Method and apparatus for collapsing and expanding selected regions on a work space of a computer controlled display system

• US 5,784,061 A
• Filed: 06/26/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Chiu, Patrick, Moran, Thomas P., van Melle, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Katbab, A.
• Application Number:
  US08/670,967
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 395/348, 395/333, 395/334, 395/335, 395/339, 395/357, 395/358, 345/358, 345/173, 345/179, 345/180, 345/181
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method and apparatus for representing a group of graphic objects so as to maximize usage of a display area on a computer controlled graphics display system. The present invention provides a means for "collapsing" a group of graphic objects so that the group is represented by a container icon. The container icon occupies a smaller amount of display area than the group of objects. The group is recallable (i.e. expanded) by "tapping" on the container icon. Alternatively, the group may be located on a separate accessible area of the display space. The container icon is itself a graphical object and can be moved, copied or deleted. Any change of attributes, e.g. color, of the graphical object causes a corresponding change to the group of graphic objects.

Claims

1. On a graphics based computer system wherein graphic objects can be drawn on a work surface, a method for representing a group of graphic objects with a container icon, said container icon acting as a reference to said group of graphic objects, said method comprising the steps of:

a) a user causing said group of graphic objects to be selected;

b) said user performing a collapse action on said selected group of graphic objects;

c) said system collapsing said selected group of graphic objects so that they are represented by said container icon by performing the substeps of;

c1) storing a copy of said group of graphic objects to be represented by a container icon;

c2) removing said group of graphic objects to be represented by a container icon from said display; and

c3) displaying a container icon representing said selected group of graphic objects.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein prior to said substep c3) displaying a container icon representing said selected group of graphic objects performing the substep of determining a reference number for said container icon and wherein said container icon is displayed with said reference number.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of moving said selected group of graphic objects to another page and where they may be indexed by said reference number.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said collapse action is a gesture performed close to said selected group of graphic objects, said gesture having a predetermined shape.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein said predetermined shape is a balloon shape.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of a user causing said group of graphic objects to be selected is further comprised of the steps of:

a1) drawing an enclosure graphic object about said group of graphic objects; and

a2) selecting said enclosure graphic object.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said displaying substep causes said container icon to be displayed in the middle of an area defined by said enclosure graphical object.

8. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said enclosure graphical object has a link.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein said displaying substep causes said container icon to replace said link.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of a user causing said group of graphic objects to be selected is further comprised of the step of said user performing a free form selection about said group of graphic objects to be represented by a container icon.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said displaying substep causes said container icon to be displayed in the middle of an area defined by said freeform selection.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of a user causing said group of graphic objects to be selected is further comprised of the steps of performing a selection gesture operation on a subset of items in a list structure.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein said step of said system collapsing said enclosure is further comprised of the substeps of adjusting the list structure as if said subset of list items had been removed and said display substep causes said container icon to be displayed at the end of the list item immediately preceding said subset of list items.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

d) said user performing an expand operation on said container icon to restore display of said group of graphic objects represented by said container icon; and

e) said system expanding said container icon by performing the substeps of;

e1) retrieving said copy of said group of graphic objects to be represented by a container icon;

e2) removing the container icon from said display; and

e3) displaying said group of graphic objects on said display at a position relative to the location of said container icon.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said group of graphic objects to be represented by a container icon are a subset of list items and said displaying substep operates as an insert operation into a list structure.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said displaying substep operates to overwrite graphic objects on said display.

17. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein said displaying substep operates to overlay graphic objects on said display.

18. A computer controlled graphics display system including a display for displaying graphic objects and input means for generating graphic objects and initiating user operations, said system further comprising:

selection means for detecting that a region has been selected by a user operation, said region containing a group of graphic objects;

collapsing means for detecting a user operation for removing said region containing a group of graphic objects from said display and replacing with a container icon; and

expanding means for detecting a user operation for expanding a container icon back into a region containing an original group of graphic objects and causing said region containing an original group of graphic objects to replace said container icon on said display.

19. A method for representing a region on a workspace containing a group of graphic objects with a container icon on a graphics based computer system, said container icon acting as a reference to said region, said method comprising the steps of:

a) a user causing a region containing said group of graphic objects to be selected;

b) said user performing a collapse action on said selected region;

c) said system collapsing said selected region so that it is represented by said container icon by performing the substeps of;

c1) storing a copy of said region to be represented by a container icon;

c2) removing said region to be represented by a container icon from said display; and

c3) displaying a container icon representing said selected region to be represented by a container icon.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said step of a user causing a region containing said group of graphic objects to be selected is further comprised of the steps of:

a1) said user drawing an enclosure graphic object around said group of graphic objects; and

a2) said user selecting said enclosure graphic object.