Object-oriented global cursor tool

• US 5,912,666 A
• Filed: 04/22/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Object Technology Licensing Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Ryoji, Wishnie, Jeff, Watson, Ralph T., Robson, Jack R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US08/844,758
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 345/339, 345/335, 345/334, 345/346, 345/340, 345/348, 345/349, 345/352, 345/354, 345/145, 345/156, 345/902, 345/146, 395/682, 395/683, 395/680
• US Class Current: 715/856
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method provide a cursor tool framework and tool server with support for multiple cursors on any given system, and supports the selection of a cursor tool utilizing a cursor. The framework and server facilitate the association of cursor tools to a cursor in a process independent space such that tools can be used cross-process and cross-document. The framework also provides default functionality for communication among cursor tools and the canvas on which they are used. This high degree of interaction allows any cursor tool and any document to function together such that the cursor tool can be written without the knowledge of the document developer.

Claims

1. A method for performing operations on a computer with a display device for generating a screen display having a plurality of frame areas, each of the plurality of frame areas being generated by an application program and comprising a visual representation of data, a movable pointing device, a selection means, means for generating a cursor location and means responsive to movement of the pointing device for moving the cursor location to various screen display locations, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a tool server object containing information identifying a single cursor tool which operates across the plurality of frame areas, each of the frame areas being a different frame type and methods for determining frame types in which data can be manipulated by the cursor tool;

(b) detecting a selection signal generated by the selection means;

(c) identifying a cursor location on the screen display when the selection signal is detected;

(d) determining one frame area of the plurality of frame areas enclosing the cursor location and a frame type of the one frame area;

(e) causing the application program to call one of the methods in the tool server object in order to determine whether the cursor tool can operate on the data in the frame type of the one frame area;

(f) modifying data within the frame area displayed at the cursor location in accordance with the cursor tool when the cursor tool can operate with the frame type of the one frame area; and

(g) displaying predetermined default cursor graphic data at the cursor location when the cursor tool cannot operate with the frame type of the one frame area.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application program operates in an address space and wherein step (f) comprises the steps of:

(f1) creating a tool object comprising methods for modifying data within the frame area displayed at the cursor location in an address space different from the application address space; and

(f2) calling a method in the tool object to modify data.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:

(a1) displaying a menu of tool objects;

(a2) obtaining identification information identifying an active one of the menu of tool objects;

(a3) calling a method in the tool server object to store the identification information in the tool server object; and

(a4) visually modifying the active tool object in the menu of tool objects to indicate the active cursor tool.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein step (a2) comprises the step of selecting a tool object from the menu of tool objects.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein step (a2) comprises the step of displaying a tool object in the menu of tool objects.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the tool server object includes cursor graphic information corresponding to the cursor tool and step (g) comprises the step of:

(g3) displaying the cursor graphic information at the cursor location.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein step (a) comprises the step of:

(a5) creating a tool server object containing cursor graphic information which depends on the cursor tool.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein step (a) comprises the step of:

(a6) creating a tool server object containing cursor graphic information which depends on the cursor tool state.

9. An apparatus for cursor tool processing, comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a storage attached to and under the control of the processor;

(c) a display attached to and under the control of the processor for generating a screen display having a plurality of frame areas, each of the plurality of frame areas being generated by an application program and comprising a visual representation of data;

(d) means for creating a tool server object containing information identifying a single cursor tool which operates across a plurality of frame areas, each of the plurality of frame areas being a different frame type and methods for determining frame types in which data can be manipulated by the cursor tool;

(e) a movable pointing device;

(f) means for generating a cursor location, the generating means being responsive to movement of the pointing device for moving the cursor location to various screen display locations;

(g) means for detecting a selection signal;

(h) means for identifying a cursor location on the screen display when the selection signal is detected;

(i) means responsive to the cursor location for determining one frame area of the plurality of frame areas enclosing the cursor location and a frame type of the one frame area;

(j) means responsive to the determination of the one frame for calling one of the methods in the tool server object in order to determine whether the cursor tool can operate on the data in the frame type in the one frame area;

