Method and apparatus for selecting characters along a scroll bar with a slider

• US 5,828,374 A
• Filed: 03/14/1997
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Powers, John Richard III, Coleman, Patricia J., Palmer, James Edward, Cochran, Eli, Powers, Matthew Justin, Herman, Jeffrey Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Application Number:
  US08/818,288
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326-358, 345/973, 345/974, 345/123-125
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/974 Slider control as on-screen object in operator interface

Abstract

An object oriented graphic user interface having overlapping windows and an access window having topics, index and look for button functions may be selected by the user. Through the use of the topics, index, or look for functions, a help inquiry is defined. The access window includes an alpha scroll bar horizontally spanning a defined area of the access window. Characters are displayed along the length of the alpha scroll bar and a slider is provided which may be selectively positioned over a character displayed on the alpha scroll bar. The placement of the slider over a character on the alpha scroll bar results in the CPU displaying help data entries corresponding to the selected character.

Claims

1. A computer display system having a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a display for displaying data, said display system comprising:

user interface generation means coupled to said CPU for displaying data on said display in windows;

at least one of said windows including a working area for displaying data, said working area having a scroll bar including;

a plurality of characters displayed along said scroll bar;

a slider which may be selectively positioned over a portion of each of said characters using slider positioning means coupled to said CPU, the placement of said slider over a portion of a character resulting in said CPU displaying one or more data entries corresponding to said character selected in said working area; and

a cursor control device coupled to said CPU for positioning a cursor on said display, said cursor control device being controlled by a user; and

wherein

one of said one or more data entries may be selected using said cursor control device and said one or more data entries may be scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor within a predetermined area on said display wherein said predetermined area is distinct from said scroll bar;

said windows displayed by said user interface generation means may be selectively positioned at desired locations on said display by said cursor control device; and

said CPU generates a plurality of windows, said window having said scroll bar comprising said working area and a second working area which is distinct from said working area, and wherein one or more data entries in said second working area are displayed in response to a selection of a data entry in said working area.

2. The display system as defined by claim 1 wherein said window is displayed over at least a portion of a second window on said display.

3. The display system as defined by claim 1 wherein said window and said second window are active windows, thereby allowing said user to operate on said window and second window, and data displayed within said respective windows.

4. The display system as defined by claim 3 further including a third window over which at least a portion of said second window is displayed.

5. The display system as defined by claim 4 wherein said user desiring to operate upon said third window and data disposed in said third window renders said third window active by placing said cursor on said display over a portion of said third window using said cursor control device, and provides a signal to said CPU, said CPU upon receiving said signal modifies the relative position of said third window such that said third window is displayed between said window and second window, such that said window and third window are active and said second window is inactive.

6. The display system as defined by claim 5 wherein said display includes selection means coupled to said CPU and said cursor control device for selecting said window, such that said CPU generates and displays said window with said scroll bar on said display.

7. The display system as defined by claim 6 wherein the selection of said one of said one or more data entries results in the dismissal of said window and the generation and display by said CPU of a presentation window.

8. The display system as defined by claim 7 wherein said presentation window includes instruction data related to said one of said one or more data entries selected by said user.

10. The display system as defined in claim 1 wherein said scrolling of said one or more data entries in said working area by moving said cursor within said predetermined area results in the positioning of said slider over one character of said plurality of characters, said positioning corresponding to a characteristic of said one or more data entries displayed in said working area as a result of said scrolling.

11. The display system as defined in claim 1 wherein said one or more data entries are scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor in a specific direction within said working area.

12. The display system as defined in claim 1 wherein said one or more data entries are scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor in a specific direction within a specific area outside of said working area.

9. In a computer display system having a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a display for displaying data, such that data is displayed on said display in a plurality of windows, a method for displaying said data in said windows by a user, comprising the steps of:

generating and displaying said windows on the display coupled to said CPU;

defining a working area in at least one of said windows for displaying one or more data entries, said working area having a scroll bar;

displaying a plurality of characters along said scroll bar;

selectively positioning a slider over a portion of one of said characters using a cursor controlled by a cursor control device coupled to said CPU, the placement of said slider over a portion of said character resulting in said CPU displaying data entries of said one or more data entries corresponding to said character selected in said working area; and

wherein

one of said one or more data entries may be selected using said cursor control device and said one or more data entries may be scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor within a predetermined area on said display wherein said predetermined area is distinct from said scroll bar;

wherein said windows displayed may be selectively positioned on said display at desired locations on said display by a user using said cursor control device; and

wherein said CPU generates a plurality of windows, said window having said scroll bar comprising said working area and a second working area which is distinct from said working area, and wherein said scrolling of said one or more data entries in said working area by moving said cursor within said predetermined area results in the positioning of said slider over one character of said plurality of characters, said positioning corresponding to a characteristic of said one or more data entries displayed in said working area as a result of said scrolling.

