Display apparatus and method for controlling the same

• US 6,326,985 B1
• Filed: 01/06/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Saitoh, Hiromi, Asahata, Tetsuroh, Tazoe, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/226,353
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 345/339, 345/344, 345/345, 345/340, 345/343, 345/429, 345/435, 345/145, 345/342
• US Class Current: 715/764
• 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

The present invention provides an excellent display apparatus effectively using the display area of the object/window in the inactive state existing on the display screen and a method for controlling the display apparatus. At least one object/window is displayed on the display screen of a display apparatus in a bitmap manner in accordance with the present invention. A determination as to whether a predetermined object/window displayed on the display screen is in an active state, or not, is always made, and the display contents of the predetermined object/window is switched in accordance with the result of the determination. For example, if the predetermined object/window is in the active state, a regular display contents of the predetermined object/window is displayed, and if the predetermined object/window is in the inactive state, another information, such as an advertisement information, is displayed. In the is inactive state, the operator does not require the regular display data of the predetermined object/window, and a display area of the display screen can be effectively used by displaying notification information, such as the advertisement information, to provide the operator with the useful information. It realizes a secondary effect in which the manufacturers of the display apparatus and the display application programs get an advertising revenue in addition to a selling profit.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

a display having a display screen on which data are displayed in a bitmap manner;

an object/window display means for displaying at least one object/window on said display screen;

a pointing device for pointing coordinates on said display screen;

a mouse cursor control means for responding to a manipulation of said pointing device to control the display of a mouse cursor on said display screen;

a mouse cursor monitor means for determining as to whether said mouse cursor resides within a predetermined object/window, or not;

a storage means for storing notification information which should be notified to a user; and

an object/window display control means for displaying regular display contents in a display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor resides within said predetermined object/window, or fetching said notification information from said storage means to display said notification information in said display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor has disappeared from said predetermined object/window.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said notification information is a status of another application executed on said display apparatus.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said notification information is an advertisement information.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a title bar of the original object/window is displayed when said notification information is displayed on said display area of said original object/window.

5. A display apparatus installed with a window system for displaying at least one object/window on a display screen of a display in a bitmap manner, comprising:

a processor executing a software program;

a memory for temporarily storing program codes and data being processed;

a pointing device for pointing to coordinates on said display screen;

a mouse cursor control means for responding to a manipulation of said pointing device to control the display of a mouse cursor on said display screen;

a mouse cursor monitor means for determining as to whether said mouse cursor resides within a predetermined object/window, or not;

a storage means for storing notification information which should be notified to a user;

an object/window display control means for displaying regular display contents in a display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor resides within said predetermined object/window, or fetching said notification information from said storage means to display said notification information in said display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor has disappeared from said predetermined object/window; and

a connecting means for connecting to a network.

6. A display apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said notification information is an advertisement information which is regularly or nonregularly updated through an internet.

7. A method for controlling a display apparatus installed with a window system for displaying at least one object/window on a display screen of a display in a bitmap manner, and including a pointing device for pointing to coordinates on said display screen and a storage means for storing notification information which should be notified to a user, comprising the steps of:

(a) responding to a manipulation of said pointing device to control the display of a mouse cursor on said display screen;

(b) determining as to whether said mouse cursor resides within a predetermined object/window, or not; and

(c) displaying regular display contents in a display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor resides within said predetermined object/window, or fetching said notification information from said storage means to display said notification information in said display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor has disappeared from said predetermined object/window.

8. A method for controlling a display apparatus installed with a window system for displaying at least one object/window on a display screen of a display in a bitmap manner, and including a processor for executing a software program, a memory for temporarily storing program codes and data being processed, a pointing device for pointing coordinates on said display screen, a storage means for storing notification information which should be notified to a user, and a connecting means for connecting to a network, comprising the steps of:

(a) responding to a manipulation of said pointing device to control the display of a mouse cursor on said display screen;

(b) determining as to whether said mouse cursor resides within a predetermined object/window, or not; and

(c) displaying regular display contents in a display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor resides within said predetermined object/window, or fetching said notification information from said storage means to display said notification information in said display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor has disappeared from said predetermined object/window.

9. A method for controlling a display apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said notification information is a status of another application executed on said display apparatus.

10. A method for controlling a display apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said notification information is an advertisement information.

11. A method for controlling a display apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said notification information is an advertisement information which is regularly or nonregularly updated through an internet.

12. A method for controlling a display apparatus according to claim 8 wherein a title bar of the original object/window is displayed when said notification information is displayed on said display area of said original object/window.

