Object storage apparatus for use with data sets in computer applications
First Claim
1. An apparatus for storing objects for use with a data set in an application window on a digital computer, comprising:
- a drawer uniquely associated with said data set in said application window, said drawer capable of being displayed within said application window, comprising,a visible drawer handle having a first height and a first width, said visible drawer handle being configured for display in said application window, anda drawer storage area coupled to said visable drawer handle, wherein at least a portion of said drawer storage area is displayed with said application window when opened via said visible drawer handle by a user, said drawer storage area being visually coupled to said drawer handle when opened, and wherein said drawer storage area is capable of storing a plurality of objects, at least one of said plurality of objects being visually represented by a symbolic representation displayed within said drawer storage area when opened.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A drawer-like apparatus for storing objects for use with a data set in an application window on a digital computer. The drawer is advantageously associated with a user data set instead of with an application program or an application window. The drawer further includes a visible drawer handle displayed in the application window and a drawer storage area coupled to the visible drawer handle. Unless accessed via the visible drawer handle, at least a majority of the drawer storage area is visually hidden. The drawer storage area is capable of storing a plurality of objects, at least one of the plurality of objects stored within the drawer storage area is represented upon access by a symbolic representation within the drawer storage area. There are two types of drawers, default and customizable. Default drawers are read-only storage devices and store an unalterable number of default objects. On the other hand, customizable drawers have contents that may be changed and are generally used to store user-deposited objects. To control user access to the drawer, the association between the drawer and the data set is inhibitable based on a predetermined availability criteria. Further, each drawer may include a write-enable criteria, which determines whether that drawer is default or customizable to a particular user.
166 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for storing objects for use with a data set in an application window on a digital computer, comprising:
a drawer uniquely associated with said data set in said application window, said drawer capable of being displayed within said application window, comprising, a visible drawer handle having a first height and a first width, said visible drawer handle being configured for display in said application window, and a drawer storage area coupled to said visable drawer handle, wherein at least a portion of said drawer storage area is displayed with said application window when opened via said visible drawer handle by a user, said drawer storage area being visually coupled to said drawer handle when opened, and wherein said drawer storage area is capable of storing a plurality of objects, at least one of said plurality of objects being visually represented by a symbolic representation displayed within said drawer storage area when opened. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for storing objects in an application window in a digital computer, comprising:
providing a drawer for storing objects in a memory of said digital computer, said drawer being configured to be uniquely associated with a user data set in said application window, including providing a visible drawer handle having a first height and a first width, said visable drawer handle being configured for display in said application window; and providing a drawer storage area coupled to said visible drawer handle, wherein at least a portion of said drawer storage area is displayed within said application window when opened via said drawer handle by a user, said drawer storage area being visually coupled to said drawer handle when opened, and wherein said drawer storage area is capable of storing a plurality of objects, at least one of said plurality of objects being visually represented symbolic representation displayed within said drawer storage area when opened. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for storing default objects and user-deposited objects for use with a user data set in an application window in a digital computer, comprising:
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a default drawer uniquely associable with said user data set in said application window, including; a visible default drawer handle having a first height and a first width displayed in a window display area of said application window; an availability criteria for determining whether said default drawer can be associated with said user data set; and a default drawer storage area coupled to said visible default drawer handle, wherein at least a portion of said default drawer storage area is displayed within said application window when opened via said visible default drawer handle by said user, said default drawer storage area being visually coupled to said visible default drawer handle when opened, said default drawer storage area stores a plurality of unalterable default objects, at least one of said unalterable default objects being represented by a first symbolic representation displayed within said default drawer storage area when opened; and a customizable drawer uniquely associated with said user data set in said application program, including; a visible customizable drawer handle displayed in a window display area of said application window; and a customizable drawer storage area coupled to said visible customizable drawer handle, wherein at least a majority portion of said customizable drawer storage area is displayed within said application window when opened by said user via said visible customizable drawer handle, said customizable drawer storage area stores for storing a plurality of user-deposited objects, at least one of said user-deposited objects being represented upon access by a second symbolic representation displayed within said customizable drawer storage area when opened.
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Specification