DISPLAY DEVICE, DISPLAY METHOD, DISPLAY PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20030122879A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: INUI, TAKASHI, TADOKORO, MIZUHO
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,910 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure

A display device which displays a plurality of objects on a screen has a groupconfiguration storage section for storing association information indicating the association betweeneach of the plurality of objects and one of a plurality of groups, a group priority level storagesection for storing group display priority levels which are priority levels for displaying each of theobjects associated with one of the groups at the front of the objects associated with the othergroups, an object priority level storage section for storing object display priority levels which arepriority levels for displaying one of the objects associated with one of the groups at the front of theothers, an object priority level changing section for changing the object display priority levelwhile the association information is maintained, and a display section for displaying the pluralityof objects according to the group display priority levels and the object display priority levels.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

1. a display device which displays a plurality of objects on a screen;

a group configuration storage section for storing association information indicating theassociation between each of said plurality of objects and one of a plurality of groups;

a group priority level storage section for storing group display priority levels which arepriority levels for displaying each of said objects associated with one of said groups at thefront of the objects associated with the other groups;

an object priority level storage section for storing object display priority levels which arepriority levels for displaying one of the objects associated with one of said groups at thefront of the others;

an object priority level changing section for changing said object display priority levelwhile said association information is maintained; and

a display section for displaying said plurality of objects according to said group displaypriority levels and said object display priority levels.

2. Apparatus according toclaim 1,further comprising a group rank changing section for changing said group display priority levelsstored in said group priority level storage section.

3. Apparatus according toclaim 2,wherein when a user selects one of said objects, said group rank changing section heightens thegroup display priority level of said group with which said one of the objects is associated relativeto the other groups.

4. Apparatus according toclaim 1,wherein said display section displays a window for displaying an output from a program as one ofsaid objects.

5. Apparatus according toclaim 1,further comprising a group configuration changing section for changing said associationinformation stored in said group configuration storage section.

6. Apparatus according toclaim 5,further comprising an object selecting section for selecting one of the plurality of objectsaccording to a first instruction from a user, wherein said group configuration changing sectionassociates said one of the objects with one of the groups highest in group display priority levelwhen it receives a second instruction from the user.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5,wherein said group configuration changing section associates a newly-generated object with one ofsaid plurality of groups selected by a user.

8. Apparatus according toclaim 5,wherein said group configuration changing section associates a newly-generated object with one ofthe plurality of groups other than said group highest in group display priority level.

9. Apparatus according toclaim 5,further comprising:

a recording section for storing a record of said objects displayed by saiddisplay section, and the association between the objects and the groups at the time of display,wherein when a new object is generated, said group configuration changing section associates saidnew object with the group with which one of said objects having a certain relation with the newobject in said group record information stored in said recording section is associated.

10. Apparatus according toclaim 9,wherein said recording section includes a record update setting section for making setting as towhether said group recording information will be updated.

11. Apparatus according toclaim 9,wherein said recording section stores the group record information on a nonvolatile recordingmedium.

12. Apparatus according toclaim 5,further comprising an input section for accepting an input from a user, and wherein said objectpriority level changing section changes said object display priority levels when said input sectionaccepts an object priority level changing operation, and further wherein said group configurationchanging section changes said association information stored in said group configuration storagesection when said input section accepts a group configuration changing operation different fromsaid object priority level changing operation.

13. Apparatus according toclaim 2,further comprising an input section for accepting an input from a user, wherein said object prioritylevel changing section changes the object display priority levels when said input section acceptsan object priority level changing operation, and further wherein said group rank changing sectionchanges said group display priority levels stored in said group priority level storage section whensaid input section accepts a group rank changing operation different from said object priority levelchanging operation.

14. A method of displaying a plurality of objects on a screen comprising the steps of:

14. storing association information indicating the association between each of said plurality ofobjects and one of a plurality of groups;

storing group display priority levels which are priority levels for displaying each of saidobjects associated with one of said groups at the front of the objects associated with saidother groups;

storing object display priority levels which are priority levels for displaying one of theobjects associated with one of said groups at the front of the others;

changing the object display priority level while the association information is maintained;

and

displaying said plurality of objects according to the group display priority levels and theobject display priority levels.

