Mobile client computer programmed to process table displays

• US 5,812,131 A
• Filed: 03/07/1997
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bertram, Randal Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): KATBAB, ABDOLLAH
• Application Number:
  US08/813,522
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 395/764, 395/765, 395/766, 395/767, 395/768, 395/769, 395/770, 395/771, 345/333, 345/334, 345/379, 707/503-510
• US Class Current: 715/798
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/905 Display device with housing structure

Abstract

A display generating system, and particularly a computer such as a mobile client system, in which a control program such as an application or interface program cooperates with a processor in reflowing table elements. In particular, the present invention breaks apart tabular portions of documents to be displayed and reorganizes such portions to facilitate top-to-bottom or vertical scrolling while retaining all information to be displayed.

Claims

1. A mobile client computer comprising:

a housing sized to be held in and manipulated by the hand of a user;

a processor mounted within said housing and processing digital data;

memory mounted within said housing for storing digital data and coupled to said processor;

a display mounted in said housing and coupled to said processor and said memory to display information derived from digital data processed by said processor;

an input digitizer mounted in said housing and overlaying said display, said digitizer being coupled to said processor and enabling input of digital data by a user; and

a control program stored in said memory and accessible by said processor to direct the processing of digital data by said processor;

said control program and said processor cooperating, when said control program is executing on said processor, in (1) presenting tabular displays of data in cells arranged in columns and rows in a window area on said display, (2) distinguishing between tabular displays of a first type as to which all columns and rows are accommodated in the window area and tabular displays of a second type as to which one of (a) less than all columns and (b) less than all rows are accommodated in the window area, and (3) reflowing tabular displays of one of said first type and said second type into tabular displays of the other of said first type and said second type in accommodation of display in said window area and maintaining display of all cells containing data information.

2. A mobile client computer according to claim 1 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in retaining on display in the window area columns and rows of cells containing title information.

3. A mobile client computer according to claim 1 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in changing the number of columns and the number of rows displayed only with regard to those columns and rows containing data information.

4. A mobile client computer according to claim 1 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in decreasing the number of columns and increasing the number of rows displayed.

5. A mobile client computer according to claim 1 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in increasing the number of columns and decreasing the number of rows displayed.

6. A mobile client computer comprising:

a housing sized to be held in and manipulated by the hand of a user;

a processor mounted within said housing and processing digital data;

memory mounted within said housing for storing digital data and coupled to said processor;

a display mounted in said housing and coupled to said processor and said memory to display information derived from digital data processed by said processor;

an input digitizer mounted in said housing and overlaying said display, said digitizer being coupled to said processor and enabling input of digital data by a user; and

a control program stored in said memory and accessible by said processor to direct the processing of digital data by said processor;

said control program and said processor cooperating, when said control program is executing on said processor, in (1) presenting tabular displays of data in cells arranged in columns and rows in a window area on said display, (2) distinguishing between tabular displays of a first type as to which all columns and rows are accommodated in the window area and tabular displays of a second type as to which one of (a) less than all columns and (b) less than all rows are accommodated in the window area, and (3) reflowing tabular displays of one of said first type and said second type into tabular displays of the other of said first type and said second type in accommodation of display in said window area and maintaining display of all cells containing data information while decreasing the number of columns and increasing the number of rows displayed and retaining on display in the window area columns and rows of cells containing title information.

7. A mobile client computer comprising:

a housing sized to be held in and manipulated by the hand of a user;

a processor mounted within said housing and processing digital data;

memory mounted within said housing for storing digital data and coupled to said processor;

a display mounted in said housing and coupled to said processor and said memory to display information derived from digital data processed by said processor;

an input digitizer mounted in said housing and overlaying said display, said digitizer being coupled to said processor and enabling input of digital data by a user; and

a control program stored in said memory and accessible by said processor to direct the processing of digital data by said processor;

said control program and said processor cooperating, when said control program is executing on said processor, in (1) presenting tabular displays of data in cells arranged in columns and rows in a window area on said display, (2) distinguishing between tabular displays of a first type as to which all columns and rows are accommodated in the window area and tabular displays of a second type as to which one of (a) less than all columns and (b) less than all rows are accommodated in the window area, and (3) reflowing tabular displays of one of said first type and said second type into tabular displays of the other of said first type and said second type in accommodation of display in said window area and maintaining display of all cells containing data information while increasing the number of columns and decreasing the number of rows displayed and retaining on display in the window area columns and rows of cells containing title information.

8. A computer comprising:

a housing;

a processor mounted within said housing and processing digital data;

memory mounted within said housing for storing digital data and coupled to said processor;

a display coupled to said processor and said memory to display information derived from digital data processed by said processor; and

a control program stored in said memory and accessible by said processor to direct the processing of digital data by said processor;

said control program and said processor cooperating, when said control program is executing on said processor, in (1) presenting tabular displays of data in cells arranged in columns and rows in a window area on said display, (2) distinguishing between tabular displays of a first type as to which all columns and rows are accommodated in the window area and tabular displays of a second type as to which one of (a) less than all columns and (b) less than all rows are accommodated in the window area, and (3) reflowing tabular displays of one of said first type and said second type into tabular displays of the other of said first type and said second type in accommodation of display in said window area and maintaining display of all cells containing data information.

9. A computer according to claim 8 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in retaining on display in the window area columns and rows of cells containing title information.

10. A computer according to claim 8 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in changing the number of columns and the number of rows displayed only with regard to those columns and rows containing data information.

11. A computer according to claim 8 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in decreasing the number of columns and increasing the number of rows displayed.

12. A computer according to claim 8 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in increasing the number of columns and decreasing the number of rows displayed.

13. A display generating system comprising:

a housing;

a processor mounted within said housing and processing digital data;

memory mounted within said housing for storing digital data and coupled to said processor;

said processor and said memory cooperating in supplying digital data driving a display of visual images; and

a control program stored in said memory and accessible by said processor to direct the processing of digital data by said processor;

said control program and said processor cooperating, when said control program is executing on said processor, in (1) presenting tabular displays of data in cells arranged in columns and rows in a window area on said display, (2) distinguishing between tabular displays of a first type as to which all columns and rows are accommodated in the window area and tabular displays of a second type as to which one of (a) less than all columns and (b) less than all rows are accommodated in the window area, and (3) reflowing tabular displays of one of said first type and said second type into tabular displays of the other of said first type and said second type in accommodation of display in said window area and maintaining display of all cells containing data information.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in retaining on display in the window area columns and rows of cells containing title information.

15. A system according to claim 13 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in changing the number of columns and the number of rows displayed only with regard to those columns and rows containing data information.

16. A system according to claim 13 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in decreasing the number of columns and increasing the number of rows displayed.

17. A system according to claim 13 wherein said control program and said processor cooperate, while reflowing tabular displays, in increasing the number of columns and decreasing the number of rows displayed.