Abstract: Systems and methods are described for scaling a graphical user interface (GUI) to fit proportionally in displays of different sizes. Bounds of display objects to be displayed in the graphical user interface are defined in terms of position relative to horizontal and vertical dimensions of a display on which the GUI is rendered. An application defines the GUI in relative terms, but an end user may alter the look and feel of controls in the GUI. A tiered sizing schema is described that provides size constraints for display objects. The end user is limited as to how much a size of a display object can be altered in order to preserve the integrity of the original specifications of the GUI when the GUI is displayed on displays of various dimensions.

Abstract: A bitmap of a shape, such as a font, can be subpixel optimized by producing for each of a display's subpixels a coverage value representing the percent of its area covered by the shape being represented and by distributing, to prevent color imbalance, an amount of a given subpixel's coverage value to nearby subpixels of different colors as a function of the percent of the given subpixel's coverage value that causes color imbalance. Web pages can be displayed with scaled-down and subpixel optimized images. A given layout of a Web page can be displayed at each of at least two different selected scale factors, with the font bitmaps used to represent characters in the display at each scale factor having their shape and pixel alignment selected to improve readability for the particular pixel size at which they are displayed at each such scale factor.

Abstract: A graphical user interface element for modifying parameters of a graphing widget includes a first slider bar with a first slider control operable to adjust a first parameter of a graphing widget, and a second slider bar with a second slider control operable to adjust a second parameter of the graphing widget. The parameters may be modified to adjust the a graphical representation of data displayed by the graphing widget.

Abstract: Web pages are displayed with a simultaneous overview and magnified view. An indicator can show the portion of the overview in the magnified view. Both views can be shown, one above the other, across the full width of the same screen. A user can select between such a split view and another view, including an overview-only view, a magnified-only view, and a view in which selected text is laid out to fit the width of the magnified view. Navigational input can directly move the layout in the magnified view or the cursor, and can scroll both the overview and magnified view. The magnified view can display text with antialiased fonts designed for its resolution. The magnified view can be made to function like a magnifying glass. The width of text in multicolumn layouts can be limited to fit the width of a view window, such as the magnified-view.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique to improve productivity on a task for redesigning a screen depending on change in a display size of the screen displayed on a display unit. In a computer environment, a display of a screen composed of a container for defining a frame of the screen and a GUI part arranged in this container is controlled as follows. When an event is detected for changing the size of the screen displayed on a display section, the size of the container in this screen is changed according to the detected event. Furthermore, data relating to a GUI part arranged within the container are changed on the basis of transformation assist lines 341 and 342 set on the container. Then the changed size of the container, a position and the size of the GUI part are reflected to update the screen.

Abstract: A graphical user interface (GUI) is provided for manipulating a presentation of a region of interest within visual information displayed on a display screen of a computer display system. The GUI includes: a first bounding shape surrounding the focal region; a second bounding shape surrounding the shoulder region; a base outline; a pickup point; a slide bar; a move area within the region of interest; at least one zoom area; and, a zoom button.

Abstract: A computer implemented graphical user interface and data processing method is provided that facilitates manipulation of objects on a display by directly manipulating a graphic representation of an active area of data. The user can select an active region of a larger information area, reposition it relative to the information area, resize it and zoom in or out by directly manipulating the graphic representation of the active area.

Abstract: A method for displaying a region of interest within visual information on a display screen of a computer, the region of interest including a focal region and a base region. The method includes the steps of: providing means for selecting at least one parameter for transforming at least one of the region of interest, the focal region, and the base region; selecting the parameter using the means for selecting; transforming the visual information in accordance with a predetermined distortion function and the parameter to produce transformed visual information; and, displaying the transformed visual information on the display screen.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing search results obtained in response to a user query. This may include examining document pointers returned by a search engine to identify a source from which the documents are available and generating at least two visual abstracts of each of the documents. Each of the visual abstracts may be of a different size. The method and system may also include formatting a stream of data such that when the data is displayed, a smaller one of the visual abstracts appears adjacent to a corresponding search result.

Abstract: A method in a computing environment is provided for configuring images for display on the Internet. The method includes selecting first and second component images and positioning the images according to a coordinate system to create a configured image. In the preferred embodiment, the method of the present invention is utilized to configure products in an online purchasing environment.

Abstract: The present invention involves a new system and process for automatically and dynamically laying out elements within an overall window of a graphical user interface by using dynamically resizable frames, i.e., “FlowFrames” disposed within the window. FlowFrames are automatically and dynamically sized and positioned within the window, while one or more other frames, i.e., “child frames,” representing one or more conventional controls, nested within the FlowFrames are also sized and positioned within the window as the window is generated or resized. In particular, each FlowFrame arranges its children horizontally in a row, but dynamically wraps them to one or more additional rows and positions them in accordance with predefined relationships between the children, where they cannot all fit into the same row. Further, the size of each FlowFrame is computed hierarchically from its children up to the overall window and then back down to the individual children.

Abstract: A method for displaying information, expressed as a sequence of alphanumeric characters, on a screen having a sequence of entry lines. Where a designated entry includes more than one line of characters: (1) one or more additional lines, associated with that entry, is added to receive the additional characters and/or (2) a font characteristic (font type, font size, etc.) or other display characteristic is changed to provide display of a larger number of characters on that entry line. A non-designated entry is allocated at most one line on a display. A non-designated entry that includes more than one line of characters has a distinguishable symbol appended.