Methods and apparatus for displaying information

• US 20070136677A1
• Filed: 03/02/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,039 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/767
• 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

Abstract

A computer system receives a command to initiate setting a display mode of its corresponding display screen to one in which received input commands (e.g., mouse input, keyboard input, etc.) are directed to multiple display applications running on the computer system instead of only a single display application in a foreground (e.g., a “topmost” window presented to a user) on the computer display screen. For example, based on input from a user, an auxiliary application herein receives an identification of at least a first display application and a second display application that each display information on different respective windows of the display screen. Thereafter, the auxiliary application duplicates received input commands and forwards the received input commands to both the first display application and the second display application, alleviating the user from having to separately apply the same commands to each of the first and second display applications.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information on a display screen, the method comprising:

on the display screen, initiating display of a first viewing region associated with a first display application;

on the display screen, initiating display of a second viewing region associated with a second display application, the second display application operating independently of the first display application; and

forwarding an input command to both the first display application and the second display application to modify an appearance of the first viewing region and the second viewing region on the display screen.

2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

prior to receiving the input command to forward to both the first display application and the second display application;

receiving an application command to initiate execution of a third application at least initially being independent with respect to the first display application and the second display application; and

configuring the third application to receive the input command and forward the input command to both the first display application and the second display application.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein configuring the third application includes:

based on a first viewing region selection, receiving a first identifier associated with the first viewing region;

based on a second viewing region selection, receiving a second identifier associated with the second viewing region; and

via a third viewing region on the display screen associated with the third application, enabling simultaneous control with respect to images presented in the first viewing region and the second viewing region based on further display commands input to the third viewing region, the third application not being associated with any viewing region on the display screen until after receiving the first viewing region selection and the second viewing region selection.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein receiving the application command to initiate execution of the third application includes receiving an activation of a hot key function accompanied by selection of the first viewing region and the second viewing region of the display screen to identify that the first display application and the second display application are destinations in which to forward future display commands received by the third application in lieu of sending the future display commands to only a single display application associated with an open foreground window in the display screen.

5. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

enabling creation of a mapping function that defines how to translate a given input command prior to forwarding the given input command to the first display application and the second display application; and

utilizing the mapping function to control display functions associated with the first display application and the second display application based on translating received input commands prior to forwarding the received input commands to a respective display application.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein forwarding the input command to both the first display application and the second display application includes sending the input command to respective display applications associated with any open windows on the display screen to simultaneously modify an appearance of respective images in the open windows on the display screen.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein forwarding the input command to both the first display application and the second display application includes sending the input command to at least one respective display application associated with a minimized window on the display screen.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein initiating display of the first viewing region and initiating display of the second viewing region results in a display of a common document in both the first viewing region and the second viewing region for simultaneous viewing and comparison, the method further comprising:

utilizing inter process communications to facilitate a display of the first viewing region and the second viewing region on the display screen.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein forwarding the input command to both the first display application and the second display application includes a step of translating the input command depending on a respective application to which it is being forwarded prior to forwarding a translated input command to the respective application.

10. A method as in claim 2 further comprising:

displaying a third viewing region on the display screen, the third viewing region being associated with the third application, wherein receiving the input command includes detecting that a pointer associated with the display screen resides over one of the first viewing region, the second viewing region, and the third viewing region;

in response to receiving the input command while the pointer is over the third viewing region, forwarding the input command to both the first display application and the second display application to simultaneously modify an appearance of the first viewing region and the second viewing region on the display screen;

in response to receiving the input command while the pointer is over the first viewing region, forwarding the input command to the first display application and not the second display application to modify an appearance of the first viewing region and not the second viewing region on the display screen; and

in response to receiving the input command while the pointer is over the second viewing region, forwarding the input command to the second display application and not the first display application to modify an appearance of the second viewing region and not the first viewing region on the display screen.

11. A method as in claim 2, wherein displaying the third viewing region includes:

displaying a set of selectable, directional scroll display elements for receiving the input command.

12. A computer program product including a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for processing data information, such that the instructions, when carried out by a processing device, enable the processing device to perform the operations of:

on a display screen, initiating display of a first viewing region associated with a first display application;

on the display screen, initiating display of a second viewing region associated with a second display application, the second display application operating independently of the first display application; and

forwarding an input command to both the first display application and the second display application to modify an appearance of the first viewing region and the second viewing region on the display screen.

