Method for accessing selected windows in a multi-tasking system

• US 5,046,001 A
• Filed: 06/30/1988
• Issued: 09/03/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stark, Jeffrey A., Edel, Thomas R., Barker, Barbara A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOHAMED, AYNI Y
• Application Number:
  US07/213,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/518, 364/521, 340/721
• US Class Current: 715/794
• 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: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores

Abstract

A method for selectively accessing a particular one of a plurality of computer applications which are simultaneously active and displayed in a plurality of overlapping viewports or windows in a multi-tasking system. User inputs to the system are monitored to determine the position of a cursor within a window or the location of an attempted data input to a window and the particular window thus selected is displayed unencumbered by promoting it to the uppermost display position in accordance with the state of a display attribute associated with that window. Thereafter, the display attribute is utilized to determine whether or not the selected window returns to its previous display position or remains in the uppermost display position in response to the movement of the cursor or the attempt by a user to input data into a second selected window.

Claims

1. A method of accessing one of a plurality of computer application programs which are simultaneously active and displayed on a computer system in a plurality of windows which at least partially overlap, said method comprising the steps performed by a computer system of:

establishing a display attribute for at least a selected one of said plurality of windows, said display attribute having a first state which permits the provision of an unencumbered display of said selected one of said plurality of windows in response to the position of a cursor within said selected one of said plurality of windows and having a second state which prohibits said provision;

monitoring user inputs to said computer system to determine if the position of a cursor is within said selected one of said plurality of windows; and

upon the display attribute being in said first state automatically providing an unencumbered display of said selected one of said plurality of windows on said computer system in response to the position of said cursor therein in the event said selected one of said plurality of windows is at least partially overlapped and otherwise, upon on said display attributes being in said second state, the display of said selected one of said plurality of windows remaining unchanged.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said step of automatically providing an unencumbered display of said selected one of said plurality of windows on said computer system is accomplished by selectively altering the sequence in which said plurality of windows overlap.

3. A method of accessing one of a plurality of computer application programs which are simultaneously active and displayed on a computer system in a plurality of windows which at least partially overlap, said method comprising the steps performed by a computer system of:

establishing a display attribute for at least a selected one of said plurality of windows, said display attribute permitting the provision of an unencumbered display of said selected one of said plurality of windows in response to the position of a cursor within said selected one of said plurality of windows;

monitoring user inputs to said computer system to determine if the position of a cursor is within a selected one of said plurality of windows;

automatically providing an unencumbered display of said selected one of said plurality of windows on said computer system solely in response to the position of said cursor therein in the event said selected one of said plurality of windows is at least partially overlapped by selectively altering the sequence in which said plurality of windows overlap; and

automatically reverting the sequence in which said plurality of windows overlap to an original sequence in response to the removal of said cursor from said selected one of said plurality of windows.

4. A computer system for accessing one of a plurality of computer application programs which are simultaneously active and displayed on said computer system in a plurality of windows which at least partially overlap, said computer system comprising:

a display attribute associated with at least a selected one of said plurality of windows, said display attribute having a first state which permits the provision of an unencumbered display of said selected one of said plurality of windows in response to the position of a cursor within said selected one of said plurality of windows and having a second state which prohibits said provision;

means for monitoring user inputs to said computer system to determine if the position of a cursor is within said selected one of said plurality of windows; and

means for automatically providing an unencumbered display of said selected one of said plurality of windows on said computer system upon the display attribute being said first state in response to the position of said cursor therein in the event said selected one of said plurality of windows is at least partially overlapped and otherwise, upon said display attributes being in said second state, the display of said selected one of said plurality of windows remain unchanged.