(k) means, responsive to the detection of a selection signal, for modifying data in the frame area enclosing the cursor location in accordance with the cursor tool when the cursor tool can operate with the frame type of the one frame area; and

(l) means responsive to the detection of a selection signal for displaying predetermined default cursor graphic data at the cursor location when the cursor tool cannot operate with the frame type of the one frame area.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the application program operates in an address space and wherein the data modifying means comprises a tool object containing methods for modifying data in the frame area enclosing the cursor location in an address space different from the application address space;

and means responsive to the selection signal for calling a method in the tool object to modify data.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the tool server creation means comprises:

means controlled by the processor for displaying a menu of tool objects on the screen display;

means for obtaining identification information identifying an active one of the menu of tool objects;

means responsive to the identification information for calling a method in the tool server object to store the identification information in the tool server object; and

means responsive to the identification information for visually modifying the active tool object in the menu of tool objects to indicate the active cursor tool.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the tool server creation means comprises means for selecting a tool object from the menu of tool objects.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the tool server creation means comprises means for displaying a tool object in the menu of tool objects.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the tool server object includes cursor graphic information corresponding to the cursor tool and the data modifying means comprises means for displaying the cursor graphic information at the cursor location.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the tool server creation means comprises means for creating a tool server object containing cursor graphic information which depends on the cursor tool.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the tool server creation means comprises means for creating a tool server object containing cursor graphic information which depends on the cursor tool state.

17. A method for performing cursor tool operations on a computer having a memory, an object-oriented operating system, a plurality of application programs, and an attached display for generating a screen display having a plurality of different frame regions, each frame region comprising a visual representation of data with a specific frame type and containing data generated by one of the plurality of application programs, the computer system further having a movable pointing device, means responsive to movement of the pointing device for generating a cursor location and moving the cursor location to various screen display locations and means responsive to the cursor location for associating therewith a current cursor tool, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting that the cursor location has entered a first one of the plurality of the frame regions on the screen display;

(b) obtaining the current cursor tool corresponding to the detected cursor location;

(c) obtaining a tool negotiator object corresponding to the current cursor tool, the tool negotiator object comprising current cursor tool information indicating frame types in which data can be manipulated by the current cursor tool and a method for interrogating the current cursor tool information;

(d) calling the tool negotiator object method to determine if the current cursor tool can manipulate data within the one frame region on the screen display;

(e) obtaining cursor graphic information corresponding to the current cursor tool; and

(f) displaying the cursor graphic information at the cursor location when the current cursor tool can manipulate data within the one frame region.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein step (d) includes the following steps:

(d1) obtaining a list of frame types in which data can be manipulated by the current cursor tool; and

(d2) comparing the list of frame types with a frame type of the one frame region on the screen display.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the pointing device comprises a selection means and the method comprises the steps of:

(g) detecting a selection signal generated by the selection means;

(h) obtaining a tool interactor object from the tool negotiator object, the tool interactor object containing a method for modifying data in the one frame region;

(i) transferring control to the tool interactor object; and

(j) using the tool interactor object method for modifying data in the one frame region at the cursor location.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, including the step of embedding a new frame region within the first frame region on the screen display, the new frame region having a frame type different from the frame type of the first frame region.

21. A method for performing operations on a computer with a display device for generating a screen display having a plurality of frame areas, each of the plurality of frame areas being generated by one of a plurality of application programs, having a frame type and comprising a visual representation of data, the computer further including a movable pointing device, a selection means, means for generating a cursor location and means responsive to movement of the pointing device for moving the cursor location to various screen display locations, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a tool server object containing information identifying a single cursor tool which operates across the plurality of frame areas and methods for determining frame types in which data can be manipulated by the cursor tool;

(b) detecting a selection signal generated by the selection means;

(c) identifying a cursor location on the screen display when the selection signal is detected;

(d) determining one frame area of the plurality of frame areas enclosing the cursor location and a frame type of the one frame area;

(e) determining which application program of the plurality of application programs generated the one frame area;

(f) causing the application program which generated the one frame area to call one of the methods in the tool server object in order to determine whether the cursor tool can operate on the frame type of the one frame area;