15. A display program executable by a computer to display a plurality of objects on a screen, saiddisplay program comprising:

15. a module for making said computer obtain association information indicating theassociation between each of said plurality of objects and one of a plurality of groups;

a module for making said computer obtain group display priority levels which are prioritylevels for displaying each of the objects associated with one of said groups at the front ofthe objects associated with the other groups;

a module for making said computer obtain object display priority levels which are prioritylevels for displaying one of the objects associated with one of said groups at the front ofthe others;

a module for making said computer store the object display priority levels and change saidobject display priority level while said association information is maintained; and

a module for making said computer display said plurality of objects according to saidgroup display priority levels and said object display priority levels.

16. The display program according to claim 15, wherein said computer stores said group display priority levels,said display program further comprising a module for making said computer change the groupdisplay priority levels.

17. The display program according to claim 16, further comprising a module for making the computer heighten thegroup display priority level of said group with which one of said objects selected by a user isassociated relative to the other groups when the user selects said object.

18. The display program according toclaim 15, further comprising a module for making said computer display awindow for displaying an output from some of programs including said display program as one ofthe objects.

19. The display program according toclaim 15, wherein the computer stores said association information, saiddisplay program further comprising a module for making said computer change the associationinformation.

20. The display program according toclaim 19, further comprising:

20. a module for making said computer select one of the plurality of objects according to a firstinstruction from a user; and

a module for making said computer associate said one of said objects with one of thegroups highest in group display priority level when it receives a second instruction fromthe user.

21. The display program according to claim 19, further comprising a module for making said computer associate anewly-generated object with one of said plurality of groups selected by a user.

22. The display program according to claim 19, further comprising a module for making said computer associate anewly-generated object with one of the plurality of groups other than the group highest in saidgroup display priority level.

23. The display program according toclaim 19, further comprising:

23. a module for making the computer obtain a record of said objects displayed by saidcomputer, and the association between said objects and the groups at the time of display,and

a module for making, when a new object is generated, said computer associate the newobject with the group with which one of the objects having a certain relation with the newobject in the group record information obtained by the computer is associated.

24. The display program according toclaim 23, further comprising a module for making said computer makesetting as to whether said group recording information will be updated.

25. A recording medium on which a display program executable by a computer to display a pluralityof objects on a screen is recorded, said display program comprising:

25. a module for making said computer obtain association information indicating theassociation between each of said plurality of objects and one of a plurality of groups;

a module for making said computer obtain group display priority levels which are prioritylevels for displaying each of the objects associated with one of said groups at the front ofthe objects associated with the other groups;

a module for making said computer obtain object display priority levels which are prioritylevels for displaying one of said objects associated with one of the groups at the front ofthe others;

a module for making said computer store said object display priority levels and changesaid object display priority level while the association information is maintained; and

a module for making said computer display said plurality of objects according to saidgroup display priority levels and said object display priority levels.

26. The recording medium according toclaim 25, wherein said computer stores the group display priority levels,and said display program further comprises a module for making the computer change said groupdisplay priority levels.

27. The recording medium according toclaim 26, wherein said display program further comprises a module formaking said computer heighten the group display priority level of the group with which one of theobjects selected by a user is associated relative to the other groups when the user selects theobject.

28. The recording medium according toclaim 25, wherein said display program further comprises a module fordisplaying a window for displaying an output from some of programs including said displayprogram as one of the objects.

29. The recording medium according toclaim 25, wherein said computer stores said association information, andsaid display program further comprises a module for making said computer change saidassociation information.

30. The recording medium according toclaim 29, wherein said display program further comprises:

30. a module for making the computer select one of said plurality of objects according to a firstinstruction from a user; and

a module for making said computer associate said one of the objects with one of the groupshighest in group display priority level when it receives a second instruction from the user.

31. The recording medium according toclaim 29, wherein said display program further comprises a module formaking the computer associate a newly-generated object with one of the plurality of groupsselected by a user.

32. The recording medium according toclaim 29, wherein said display program further comprises a module formaking the computer associate said newly-generated object with one of the plurality of groupsother than the group highest in group display priority level.

33. The recording medium according toclaim 29, wherein said display programs further comprises:

33. a module for making said computer obtain a record of said objects displayed by saidcomputer, and the association between the objects and the groups at the time of display,and

a module for making, when a new object is generated, said computer associate said newobject with the group with which one of the objects having a certain relation with the newobject in said group record information obtained by the computer is associated.

34. The recording medium according toclaim 33, wherein said display program further comprises a module formaking said computer make setting as to whether said group recording information will beupdated.