Expandable and collapsible information panels

1. A computer implemented method for displaying information content in a user interface, comprising:

receiving, at a processor, content to be displayed in a window of the user interface, the content including a first information panel and a second information panel,

the first information panel including a graphical-user-interface (GUI) configured to display at least one information element corresponding to a first application; and

the second information panel including a GUI configured to display at least one information element corresponding to a second application;

displaying, at a first display position in the user interface, the first information panel in a collapsed state;

displaying, at a second display position in the user interface, the second information panel in an expanded state;

receiving, at the processor, information representing a first user indicated position representing a change in a focus position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the first user indicated position corresponding to the first information panel, the information representing the first user indicated position including information representing a position of a scroll bar within the user interface;

in response to receiving the information representing the first user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the first information panel becomes displayable, displaying the first information panel in an expanded state, including displaying, within the first information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the first application; and

in response to receiving the information representing the first user indicated position displaying the second information panel in a collapsed state.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the information representing the first user indicated position includes information representing a position of a pointing device within the user interface.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, information representing a second user indicated position within the user interface, the second user indicated position corresponding to the second information panel; and

in response to receiving the information representing the second user indicated position: displaying the first information panel in the collapsed state; and displaying the second information panel in the expanded state including displaying the at least one information element corresponding to the second application within the second information panel.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising, as a result of displaying the first information panel in the expanded state, displaying the second information panel in the collapsed state at a third display position in the user interface instead of displaying the second information panel in the collapsed state at the second display position.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one information element corresponding to the first application includes a plurality of information elements; and

displaying the at least one information element corresponding to the first application includes displaying only a portion of the plurality of information elements within the first information panel.

6. A computer implemented method for expanding an information panel in a user interface, comprising:

displaying a first information panel in a collapsed state at a first display position within the user interface, the first information panel including:

a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a first application;

at least one information element corresponding to information accessible via the first application that is not displayed when the first information panel is displayed in the collapsed state;

displaying a second information panel in the collapsed state at a second display position within the user interface, the second information panel including:

a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a second application;

at least one information element corresponding to information accessible via the second application that is not displayed when the second information panel is displayed in the collapsed state;

receiving, at a processor, information representing a first user indicated position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the first user indicated position corresponding to the second information panel, the information representing the first user indicated position including information representing a position of a scroll bar within the user interface; and

in response to receiving the information representing the first user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the second information panel becomes displayable, displaying the second information panel in an expanded state in the user interface, including displaying, within the second information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the second application; and

receiving, at the processor, information representing a second user indicated position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the second user indicated position corresponding to the first information panel, the information representing the user indicated position including information representing a position of a scroll bar within the user interface; and

in response to receiving the information representing the second user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the first information panel becomes displayable,

displaying the second information panel in the collapsed state in the user interface, and

displaying the first information panel in the expanded state in the user interface, including displaying, within the first information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the first application.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the information representing the user indicated position includes information representing a position of a pointing device within the user interface.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, information representing a second user indicated position within the user interface, the second user indicated position corresponding the first information panel; and

in response to receiving the information representing the second user indicated position:

displaying the second information panel in the collapsed state; and

displaying the first information panel in the expanded state, including displaying the at least one information element corresponding to the first application within the first information panel.

9. A computer implemented method for collapsing an information panel in a user interface, comprising:

displaying a first information panel in an expanded state at a first position within the user interface, the first information panel including:

a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a first application;

at least one information element corresponding to the first application that is displayed in the user interface within the first information panel when the first information panel is displayed in the expanded state;

displaying a second information panel in a collapsed state at a second display position within the user interface, the second information panel including:

a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a second application;

at least one information element corresponding to the second application that is not displayed when the second information panel is displayed in the collapsed state;

receiving, at a processor, information representing a user indicated position representing a change in a focus position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the user indicated position corresponding to the second information panel, the information representing the user indicated position including information representing a position of a scroll bar within the user interface; and

in response to receiving the information representing the user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the first information panel becomes displayable:

displaying the first information panel in the collapsed state in the user interface, including no longer displaying the at least one information element corresponding to the first application; and

displaying the second information panel in the expanded state in the user interface, including displaying, within the second information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the second application.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the information representing the user indicated position includes information representing a position of a pointing device within the user interface.

