Method for displaying a window

• US 6,388,685 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1996
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tachibana, Toru, Minoura, Tadaaki, Tanabe, Yugo
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US08/665,616
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• Field of Search: 395/333, 395/334, 395/339, 395/340, 395/342, 395/343, 395/344, 395/348, 345/340, 345/342, 345/343, 345/344, 345/345, 345/788, 345/800, 345/801
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• 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 window display enables a user to easily identify a window to which a selected object belongs. A computer system displays a plurality of windows, each of which includes one or a plurality of objects, and which displays a window to which a selected object belongs. The window field to which a selected object belongs is, in response to the selection of the object, displayed with an attribute, e.g., with a domain (background) color, that differs from that of other window fields. In this manner, it is possible for a user to easily identify the window of the selected object.

Claims

1. A method for displaying objects within a computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of windows within said computer system;

identifying a first group of related objects within a first borderless window which encompasses said first group of related objects;

creating a first borderless window which encompasses said first group of related objects;

selecting a particular one of said first group of related objects;

changing a display attribute of said first borderless window in response to selection of said particular one of said first group of related objects;

deleting said particular one of said first group of related objects; and

automatically altering said first borderless window to encompass only said remaining related objects within said first group without extra space therein in response to said deletion.

2. The method for displaying objects within a computer system according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

adding a new object to said first group of related objects; and

automatically altering said first borderless window to encompass said new object and said first group of related objects in response to said addition.

3. A system for displaying objects within a computer system, said system comprising:

means for displaying a plurality of windows within said computer system;

means for identifying a first group of related objects within a first borderless window which encompasses said first group of related objects;

means for selecting a particular one of said first group of related objects;

means for changing a display attribute of said first borderless window in response to selection of said particular one of said first group of related objects;

means for deleting said particular one of said first group of related objects; and

means for automatically altering said first borderless window to encompass only said remaining related objects within said first group without extra space therein in response to said deletion.

4. The system for displaying objects within a computer system according to claim 3 further including:

means for adding a new object to said first group of related objects; and

means for automatically altering said first borderless window to encompass said new object and said first group of related objects in response to said addition.