Method and system for displaying context sensitive child windows independently of their parent window
First Claim
1. A method of generating a user-display interface in a windows operating system, said method comprising the steps of:
- executing an application to create a server, said server for dispatching user commands to the operating system;
executing the application to create a context manager and to create and initialize a frame window, said context manager for monitoring current context, said frame window including at least a menu listing at least one child node managed by the application, and said frame window being commanded by the application to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible header block on a display screen; and
executing the frame window to create at least one child node managed by the application in response to requests to open child nodes from said menu, each of said child nodes having a context type associated therewith, said context type being monitored by said context manager in accordance with which of said child nodes is active, each of said child nodes being commanded by said frame window to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible window on said display screen at a position independent of that of said frame window,wherein items of said menu are altered as a function of the context type currently being monitored by said context manager.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and system for generating a user-display interface which displays and manages multiple child windows anywhere on a display screen. An application is executed to create a server and to create a context manager, the context manager for monitoring current context. The application also creates and initializes a frame window, the frame window including at least an application menu and being commanded by the server so that a header block of the frame window may be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible window on a display screen. The frame window is executed to create zero or more child nodes in response to requests to open child nodes from the application, each of the child nodes having a context type associated therewith and zero or more of the child nodes being context sensitive, the context type being monitored by the context manager, each of the child nodes being commanded by the frame to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible window on the display screen. Items of the application menu may be altered as a function of the context type currently being monitored by the context manager.
127 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method of generating a user-display interface in a windows operating system, said method comprising the steps of:
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executing an application to create a server, said server for dispatching user commands to the operating system; executing the application to create a context manager and to create and initialize a frame window, said context manager for monitoring current context, said frame window including at least a menu listing at least one child node managed by the application, and said frame window being commanded by the application to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible header block on a display screen; and executing the frame window to create at least one child node managed by the application in response to requests to open child nodes from said menu, each of said child nodes having a context type associated therewith, said context type being monitored by said context manager in accordance with which of said child nodes is active, each of said child nodes being commanded by said frame window to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible window on said display screen at a position independent of that of said frame window, wherein items of said menu are altered as a function of the context type currently being monitored by said context manager. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of generating a user-display interface in a windows operating system, said method comprising the steps of:
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executing an application to create a server, said server for dispatching user commands to the operating system; executing the application to create and initialize a frame window, said frame window including at least a menu listing at least one child node managed by the application, and said frame window being commanded by the application to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible header block on a display screen; and executing the frame window to create at least one child node managed by the application in response to requests to open child nodes from said menu, each of said child nodes being commanded by said frame window to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible window on said display screen at a position independent of that of said frame window, whereby said child nodes may be displayed anywhere on said display screen. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of developing a user-display interface in a windows operating system, said method comprising the steps of:
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adapting an application; adapting a server from said application, said server for dispatching user commands to the operating systems; adapting a frame window, said frame window including objects for selectively displaying at least a menu listing child nodes managed by the application as a visible header block on a display screen by the operating system; and adapting one or more child nodes managed by the application in response to requests to open child nodes from said menu, each of said child nodes including objects commanded by said frame window to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible window on said display screen at a position independent of that of said frame window. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for generating a user-display interface in a windows operating system comprising:
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a server created by execution of an application, said server for dispatching user commands to the operating system; a context manager created by execution of the application, said context manager for monitoring current context; a frame window, created and initialized by the application and including at least a menu listing child nodes managed by the application, and said frame window being commanded by the application to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible header block on a display screen; and at least one child node managed by the application and created by executing the frame window in response to requests to open child nodes from said application, each of said child nodes having a context type associated therewith, said context being monitored by said context manager in accordance with which of said child nodes is active, each of said child nodes being commanded by said frame window to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible window on said display screen at a position independent of that of said frame window, wherein items of said menu are altered as a function of the context currently being monitored by said context manager. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A system of generating a user-display interface in a windows operating system, said system comprising:
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a server created by execution of an application, said server for dispatching user commands to the operating system; a frame window, created and initialized by said application and including at least a menu listing child nodes managed by the application, and said frame window being commanded by the application to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible header block on a display screen; and at least one child node managed by the application and created in response to requests to open child nodes from said application, each of said child nodes being commanded by said frame window to be selectively displayed by the operating system as a visible window on said display screen at a position independent of that of said frame window, whereby said child nodes may be displayed anywhere on said display screen. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification