Apparatus and method for screen display

• US 5,585,821 A
• Filed: 12/20/1995
• Issued: 12/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Process Computer Engineering, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Process Computer Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Kayo, Kanno, Norihito, Morioka, Takayuki, Ishikura, Shuji, Nishikawa, Atsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US08/575,441
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145, 345/157, 345/119, 345/1, 345/3, 345/7, 395/157, 395/159
• US Class Current: 715/856
• 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 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/08 Cursor circuits

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of screen display whereby either a plurality of screens or a plurality of windows on a single screen are displayed. On at least one screen or in at least one window, areas representing either the other screens or the other windows are displayed. When a pointer pointing to a given position either on that one screen or in that one window is used to select any one of these areas therein, the pointer is made to appear either on another screen or in another window corresponding to the selected area.

Claims

1. A cursor display method for displaying a cursor on either a plurality of screens located in close proximity to each other, or on a plurality of windows on a single screen, simultaneously viewable by operator and in which each of said screens or windows can simultaneously display useable information to the operator, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying, either on each screen or in each window, areas representing either the other screens or the other windows;

displaying a cursor in one of said areas, said area representing a destination screen or destination window of the cursor; and

moving the cursor to one of said areas in said destination screen or destination window, that area in said destination screen or destination window representing a starting screen or starting window of the cursor.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the areas on said screen representing other screens or other windows are positioned on said screen in a manner corresponding to the relative position of the corresponding other screen or window with respect to said screen.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said screens or windows do not intersect one another.

4. A cursor display method for displaying a cursor on a plurality of screens located in close proximity to each other and simultaneously viewable by an operator, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one icon display area in predetermined positions of each of a plurality of display screens;

monitoring whether a cursor on a first display screen is moved into one icon display area thereof; and

displaying, when said cursor is found to be moved into said one icon display area, said cursor in an icon display area representing said first display screen on a second display screen.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said icon display on said first display screen which represents said second display screen is positioned on said first display screen in a manner corresponding to the relative position of the second display screen to said first display screen.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said display screens do not intersect one another.

7. A cursor display method for displaying a cursor on a plurality of screens located in close proximity to each other and simultaneously viewable by an operator, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one icon display area in predetermined positions of each of a plurality of display screens; and

when an operator uses a pointing device to move the cursor into an icon display area on a first display screen moving said cursor, from said one icon display area of said first display screen into an icon display area representing said first display screen on a second display screen that is different from said first display screen on condition that the moving of said cursor is prompted by said operator using said pointing device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said icon display on said first display screen which represents said second display screen is positioned on said first display screen in a manner corresponding to the relative position of the second display screen to said first display screen.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said display screens do not intersect one another.

10. A cursor display method for displaying a cursor on a plurality of screens located in close proximity to each other and simultaneously viewable by an operator, comprising the steps of:

providing a special area in a predetermined position of each of a plurality of display screens;

monitoring whether a cursor on a first display screen is moved into said special area thereof; and

when said cursor is found to be moved into said special area, moving the cursor from said first display screen to a special area representing said first display screen on a second display screen different from said first display screen.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said predetermined position of each said special area is defined by the relative position of the display screen that the area represents to the display screen on which the area appears.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said display screens do not intersect one another.

13. A cursor display method for displaying a cursor on a plurality of screens located in close proximity to each other and simultaneously viewable by an operator, comprising the steps of:

providing a special area in a predetermined position of each of a plurality of display screens; and

when an operator uses a pointing device to move the cursor into said special area on a first display screen, moving the cursor from said special area of said first display screen into a special area representing said first display screen on a second display screen different from said first display screen on condition that the moving of said cursor is prompted by said operator using said pointing device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said predetermined position of each said special area is defined by the relative position of the display screen that the area represents to the display screen on which the area appears.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said display screens do not intersect one another.

16. A screen display apparatus comprising:

a display;

a processor operating on data to be displayed on said display;

a memory storing either programs or the data to be operated on by said processor;

a communication device enabling said processor to exchange the result of the operation performed by said processor with other processors; and

a display controller providing displays to said display in accordance with the result of the operation by said processor;

wherein said programs display, either on a screen of said display or in a window of a screen, areas representing either display screens or windows of other display screens connected by said communication device, said display screens or windows of other display screens located in close proximity to each other and simultaneously viewable by an operator and each of said screens or windows able to simultaneously display useful information to the operator, said programs further displaying a pointer, if said pointer points to any one of said areas, in either the display screen or in the window of the display screen corresponding to the area that is pointed to and when said pointer is displayed in the window or screen pointed to, it appears in an area representing the screen or window from which the pointer was received.

17. A cursor display method for displaying a cursor on a plurality of screens located in close proximity to each other and simultaneously viewable by an operator, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying, on each screen, areas representing the other screens;

displaying a cursor in one of said areas, said area representing a destination screen of the cursor; and

moving the cursor to one of said areas in said destination screen, that area in said destination screen representing a starting screen or starting window of the cursor.