13. In a computer display system having a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a display for displaying data, such that data is displayed on said display in a plurality of windows, a method for displaying said data in said windows by a user, comprising the steps of:

generating and displaying said windows on the display coupled to said CPU;

defining a working area in at least one of said windows for displaying one or more data entries, said working area having a scroll bar;

displaying a plurality of characters along said scroll bar;

selectively positioning a slider over a portion of one of said characters using a cursor controlled by a cursor control device coupled to said CPU, the placement of said slider over a portion of said character resulting in said CPU displaying data entries of said one or more data entries corresponding to said character selected in said working area; and

wherein

one of said one or more data entries may be selected using said cursor control device and said one or more data entries may be scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor within a predetermined area on said display wherein said predetermined area is distinct from said scroll bar;

said windows displayed may be selectively positioned on said display at desired locations on said display by a user using said cursor control device; and

said CPU generates a plurality of windows, said window having said scroll bar comprising said working area and a second working area which is distinct from said working area, and and wherein one or more data entries in said second working area are displayed in response to a selection of a data entry in said working area.

14. The method as defined by claim 13 wherein said window is displayed over at least a portion of a second window on said display.

15. The method as defined by claim 14 wherein said window and said second window are active windows, thereby allowing said user to operate on said window and second window and data displayed within said respective windows.

16. The method as defined by claim 15 further including a third window over which at least a portion of said second window is displayed.

17. The method as defined by claim 16 wherein said user desiring to operate upon said third window and data disposed in said third window renders said third window active by placing said cursor on said display over a portion of said third window using said cursor control device, and provides a signal to said CPU, said CPU upon receiving said signal modifies the relative position of said third window such that said third window is displayed between said window and second window, such that said window and third window are active and said second window is inactive.

18. The method as defined by claim 17 wherein said display includes selection means coupled to said CPU and said cursor control device for selecting said window, such that said CPU generates and displays said window with said scroll bar on said display.

19. The method as defined by claim 18 wherein the selection of said one of said one or more data entries results in the dismissal of said window and the generation and display by said CPU of a presentation window.

20. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein said scrolling of said one or more data entries in said working area by moving said cursor within said predetermined area results in the positioning of said slider over one character of said plurality of characters, said positioning corresponding to a characteristic of said one or more data entries displayed in said working area as a result of said scrolling.

21. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein said one or more data entries are scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor in a specific direction within said working area.

22. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein said one or more data entries are scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor in a specific direction within a specific area outside of said working area.

34. The method as defined by claim 19 wherein said presentation window includes instruction data related to said one of said one or more data entries selected by said user.

23. A computer readable medium for use in a digital processing system, said medium containing executable program instructions which, when executed by said digital processing system, cause said digital processing system to perform steps comprising the method of:

generating and displaying a plurality of windows on a display coupled to said digital processing system;

defining a working area in at least one of said windows for displaying data, said working area having a scroll bar;

displaying a plurality of characters along said scroll bar;

selectively positioning a slider over a portion of one of said characters using a cursor controlled by a cursor control device coupled to said digital processing system, the placement of said slider over a portion of said characters resulting in said digital processing system displaying one or more data entries corresponding to said character selected in said working area; and

wherein

one of said one or more data entries may be selected using said cursor control device and said one or more data entries may be scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor within a predetermined area on said display wherein said predetermined area is distinct from said scroll bar;

said windows displayed may be selectively positioned on said display at desired locations on said display by a user using said cursor control device; and

said window having said scroll bar comprising said working area and a second working area which is distinct from said working area, and wherein one or more data entries in said second working area are displayed in response to a selection of a data entry in said working area.

24. The computer readable medium as defined by claim 23 further containing instructions which, when executed by said digital processing system, cause said window to be displayed over at least a portion of a second window on said display.

25. The computer readable medium as defined by claim 24 further containing instructions which, when executed by said digital processing system, cause said window and said second window to be active windows, thereby allowing said user to operate on said window and said second window, and data displayed within said respective windows.

26. The computer readable medium as defined by claim 25 further including a third window over which at least a portion of said second window is displayed.

27. The computer readable medium as defined by claim 26 further containing instructions wherein said user desiring to operate upon said third window and data disposed in said third window renders said third window active by placing said cursor on said display over a portion of said third window using said cursor control device, and provides a signal to said digital processing system, said digital processing system upon receiving said signal modifies the relative position of said third window such that said third window is displayed between said window and second window, such that said window and third window are active and said second window is inactive.

28. The computer readable medium as defined by claim 27 wherein said instructions allow for selecting said window, such that said digital processing system generates and displays said window with said scroll bar on said display.

29. The computer readable medium as defined by claim 28 wherein the selection of said one of said one or more data entries results in the dismissal of said window and the generation and display by said CPU of a presentation window.

30. The computer readable medium as defined by claim 23 wherein a presentation window includes instruction data related to said one of said one or more data entries selected by said user.

31. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 23 wherein said scrolling of said one or more data entries in said working area by moving said cursor within said predetermined area results in the positioning of said slider over one character of said plurality of characters, said positioning corresponding to a characteristic of said one or more data entries displayed in said working area as a result of said scrolling.

32. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 23 wherein said one or more data entries are scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor in a specific direction within said working area.

33. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 23 wherein said one or more data entries are scrolled within said working area by moving said cursor in a specific direction within a specific area outside of said working area.