Aspect and style elements of an improved graphical user interface

• US 6,005,566 A
• Filed: 09/22/1997
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Steele, Oliver W., Jones, Jeremy A., Parsons, Paige K., Strassmann, Steven H., St. Clair, William W. Jr., Shalit, Andrew L. M., Mayle, Neil L., White, Derek R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US08/934,929
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 345/433, 345/326, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/339
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A graphical user interface comprises aspect and style elements for controlling the type of information associated with objects displayed on a display screen of a computer system when browsing through the objects. The aspect element controls the particular type of information displayed for an object on a portion of a window, called a pane, while the style element controls the types of information displayed for all objects within that pane.

Claims

1. An improved graphical user interface for enhancing the ability of a user to browse objects accessible from a computer system, said computer system including a memory for storing the objects, a display monitor for displaying a cursor on a display screen, and a device for manipulating said cursor by a user, said interface comprising:

a window of said screen, said window configured for apportionment into at least one pane for displaying said objects stored in said memory; and

means for controlling information associated with said objects displayed on said pane in response to the user manipulating said cursor when browsing said displayed objects, said controlling means comprising;

a first interface element displayed on the display screen for linking information types and/or object types so as to specify the type of information dis- played for each of said objects displayed on said pane, and

a second interface element displayed on the display screen for selecting linked information types and/or objects types so as to vary the types of information initially displayed for all of said objects on said pane.

2. The improved graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein said first interface element is an aspect element that includes a default aspect parameter to control a particular type of information associated with said each object for display when browsing said each object.

3. The improved graphical user interface of claim 2 further comprising means for setting said aspect element to display the type of information for said each object displayed on said pane.

4. The improved graphical user interface of claim 3 wherein said aspect setting means comprises an aspect menu element displayed on said display screen, the user manipulating said cursor controlled device to select one or more parameter entries displayed on said aspect menu element.

5. An improved graphical user interface of claim 2 wherein said second interface element is a style element for providing a collection of mappings between all of said objects displayed in said pane and said default aspect parameters of said objects.

6. The improved graphical user interface of claim 5 further comprising means for setting said style element to display the types of information for all of said objects initially displayed on said pane.

7. The improved graphical user interface of claim 6 wherein said style setting means comprises a pane style menu element displayed on said display screen, the user manipulating said cursor controlled device to select one or more parameter entries displayed on said pane style menu element.

8. A computer system having an improved graphical user interface for enhancing the ability of a user to browse user visible objects stored in a memory of said computer, said computer including a display monitor for displaying a cursor on a display screen, and a device for manipulating said cursor by a user, said computer system comprising:

a processor;

an operating system cooperating with said processor to control said display screen;

a window manager object created by said operating system, said window manager object drawing a window for displaying a pane on said display screen;

an application program for generating said user visible objects for display on said pane; and

user interface element means for linking information types and/or object types that specify the type of information associated with said user visible objects displayed on said pane in response to the user manipulating said cursor when browsing said user visible objects stored in said memory.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said user interface element means comprises:

an aspect element for providing the links between each of said user visible objects and one of the types of information and other types of user visible objects displayed on said pane for said each user visible object, said aspect element including a default aspect parameter to control a particular type of information associated with said each user visible object; and

a style element for providing a mapping between said user visible objects displayed on said pane and said default aspect parameter of said user visible objects.

10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein said user interface element means further comprises:

an aspect menu element displayed on said display screen for setting said aspect element in response to the user manipulating said cursor controlled device to select one or more parameter entries displayed on said aspect menu element; and

a pane style menu element displayed on said display screen for setting said style element in response the user manipulating said cursor controlled device to select one or more parameter entries displayed on said pane style menu element.

11. The computer system of claim 10 further comprising a window object created by said application program, said window object communicating with said window manager object by issuing a sequence of drawing commands to display said pane.

12. The computer system of claim 11 further comprising a pane object created by said application program and stored in said window object, said pane object having an internal data structure containing a list of said selected aspect and style parameter entries.

13. A method for enhancing the ability of a user to browse user visible objects stored in a memory of a computer system having an improved graphical user interface, said computer including a display monitor for displaying a cursor on a display screen, and a device for manipulating said cursor by a user, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a window manager object from an operating system of said computer;

drawing a window for displaying a pane on said display screen using said window manager object;

generating said user visible objects for display on said pane with an application program;

providing one or more user interface menus for display on the display screen the one or more user interface menus including a plurality of aspect and style parameters; and

selecting one or more aspect and style parameters from the user interface menus of said improved graphical user interface in response to the user manipulating said cursor, said one or more aspect and style parameters linking information types and/or object types that specify the type of information associated with said user visible objects displayed on said pane when browsing said user visible objects stored in said memory.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said step of selecting comprises the steps of:

providing links between each of said user visible objects and one of the types of information and other types of user visible objects displayed on said pane for said each user visible object using said aspect parameters; and

providing a collection of mappings between said user visible objects displayed on said pane and default aspect parameters of said user visible objects using said style parameters.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

creating a window object from said application program;

issuing a sequence of drawing commands from said window object to said window manager object; and

displaying said pane in response to said drawing commands.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

creating a pane object from said application program;

storing said selected aspect and style parameters in a list of an internal data structure of said pane object;

storing said pane object in said window object; and

sending said aspect and style parameters to said window manager object when displaying said pane.