Method, system, and program for superimposing data from different application programs

• US 6,538,660 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Celi, Joseph Jr., Wagner, Jonathan Mark, Kubik, Joseph, Cooper, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Razavi, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Havan, Thu Thao
• Application Number:
  US09/439,050
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 345/634, 345/635, 345/636, 345/592, 345/639, 345/643, 345/768, 345/606, 345/629, 345/640, 345/641, 345/630, 345/765, 345/766, 382/178, 382/213, 382/214
• US Class Current: 345/592
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, method, and program for displaying data. A program receives first input graphics commands from a first application program to display first output on a display monitor and second input graphics commands from a second application program to display second output on the display monitor. The second output is graphically blended with an overlapping portion of the first output. Output graphics commands are generated from the first and second input graphics commands to display the graphically blended second output superimposed over an overlapping portion of the first output and the first output non-overlapping with the second output. This allows the content of the secondary output to be displayed without affecting user operations with respect to the primary application window.

Claims

1. A method for displaying data, comprising:

receiving at a first port of a filter program first input graphics commands from a first application program to display first output on a display monitor;

receiving at a second port of a filter program second input graphics commands from a second application program to display second output on the display monitor;

graphically blending the second output with an overlapping portion of the first output, wherein output related to graphics commands sent to the second port is blended to be displayed superimposed over the overlapping portion of output related to graphics commands sent to the first port, wherein output related to graphics commands sent to the first port is displayed in a separate window; and

generating output graphics commands from the first and second input graphics commands to display the graphically blended second output superimposed over the overlapping portion of the first output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated output graphics commands are device independent graphics commands, further comprising sending the output graphics commands to a display driver, wherein the display driver generates device dependent display commands from the output graphics commands to control the monitor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing a blending algorithm to superimpose the second output with the overlapping portion of the first output, wherein the second output is displayed as a transparency over the first output such that content of the first output is visible through the displayed second output on the display monitor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the steps of receiving the first and second input graphics commands, generating the output graphics commands and executing the blending algorithm is performed by the filter program, further comprising the filter program sending the output graphics commands to a display driver.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the filter program is implemented within a display driver, further comprising the display driver generating device dependent display commands from the output graphics commands to control the monitor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the received second input graphics commands further include transparency parameters indicating a degree of transparency at which to superimpose the second output over the first output, wherein generating the output graphics commands further comprises generating the commands to superimpose the second output over the first output with a degree of transparency indicated in the transparency parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application program comprises one of an application program installed onto on an operating system and the operating system, wherein the primary output comprises an application window to provide an interface to the application program if the first application program is an application program and the primary output comprises a desktop environment if the first application program is the operating system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application program is installed onto the operating system, further comprising receiving third input graphics from the operating system to display third output on the display monitor of a desktop environment, wherein the generated output graphics display the second output superimposed over the first output and the third output.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a portion of the displayed first output in response to user input selecting a portion of the graphically blended second output superimposed over an overlapping portion of the first output.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for selecting a portion of the displayed first output in response to user input selecting a portion of the graphically blended second output superimposed over an overlapping portion of the first output.

10. A system for displaying data on a display monitor from a first and second application programs, comprising:

a filter program including a first and second ports through which applications send data

means for receiving at the first port first input graphics commands from the first application program to display first output on a display monitor;

means for receiving at the second port second input graphics commands from the second application program to display second output on the display monitor;

means for graphically blending the second output with an overlapping portion of the first output such that output related to graphics commands sent to the second port is blended to be displayed superimposed over the overlapping portion of output related to graphics commands sent to the first port, wherein output related to graphics commands sent to the first port is displayed in a separate window; and

means for generating output graphics commands from the first and second input graphics commands to display the graphically blended second output superimposed over the overlapping portion of the first output.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the generated output graphics commands are device independent graphics commands, further comprising means for sending the output graphics commands to a display driver, wherein the display driver generates device dependent display commands from the output graphics commands to control the monitor.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for executing a blending algorithm to superimpose the second output with the overlapping portion of the first output, wherein the second output is displayed as a transparency over the first output such that content of the first output is visible through the displayed second output on the display monitor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for receiving the first and second input graphics commands, generating the output graphics commands and executing the blending algorithm is performed by the filter program, and wherein the filter includes means for sending the output graphics commands to a display driver.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter program is implemented within a display driver, wherein the display driver includes means for generating device dependent display commands from the output graphics commands to control the monitor.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the received second input graphics commands further include transparency parameters indicating a degree of transparency at which to superimpose the second output over the first output, wherein the means for generating the output graphics commands further comprises generating the commands to superimpose the second output over the first output with a degree of transparency indicated in the transparency parameters.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first application program comprises one of an application program installed onto on an operating system and the operating system, wherein the primary output comprises an application window to provide an interface to the application program if the first application program is an application program and the primary output comprises a desktop environment if the first application program is the operating system.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first application program is installed onto the operating system, further comprising receiving third input graphics from the operating system to display third output on the display monitor of a desktop environment, wherein the generated output graphics display the second output superimposed over the first output and the third output.