(g) modifying data within the frame area displayed at the cursor location in accordance with the cursor tool when the cursor tool can operate with the frame type of the one frame area; and

(h) displaying predetermined default cursor graphic data at the cursor location when the cursor tool cannot operate with the frame type of the one frame area.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the application program which generated the one frame area operates in an address space and wherein step (g) comprises the steps of:

(g1) creating a tool object comprising methods for modifying data within the frame area displayed at the cursor location in an address space different from the application address space; and

(g2) calling a method in the tool object to modify data.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:

(a1) displaying a menu of tool objects;

(a2) obtaining identification information identifying an active one of the menu of tool objects;

(a3) calling a method in the tool server object to store the identification information in the tool server object; and

(a4) visually modifying the active tool object in the menu of tool objects to indicate the active cursor tool.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein step (a2) comprises the step of:

(a2a) selecting a tool object from the menu of tool objects.

25. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein step (a2) comprises the step of:

(a2b) displaying a tool object in the menu of tool objects.

26. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein step (a) comprises the step of:

(a5) creating a tool server object containing cursor graphic information which depends on the cursor tool.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the tool server object includes cursor graphic information corresponding to the cursor tool and step (g) comprises the step of:

(g3) displaying the cursor graphic information at the cursor location.

28. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein step (a) comprises the step of:

(a6) creating a tool server object containing cursor graphic information which depends on the cursor tool state.

29. An apparatus for cursor tool processing, comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a storage attached to and under the control of the processor;

(c) a display attached to and under the control of the processor for generating a screen display having a plurality of frame areas, each of the plurality of frame areas being generated by one of a plurality of application programs and comprising a visual representation of data;

(d) means for creating a tool server object containing information identifying a single cursor tool which operates across a plurality of frame areas, each of the plurality of frame areas being a different frame type and methods for determining frame types in which data can be manipulated by the cursor tool;

(e) a movable pointing device;

(f) means for generating a cursor location, the generating means being responsive to movement of the pointing device for moving the cursor location to various screen display locations;

(g) means for detecting a selection signal;

(h) means for identifying a cursor location on the screen display when the selection signal is detected;

(i) means responsive to the cursor location for determining one frame area of the plurality of frame areas enclosing the cursor location and a frame type of the one frame area;

(j) means responsive to the determination of the one frame for determining one of the plurality of application programs corresponding to the one frame;

(k) means responsive to the determination of the one frame for calling one of the methods in the tool server object in order to determine whether the cursor tool can operate on the data in the frame type in the one frame area;

(l) means, responsive to the detection of a selection signal, for modifying data in the frame area enclosing the cursor location in accordance with the cursor tool when the cursor tool can operate with the frame type of the one frame area; and

(m) means responsive to the detection of a selection signal for displaying predetermined default cursor graphic data at the cursor location when the cursor tool cannot operate with the frame type of the one frame area.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein the application program operates in an address space and wherein the data modifying means comprises a tool object containing methods for modifying data in the frame area enclosing the cursor location in an address space different from the application address space;

and means responsive to the selection signal for calling a method in the tool object to modify data.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein the tool server object creating means comprises:

means for displaying a menu of tool objects;

means responsive to the selection signal for obtaining identification information identifying an active one of the menu of tool objects;

means controlled by the application program for calling a method in the tool server object to store the identification information in the tool server object; and

means for visually modifying the active tool object in the menu of tool objects to indicate the active cursor tool.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the means for obtaining identification information identifying an active one of the menu of tool objects comprises means for selecting a tool object from the menu of tool objects.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the means for obtaining identification information identifying an active one of the menu of tool objects comprises means for displaying a tool object in the menu of tool objects.

34. An apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein the means for obtaining identification information identifying an active one of the menu of tool objects comprises means for creating a tool server object containing cursor graphic information which depends on the cursor tool.

35. An apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the tool server object includes cursor graphic information corresponding to the cursor tool and wherein the data modifying means comprises means for displaying the cursor graphic information at the cursor location.

36. An apparatus as recited in claim 35, wherein the tool server object creating means comprises means for creating a tool server object containing cursor graphic information which depends on the cursor tool state.