System and method for providing a user interface

• US 20030210272A1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: DʼSouza, Melroy E.
• Application Number:
  US10/142,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210272A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method of providing a user interface displayable by a display device of an information handling system including a display of an input device which does not interfere with data displayed on the display data and which is accessible to the user.

Claims

1. A dividable user-interface displayable by a display device of an information handling system, comprising:

a user interface divided from an initial display of information output by a display device of an information handling system, the divided user interface including at least a first portion having data corresponding to the initial display of information and a second portion having a display of an input device, the input device suitable for providing data entered by a user through the input device to the information handling system;

wherein the display of the input device displayed in the second portion of the user interface does not substantially interfere with data corresponding to the initial display of information as displayed in the first portion of the user interface.

2. The user-interface as described in claim 1, wherein the display of the input device displayed in the second portion of the user interface is suitable for inputting data to a program providing information for the data corresponding to the initial display of information as output in the first portion of the user interface, the data including at least one of alphabetic and numeric data.

3. The user-interface as described in claim 1, wherein the first portion having data corresponding to the initial display of information is configured to conform to the displayed input device.

4. The user-interface as described in claim 1, further comprising examining the initial display of information and dividing the user interface into at the first portion and the second portion based on the examination.

5. The user-interface as described in claim 4, wherein dividing the user interface includes configuring the display of the input device to conform to the initial display of information.

6. The user-interface as described in claim 5, wherein conforming includes displaying items of the input device display in areas of the initial display of data which do not have at least one of a textual and graphical element.

7. The user-interface as described in claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to divide the user interface so as to include a display of an input device, wherein the request is received through at least one of dragging a display of a bar across the screen, entering a command, entering a macro and entering a command from a menu.

8. The user-interface as described in claim 1, wherein interference of the first portion of the user interface by the second portion of the user interface includes covering the first portion so that a sizeable segment of data corresponding to the initial display of data is not viewable by a user viewing the display device.

9. The user-interface as described in claim 1, wherein the display of the input device includes at least one of an alphabetic input elements, numerical input elements, a QWERTY keyboard and a numerical keypad.

10. A method of providing a dividable user-interface which is displayable by a display device of an information handling system, comprising:

outputting a user interface having an initial display of information by a display device of an information handling system; and

dividing the user interface into at least a first portion having data corresponding to the initial display of information and a second portion having a display of an input device, the input device suitable for providing data entered by a user through the input device to the information handling system;

wherein the display of the input device displayed in the second portion of the user interface does not substantially interfere with data corresponding to the initial display of information as displayed in the first portion of the user interface.

11. The method as described in claim 10, wherein the display of the input device displayed in the second portion of the user interface is suitable for inputting data to a program providing information for the data corresponding to the initial display of information as output in the first portion of the user interface, the data including at least one of alphabetic and numeric data.

12. The method as described in claim 10, wherein the first portion having data corresponding to the initial display of information is configured to conform to the displayed input device.

13. The method as described in claim 10, further comprising examining the initial display of information and dividing the user interface into at the first portion and the second portion based on the examination.

14. The method as described in claim 13, wherein dividing the user interface includes configuring the display of the input device to conform to the initial display of information.

15. The method as described in claim 14, wherein conforming includes displaying items of the input device display in areas of the initial display of data which do not have at least one of a textual and graphical element.

16. The method as described in claim 10, further comprising receiving a request to divide the user interface so as to include a display of an input device, wherein the request is received through at least one of dragging a display of a bar across the screen, entering a command, entering a macro and entering a command from a menu.

17. The method as described in claim 10, wherein interference of the first portion of the user interface by the second portion of the user interface includes covering the first portion so that a sizeable segment of data corresponding to the initial display of data is not viewable by a user viewing the display device.

18. The method as described in claim 10, wherein the display of the input device includes at least one of an alphabetic input elements, numerical input elements, a QWERTY keyboard and a numerical keypad.

19. An information handling system including a dividable user-interface, comprising:

a memory suitable for storing a program of instructions;

a display device suitable for providing a display of data; and

a processor suitable for performing a program of instructions, the processor communicatively coupled to the display device and the memory, wherein the program of instructions configures the processor to output a user interface having an initial display of information by the display device; and

divide the user interface into at least a first portion having data corresponding to the initial display of information and a second portion having a display of an input device;

wherein the display of the input device displayed in the second portion of the user interface does not substantially interfere with data corresponding to the initial display of information as displayed in the first portion of the user interface.

20. The information handling system as described in claim 19, wherein the first portion having data corresponding to the initial display of information is configured to conform to the displayed input device.

21. The information handling system as described in claim 19, further comprising examining the initial display of information and dividing the user interface into at the first portion and the second portion based on the examination.

22. The information handling system as described in claim 21, wherein dividing the user interface includes configuring the display of the input device to conform to the initial display of information.

23. The information handling system as described in claim 22, wherein conforming includes displaying items of the input device display in areas of the initial display of data which do not have at least one of a textual and graphical element.

24. A dividable user-interface displayable by a display device of an information handling system, comprising:

means for outputting a user interface having an initial display of information by a display device of an information handling system; and

means for dividing the user interface into at least a first portion having data corresponding to the initial display of information and a second portion having a display of means for inputting data, the input means suitable for providing data entered by a user through the input means to the information handling system;

wherein the display of the input means displayed in the second portion of the user interface does not substantially interfere with data corresponding to the initial display of information as displayed in the first portion of the user interface.