System and method for visualizing a multi-screen workspace on a single display screen
A system ( 200 ) and method ( 600 ) for visualizing on a single display screen (SDS) a first plurality of display screen windows (FPDSWs) displayed on display screens ( 234, . . . , 240 ) of a multi-screen workspace. The method involves determining a relative placement pattern (RPP) for the FPDSWs ( 250, . . . , 272 ). The method also involves selecting at least one size reduction factor (SRF) to reduce a combined total area of the FPDSW to fit within a viewing area provided by SDS ( 224 ). The method further involves displaying a second plurality of display screen windows (SPDSWs) on the SDS using the SRF and RPP. The SPDSWs ( 250′, . . . , 272 ′) are presented such that the FPDSWs having a reduced combined total area is simultaneously viewable on the SDS in the RPP. Notably, the SPDSWs can comprise substantially similar content and attributes of respective display screen windows of the FPDSWs.
1. A method for visualizing on a single display screen a plurality of display screen windows displayed on a plurality of display screens of a multi-screen workspace, comprising the steps of:
determining a first relative placement pattern for a first plurality of display screen windows displayed in a first display screen of the workspace;
determining a second relative placement pattern for a second plurality of display screen windows displayed in a second display screen of the workspace;
selecting at least one size reduction factor to reduce a combined total area of said first and second plurality of display screen windows to fit within a viewing area provided by said single display screen; and
displaying said first and second plurality of display screen windows on said single display screen using said size reduction factor and said first and second relative placement patterns;
wherein said first and second plurality of display screen windows are presented such that said first and second plurality of display screen windows having a reduced combined total area are simultaneously viewable on said single display screen according to said first and second relative placement patterns.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said size reduction factor is provided by a user accessible selectable menu that includes a plurality of different available view sizes.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said size reduction factor is a percentage variable.
4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of automatically computing said size reduction factor and using said automatically computed size reduction factor to display said first and second plurality of display screen windows on said single display screen.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of computing a plurality of new resolutions for each display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows using said size reduction factor.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said computing step further involves multiplying said size reduction factor by resolution column and row values for each display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each display screen window displayed in said single display screen comprises the same or similar content as a respective display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows of the workspace.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a display screen window displayed in said single display screen comprises at least one attribute of a respective display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows of the workspace.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one attribute is selected from the group consisting of resize-ability, drag-ability, minimize-ability, maximize-ability, and close-ability.
10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of reading said size reduction factor from a configuration file.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of reading said size reduction factor from a common location and applying said size reduction factor to at least one display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows without using information of a configuration file and a multi-screen workspace configuration.
12. A system, comprising:
a first computing system comprising a plurality of display screens of a multi-screen workspace configured for displaying a plurality of display screen windows; and
a second computing system comprising a single display screen, said second computing system configured for (a) determining a first relative placement pattern for a first plurality of display screen windows displayed in a first display screen of the workspace, (b) determining a second relative placement pattern for a second plurality of display screen windows displayed in a second display screen of the workspace; (c) using at least one size reduction factor to reduce a combined total area of said first and second plurality of display screen windows to fit within a viewing area provided by said single display screen, and (d) displaying said first and second plurality of display screen windows on said single display screen using said size reduction factor and said first and second relative placement patterns;
wherein said first and second plurality of display screen windows are presented such that said first and second plurality of display screen windows having a reduced combined total area are simultaneously viewable on said single display screen according to said first and second relative placement patterns.
13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein said size reduction factor is provided by a user accessible selectable menu that includes a plurality of different available view sizes.
14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein said size reduction factor is a percentage variable.
15. The system according to claim 12 , wherein said second computing system is further configured for automatically computing said size reduction factor and using said automatically computed size reduction factor to display said first and second plurality of display screen windows on said single display screen.
16. The system according to claim 12 , wherein said second computing system is further configured for computing a plurality of new resolutions for each display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows using said size reduction factor.
17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein said second computing system is further configured for multiplying said size reduction factor by resolution column and row values for each display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows.
18. The system according to claim 12 , wherein each display screen window displayed in said single display screen comprises the same or similar content as a respective display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows of the workspace.
19. The system according to claim 12 , wherein at least one display screen window displayed in said single display screen comprises at least one attribute of a respective display screen window of said first and second plurality of display screen windows of the workspace.
20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one attribute is selected from the group consisting of resize-ability, drag-ability, minimize-ability, maximize-ability, and close-ability.