An approach to intelligent automated window management

Abstract

The CUBRICON Intelligent Window Manager (CIWM) is a knowledge-based system that automates windowing operations. The CIWM is a component of CUBRICON, a prototype knowledge-based multi-media human-computer interface. CUBRICON accepts inputs and generates outputs using integrated multiple media/modalities including speech, printed/typed natural language, tables, forms, maps, graphics, and pointing gestures. The CIWM automatically performs window management functions on CUBRICON's color and monochrome screens. These functions include window creation, sizing, placement, removal, and organization. These operations are accomplished by the CIWM without direct human inputs, although the system provides for user override of the CIWM decisions. The motivation for automated window management is based on the premise that, by freeing the user's cognitive and temporal resources from the task of managing the human-computer interface, more of these resources are available for the user's application domain activities. As the problems and tasks confronting computer users become more complex and information intensive, the potential of this approach for improving overall performance is enhanced. Recent research discussed in this paper indicates that, for some database management tasks, a significant portion of the user's time is spent in managing the window-based interface. If these findings are representative of the larger range of computer-based tasks that use windowing systems, the concept of automated window management offers great potential for enhancing human performance on these computer-based tasks. This paper provides a brief overview of the CUBRICON system and describes the CIWM and its underlying design principles and premises. The following important CIWM features are discussed: the hybrid tiled and overlapped approach to window layout; an algorithm for determining the importance of a window based on its contents, relation to the ongoing dialogue, time of creation, frequency of use, and recency of use; and an approach to determining window size based on clutter and object resolution requirements. Actual interactive examples are provided to illustrate the CIWM functionality. Results of an evaluation of CUBRICON support the design. Those results which pertain specifically to the CIWM are presented. Limitations and applicability of this research are also discussed.