Computer system with graphical user interface including windows having an identifier within a control region on the display

• US 5,956,030 A
• Filed: 06/11/1993
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Thomas J., Moller, Elizabeth Ann Robinson
• Primary Examiner(s): Chauhan, U.
• Application Number:
  US08/075,278
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/156, 395/157, 395/158, 395/159, 395/160, 395/161, 395/600, 364/130, 345/539, 345/340, 345/341, 345/342, 345/343, 345/344, 345/345, 345/346, 345/347, 345/348, 345/349, 345/351
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A window management mechanism allows a user to open a window as a drawer or, perhaps more appropriately named, a pop-up window. The drawer is an opened window that a user has dragged down to a drawer region at the bottom of the screen such that only the title bar or some drawer handle illustration is left showing. When the user does this, the window remains open but is kept offscreen. The user may momentarily pop the window back onto the screen by clicking on the window title bar or drawer handle, or by dragging the cursor into the window icon during a drag. The window stays onscreen as long as no other windows are selected. As soon as a user selects another window, or opens a file with a double click within the drawer, the window slides back offscreen. This allows the user to set up easy access windows. Another feature of a drawer window allows the user to open them during a drag. To do so, the user drags an object or the cursor into the drawer window that is desired to be opened. When the cursor touches the bottom of the screen, or an area within a threshold of the bottom of the screen, the drawer window slides open a notch at a time. As long as the user pushes against the bottom or remains in this threshold region, the drawer slides open.

Claims

1. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, comprising:

memory to store a plurality of objects, wherein objects comprise processing units which occupy a window on the display when opened;

first window management logic, coupled with the display, that manages and displays a plurality of windows within a window region of the graphic workspace, wherein one or more windows in the plurality of windows may overlap and obscure other windows in the plurality of windows within the window region;

second window management logic, coupled with the display and the first window management logic, that provides a control region within the graphic workspace, and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular window, and is responsive to user input indicating selection of the identifier within the control region for displaying the particular window in the window region; and

logic that removes the particular window from the window region in response to completion of a drag operation within the particular window, the drag operation comprising associating an object with a cursor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that graphically slides the particular window into the window region as if from outside the window region.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer includes a pointing device by which a user positions a cursor within the window region and the control region, and wherein the second window management logic includes:

an input that receives an input signal to indicate a drag operation of a window in the graphic work space, the drag operation comprising associating the window with the cursor; and

logic, coupled with the pointing device and the first window management logic, that initiates a first identifier within the control region for a first particular window in response to a drag operation of the first particular window to the control region.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer includes a pointing device by which a user positions a cursor within the window region and the control region, the apparatus further including:

logic, coupled to the display and the pointing device, responsive to a drag operation of a particular object over the identifier within the control region corresponding to the particular window, the drag operation comprising associating the particular object with the cursor, to slide the particular window into the second region in cooperation with the drag operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular window subject of the second window management logic comprises an application window.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular window subject of the second window management logic comprises an enclosure window.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of windows includes control panel windows providing area within the window region for system control functions, and the particular window subject of the second window management logic comprises a control panel window.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of windows includes tool palette windows providing area within the window region for tool functions for related applications, and the particular window subject of the second window management logic comprises a tool palette window.

9. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, and a pointing device by which a user positions a cursor on the display, comprising:

memory to store a plurality of objects, wherein objects comprise processing units which occupy a window on the display when opened;

first window management logic, coupled with the display, that manages a plurality of windows within a window region having a perimeter in the graphic workspace on the display corresponding to opened objects, wherein the plurality of windows includes application windows providing area within the window region for application programs and enclosure windows providing area within the window region to display icons corresponding to related objects;

second window management logic, coupled with the display and the first window management logic, that provides a control region near the perimeter of the window region and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular window, and that displays the particular window in the window region, in response to user gestures of the pointing device indicating selection of the identifier; and

logic that removes the particular window from the window region in response to completion of a drag operation within the particular window, the drag operation comprising associating an object with a cursor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the particular window subject of the second window management logic comprises an application window.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the particular window subject of the second window management logic comprises an enclosure window.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of windows includes control panel windows providing area within the window region for system control functions, and the particular window subject of the second window management logic comprises a control panel window.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of windows includes tool palette windows providing area within the window region for tool functions for related applications, and the particular window subject of the second window management logic comprises a tool palette window.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that graphically slides the particular window into the window region as if from outside the perimeter of the window region when opening the particular window.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that graphically slides the particular window out of the window region as if to outside the perimeter of the window region when removing the particular window from the window region.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second window management logic includes:

an input that receives an input signal to indicate a drag operation of a window in the graphic workspace, the drag operation comprising associating the window with the cursor; and

logic, coupled with the pointing device and the first window management logic, that initiates an identifier within the control region for a particular window in response to a drag operation of the particular window to the control region.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, further including:

logic, coupled to the display and the pointing device, responsive to a drag operation of a particular object over an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular window, that slides the particular window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, further including:

logic, coupled to the display and the pointing device, responsive to a drag operation of the pointer over an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window that slides the particular opened window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation, the drag operation comprising associating the particular object with the pointer.