Patent ID: 7765488

Claim:
A computer-readable medium containing computer program instructions for ordering on-screen windows for display, the computer program instructions, when executed, performing the steps of: displaying an active window and an inactive window on a display screen, the inactive window including a hidden portion and a visible portion, the active window overlapping all of the hidden portion of the inactive window and blocking all of the hidden portion of the inactive window from being viewed by a user; monitoring movement of a pointer displayed on the display screen, the movement of the pointer being controlled by the user through a pointing device; responsive to the user positioning the pointer over the visible portion of the inactive window and selecting the visible portion of the inactive window by clicking a button on the pointing device, enabling the visible portion of the inactive window to receive input from the user without changing a display depth of the inactive window relative to the active window, the pointer not being positioned over a title bar of the inactive window when the user selects the visible portion of the inactive window, the visible portion of the inactive window being enabled to receive input from the user while all of the hidden portion of the inactive window remains blocked from view by the active window, invisible to the user, and unable to receive input from the user; and, responsive to the visible portion of the inactive window being enabled to receive input from the user and responsive to the user re-positioning the pointer over the hidden portion of the inactive window, revealing the hidden portion of the inactive window such that all of the hidden portion of the inactive window is visible to the user without changing the display depth of the inactive window relative to the active window, and enabling all of the hidden portion of the inactive window to receive input from the user, the hidden portion of the inactive window remaining visible and able to receive input from the user only while the pointer is positioned over the hidden portion of the inactive window.