13. A computer program product as in claim 12 further supporting operations of:

prior to receiving the input command;

receiving an application command to initiate execution of a third application at least initially being independent with respect to the first display application and the second display application; and

configuring the third application to receive the input command and forward the input command to both the first display application and the second display application.

14. A computer program product as in claim 13, wherein configuring the third application includes:

based on a first viewing region selection, receiving a first identifier associated with the first viewing region;

based on a second viewing region selection, receiving a second identifier associated with the second viewing region; and

via a third viewing region on the display screen associated with the third application, enabling simultaneous control images presented in the first viewing region and the second viewing region based on further display commands input to the third viewing region, the third application not being associated with any viewing region on the display screen until after receiving the first viewing region selection and the second viewing region selection.

15. A computer program product as in claim 13, wherein receiving the application command to initiate execution of the third application includes receiving an activation of a hot key function accompanied selection of the first viewing region and the second viewing region of the display screen to identify that the first display application and the second display application are destinations in which to forward future display commands received by the third application in lieu of sending the future display commands to only a single display application associated with an open foreground window in the display screen.

16. A computer program product as in claim 12 further supporting operations of:

enabling creation of a mapping function that defines how to translate a given input command prior to forwarding the given input command to the first display application and the second display application; and

utilizing the mapping function to control display functions associated with the first display application and the second display application based on translating received input commands prior to forwarding the received input commands to a respective display application.

17. A computer program product as in claim 13 further supporting operations of:

displaying a third viewing region on the display screen, the third viewing region being associated with the third application, wherein receiving the input command includes detecting that a pointer associated with the display screen resides over one of the first viewing region, the second viewing region, and the third viewing region;

in response to receiving the input command while the pointer is over the third viewing region, forwarding the input command to both the first display application and the second display application to simultaneously modify an appearance of the first viewing region and the second viewing region on the display screen;

in response to receiving the input command while the pointer is over the first viewing region, forwarding the input command to the first display application and not the second display application to modify an appearance of the first viewing region and not the second viewing region on the display screen; and

in response to receiving the input command while the pointer is over the second viewing region, forwarding the input command to the second display application and not the first display application to modify an appearance of the second viewing region and not the first viewing region on the display screen.

18. A computer program product as in claim 12, wherein initiating display of the first viewing region and initiating display of the second viewing region results in a display of a common document in both the first viewing region and the second viewing region for simultaneous viewing and comparison.

19. A computer program product as in claim 12, wherein forwarding the input command to both the first display application and the second display application includes a step of translating the input command depending on a respective application to which it is being forwarded prior to forwarding a translated input command to a respective application.

20. A computer system for displaying information on a display screen, the computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit that stores instructions associated with an application executed by the processor; and

an interconnect coupling the processor and the memory unit, enabling the computer system to execute the application and perform operations of;

on the display screen, initiating display of a first viewing region associated with a first display application;

on the display screen, initiating display of a second viewing region associated with a second display application, the second display application operating independently of the first display application; and

forwarding an input command to both the first display application and the second display application to simultaneously modify an appearance of the first viewing region and the second viewing region on the display screen.

21. A computer system as in claim 20 further supporting operations of:

prior to receiving the input command;

receiving an application command to initiate execution of a third application at least initially being independent with respect to the first display application and the second display application; and

configuring the third application to receive the input command and forward the input command to both the first display application and the second display application.

22. A computer system as in claim 21, wherein the first display application and the second display application at least initially receives display commands directly from an operating system on a computer to control a display of the first viewing region and the second viewing region until execution of the third application, after which the third application then receives display commands directly from the operating system and forwards the display commands to the first display application and the second display application.

23. A computer system as in claim 20, wherein the third application is integrated into an operating system of the computer, the operating system facilitating the execution of the first display application and the second display application.

24. A computer system as in claim 20, wherein the input command initiates activation of at least one of i) a scrolling function, ii) a zooming function, iii) a document editing function, iv) a display function, and v) a pull-down menu function associated with the first viewing region and the second viewing region.

25. A computer system for displaying content on a display screen, the computer system including:

means for receiving a command to initiate setting a display mode of the display screen to one in which received input commands are directed to multiple display applications instead of only a single display application associated with a foreground window on the display screen;

means for receiving an identification of at least a first display application and a second display application, each of which initiates display of information on different windows of the display screen; and

means for duplicating a received input command and forwarding the received input command to both the first display application and the second display application.