19. An article of manufacture for displaying data, the article of manufacture comprising computer useable media accessible to the computer system, wherein the computer usable media includes at least one computer program, including a filter program, that is capable of causing the computer system to perform:

receiving first input graphics commands at a first port of the filter program from a first application program to display first output on a display monitor;

receiving second input graphics commands at a second port of the filter program from a second application program to display second output on the display monitor;

graphically blending the second output with an overlapping portion of the first output such that output related to graphics commands sent to the second port is blended to be displayed superimposed over the overlapping portion of output related to graphics commands sent to the first port, wherein output related to graphics commands sent to the first port is displayed in a separate window; and

generating output graphics commands from the first and second input graphics commands to display the graphically blended second output superimposed over the overlapping portion of the first output.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the generated output graphics commands are device independent graphics commands, further comprising sending the output graphics commands to a display driver, wherein the display driver generates device dependent display commands from the output graphics commands to control the monitor.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 19, further comprising executing a blending algorithm to superimpose the second output with the overlapping portion of the first output, wherein the second output is displayed as a transparency over the first output such that content of the first output is visible through the displayed second output on the display monitor.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the steps of receiving the first and second input graphics commands, generating the output graphics commands and executing the blending algorithm is performed by the filter program, further comprising the filter program sending the output graphics commands to a display driver.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the filter program is implemented within a display driver, further comprising the display driver generating device dependent display commands from the output graphics commands to control the monitor.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the received second input graphics commands further include transparency parameters indicating a degree of transparency at which to superimpose the second output over the first output, wherein generating the output graphics commands further comprises generating the commands to superimpose the second output over the first output with a degree of transparency indicated in the transparency parameters.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the first application program comprises one of an application program installed onto on an operating system and the operating system, wherein the primary output comprises an application window to provide an interface to the application program if the first application program is an application program and the primary output comprises a desktop environment if the first application program is the operating system.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the first application program is installed onto the operating system, further comprising receiving third input graphics from the operating system to display third output on the display monitor of a desktop environment, wherein the generated output graphics display the second output superimposed over the first output and the third output.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 19, further comprising selecting a portion of the displayed first output in response to user input selecting a portion of the graphically blended second output superimposed over an overlapping portion of the first output.

28. A method for displaying data, comprising:

receiving first input graphics commands from a first application program to display first output on a display monitor;

receiving second input graphics commands from a second application program to display second output on the display monitor;

displaying the second output superimposed over at least a portion of the first output;

wherein the second output displayed superimposed over an overlapping portion of the fist output and the first output non-overlapping with the second output are displayed in a single active graphical window, and wherein the first output overlapping with the second output is directly accessible to a user through the graphical window;

receiving user input from an input device action performed with respect to an area of the secondary output superimposed over the primary output; and

executing, in response to the user input, a command associated with the primary output within the area.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the user input comprises a single input device action, whereby the single input device action causes the selection of the portion of the displayed first output.

30. A system for displaying data on a display monitor, comprising:

means for receiving first input graphics commands from a first application program to display first output on a display monitor;

means for receiving second input graphics commands from a second application program to display second output on the display monitor;

means for displaying on the display monitor the second output superimposed over at least a portion of the first output, wherein the second output displayed superimposed over an overlapping portion of the first output and the first output non-overlapping with the second output are displayed in a single active graphical window, and wherein the first output overlapping with the second output is directly accessible to a user through the graphical window;

means for receiving user input from an input device action preformed with respect to an area of the secondary output superimposed over the primary output; and

means for executing, in response to the user input, a command associated with the primary output within the area.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the user input comprises a single input device action, whereby the single input device action causes the selection of the portion of the displayed first output.

32. An article of manufacture for displaying data, the article of manufacture comprising computer useable media accessible to the computer system, wherein the computer usable media includes at least one computer program that is capable of causing the computer system to perform:

receiving first input graphics commands from a first application program to display first output on a display monitor;

receiving second input graphics commands from a second application program to display second output on the display monitor;

displaying the second output superimposed over at least a portion of the first output, wherein the second output displayed superimposed over an overlapping portion of the first output and the first output non-overlapping with the second output are displayed in a single active graphical window, and wherein the first output overlapping with the second output is directly accessible to a user through the graphical window;

receiving user input from an input device action performed with respect to an area of the secondary output superimposed over the primary output; and

executing, in response to the user input, a command associated with the primary output within the area.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the user input comprises a single input device action, whereby the single input device action causes the selection of the portion of the displayed first output.