Ergonomic viewable object processor

• US 6,204,845 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1994
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Burris, Edwin Ernest, Bates, Cary Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US08/357,678
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/159, 395/161, 395/157, 395/133, 395/335, 395/339, 395/342, 395/348, 395/340, 345/145, 345/335, 345/339, 345/342, 345/348, 345/340, 345/433
• US Class Current: 715/788
• 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: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

The Viewable Object Processor of the present invention utilizes object handles that allow users to perform operations on windows and other viewable objects (e.g., move or resize a window) without having to depress a key (or key sequence) on a keyboard or a button on a pointing device such as a mouse. Essentially, object handles are specialized regions created on a display screen. Associated with each object handle is a particular geometric shape and a object handle type. The shape of each object handle identifies the bounds of the particular object handle. To perform an operation on a viewable object, a user need only cause the cursor to enter into the object handle region of a handle that corresponds to the operation that the user wishes to perform.

Claims

1. A computer display apparatus, said computer display apparatus comprising:

a display screen;

an input mechanism for moving a position identifier, said input mechanism being capable of generating cursor events;

a windowing mechanism capable of displaying at least one viewable object on said display screen;

a computer program associated with said viewable object; and

a Viewable Object Processor that allows a user to manipulate said at least one viewable object by using only said cursor events, said cursor events being generated when said position identifier is moved into a specialized region via a specialized path.

2. The computer display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one viewable object further comprises at least one object handle.

3. The computer display apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a window handle, said window handle allowing said user to move said window by moving said position identifier into said specialized region.

4. The computer display apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a button handle, said button handle allowing said user to activate operations associated with said computer program.

5. The computer display apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a resize handle pair, said resize handle pair allowing said user to resize said window by moving said position identifier into said specialized region.

6. A computer apparatus, said computer apparatus comprising:

a central processing unit;

data storage;

at least one bus;

a display screen;

an input mechanism for moving a position identifier, said input mechanism being capable of generating cursor events;

a windowing mechanism capable of displaying at least one viewable object on said display screen;

a computer program associated with said viewable object; and

a Viewable Object Processor that allows a user to manipulate said at least one viewable object by using only said cursor events, said cursor events being generated when said position identifier is moved into a specialized region via a specialized path.

7. The computer apparatus of claim 6 wherein said at least one viewable object further comprises at least one object handle.

8. The computer apparatus of claim 7 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a window handle, said window handle allowing said user to move said window by moving said position identifier into said specialized region.

9. The computer apparatus of claim 7 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a button handle, said button handle allowing said user to activate operations associated with said computer program.

10. The computer apparatus of claim 7 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a resize handle pair, said resize handle pair allowing said user to resize said window by moving said position identifier into said specialized region.

11. A computer-implemented method for manipulating viewable objects on a display screen of a computer apparatus, said method comprising the step of:

moving a position identifier via a specialized path into a specialized region on said display screen, said specialized region being associated with at least one of said viewable objects, said specialized path being contained within said specialized region.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said at least one viewable object further comprises at least one object handle.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a window handle, said window handle allowing said user to move said window by moving said position identifier into said specialized region.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a button handle, said button handle allowing said user to activate operations associated with a computer program.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a resize handle pair, said resize handle pair allowing said user to resize said window by moving said position identifier into said specialized region.

16. A program product, said program product comprising:

a Viewable Object Processor that allows a user to manipulate a viewable object by using only cursor events, said cursor events being generated when a position identifier is moved into a specialized region via a specialized path; and

recordable media bearing said Viewable Object Processor.

17. The program product of claim 16 wherein said viewable object further comprises at least one object handle.

18. The program product of claim 17 wherein said viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a window handle, said window handle allowing said user to move said window by moving said position identifier into said specialized region.

19. The program product of claim 17 wherein said viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a button handle, said button handle allowing said user to activate operations associated with a computer program.

20. The program product of claim 17 wherein said at least one viewable object is a window and wherein said at least one object handle is a resize handle pair, said resize handle pair allowing said user to resize said window by moving said position identifier into said specialized region.