Desk drawer user interface

• US 6,133,898 A
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Spiegel, Joel, Norman, George, Ludolph, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang, Regina
• Application Number:
  US09/175,145
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 345/112-115, 345/118-121, 345/145-146, 345/156, 345/157, 345/339, 345/340, 345/342-345, 345/347, 345/348
• US Class Current: 715/790
• 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

Abstract

A display oriented software user interface for the generation and display of a secondary display region within a primary display region of a computer controlled information management system having windows or localized sections of displayable information and icons. The secondary display region, Desk Drawer, providing advanced capabilities to the management system by generating a readily accessible region wherein icons may be placed and always accessed thereafter when the secondary display region is present. The presence of the secondary display region may be governed by a separate screen region responsive to the cursor display position.

Claims

1. A computer controlled information management system including a display screen containing a first display region which allows the display of a plurality of overlapping windows at a given time, the system comprising:

means for displaying a second display region covering at least a portion of said first display region and any windows being displayed within said portion of the first display region, said second display region, when present in a mode, being completely viewable within said display screen such that, while said second display region is displayed it is always displayed over and covering other data including said plurality of windows to the extent said plurality of windows are in said portion of said first display region;

means for resizing said second display region;

means for selectively transferring information between said second display region and one of said plurality of windows.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said means for selectively transferring information comprises means for selecting a selected information and means for dragging the selected information between said second display region and said one of said plurality of windows.

3. A system as in claim 2 wherein said second display region is a window.

4. A system as in claim 2 wherein said second display region comprises a trigger region which is displayed when said second display region is not displayed.

5. A system as in claim 4 wherein said trigger region, when displayed cannot be obscured on said display screen by any of said plurality of windows.

6. A computer controlled information management system including a display screen containing a first display region which allows the display of a plurality of overlapping windows at a given time, the system comprising:

means for displaying a second display region covering at least a portion of said first display region and any windows being displayed within said portion of the first display region, said second display region, when present in a mode, being completely viewable within said display screen such that, while said second display region is displayed it is always displayed over and covering other data including said plurality of windows to the extend said plurality of windows are in said portion of said first display region; and

means for selectively transferring a document between said second display region and one of said plurality of windows.

7. A system as in claim 6 wherein said means for selectively transferring said document comprises means for selecting said document and means for dragging said selected document between said second display region and said one of said plurality of windows.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein said second display region is a window.

9. A system as in claim 7 wherein said second display region comprises a trigger region which is displayed when said second display region is not displayed.

10. A system as in claim 9 wherein said trigger region, when displayed cannot be obscured on said display screen by any of said plurality of windows.

11. A computer controlled information management system including a display screen containing a first display region which allows the display of a plurality of overlapping windows at a given time, the system comprising:

means for displaying a second display region covering at least a portion of said first display region and any windows being displayed within said portion of the first display region, said second display region, when present in a mode, being completely viewable within said display screen such that, while said second display region is displayed it is always displayed over and covering other data including said plurality of windows to the extent said plurality of windows are in said portion of said first display region;

means for selectively transferring a user-editable document between said second display region and one of said plurality of windows.

12. A system as in claim 11 wherein said means for selectively transferring a user-editable document comprises means for selecting a selected user-editable document and means for dragging said selected user-editable document between said second display region and said one of said plurality of windows.

13. A system as in claim 12 wherein said second display region is a window.

14. A system as in claim 12 wherein said second display region comprises a trigger region which is displayed when said second display region is not displayed.

15. A system as in claim 14 wherein said trigger region, when displayed cannot be obscured on said display screen by any of said plurality of windows.

16. In a computer controlled information management system including a display screen containing a first display region which allows the display of a plurality of overlapping windows at a given time, a method comprising:

displaying a second display region covering at least a portion of said first display region and any windows being displayed within said portion of the first display region, said second display region, when present in a mode, being completely viewable within said display screen such that, while said second display region is displayed it is always displayed over and covering other data including said plurality of windows to the extent said plurality of windows are in said portion of said first display region; and

selectively transferring a document between said second display region and one of said plurality of windows.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein said step of selectively transferring said document comprises selecting said document and dragging said selected document between said second display region and said one of said plurality of windows.

18. A method as in claim 17 wherein said second display region is a window.

19. A method as in claim 17 wherein said second display region comprises a trigger region which is displayed when said second display region is not displayed.

20. A method as in claim 17 wherein said trigger region, when displayed cannot be obscured on said display screen by any of said plurality of windows.

21. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for:

displaying a first display region which allows the display of a plurality of windows of a display screen;

displaying a second display region which covers at least a portion of said first display region and any windows being displayed within said portion, said second display region, when present in a mode, being completely viewable on said display screen such that, while said second display region is displayed, it is always displayed over and covering said plurality of windows to the extent said plurality of windows are in said portion of said first display region; and

selectively transferring document between said second display region and one of said plurality of windows.

22. A computer readable medium as in claim 21 wherein said step of selectively transferring said document comprises selecting said document and dragging said selected document between said second display region and said one of said plurality of windows.

23. A computer readable medium as in claim 22 wherein said second display region is a window.

24. A computer readable medium as in claim 22 wherein said second display region comprises a trigger region which is displayed when said second display region is not displayed.

25. A computer readable medium as in claim 24 wherein said trigger region, when displayed cannot be obscured on said display screen by any of said plurality of windows.

26. In a computer controlled information management system including a display screen containing a first display region which allows the display of a plurality of overlapping windows at a given time, a method comprising:

displaying a second display region covering at least a portion of said first display region and any windows being displayed within said portion of the first display region, said second display region, when present in a mode, being completely viewable within said display screen such that, while said second display region is displayed it is always displayed over and covering other data including said plurality of windows to the extent said plurality of windows are in said portion of said first display region;

selectively transferring a user-editable document between said second display region and one of said plurality of windows.

27. A method as in claim 26 wherein said step of selectively transferring a user-editable document comprises selecting a user-editable document and dragging said selected user-editable document between said second display region and said one of said plurality of windows.

28. A method as in claim 27 wherein said second display region is a window.

29. A method as in claim 27 wherein said second display region comprises a trigger region which is displayed when said second display region is not displayed.

30. A method as in claim 29 wherein said trigger region, when displayed cannot be obscured on said display screen by any of said plurality of windows.

31. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for:

displaying a first display region which allows the display of a plurality of windows of a display screen;

displaying a second display region which covers at least a portion of said first display region and any windows being displayed within said portion, said second display region, when present in a mode, being completely viewable on said display screen such that, while said second display region is displayed, it is always displayed over and covering said plurality of windows to the extent said plurality of windows are in said portion of said first display region;

selectively transferring a user-editable document between said second display region and one of said plurality of windows.

32. A computer readable medium as in claim 31 wherein said step of selectively transferring a user-editable document comprises selecting a selected user-editable document and dragging said selected user-editable document between said second display region and said one of said plurality of windows.

33. A computer readable medium as in claim 32 wherein said second display region is a window.

34. A computer readable medium as in claim 32 wherein said second display region comprises a trigger region which is displayed when said second display region is not displayed.

35. A computer readable medium as in claim 34 wherein said trigger region, when displayed cannot be obscured on said display screen by any of said plurality of windows.