Secondary user interface

• US 6,426,762 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1999
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ostendo Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: xSides Corporation
• Inventors: Campbell, Scott, Nason, D David, OʼRourke, Thomas C
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/354,561
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 345/781, 345/788, 345/799, 345/800, 345/802-806, 345/856
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An alternate display content controller provides a technique for controlling a video display separately from and in addition to the content displayed on the operating system monitor. Where the display is a computer monitor, the alternate display content controller interacts with the computer utility operating system and hardware drivers to control allocation of display space and create and control one or more parallel graphical user interfaces adjacent the operating system desktop. An alternate display content controller may be incorporated in either hardware or software. As software, an alternate display content controller may be an application running on the computer operating system, or may include an operating system kernel of varying complexity ranging from dependent on the utility operating system for hardware system services to a parallel system independent of the utility operating system and capable of supporting dedicated applications. The alternate display content controller may also include content and operating software delivered over the internet or any other LAN. The alternate display content controller may also be included in a television decoder/settop box to permit two or more parallel graphical user interfaces to be displayed simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method for enabling the display of an image on a video display system in an area outside of a display area controlled by a computer operating system, the computer operating system presenting a user interface that occupies at least a portion of the display area, the video display system having a total displayable area of which the display area controlled by the computer operating system is a part, comprising:

modifying the total displayable area of the video display system to include a second display area by adjusting the parameters of the video display system;

when the modified displayable area is larger than before modification, locating additional video display memory to correspond to the second display area, thereby creating an increased amount of video display memory that is addressable;

allocating the modified displayable area between the display area that is controlled by operating system user interface and the second display area;

writing the image to the video display memory that corresponds to the second display area in accordance with the allocation of the modified displayable area; and

transferring the video display memory contents to the video display system so that the image is displayed in conjunction with the operating system user interface and outside of the control of the operating system user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the allocating of the modified displayable area decreases the size of the portion of the displayable area that is controlled by the operating system user interface relative to the size of the total displayable area.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the modified displayable area is larger than before modification.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the modified displayable area is larger than before modification and the allocating of the modified displayable area increases the size of the display area that is controlled by the operating system user interface.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the increased size of the display area allocated to the operating system user interface is not a standard video resolution mode size.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying of displayable area further comprises adjusting the parameters of the video display system to increase the number of displayable pixels in at least one dimension of the displayable area to less than or equal to the maximum number of pixels that can be effectively displayed by the video display system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the adjusting the parameters of the video display system is performed using techniques that address pixels in an overscan area of the video display system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the image is displayed in at least a portion of pixels in the overscan area and includes a movable pointer that moves in relation to user input.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the pointer has an associated tip that is positioned outside of a cursor activation point associated with the tip, the cursor activation point remaining within the display area controlled by the operating system user interface while the pointer is displayed within the image.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the adjusted parameters are control parameters for a controller of a cathode ray tube display.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the modified displayable area is enlarged to include a second display area by increasing the number of displayable pixels in at least one dimension of the displayable area.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is vertical and the image is displayed below the operating system user interface.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is vertical and the image is displayed above the operating system user interface.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is horizontal and the image is displayed to the left of the operating system user interface.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is horizontal and the image is displayed to the right of the operating system user interface.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is both horizontal and vertical and the image is displayed on a vertical side of the operating system user interface and on a horizontal side of the operating system user interface.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying of the total displayable area of the video display system to include the second display area by adjusting the parameters increases the displayable area to a standard resolution supported by the video display system.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting of the parameters and the allocating of the modified displayable area further comprises:

intercepting a request from the operating system to use a first higher video resolution mode;

requesting the video display system to use a second higher video resolution mode that is higher than the first higher video resolution mode;

allocating to the display area controlled by the operating system user interface the portion of the displayable area that corresponds to the first higher video resolution mode; and

allocating to the second display area for displaying the image the increased displayable area between the first higher video resolution mode and the second higher video resolution mode.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting of the parameters and the allocating of the modified displayable area further comprises:

intercepting a request from the operating system to use a higher video resolution mode that is higher than a current resolution mode;

allocating to the display area controlled by the operating system user interface the displayable area that corresponds to the current resolution mode; and

allocating to the second display area for displaying the image the increased displayable area between the higher video resolution mode and the current video resolution mode.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the adjusting of the parameters and the allocating of the modified displayable area further comprises:

intercepting a request from the operating system to use a first higher video resolution mode;

requesting the video display system to use the first higher video resolution mode, thereby resulting in an increased total displayable area;

allocating to the display area controlled by the operating system user interface a portion of the increased displayable area; and

allocating to the second display area for displaying the image the remaining portion of the increased displayable area.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the image is displayed along with the operating system user interface in a manner that prohibits the operating system user interface from overwriting the portion of the image.

22. A display controller for enabling the display of a secondary user interface on a video display system in conjunction with a primary user interface presented by a separately controlled program on a display area of the video display system, comprising:

display adjustment facility that modifies the total displayable area of the video display system to include a second display area by adjusting the parameters of the video display system;

memory locator that locates additional video display memory to correspond to the second display area when the modified total displayable area is enlarged, thereby creating an increased amount of video display memory that is addressable;

display allocation facility that allocates the modified displayable area between the primary user interface and the secondary user interface; and

display transfer mechanism that writes the secondary user interface to the video display memory that corresponds to the second display area in accordance with the allocation of the modified displayable area and transfers the video display memory contents to the video display system so that the secondary user interface is displayed in conjunction with the primary user interface.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the display allocation facility decreases the size of the portion of the displayable area that is controlled by the primary user interface relative to the size of the total displayable area.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the display adjustment facility enlarges the total displayable area.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the display adjustment facility enlarges the total displayable area and the display allocation facility increases the size of the display area that is controlled by the primary user interface.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the increased size of the display area allocated to the primary user interface is not a standard video resolution mode size.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the display adjustment facility modifies the displayable area by adjusting the parameters of the video display system to increase the number of displayable pixels in at least one dimension of the displayable area to less than or equal to the maximum number of pixels that can be effectively displayed by the video display system.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the display adjustment facility adjusts the parameters of the video display system using techniques that address pixels in an overscan area of the video display system.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the display transfer mechanism displays the secondary user interface in at least a portion of pixels in the overscan area with a movable pointer that moves in relation to user input.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the movable pointer has an associated tip that is positioned outside of a cursor activation point associated with the tip, the cursor activation point remaining within the display area controlled by the primary user interface while the pointer is displayed within the secondary user interface.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein the parameters adjusted by display adjustment facility are control parameters for a controller of a cathode ray tube display.

32. The system of claim 22 wherein the display adjustment facility enlarges the total displayable area to include a second display area by increasing the number of displayable pixels in at least one dimension of the displayable area.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is vertical and the secondary user interface is displayed below the primary user interface.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is vertical and the secondary user interface is displayed above the primary user interface.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is horizontal and the secondary user interface is displayed to the left of the primary user interface.

36. The system of claim 32 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is horizontal and the secondary user interface is displayed to the right of the primary user interface.

37. The system of claim 32 wherein the dimension in which the number of displayable pixels is increased is both horizontal and vertical and the secondary user interface is displayed on a vertical side of the primary user interface and on a horizontal side of the primary user interface.

38. The system of claim 22 wherein the display adjustment facility modifies the total displayable area to include the second display area by adjusting the parameters to increase the displayable area to a standard resolution supported by the video display system.

39. The system of claim 22 wherein the display adjustment facility and display allocation facility further comprise

hooking mechanism that

intercepts a request from the separately controlled program to use a first higher video resolution mode;

requests the video display system to use a second higher video resolution mode that is higher than the first higher video resolution mode;

allocates to the display area controlled by the primary user interface the portion of the displayable area that corresponds to the first higher video resolution mode; and

allocates to the second display area controlled by the secondary user interface the increased displayable area between the first higher video resolution mode and the second higher video resolution mode.

