1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screen transmission device, screen display method and computer readable medium, and more particularly, to a window display position control technology in a multi-display system which displays a computer screen of a PC (Personal Computer) or the like by coordinating a plurality of displays.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, as a system for displaying one computer screen of a PC or the like using a plurality of displays, there is a multi-monitor function supported as standard by Windows (registered trademark). When a display card for multi-monitor is used or a plurality of display cards are pushed into the PC simultaneously and the OS (Operating System) recognizes the plurality of displays, screens are displayed as one big desktop on the plurality of displays. The user can use a wider work space when using a plurality of displays than the case where the user is working only with one display. For example, when the user wants to see a plurality of documents simultaneously, document windows do not overlap with one another or windows are arranged so as not to overlap with one another, and therefore the windows can be displayed simultaneously without being reduced in size.
A system whereby a plurality of displays cooperate with one another for displays is described in JP-A 2003-61140(KOKAI). According to JP-A 2003-61140(KOKAI), when a display instruction is received from a user, the system judges whether or not all the instructed display contents can be displayed on a full screen at a time. When all the instructed display contents cannot be displayed on the screen at a time, the system searches nearby devices and if it finds them, the system displays one screen using a plurality of devices coordinating with one another.
Furthermore, the system described in JP-A 2004-318207(KOKAI) automatically collects information on screen creating elements and screen display elements included in a plurality of nearby devices and automatically forms a processing configuration which combines the screen creating elements and screen display elements in user specified order or in a preset priority order.
While a multi-monitor function of Windows presupposes a relatively fixed way of combination between a PC and displays such as a desktop, using the methods described in the above described two patents facilitates the formation of a multi-display environment when a multi-display is necessary at a time of using a portable device or the like.
As described above, the systems described in JP-A 2003-61140(KOKAI) and JP-A 2004-318207(KOKAI) allow a multi-display environment to be easily used even when the apparatus configuration changes frequently such as when portable apparatuses are used. However, when a display is started up in a multi-display environment, which display is started up greatly affects the convenience of the user. For example, in a conventional Windows multi-monitor environment, a completely new window is started up at a primary monitor. When a display to be shown is not a primary monitor, it is necessary to move the window from the primary monitor to a desired display after the window is started up through mouse operation or the like. When the window is started up for the second time, it is started up at the position where it was closed last time, but in an apparatus configuration which changes fast from one moment to another, it would be rather unlikely that the position where the window was closed last time coincides with the desired position.
The system described in JP-A 2003-61140(KOKAI) can display one big screen using a plurality of devices in cooperation, but it does not refer to the position of a window when the window is started up. On the other hand, the system described in JP-A 2004-318207(KOKAI) simplifies or automates the determination of an apparatus configuration but it does not perform control on which apparatus a new window is displayed after the apparatus configuration is determined. In any case, there is a problem that a complicated operation to move the window to a desired display is required to display the window on a desired display when the window is started up.