1212. As can be seen, by changing the display of the user interface 1212, the user is able to see the entire title portion.

In some examples, the content area may remain initially displayed, while the displayed elements may be removed/masked to reveal more content. For example, the user may select an item near the user interface 1212, which may result in the slide 1225 being obscured instead of the user interface 1212.

Figure 13 illustrates an exemplary lateral flat panel display showing adjustment of the display of a user interface associated with a presentation slide prior to displaying a VIP.

Display 1310 shows that user 622 is selecting a portion 1325 of presentation slide 1320. Line 1315 indicates where the display of the VIP, if displayed, would obscure the slide. In this example, the interaction zone has been determined to be a larger zone (e.g., the entire slide) than in the other examples. Even if this portion of the slide is not obscured by the display of the VIP 1360, the content area is still adjusted because the interactive area (e.g., the entire slide) has been defined as the interactive area.

Display 1350 shows slide 1325 having been moved up and zoomed to expose the entire slide before VIP 1360 is displayed. The UI 1312 has also been removed/obscured to increase the available display space.

Embodiments of the present invention are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention, for example. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described, other embodiments are possible. In addition, although embodiments of the present invention have been described as being associated with data stored in memory and other storage media, data may also be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices (like hard disks, floppy disks, or a CD-ROM), a carrier wave from the Internet, or other forms of RAM or ROM. In addition, steps of the disclosed methods may be modified in any manner, including by reordering steps and/or inserting or deleting steps, without departing from the invention.

The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.

Claims (10)

1. A method for adjusting a content area from being obscured by a virtual input panel, comprising:

a display content area (310);

receiving an interaction with content, the interaction indicating an interaction region within the content region (320);

determining when display of the virtual input panel would obscure the interaction region (330); and

adjusting display of the content area such that display of the virtual input panel does not obscure the interaction area (340).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the display of the content area comprises (420) at least one of: scrolling the content area; moving the content region and resizing regions within the content region and moving a display of content within the content region.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a size of an area within the content area (430) such that at least a portion of the adjusted area is exposed when the virtual input panel is displayed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising alpha-blending displaying the virtual input panel (1150) such that at least a portion of content beneath the display of the virtual input panel remains visible.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically adjusting the content area while the virtual input panel is displayed before a portion of content becomes occluded while the virtual input panel is displayed (340).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a current scale factor (410) prior to adjusting the adjustment of the display of the content area, and adjusting the content area back to the scale factor when the virtual input panel is removed from the display.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for adjusting a content area to avoid occlusion by a display of a virtual input panel, comprising:

a display content area (310);

receiving an interaction with content, the interaction indicating an interaction region within the content region (320);

determining a location at which a virtual input panel is to be displayed (350);

determining when display of the virtual input panel at the determined location would occlude the interaction area (330); and

adjusting display of the content area such that display of the virtual input panel does not obscure the interaction area (340).

8. A system for adjusting a content area from being occluded by a virtual input panel, comprising:

a display (28);

a network connection (20) coupled to a tenant of the multi-tenant service;

a processor (5) and a computer readable medium (14);

an operating environment (16) stored on the computer-readable medium and executing on the processor; and

a process (26) operating under control of the operating environment and operative to perform an action, comprising:

a display content area (310);

receiving an interaction with content, the interaction indicating an interaction region within the content region (320);

determining a location at which a virtual input panel is to be displayed (350);

determining when display of the virtual input panel at the determined location would occlude the interaction area (330); and

adjusting display of the content area such that display of the virtual input panel does not obscure the interaction area (340).

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising resizing an area within the content area such that at least a portion of the resized area is exposed when the virtual input panel is displayed (430).

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising automatically adjusting the content area while the virtual input panel is displayed before a portion of content becomes occluded while the virtual input panel is displayed (340).