11. A computer program product for displaying information content in a user interface, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory machine readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive content to be displayed in a window of the user interface, the content including a first information panel and a second information panel,

the first information panel including a graphical-user-interface (GUI) configured to display at least one information element corresponding to information accessible via a first application; and

the second information panel including a GUI configured to display at least one information element corresponding to information accessible via a second application;

display, at a first display position in the user interface, the first information panel in a collapsed state;

display, at a second display position in the user interface, the second information panel in the collapsed state;

receive information representing a first user indicated position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the first user indicated position corresponding to the first information panel, the information representing the first user indicated position including information representing a position of a scroll bar within the user interface; and

in response to receiving the information representing the first user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the second information panel becomes displayable, display the first information panel in an expanded state, including displaying, within the first information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the first application; and

receiving, at the processor, information representing a second user indicated position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the second user indicated position corresponding to the second information panel, the information representing the user indicated position including information representing a position of the scroll bar within the user interface; and

in response to receiving the information representing the second user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the second information panel becomes displayable,

displaying the first information panel in the collapsed state in the user interface, and

displaying the second information panel in the expanded state in the user interface, including displaying, within the second information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the second application.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the information representing the user indicated position includes information representing a position of a pointing device within the user interface.

13. A computer program product for expanding an information panel in a user interface, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory machine readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

display a first information panel in a collapsed state at a first display position within the user interface, the first information panel including:

a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a first application;

at least one information element corresponding to information accessible via the first application that is not displayed when the information panel is displayed in the collapsed state;

display a second information panel in the collapsed state at a second display position within the user interface, the second information panel including:

a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a second application;

at least one information element corresponding to information accessible via the second application that is not displayed when the second information panel is displayed in the collapsed state;

receive information representing a first user indicated position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the first user indicated position corresponding to the second information panel, the information representing the first user indicated position including information representing a position of a scroll bar within the user interface; and

in response to receiving the information representing the first user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the second information panel becomes displayable, display the second information panel in an expanded state in the user interface, including displaying, within the second information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the second application; and

receiving, at the processor, information representing a second user indicated position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the second user indicated position corresponding to the first information panel, the information representing the user indicated position including information representing a position of a scroll bar within the user interface; and

in response to receiving the information representing the second user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the first information panel becomes displayable,

displaying the second information panel in the collapsed state in the user interface, and

displaying the first information panel in the expanded state in the user interface, including displaying, within the first information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the first application.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the information representing the first user indicated position includes information representing a position of a pointing device within the user interface.

15. A computer program product for collapsing an information panel in a user interface, tangibly embodied on a non-transitory machine readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

display a first information panel in an expanded state at a first position within the user interface, wherein the first information panel including:

a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a first application; at least one information element corresponding to the first application that is displayed in the user interface within the first information panel when the first information panel is displayed in the expanded state;

display a second information panel in a collapsed state at a second display position within the user interface, the second information panel including:

a graphical user interface (GUI) corresponding to a second application;

at least one information element corresponding to the second application that is not displayed when the second information panel is displayed in the collapsed state;

receive information representing a user indicated position representing a change in a focus position within the user interface in response to user input to scroll the user interface, the user indicated position corresponding to the second information panel, the information representing the user indicated position including information representing a position of a scroll bar within the user interface; and

in response to receiving the information representing the user indicated position and a determination from the position of the scroll bar that the first information panel becomes displayable:

display the first information panel in the collapsed state in the user interface, including no longer displaying the at least one information element corresponding to the first application: and

display the second information panel in the expanded state in the user interface, including displaying, within the second information panel, the at least one information element corresponding to the second application.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the information representing the user indicated position includes information representing a position of a pointing device within the user interface.