Method for locating and displaying information in a pointer-based computer system
First Claim
1. A method of controlling a display screen for searching the contents of a memory device associated with a pointer-based computer system and displaying the search results on the display screen associated with the computer system, the computer system having a processor and a plurality of applications, at least one of which is running on the processor, wherein the contents of the memory device include a plurality of searchable application files that are each associated with at least one of the plurality of applications and each capable of containing a plurality of records, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving a find command;
b) displaying a find dialog box on the display screen;
c) receiving a search string selection input by interaction of a pointer with the display screen, and displaying the search string in the find dialog box;
d) determining whether a global search mode or a local search mode has been selected by interaction of the pointer with the display screen;
e) executing the selected search, wherein,when the local search mode is selected, a search is made through the contents of each record in an application file that is associated with an application program that is currently running on the processor, andwhen the global search mode is selected, a search is made through each of the searchable applications and a list is made of the the application files searched and the number of records within each application file that contain the search string; and
(f) displaying at least a portion of the search results on the display screen.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A user interface is disclosed that facilitates easy find and display operations that search through the memory of a pointer based computing system. The user interface includes searching methods that are particularly well suited for use in a computer system in which the contents of the memory are divided into a plurality of searchable application files that are each capable of containing a plurality of records. In one aspect of the invention an improved find dialog box is disclosed. In another aspect, a method of selecting local verses global searches together with a method of conducting the chosen search and processing user inputs in response to the search results is disclosed. Additionally, an improved interface for displaying the results of various searches is described.
97 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a display screen for searching the contents of a memory device associated with a pointer-based computer system and displaying the search results on the display screen associated with the computer system, the computer system having a processor and a plurality of applications, at least one of which is running on the processor, wherein the contents of the memory device include a plurality of searchable application files that are each associated with at least one of the plurality of applications and each capable of containing a plurality of records, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving a find command; b) displaying a find dialog box on the display screen; c) receiving a search string selection input by interaction of a pointer with the display screen, and displaying the search string in the find dialog box; d) determining whether a global search mode or a local search mode has been selected by interaction of the pointer with the display screen; e) executing the selected search, wherein, when the local search mode is selected, a search is made through the contents of each record in an application file that is associated with an application program that is currently running on the processor, and when the global search mode is selected, a search is made through each of the searchable applications and a list is made of the the application files searched and the number of records within each application file that contain the search string; and (f) displaying at least a portion of the search results on the display screen. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of controlling a display screen for searching the contents of a memory device associated with a pointer-based computer system and displaying the search results on the display screen associated with the computer system, the computer system having a processor and a plurality of applications, at least one of which is running on the processor, wherein the contents of the memory device include a plurality of searchable application files that are each associated with one of the plurality of applications and each capable of containing a plurality of records, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a find command; receiving a search string selection input by interaction of a pointer with the display screen in the memory device; searching through the contents of each record in each of the searchable application files in the memory device and forming a list of each application files that contains a record that includes the search string and the number of records within each application file that contain the search string; displaying at least a portion of the search results wherein the displayed search results include a summary indicating each of the application files in which an occurrence of the search string was found and an indication of the number of records within each such application file that include the search string; and processing user inputs after the search results have been displayed. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of controlling a display screen for searching the contents of a memory device associated with a pointer-based computer system and displaying the search results on the display screen associated with the computer system, the computer system having a processor and a plurality of applications at least one of which is running on the processor, wherein the contents of the memory device include a plurality of searchable application files that are each associated with one of the plurality of applications and each capable of containing a plurality of records, the method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving a find command; b) displaying a find dialog box on the display screen, the find dialog box including a global search icon; c) receiving a search string selection input by interaction of a pointer with screen display and displaying the search string in the find dialog box; (d) determining whether a global search mode or a local search mode has been selected by interaction of the pointer with the display screen wherein, when the global icon is highlighted, a global search mode is selected, when the global icon is not highlighted, a local search mode is selected, and the a global search mode may be selected by using the pointer to click on an unhighlighted global icon, and a local search mode may be selected by using the pointer to click on a highlighted global icon; conducting the desired search of the contents of each record of the applicable application file or files; and e) displaying at least a portion of the search results. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A pen-based computer system comprising:
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processing means; a memory means coupled to said processing means; a display screen coupled to said processing means which detects the position of a stylus means; a plurality of records organized in one or more files associated with one or more application programs and held in the memory means; means for searching for a string in each of the plurality of records of said one or more files held in the memory means; means for determining whether a global search mode or a local search mode has been selected by interaction of the pointer with the display screen, wherein when the local search mode is selected, the means for searching searches the contents of each record in one of the files, and when the global search mode is selected, the means for searching searches the contents of each record in each of the one or more files held in the memory means; and a plurality of indicator icons, each having a corresponding file and each displayed adjacent a display of the number of hits in the corresponding file found by the means for searching. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification