Method and system for in-place interaction with contained objects
First Claim
1. A method in a computer system for activating a containee object contained within a container object, the computer system having a window system for displaying windows and for receiving user input, the computer system having an indicator for choosing an object, the container having a container application with a container window environment for interacting with the container object, the containee object having a server application with server resources for interacting with the containee object, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
- displaying the container window environment;
displaying the containee object within the displayed container window environment;
in response to a user moving the indicator over the display containee object, under control of the window system sending notification that the user has moved the indicator over the displayed containee object directly to the server application; and
in response to the user indicating an action to be performed on the containee object, integrating the server resources of the server application into the displayed container window environment such that, when a user selects a server resource from amongst the integrated server resources, the server application processes the server resources selection.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer method and system for interacting with a containee object contained within a container object. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container object has a container application with a container window environment that has container resources for interacting with the container object. The containee object has a server application with a server window environment with server resources for interacting with the containee object. The method of the present invention displays the container window environment on a display device. A user then selects the containee object. In response to selecting the containee object, the method integrates a plurality of the server resources with the displayed container window environment. When a user then selects a server resource, the method invokes the server application to process the server resource selection. Conversely, when a user selects a container resource, the method invokes the container application to process the container resource selection.
188 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method in a computer system for activating a containee object contained within a container object, the computer system having a window system for displaying windows and for receiving user input, the computer system having an indicator for choosing an object, the container having a container application with a container window environment for interacting with the container object, the containee object having a server application with server resources for interacting with the containee object, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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displaying the container window environment; displaying the containee object within the displayed container window environment; in response to a user moving the indicator over the display containee object, under control of the window system sending notification that the user has moved the indicator over the displayed containee object directly to the server application; and in response to the user indicating an action to be performed on the containee object, integrating the server resources of the server application into the displayed container window environment such that, when a user selects a server resource from amongst the integrated server resources, the server application processes the server resources selection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method in a computer system for activating an inside-out activation style containee object within a container object, the container object having a container window environment, the inside-out activation style containee object having an inside-out window for receiving user input and having a server application for interacting with the containee object, the server application having user interface resources for interacting with the containee object, the computer system having an indicator for choosing an object and having a window system for displaying windows and for receiving user input, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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displaying the container window environment; displaying the inside-out activation style containee object within the inside-out window that is within the container window environment; when a user moves the indicator over the displayed inside-out window, under control of the window system sending a notification directly to the server application; in response to the user selecting the displayed inside-out window, integrating the user interface resources of the server application into the container window environment; and in response to the user selecting a user interface resource of the server application from amongst the integrated user interface resources, processing of the selected user interface resource by the server application.
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7. A method in a computer system for activating an inside-out activation style containee object and an outside-in activation style containee object within a container object, the container object having a container window environment, the inside-out activation style containee object having an inside-out window for receiving user input and having a corresponding server application for interacting with the containee object, the outside-in activation style containee object having an outside-in window for receiving user input and having a corresponding server application for interacting with the containee object, each server application having user interface resources for interacting with the corresponding containee object, the computer system having an indicator for choosing an object and having a window system for displaying windows and for receiving user input, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:
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displaying the container window environment; displaying the inside-out activation style containee object within the inside-out window that is within the container window environment; displaying the outside-in activation style containee object within the container window environment without displaying the outside-in window; upon selection of the outside-in activation style containee object, displaying the outside-in window; in response to a user moving the indicator over the displayed outside-in window, under control of the window system sending notification directly to the server application corresponding to the outside-in activation style containee object; and in response to the user moving the indicator over the displayed inside-out window, under control of the window system sending notification directly to the server application corresponding to the inside-out activation style containee object wherein notification is sent directly to a server application when the indicator moves over a displayed inside-out or outside-in window. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A computer system for activating a containee object contained within a container object, the container object having a container application with a container window environment, the container window environment for interacting with the container object, the containee object having a server application for interacting with the server object, the system comprising:
