Method and apparatus providing insertion of inlays in an application user interface

• US 6,297,823 B1
• Filed: 04/03/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Skillman, George, Bharali, Anupam
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOSEPH, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/055,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 345/356, 345/346, 345/339, 345/332, 345/303, 345/329, 345/340, 345/969, 345/342, 707/501, 707/513, 709/302, 709/300, 709/203, 709/303
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

A method providing for an improved user interface. In one aspect of the invention, a method is disclosed allowing an inlay from one application to have its parent application set to a second application. This allows, for example, an application which provides for network monitoring to have an inlay displayed in a web browser or the like allowing easier viewing of the inlay by the user when executing the web browser.

Claims

1. A method of inserting an inlay into an application interface of a second application, the inlay comprising a portion of an application interface of a first application, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if the second application is executing and, if so;

validating whether the second application is a supported application and, if so;

setting the application interface of the second application as the parent of the inlay; and

selecting a window in the application interface of the second application for the inlay;

wherein the window is selected based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of a class of the window, a name of the window, and a size of the windowland; and

whereby information generated by the first application is visually presented to a user during execution of the second application.

2. A method of inserting an inlay into an application interface of a second application, the inlay comprising a portion of an application interface of a first application, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if the second application is executing and, if so;

validating whether the second application is a supported application and, if so;

setting the application interface of the second application as the parent of the inlay;

wherein the step of determining if a second application is executing comprises the step of identifying an existing browser; and

wherein the step of identifying an existing browser comprises the steps of;

identifying a browser with which the first application has previously communicated;

determining if the identified browser is still executing and, if so, selecting the identified browser as the existing browser;

if the identified browser is not still executing, or if no browser exists with which the first application has previously communicated, examining a list of top-level applications currently executing, determining if any of the currently executing top-level applications is a browser, and, if so, selecting the browser as the existing browser; and

whereby information generated by the first application is visually presented to a user during execution of the second application.

3. In a computer-implemented user interface having an inlay displayed on the interface in a first application, a method of displaying the inlay in a second application comprising the steps of:

selecting the second application and determining whether the second application is executing;

selecting a window in the second application for display of the inlay; and

setting the parent of the inlay to the selected window;

wherein the step of selecting the second application comprises selecting an existing browser; and

wherein the existing browser is selected by the steps of;

identifying a browser with which the first application has previously communicated;

determining if the identified browser is still executing and, if so, selecting the identified browser as the existing browser;

if the identified browser is not still executing, or if no browser exists with which the first application has previously communicated, examining a list of top-level applications currently executing, determining if any of the currently executing top-level applications is a browser, and, if so, selecting the browser as the existing browser; and

whereby information generated by the first application is visually presented to a user during execution of the second application.

4. In a computer-implemented user interface having an inlay displayed on the interface in a first application, a method of displaying the inlay in a second application comprising the steps of:

selecting the second application and determining whether the second application is executing;

selecting a window in the second application for display of the inlay; and

setting the parent of the inlay to the selected window;

wherein the window is selected based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of a class of the window, a name of the window, and a size of the window; and

whereby information generated by the first application is visually presented to a user during execution of the second application.

5. In a computer-implemented user interface, a method of displaying an inlay from a first application in an application interface of a second application comprising the steps of:

a) determining whether the second application is executing;

b) selecting a window in the second application for display of the inlay; and

c) setting the parent of the inlay to the selected window with initiation by the first application;

wherein the inlay comprises a portion of an application interface from the first application, the portion being a subset of the application interface from the first application and being a graphical depiction of a quantifiable network connection parameter; and

whereby information generated by the first application is visually presented to a user during execution of the second application; and

wherein the selected window is the toolbar window.