User interface with multiple workspaces for sharing display system objects
DCFirst Claim
1. An article of manufacture for use in a system that includes a display;
- a processor for controlling the display; and
display object data the processor can use to generate first and second display objects the processor can present on the display;
the article comprising;
memory that can be accessed by the processor; and
data stored in the memory;
the data comprising;
first and second workspace data structures relating respectively to first and second workspaces that the processor can present on the display;
each of the first and second workspaces including a respective set of display objects;
each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features;
the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display; and
first and second linking data structures;
the first linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure and the display object data so that the processor presents the first display object in the first workspace'"'"'s set of display objects;
the second linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure and the display object data so that the processor presents the second display object in the second workspace'"'"'s set of display objects;
the first and second display objects being perceptible as the same tool.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Workspaces provided by an object-based user interface appear to share windows and other display objects. Each workspace'"'"'s data structure includes, for each window in that workspace, a linking data structure called a placement which links to the display system object which provides that window, which may be a display system object in a preexisting window system. The placement also contains display characteristics of the window when displayed in that workspace, such as position and size. Therefore, a display system object can be linked to several workspaces by a placement in each of the workspaces'"'"' data structures, and the window it provides to each of those workspaces can have unique display characteristics. The display system object can operate continuously despite switching between one workspace and another, and the windows it provides in successive workspaces can share features so that they appear to the user to be the same window or versions of the same window. As a result, the workspaces appear to be sharing a window.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An article of manufacture for use in a system that includes a display;
- a processor for controlling the display; and
display object data the processor can use to generate first and second display objects the processor can present on the display;
the article comprising;memory that can be accessed by the processor; and data stored in the memory;
the data comprising;first and second workspace data structures relating respectively to first and second workspaces that the processor can present on the display;
each of the first and second workspaces including a respective set of display objects;
each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features;
the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display; andfirst and second linking data structures;
the first linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure and the display object data so that the processor presents the first display object in the first workspace'"'"'s set of display objects;
the second linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure and the display object data so that the processor presents the second display object in the second workspace'"'"'s set of display objects;
the first and second display objects being perceptible as the same tool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- a processor for controlling the display; and
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8. An article of manufacture for use in a system that includes a display, a processor for controlling the display;
- and display object data the processor can use to generate first and second display objects the processor can present on the display;
the article comprising;memory that can be accessed by the processor; and data stored in the memory;
the data comprising workspace data the processor can use to present first and second workspaces on the display;
each of the first and second workspaces including a respective set of display objects;
each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features;
the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display;the processor presenting the first display object in the first workspace'"'"'s set of display objects;
the processor presenting the second display object in the second workspace'"'"'s set of display objects;
the first and second display objects being perceptible as the same tool. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
- and display object data the processor can use to generate first and second display objects the processor can present on the display;
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24. An article of manufacture for use in a system that includes a display;
- a processor for controlling the display; and
display object data the processor can use to generate display objects the processor can present on the display;
the article comprising;memory that can be accessed by the processor; and data stored in the memory;
the data comprising;workspace data the processor can use to present a plurality of workspaces on the display;
each of the workspaces including a respective set of display objects;
each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features;
the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display;
the workspace data being linked to the display object data so that each display object in a workspace'"'"'s respective set of display objects is included in the workspace when the workspace is presented on the display;
the workspaces including a first workspace;
the respective set of display objects of the first workspace including a first display object;
the first display object being presented within the first workspace at full size when the first workspace is presented on the display; andprocedure data defining a procedure the processor can perform in accessing the workspace data structures and presenting representations of all of the workspaces simultaneously on the display, each workspace representation comprising a small-size representation of each display object in the workspace'"'"'s respective set of display objects, the representation of the first workspace including a respective small-size representation of the first display object. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
- a processor for controlling the display; and
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27. A method of operating a system that includes:
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a display; input circuitry that receives signals from a user; a processor connected to receive signals from the input circuitry and to control presentation of images on the display; display object data the processor can use to generate display objects the processor can present on the display; and workspace data the processor can use to present any of a number of workspaces on the display, the number of workspaces being two or greater;
each of the workspaces including a respective set of display objects;
each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features;
the display objects of each workspace'"'"'s set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the workspace is presented on the display;the method comprising; using the workspace data and the display object data to present a first one of the workspaces;
the first workspace including a first one of the display objects at a first position and a first size;receiving a first signal from the input circuitry, the first signal indicating that the first display object is to be presented at the same position and size in every one of the workspaces; receiving a second signal from the input circuitry, the second signal requesting a switch from the first workspace to a second one of the workspaces; and using the workspace data and the display object data to present the second workspace;
the second workspace including a second one of the display objects at a second position that is the same as the first position and at a second size that is the same as the first size;
the first and second display objects being perceptible as the same tool.
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Specification