Graphical interface method, apparatus and application for selection of target object

• US 5,774,119 A
• Filed: 09/18/1997
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goddard, Joan Stagaman, Alimpich, Claudia, Yang, Rachel Youngran
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/932,507
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: 345/340, 345/339, 345/346, 345/326, 345/341, 345/342, 345/343, 345/344, 345/345, 345/348, 345/347, 345/350, 345/351, 345/975
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/975 Pop-up dialog box for entry

Abstract

An application, method and apparatus is disclosed by which a user selects an object and then drags and drops the object onto a window containing multiple possible target objects. The system generates a selection window listing all of the possible target objects. The user then selects one or more of the possible target objects on which the selected object is to operate.

Claims

1. An application for selection of one or more target objects as controlled by a computer system having at least a visual operator interface, an operating system for controlling the operation of program applications within the computer system, and memory for storing a program application therein, said application comprising:

means for selecting an object;

means for ambiguously dragging and dropping the selected object onto a window containing multiple possible target objects, where the selected object is intended to operate on at least one of the possible target objects, but the selected object is not dropped directly onto one or more of the possible target objects and the computer system is not sure which of the possible target objects is intended to be selected;

means for generating a selection window listing all of the possible target objects in response to an ambiguous drop; and

means for selecting in the selection window the one or more possible target objects on which the selected object is to act.

2. The application of claim 1 further comprising:

means for terminating operation of the selected object by canceling the selection window.

3. A method for selection of one or more target objects as controlled by a computer system having at least a visual operator interface, an operating system for controlling the operation of program applications within the computer system, and memory for storing a program application therein, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting an object;

ambiguously dragging and dropping the selected object onto a window containing multiple possible target objects, where the selected object is intended to operate on at least one of the possible target objects, but the selected object is not dropped directly onto one or more of the possible target objects and the computer system is not sure which of the possible target objects is intended to be selected;

generating a selection window listing all of the possible target objects in response to an ambiguous drop; and

selecting in the selection window the one or more possible target objects on which the selected object is to act.

4. The method of claim 3 for selection of a target object as controlled by a computer system having at least a visual operator interface, an operating system for controlling the operation of program applications within the computer system, and memory for storing a program application therein, said method further comprising:

terminating operation of the selected object by canceling the selection window.