13. A computer readable storage medium for storing in a tangible form a computer program executable on a computer system installed with a window system for displaying at least one object/window on a display screen of a display in a bitmap manner, and including a pointing device for pointing to coordinates on said display screen, and a storage means for storing notification information which should be notified to a user, said computer program comprising:

(a) a routine for responding to a manipulation of said pointing device to control the display of a mouse cursor on said display screen;

(b) a routine for determining whether said mouse cursor resides within a predetermined object/window, or not; and

(c) a routine for displaying regular display contents in a display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor resides within said predetermined object/window, or fetching said notification information from said storage means to display said notification information in said display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor has disappeared from said predetermined object/window.

14. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 13 wherein said notification information is a status of another application executed on said display apparatus.

15. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 13 wherein said notification information is an advertisement information.

16. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 13 wherein a title bar of the original object/window is displayed when said notification information is displayed on said display area of said original object/window.

17. A computer readable storage medium for storing in a tangible form a computer program executable on a computer system installed with a window system for displaying at least one object/window on a display screen of a display in a bitmap manner, and including a processor for executing a software program, a memory for temporarily storing program codes and data being processed, a pointing device for pointing to coordinates on said display screen, a storage means for storing notification information which should be notified to a user, and a connecting means for connecting to a network, said computer program comprising:

(a) a routine for responding to a manipulation of said pointing device to control the display of a mouse cursor on said display screen;

(b) a routine for determining as to whether said mouse cursor resides within a predetermined object/window, or not; and

(c) a routine for displaying regular display contents in a display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor resides within said predetermined object/window, or fetching said notification information from said storage means to display said notification information in said display area of said predetermined object/window while said mouse cursor has disappeared from said predetermined object/window.

18. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 17 wherein said notification information is an advertisement information which is regularly or nonregularly updated through an internet.

19. A method for displaying information to a user of a digital data device, said digital data device having a display screen and a pointing device for pointing to coordinates of said display screen, said digital data device supporting the simultaneous display of a plurality of windows on said display screen, each window having a content defined by a respective one of a plurality of corresponding processes executing on said digital data device, each window being in either an active state or an inactive state, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a first window displayed on said display screen is in an active state;

responsive to said first window being in an active state, displaying in said first window content defined by the process corresponding to said first window; and

responsive to said first window being in an inactive state, replacing in the display of said first window at least some of said content defined by the process corresponding to said first window with notification information not defined by the process corresponding to said first window.

20. The method for displaying information to a user of a digital data device of claim 19, wherein said notification information is advertisement information.

21. The method for displaying information to a user of a digital data device of claim 19, wherein said notification information is a status of at least one process other than the process corresponding to said first window.

22. The method for displaying information to a user of a digital data device of claim 19, wherein said step of replacing in the display of said first window at least some of said content does not replace a title bar of the original window.

23. A computer readable storage medium for storing in a tangible form a computer program executable on a computer system, said computer system having a display screen and a pointing device for pointing to coordinates of said display screen, said computer system supporting the simultaneous display of a plurality of windows on said display screen, each window having a content defined by a respective one of a plurality of corresponding processes executing on said digital data device, each window being in either an active state or an inactive state, wherein said computer program, when executed by said computer system causes the computer system to perform the steps of:

determining whether a first window displayed on said display screen is in an active state;

responsive to said first window being in an active state, displaying in said first window content defined by the process corresponding to said first window; and

responsive to said first window being in an inactive state, replacing in the display of said first window at least some of said content defined by the process corresponding to said first window with notification information not defined by the process corresponding to said first window.

24. The method for displaying information to a user of a digital data device of claim 23, wherein said notification information is advertisement information.

25. A computer system comprising:

at least one central processing unit;

a memory;

a display screen for displaying information to a user;

a pointing device for pointing to coordinates on said display screen coupled to a pointer controller, said pointer controller receiving input from said pointing device and controlling the display of a pointer on said display screen in response thereto;

a window manager supporting the simultaneous display of a plurality of windows on said display screen, each window having a content defined by a respective one of a plurality of corresponding processes executing on said at least one central processing unit of said computer system, each window being in either an active state or an inactive state;

wherein, responsive to a first window being in an active state, content defined by the corresponding process is displayed in said first window; and

wherein, responsive to said first window being in an inactive state, at least some of said content defined by the corresponding process is replaced by notification information not defined by the corresponding process in the display of said first window.

26. The computer system of claim 25 wherein said notification information is advertisement information.