Display system with imbedded icons in a menu bar

• US 6,061,060 A
• Filed: 01/03/1994
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berry, Richard Edmond, Roberts, David John, Henshaw, Susan Faye
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Application Number:
  US08/176,335
• Time in Patent Office: 2,318 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 345/179, 345/180, 345/182, 345/157, 345/119, 345/120, 345/115, 345/133, 345/146, 345/340, 345/347, 345/348, 345/349, 345/351, 345/352, 345/353, 345/354 , 345/145, 359/159, 359/157
• US Class Current: 715/781
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method, system and program for including selections in the menu bar that are icons. The support for menus containing icons includes an algorithm in the memory of a processor that presents a menu bar with imbedded icons. The icons can be selected and directly manipulated to perform operations associated with the particular icon upon another icon or other object on a display.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operating a user interface having one or more icons in a menu bar of a window on a display, comprising:

(a) means for producing a menu bar in a window on the display;

(b) means for placing a plurality of menu bar icons in the menu bar;

(c) means for associating at least one actionable object in said window with each of said plurality of menu bar icons, each of said actionable objects displayed within said window and represented by a different menu bar icon within said menu bar, said actionable objects having data and procedural information and being operable independent of said associated menu bar icon; and

(d) means for sending a selection message to said at least one associated actionable object in response to operator selection of one of said plurality of menu bar icons which requests presentation of an object associated pop-up menu on the display such that multiple diverse sets of object associated pop-up menus may be efficiently invoked.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, including means for dragging one of the plurality of menu bar icons to accomplish specific actions associated with the associated actionable objects.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, including means for dropping one of the plurality of menu bar icons onto another object on the display to invoke a specific action on the other object.

4. A method for operating a user interface having one or more icons in a menu bar of a window on a display, comprising the steps of:

(a) producing a menu bar in a window on the display;

(b) placing a plurality of menu bar icons in the menu bar of the display;

(c) associating at least one actionable object in said window with each of said plurality of menu bar icons each of said actionable objects displayed within said window and represented by a different menu bar icon within said menu bar, each of said actionable objects having data and procedural information and being operable independent of said associated menu bar icon; and

(d) sending a selection message to said at least one associated actionable object in response to operator selection of one of said plurality of menu bar icons which requests presentation of an object associated pop-up menu on the display such that multiple diverse sets of objects associated pop-up menus may be efficiently invoked.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, including the step of dragging one of the plurality of menu bar icons in the menu bar to accomplish specific actions associated with the one or more associated actionable objects.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, including the step of dropping one of the plurality of menu bar icons onto another object on the display to invoke a specific action on the other object.

7. A computer program for execution with a computer system having a central processing unit and display adapter for operating on information including one or more icons in a menu bar of a window on a display, comprising:

(a) means for producing a menu bar in a window on the display;

(b) means for placing a plurality of menu bar icons in the menu bar;

(c) means for associating at least one actionable object in said window with each of said plurality of menu bar icons each of said actionable objects displayed within said window and represented by a different menu bar icon within said menu bar, each of said actionable objects having data and procedural information and being operable independent of said associated icon in said menu bar; and

(d) means for sending a selection message to said at least one associated actionable object in response to operator selection of one of said plurality of menu bar icons which requests presentation of an object associated pop-up menu on the display such that multiple diverse sets of object associated pop-up menus may be efficiently invoked.

8. A computer program as recited in claim 7, including means for dragging one of the plurality of menu bar icons to accomplish specific actions associated with the one or more associated actionable objects.

9. A computer program as recited in claim 7, including means for dropping one of the plurality of menu bar icons onto another object on the display to invoke a specific action on the other object.