Patent ID: 8775958
Filing Date: 2014-07-08
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. In a multi-user interactive display device comprising a display, a method of assigning a z-ordering to a user interface element displayed on the display based upon an interaction state of the user interface element, the interaction state being dependent upon how a user interacts with the user interface element, the method comprising: detecting a change in the interaction state of the user interface element; if the change is an initiation of a movement of the user interface element on the display, then moving the user interface element to a first predetermined position within the z-ordering, the first predetermined position being within a top z-order layer that includes a plurality of positions that are above a highest position of a middle order layer; if the change is not an initiation of a movement of the user interface element on the display but is an initiation of a user interaction with content contained within the user interface element, then moving the user interface element to a second predetermined position within the z-ordering that is different than the first predetermined position, the second predetermined position being within the middle z-order layer, the middle z-order layer including a plurality of positions that are below a lowest position of the top z-order layer; and if the change is a cessation of a user interaction with the selected user interface element, then moving the user interface element to a third predetermined position that is within a lower z-order layer that includes a plurality of positions that are below the middle z-order layer, where more than one user interface element occupies a z-order layer, and within each layer, a most recent user interface element to occupy the layer is located at a top z-order position within the layer.