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an indicator for choosing an object; a window system that displays the container window environment and that displays the containee object within the displayed container window environment; and an input event generating and handling mechanism, responsive to moving the indicator over the displayed containee object, for generating an input event and sending notification of the input event directly to the server application. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A computer system for activating a containee object contained within a container object, the container object having a container application with a container window environment, the container window environment for interacting with the container object, the containee object having a server application with user interface resources for interacting with the containee object, the computer system comprising:
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an indicator for choosing an object; a window system that displays the container window environment and that displays the containee object within the displayed container window environment; an input event generating and handling mechanism, responsive to moving the indicator over the displayed containee object, for generating an input event and sending notification of the input event directly to the server application; and a resource integration mechanism, responsive to indicating an action to perform on the containee object, for integrating the user interface resources of the server application into the displayed container window environment such that when a user selects a user interface resource from amongst the integrated user interface resources, the server application processes the user interface resource selection. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A computer system for interacting with a non-native data object and a native data object, the non-native data object having a server application for interacting with the non-native data object, the computer system comprising:
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a container object that contains the non-native data object and contains the native data object, the container object having a container application with a container window environment for interacting with the container object and the native data object; an indicator for choosing an object; a window system that displays the container window environment, that displays the native data object within the displayed container window environment, and that displays the non-native data object within the displayed container window environment such that, from the perspective of a user, initiating interaction with the non-native data object is substantially similar to initiating interaction with the native data object; an input event generating and handling mechanism, responsive to moving the indicator over the displayed native data object, for generating a first input event and sending notification of the first input event directly to the container application; and an input event generating and handling mechanism, responsive to moving the indicator over the displayed non-native data object for generating a second input event and sending notification of the second input event directly to the server application. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method in a computer system for directing user input when processing a containee object contained within a container object, the computer system having a window system for displaying windows and for receiving user input, the computer system having an indicator for choosing an object, the container object having a container application with a container window environment for interacting with the container object, the containee object having a server application for interacting with the containee object, the method comprising:
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displaying the container window environment; displaying the containee object within the displayed container window environment; and under control of the window system, detecting movement of the indicator within the displayed container window environment; and when movement is detected that is over the displayed containee object, sending a notification directly to the server application wherein the notification is not received by the container application. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method in a computer system for determining whether a containee object contained within a container object is to be treated as an inside-out object or treated as an outside-in object, the container object having a container application for interacting with the container object, the containee object having a server application for interacting with the containee object, the method comprising:
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when the containee object is capable of interacting as an inside-out object, setting a first indicator; when the containee object prefers to be treated as an inside-out object, setting a second indicator; and under control of the container application, interacting with the containee object as an inside-out object or as an outside-in object depending on whether the first and second indicators are set. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to direct user input when processing a containee object contained within a container object, the computer system having a window system for displaying windows and for receiving user input, the computer system having an indicator for choosing an object, the container object having a container application with a container window environment for interacting with the container object, the containee object having a server application for interacting with the containee object, by:
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displaying the container window environment; displaying the containee object within the displayed container window environment; and under control of the window system, when movement of the indicator is detected that is over the displayed containee object, sending a notification directly to the server application. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to activate an inside-out activation style containee object and an outside-in activation style containee object within a container object, the container object having a container window environment, the inside-out activation style containee object having an inside-out window for receiving user input and having a corresponding server application for interacting with the containee object, the outside-in activation style containee object having an outside-in window for receiving user input and having a corresponding server application for interacting with the containee object, each server application having user interface resources for interacting with the corresponding containee object, the computer system having an indicator for choosing an object and having a window system for displaying windows and for receiving user input, by:
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displaying the container window environment; displaying the inside-out activation style containee object within the inside-out window that is within the container window environment; displaying the outside-in activation style containee object within the container window environment without displaying the outside-in window; upon selection of the outside-in activation style containee object, displaying the outside-in window; in response to a user moving the indicator over the displayed outside-in window, under control of the window system sending notification directly to the server application corresponding to the outside-in activation style containee object; and in response to the user moving the indicator over the displayed inside-out window, under control of the window system sending notification directly to the server application corresponding to the inside-out activation style containee object wherein notification is sent directly to a server application when the indicator moves over a displayed inside-out or outside-in window. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification