Method and system for manipulating data through a graphic user interface within a data processing system

• US 5,706,448 A
• Filed: 12/29/1994
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Blades, Jerry Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HONG, STEPHEN S
• Application Number:
  US08/366,278
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 395/151-161, 395/137, 395/326, 395/334, 395/340, 395/348, 395/352, 395/353, 395/354, 340/727, 345/121, 345/123, 345/125, 345/120
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars

Abstract

A method and system for efficiently managing a plurality of displayable objects within a display. The present invention displays a first plurality of graphic selections in a substantially circular formation. Each of the graphic selections are associated with one of the displayable objects. A rotatable pointer is displayed within the circular formation with the rotatable pointer including a movable control element located within the rotatable pointer. A second plurality of graphic selections are arranged in a substantially circular formation. The display of this second plurality of graphic selection may be altered in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections. A display of a displayable object associated with the selected graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections occurs utilizing the rotatable pointer and the removable control element.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for efficiently managing a plurality of displayable objects within a display, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

displaying a first plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation, each of the first plurality of graphic selections being associated with one of the plurality of displayable objects;

displaying a rotatable pointer within the substantially circular formation, the rotatable pointer including a movable control element located within the rotatable pointer;

displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections; and

altering a display of a displayable object associated with the selected graphic selection in response to a selection of one of the second plurality of graphic selections utilizing the rotatable pointer and the movable control element, wherein the rotatable pointer and the movable control element are manipulated by a user controlled pointer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the displayable object associated with the selected graphical selection in a foreground mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a second plurality of graphic selections comprises displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation within the first plurality of graphic selections in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a second plurality of graphic selection comprises displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation around the first plurality of graphic selections in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections.

5. A data processing system for efficiently managing a plurality of displayable objects within a display, the method comprising the data processing system comprising:

first display means for displaying a first plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation, each of the first plurality of graphic selections being associated with one of the plurality of displayable objects;

second display means for displaying a rotatable pointer within the substantially circular formation, the rotatable pointer including a movable control element located within the rotatable pointer;

third display means for displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections; and

alteration means for altering a display of a displayable object associated with the selected graphic selection in response to a selection of one of the second plurality of graphic selections utilizing the rotatable pointer and the movable control element, wherein the rotatable pointer and the movable control element are manipulated by a user controlled pointer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying the displayable object associated with the selected graphical selection in a foreground mode.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of displaying a second plurality of graphic selections comprises displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation within the first plurality of graphic selections in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of displaying a second plurality of graphic selection comprises displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation around the first plurality of graphic selections in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections.

9. A method for selectively manipulating a display of a plurality of overlapping data collections which are displayed in multiple layers and in a simulated three-dimensional manner within a data processing system, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of:

displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring;

displaying a rotatable pointer rotatable about a pivot point within the first and second rings;

associating each of the plurality of data collections with a portion of the first ring;

displaying the multiple layers of the overlapping data collections in a selected order;

altering the selected order of the display of the multiple layers of overlapping data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer; and

altering the display of a selected one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the second ring utilizing the rotatable pointer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring includes displaying a plurality of selections within the second ring.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of altering the selected order includes displaying a selected one of the plurality of data collections in a foreground mode in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring includes displaying a plurality of selections associated with the selected one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of the first portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer.

13. A data processing system for selectively manipulating a display of a plurality of overlapping data collections which are displayed in multiple layers and in a simulated three-dimensional manner within a data processing system, the data processing system comprising:

first display means for displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring;

second display means for displaying a rotatable pointer rotatable about a pivot point within the first and second rings;

association means for associating each of the plurality of data collections with a portion of the first ring;

third display means for displaying the multiple layers of the overlapping data collections in a selected order;

first alteration means for altering the selected order of the display of the multiple layers of overlapping data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer; and

second alteration means for altering the display of a selected one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the second ring utilizing the rotatable pointer.

14. A storage device readable by a data processing system and encoding data processing system executable instructions, the data storage device comprising:

means for displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring;

means for displaying a rotatable pointer rotatable about a pivot pointer within the first and second rings;

means for associating each data collection in a plurality of data collections with a portion of the first ring;

means for displaying each data collection within the plurality of data collections in a selected order;

means for altering the selected order of the display of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer; and

means for altering the display of one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the second ring utilizing the rotatable pointer, wherein the means are activated when the storage device is connected to and accessed by a data processing system.

15. The storage device of claim 14, wherein the storage device is a hard disk drive.

16. The storage device of claim 14, wherein the storage device is a ROM for use with a data processing system.

17. The storage device of claim 14, wherein the storage device is a floppy diskette.