Method and apparatus for presenting information in a display system using transparent windows

• US 20020171682A1
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gosling, James Arthur, Frank, Edward H., Liu, John C., Naughton, Patrick J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,694,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/02 Addressing, scanning or driving the display screen or processing steps related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A central processing unit (CPU) is provided and is coupled to a display for displaying graphic and other data in multiple overlapping windows. The CPU is further coupled to one or more input devices which permits a user to selectively position a cursor and input and manipulate data within each of the windows on the display. The windows include defined areas having window features such as text, icons and buttons corresponding to functions to be executed by the CPU. Multiple applications may be executed concurrently by the CPU such that each application is associated with one or more windows. Each display element (“pixel”) comprising the display is represented by multiple bits in a computer frame buffer memory coupled to the CPU. An alpha value (α) is associated with the intensity of each pixel of the display, such that multiple images may be blended in accordance with a predefined formula utilizing the alpha values. By setting the alpha values appropriately, transparency may be accomplished such that data associated with underlying windows may be rendered visible to the user. Effectively, the present invention merges multiple images through alpha “blending” such that several images appear transparently on top of one another. The present invention, through the selective use of alpha blending, permits underlying windows to display data visible to the user through windows which are overlaid above an underlying window.

Claims

1. A computer display system including a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a display for displaying data, comprising:

user interface generation means coupled to said CPU for generating a user interface on said display wherein said data is displayed in at least one window;

transparency means coupled to said user interface generation means for selectively adjusting the transparency of said window and said data such that said window and data appear at least partially transparent to a user viewing said window and data.

2. The computer display system as defined by claim 1 wherein said user interface generation means generates a plurality of windows in which data is displayed, at least two of said windows overlapping one another on said display and each of said windows having an α

value associated with it, said α

value corresponding to the transparency of said window.

3. The computer display system as defined by claim 2 wherein said α

value may be in the range of 0 to 1, wherein a value of 1 renders the corresponding window opaque and a value of 0 renders the corresponding window fully transparent.

4. The computer display system as defined by claim 2 wherein said transparency means further includes α

value adjusting means visible to a user in each of said windows for permitting said user to adjust the α

value of said window.

5. The computer display system as defined by claim 4 wherein said α

value adjusting means comprises an image of a slider adjustable by said user using a cursor control device coupled to said CPU.

6. A computer controlled display system including a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a display, said display including a plurality of display elements “

pixels”

), each of said display elements being selectively enabled for displaying a plurality of objects on said display, comprising;

memory means coupled to said CPU and said display for storing a plurality of bits, each of said pixels being represented by corresponding bits stored in said memory means including bits representing an intensity α

value;

transparency means coupled to said CPU for selectively adjusting the intensity α

value of pixels corresponding to each of said objects such that the transparency of an object is selectively varied, resulting in said object appearing to a user to be at least partially transparent.

7. The computer display system as defined by claim 6 wherein at least two of said objects overlap on said display.

8. The computer display system as defined by claim 7 wherein for said overlapping objects, said object which appears closer to a user viewing said display has an α

value resulting in at least partially transparency thereby allowing a user to view said underlying second object

9. The computer display system as defined by claim 8 wherein said α

value may be set in the range of 0 to 1, wherein a value of 1 renders the corresponding object opaque and a value of 0 renders the corresponding object fully transparent.

10. The computer display system as defined by claim 9 wherein said transparency is governed by the following equation:

α

X+(1−

α

)^*Y

11. The computer display system as defined by claim 8 wherein said transparency is governed by the following equation:

a source 1 has 4 pixels;

x1, x2, x3 and x4

a source 2 has 4 pixels;

y1, y2, y3 and y4

to define a two-dimensional mask defining the weighting for each pixel where;

d1 = x1*m1 + y1* (1-m1)d2 = x2*m2 + y2* (1-m2)d3 = x3*m3 + y3* (1-m3)d4 = x4*m4 + y4* (1-m4)

12. The computer display system as defined by claim 8 wherein said CPU sorts said plurality of objects based on each of said objects α

value, such that a user may operate on data displayed in the object having the highest α

value.

13. The computer display system as defined by claim 8 wherein said transparency means further includes α

value adjusting means visible to a user in each of said objects for permitting said user to adjust the α

value of said objects.

14. The computer display system as defined by claim 13 wherein said α

value adjusting means comprises an image of a slider adjustable by said user using a cursor control device coupled to '"'"'said CPU.

15. The computer display system as defined by claim 8 wherein in addition to an α

value, each of said objects has a depth value associated with it which corresponds to the perceived depth of an object, such that said CPU sorts said objects based on said depth values, and a user perceives said plurality of objects overlapping on said display with the object having the least depth value appearing to be on top of the other object.

16. The computer display system as defined by claim 8 wherein said objects include windows in which data is displayed on said display.

18. The computer display system as defined by claim 17 wherein said first and said second window transparency is a function of an α

value, such that said adjusting step of claim 17 comprises adjusting the α

value of said first window.

19. The computer display system as defined by claim 18 wherein said α

value represents an intensity value of pixel display elements on said display.

20. The computer display system as defined by claim 19 wherein said first window is automatically selected for said user to operate upon.

21. The computer display system as defined by claim 20 wherein said first and second windows include means for selectively varying the α

value and thereby the transparency of each of said windows by said user.

22. The computer display system as defined by claim 21 wherein said means for selectively varying said α

value comprises a slider bar in at least one of said windows which is controllable by a user using a cursor control device coupled to said CPU.

23. The computer display system as defined by claim 19 wherein each of said windows is represented by a plurality of α

values such that pixels corresponding to said first and second windows may have different α

values, thereby varying the transparency of said windows across the area of said windows on said display.

24. The computer display system as defined by claim 19 wherein said first and second windows include active window means selectable by said user, such that a user may select a window to operate upon, said relative position of said windows being unaffected by said user'"'"'s selection, such that if said second window is selected said user views and operates upon data in said second window by viewing at least some of said data in said second window through said first window.

25. The computer display system as defined by claim 19 wherein said first and second windows include active window means selectable by said user, such that a user may select a window to operate upon by using a cursor control device coupled to said CPU, said relative position of said windows being affected by said user'"'"'s selection, such that if said second window is selected said second window is displayed as overlapping a portion of said first window while viewing at least a portion of said data disposed in said first window through said second window.

26. The computer display system as defined by claim 19 wherein at least one of said windows comprises an icon.

27. The computer display system as defined by claim 19 wherein at least one of the said windows comprises a menu.

28. The computer display system as defined by claim 21 wherein said transparency is governed by the following equation:

α

^*X+(1−

α

)^*Y

29. The computer display system as defined by claim 21 wherein said transparency is governed by the following equation:

a source 1 has 4 pixels;

x1, x2, x3 and x4

a source 2 has 4 pixels;

y1, y2, y3 and y4

to define a two-dimensional mask defining the weighting for each pixel where;

d1 = x1*m1 + y1* (1-m1)d2 = x2*m2 + y2* (1-m2)d3 = x3*m3 + y3* (1-m3)d4 = x4*m4 + y4* (1-m4)

17. In a computer display system having a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a display such that data is displayed on said display in a plurality of windows, a method for displaying said windows and operating on said windows and said data in said windows by a user, comprising the steps of:

generating and displaying a first window and a second window, said first window overlapping a portion of said second window on said display;

adjusting the transparency of said first window such that at least a portion of said second window and data disposed in said second window is visible through said first window;

said user selecting which of said windows to operate while viewing data in said first window and at least a portion of said data disposed in said underlying second window.