Procedural user interface
First Claim
1. A method for controlling the operation of a digital computer system comprising a memory, a visual display and a means for accepting user data input, said method for causing to be performed by said computer system a job which is structured as a series of repeatable tasks, comprising a sequence of the following steps:
- displaying the tasks comprising said job as a series of linked icons on a plurality of hierarchical display panels which provide a graphical representation of the tasks comprising the job and a sequence in which said tasks are to be performed to accomplish the job, said graphical representation including a representation indicating data dependence between linked ones of said icons, said linked icons comprising navigation icons and task icons, wherein said navigation icons provide the capability to navigate from panel to panel, and said task icons provide the capability of operating the computer to automatically execute the required computer functions necessary for performing particular task operations represented by said task icon;
causing the computer operations to navigate to a particular display panel in response to activation of a particular linked navigation icon and to display said particular display panel; and
causing predetermined computer operations to be initiated in response to activation of a particular linked task icon, and automatically managing a flow of data in accordance with said data dependence between operations represented by sequentially activated linked task icons.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A simplified procedural user interface ("PUI") for controlling the operation of a computer, defined in terms of the steps or procedures required to do a given operation. The PUI acts as a graphical checklist that indicates to the user what has to be done and then controls the operation of the computer required to implement the operation. The PUI provides a linked icon representation of a user'"'"'s task in a series of hierarchical panels. The linked icons indicate the steps a user must go through to complete a task using the computer. The hierarchical panels on which the icons reside provide a means to logically group related task steps. The underlying concept is to simplify the computer operation by only presenting the capability required to do a particular task at a given time.
39 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for controlling the operation of a digital computer system comprising a memory, a visual display and a means for accepting user data input, said method for causing to be performed by said computer system a job which is structured as a series of repeatable tasks, comprising a sequence of the following steps:
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displaying the tasks comprising said job as a series of linked icons on a plurality of hierarchical display panels which provide a graphical representation of the tasks comprising the job and a sequence in which said tasks are to be performed to accomplish the job, said graphical representation including a representation indicating data dependence between linked ones of said icons, said linked icons comprising navigation icons and task icons, wherein said navigation icons provide the capability to navigate from panel to panel, and said task icons provide the capability of operating the computer to automatically execute the required computer functions necessary for performing particular task operations represented by said task icon; causing the computer operations to navigate to a particular display panel in response to activation of a particular linked navigation icon and to display said particular display panel; and causing predetermined computer operations to be initiated in response to activation of a particular linked task icon, and automatically managing a flow of data in accordance with said data dependence between operations represented by sequentially activated linked task icons. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A digital computer system comprising:
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a memory; a visual display; user data input means; a central processing unit (CPU) operatively connected to said memory, said visual display and said user data input means, said CPU comprising means for causing to be performed by said computer system a job structured as a series of repeatable tasks, said means comprising; means for displaying the tasks comprising said job as a series of linked icons on a plurality of hierarchical display panels which provide a graphical representation of the tasks comprising the job and a sequence in which said tasks are to be performed to accomplish the job, said graphical representation including a linkage representation indicating a data dependence between linked ones of said icons, said linked icons comprising navigation icons and task icons, wherein said navigation icons provide the capability to navigate from panel to panel, and said task icons provide the capability of operating the computer to automatically execute the required computer functions necessary for performing particular operations represented by said task icon; means for causing the computer operations to navigate to a particular display panel in response to activation of a particular navigation icon and to display said particular display panel; and means for causing predetermined computer operations to be initiated in response to activation of a particular linked task icon, and automatically managing a flow of data in accordance with said data dependence between operations represented by sequentially activated linked task icons. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification