Method and apparatus for improved interaction with an application program according to data types and actions performed by the application program

• US 6,535,930 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, Robert George Jr., Moller, Elizabeth Ann Robinson, Stern, Mark Ludwig
• Primary Examiner(s): COURTENAY III, ST JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/800,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 709/310-320, 709/328, 709/329
• US Class Current: 719/329
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing actions while selecting objects on a user interface display. A user may select a first item in an area of a display controlled by a first process and drag that item to a second area on a display controlled by a second process. The second process may negotiate with the first process to provide certain data types, and based upon those data types, the second process will determine a list of actions in hierarchical fashion which may be performed upon the data. Such actions may include, but are not limited to, printing, sending electronic mail, and performing other actions in the computer system. Alternative and primary actions may also be specified by a user, such as by selecting various keys on a keyboard or other input device. Further, a user may specify that the second process display a list of actions which may be performed upon the selected item and allow the user to select an action from a list.

Claims

1. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system causes said system to perform a method of manipulating data between application programs of said system, said method comprising:

selecting a first item in a first window, said first window under control of a first process, said first process capable of providing data from the first item to a receiving process in a plurality of formats, the first process capable of using data for a purpose other than conversion;

dragging said selected first item to a second window, said second window under control of a second process, said second process comprising at least one action the second process is capable of performing, each action specified to perform using data in at least one associated format, one of the at least one action identified as a first action, the second process capable of utilizing data for purposes other than conversion of data;

dropping said selected first item in said second window while said first item is located at said second window;

communicating to the second process formats in which first data from said first item can be provided by the first process;

said second process receiving an identification of the formats in which first data from said first item can be provided and determining if said second process can perform the first action based upon a first data from the first item in a first format of the formats in which first data from said first item can be provided; and

if the second process can perform the first action based upon the first data from the first item in the first format,

i. notifying the first process to communicate the first data in the first format to the second process,

ii. said first process communicating the first data in the first format to the second process, and

iii. said second process receiving first data from said first process in said first format and performing said first action using the first data in said first format received from said first process.

2. The machine readable medium of claim 1 wherein said second process comprises a plurality of different actions.

3. The machine readable medium of claim 2 wherein said second process further comprises an alternate action the second process is capable of performing, said alternate action performed using data in a second format.

4. The machine readable medium of claim 3, wherein said formats communicated to the second process include the second format, said method further comprising:

if the second process cannot perform the first action based upon the first data from the first item in the first format and the second process can perform the alternate action based upon the first data from the first item in the second format

i. notifying the first process to communicate the first data in the second format to the second process,

ii. said first process communicating the first data in the second format to the second process, and

iii. said second process receiving the first data in the second format and performing the alternate action using the first data in the second format.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said first action moves said first item in a file system of said computer-controlled display system, and said alternate action copies said first item in said file system.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said first action comprises moving said first item from one location in the first window to another location in the second window in a file system of said computer-controlled display system, and said alternate action comprises making a copy of said first item from the first window to said second window in said file system.

7. The machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein said method comprises a first state and a second state of operation, said second process receiving an identification of the formats only when said method is in said first state, and when said method is in the second state, said method further comprising:

displaying a list of executable actions, said executable actions determined from said plurality of actions which can be performed by said second process using said formats communicated by the first process;

said user selecting a desired action from said list of plurality of actions; and

said second process performing said desired action using the first data in the associated format.

8. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a digital processing system causes said system to perform a method of manipulating data between application programs of said system, said method comprising:

selecting a first item in a first window, the first window under control of a first process, the first process capable of providing data from the first item to a receiving process in a plurality of formats, the first process capable of using data for a purpose other than conversion;

dragging the selected first item to a second window, the second window under control of a second process, the second process comprising a plurality of actions the second process is capable of performing, each action specified to perform using data in at least one associated format, the second process capable of using data for purposes other than conversion of data;

deselecting the selected first item while the first item is located at the second window;

communicating to the second process an identification of formats in which first data from the first item can be provided;

the second process receiving the identification of formats in which first data from the first item may be provided;

the second process determining an action of the plurality of actions having an associated format that is one of the formats in which first data from the first item can be provided;

notifying the first process to communicate the first data in the associated format to the second process;

the first process communicating the first data in the associated format to the second process; and

the second process receiving first data from the first process in the associated format and performing the action determined using the first data in the associated format received from the first process.