40. The system of claim 22 wherein the display adjustment facility and display allocation facility further comprise

hooking mechanism that

intercepts a request from the separately controlled program to use a higher video resolution mode that is higher than a current resolution mode;

allocates to the display area controlled by the primary user interface the displayable area that corresponds to the current resolution mode; and

allocates to the second display area controlled by the secondary user interface the increased displayable area between the higher video resolution mode and the current video resolution mode.

41. The system of claim 22 wherein the display adjustment facility and display allocation facility further comprise

hooking mechanism that

intercepts a request from the separately controlled program to use a first higher video resolution mode;

requests the video display system to use the first higher video resolution mode, thereby increasing the total displayable area;

allocates to the display area controlled by the primary user interface a portion of the increased displayable area; and

allocates to the second display area controlled by the secondary user interface the remaining portion of the increased displayable area.

42. The system of claim 22 wherein the display transfer mechanism displays at least a portion of the secondary user interface along with the primary user interface in a manner that prohibits the primary user interface from overwriting the portion of the secondary user interface.

43. The system of claim 22, wherein the display adjustment facility adjusts the parameters of the video display system by performing function calls to driver software of the video display system.

44. A computer readable memory medium containing instructions for controlling a computer processor to display a secondary user interface on a video display system in conjunction with the display of, on a display area of the video display system, a primary user interface of a separately controlled program, by:

modifying the total displayable area of the video display system to include a second display area by adjusting the parameters of the video display system;

when the modified displayable area is larger than before modification, locating additional video display memory to correspond to the second display area, thereby creating an increased amount of video display memory that is addressable;

allocating the modified displayable area between the primary user interface and the secondary user interface;

writing the secondary user interface to the video display memory that corresponds to the second display area in accordance with the allocation of the modified displayable area; and

transferring the video display memory contents to the video display system so that the secondary user interface is displayed in conjunction with the primary user interface and outside of the control of the primary user interface.

45. A computer readable memory medium of claim 44 wherein the allocating of the modified displayable area decreases the size of the portion of the displayable area that is controlled by the primary user interface relative to the size of the total displayable area.

46. A computer readable memory medium of claim 45 wherein the modified displayable area is enlarged.

47. A computer readable memory medium of claim 44 wherein the modified displayable area is larger than before modification and the allocating of the modified displayable area increases the size of the display area that is controlled by the primary user interface.

48. A computer readable memory medium of claim 47 wherein the increased size of the display area allocated to the primary user interface is not a standard video resolution mode size.

49. A computer readable memory medium of claim 44 wherein the modifying of displayable area further comprises adjusting the parameters of the video display system to increase the number of displayable pixels in at least one dimension of the displayable area to less than or equal to the maximum number of pixels that can be effectively displayed by the video display system.

50. A computer readable memory medium of claim 49 wherein the adjusting the parameters of the video display system is performed using techniques that address pixels in an overscan area of the video display system.

51. A computer readable memory medium of claim 44 wherein the secondary user interface is displayed in at least a portion of pixels in the overscan area and includes a movable pointer that moves in relation to user input.

52. A computer readable memory medium of claim 51 wherein the pointer has an associated tip that is positioned outside of a cursor activation point associated with the tip, the cursor activation point remaining within the display area controlled by the primary user interface while the pointer is displayed within the secondary user interface.

53. A computer readable memory medium of claim 44 wherein the modifying of the total displayable area of the video display system to include the second display area by adjusting the parameters increases the displayable area to a standard resolution supported by the video display system.

54. A computer readable memory medium of claim 44 wherein the adjusting of the parameters and the allocating of the modified displayable area is performed by:

intercepting a request from the primary user interface;

requesting the video display system to use different video resolution mode, thereby modifying the size of the displayable area; and

allocating the modified display area between the primary user interface and the secondary user interface.

55. A computer readable memory medium of claim 44 wherein at least a portion of the secondary user interface is displayed along with the primary user interface in a manner that prohibits the primary user interface from overwriting the portion of the secondary user interface.