System which can display multiwindows and its window dosplay method

• US 5,590,265 A
• Filed: 07/23/1993
• Issued: 12/31/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakazawa, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US08/095,218
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 395/157, 395/158, 395/156, 395/160, 395/155, 395/161, 395/159, 345/119, 345/120, 345/113, 345/114
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

When a plurality of windows are displayed on the same screen in a the first display format such that the content of the window of the highest hierarchy is displayed in the portion where two or more windows of lower hierarchy are overlapped, and when a process to make the windows transparent is instructed, each window displayed in the first display format is displayed at the display position in the first display format by a second display format such that the frames of the other windows which are overlapped in each window are displayed in the portion where two or more windows are overlapped except the contents in the frame of the window. When one of the title bars displayed in the second display format is selected, the window having the selected title bar is set to the window of the highest hierarchy and each of the above windows is displayed in the first display format.

Claims

1. A system which can display multiwindows, comprising:

window information memory means for storing a content and a display position of each of a plurality of windows and a higher/lower hierarchy among the windows;

first display control means for allowing the plurality of windows to be displayed on a same screen in a manner such that the content of a window with a higher hierarchy is displayed to overlap two or more windows of a lower hierarchy based on information stored in said window information memory means;

instructing means for providing instructions to display the windows in a transparent state in which the plurality of windows are displayed on the same screen by said first display control means; and

second display control means, which operates in response to the instructions of said instructing means, for allowing each window, except for contents within frames of the windows, to be displayed based on the hierarchy information stored in said window information memory means in a manner such that frames of lower hierarchy windows are overlapped by frames of higher hierarchy windows and are displayed with a title bar including a window name on the basis of a higher/lower hierarchy among the windows stored in said window information memory means.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting means for selecting one of the title bars displayed by said second display control means; and

third display control means for updating the contents stored in said window information memory means so as to set the window having the selected title bar to the window of the highest hierarchy and allowing each of the windows to be displayed in the display position displayed by said first display control means on the basis of the updated contents of the information stored in said window information memory means.

3. A display method of multiwindows, comprising the steps of:

storing a content and a display position of each of a plurality of windows and a higher/lower hierarchy among the windows into a window information memory;

displaying a plurality of windows on a same screen by a first display format such that the content of a window of the highest hierarchy is displayed to overlap two or more windows of a lower hierarchy based on information stored in the window information memory;

instructing to display the windows in a transparent state in which the plurality of windows are displayed on the same screen in the first display format; and

displaying each window, in response to the transparent state instruction, in the first display format except for the contents within the frames of the windows at the display position displayed in the first display format based on the hierarchy information stored in the window information memory in a manner such that frames of lower hierarchy windows are overlapped by frames of higher hierarchy windows and are displayed with a title bar including a window name.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

selecting one of the title bars displayed in the second display format; and

updating the contents stored in the window information memory by a third display format so as to set the window having the selected title bar to the window of the highest hierarchy and allowing each of the windows to be displayed in the display position displayed by the first display control format on the basis of the updated contents of the information stored in the window information memory.