Split bar and input/output window control icons for interactive user interface

• US 5,714,971 A
• Filed: 11/30/1994
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Jeremy, Shalit, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHANH DUY
• Application Number:
  US08/347,593
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 345/119, 345/120, 345/113, 345/121, 345/146, 395/155, 395/156, 395/157, 395/158, 395/159, 395/339, 395/340, 395/346, 395/347, 395/348
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

An interactive user interface for a computer controlled system to simplify browsing and navigating through information structures. The interface uses a split-pane icon on a window scroll bar, or input and output icons on a window title bar. When activating the split-pane icon by dragging a selected object to it, a new pane opens up displaying the contents of the object. Where a first or second pane exists, dragging a selected object to the first or second panels input icon, or dragging the output icon of the first pane to the second panels input icon, will display the contents of a selected object in the first or second pane respectively. Other ways of controlling the displays in the same or different windows or panes are also described.

Claims

1. An interactive user interface of a computer including a monitor for displaying objects of said computer on a screen, said interface comprising:

a window of the screen, said window configured for apportionment into a plurality of panes, a first pane having a content region for displaying said objects;

control means located within a first control region of said first pane and within a second control region of a second pane of said window for linking a selected object of said first pane to said second pane; and

means for dragging said selected object from said content region of said first pane to one of said first and second control regions and dropping said object onto said control means, such that said control means, in response to said dropped object, links said selected object to said second pane to thereby enable automatic viewing of contents of said selected object on said second pane.

2. The interactive user interface of claim 1 wherein control means comprises an input icon control of said second pane.

3. The interactive user interface of claim 2 wherein said dragging means comprises a mouse.

4. The interactive user interface of claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a split-bar box of said first pane.

5. The interactive user interface of claim 4 wherein said dragging means comprises a mouse.

6. A method for enabling a user to view contents of objects displayed on a screen of a computer, the screen having a window configured for apportionment into a plurality of panes for displaying said objects, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one of said objects displayed on a first pane using a pointer controlled by the user;

dragging said selected object onto an icon control of one of said first pane and a second pane using the pointer; and

linking said selected object to said second pane to enable viewing of contents of said selected object on said second pane.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said icon control comprises a split-bar box of said first pane and wherein said method further comprises the step of creating, in response to said dragging step, said second pane for viewing the contents of said selected object without affecting the arrangement of objects displayed on said first pane.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said icon control comprises an input icon of said second pane and wherein said method further comprises the step of changing, in response to said dragging step, information displayed on said second pane to enable viewing of the contents of said selected object.

9. Apparatus for displaying objects of a computer, the apparatus comprising:

a monitor coupled to the computer, the monitor having a window displayed on a screen thereof, the window configured for apportionment into a first pane having a first control region and a first content region, and a second pane having a second control region and a second content region;

a processor operably connected to the monitor and programmed to generate control means contained within the control regions of the panes for linking a selected object of the first pane to the second pane to enable automatic viewing of said selected object on said second pane in response to dragging the selected object from the first content region of the first pane to one of the first and second control regions and dropping the selected object onto the control means; and

a memory operably connected to the processor for storing the control means contained within the control regions of the panes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control means comprises an input icon control of the second pane.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the control means comprises a split-bar box of the first pane.

12. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for:

selecting an object displayed on a first pane of a computer screen window using a pointer controlled by the user;

dragging the selected object onto an icon control of one of the first pane and a second pane of the window using the pointer; and

linking the selected object to the second pane to enable automatic viewing of contents of the selected object on the second pane.

13. The medium of claim 12 wherein the icon control comprises a split-bar box of the first pane and wherein the medium further contains program instructions for creating, in response to the dragging step, the second pane for viewing the contents of the selected object without affecting the arrangement of objects displayed on the first pane.

14. The medium of claim 12 wherein the icon control comprises an input icon of the second pane and wherein the medium further contains program instructions for changing, in response to the dragging step, information displayed on the second pane to enable viewing of the contents of the selected object.