Window scroll-bar

• US 6,590,594 B2
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Paul Reuben, Bates, Cary Lee, Ryan, Jeffrey Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/276,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 345/340, 345/341, 345/344, 345/346, 345/123, 345/333, 345/342, 345/339, 345/974, 345/345, 345/334, 345/784, 345/786, 345/787, 345/781, 345/790, 345/804, 345/762, 345/788, 345/764, 345/765, 345/797
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A method, system, and program product for generating a window scroll-bar. In the preferred embodiment, a controller displays the window scroll-bar on a display screen. The window scroll-bar contains sections associated with respective windows on the display. The window scroll-bar also contains a slider, which moves within a section and between sections. As the slider moves within a particular section, the window associated with that section moves on the display toward the nearest boundary of the display. Thus, by moving the window scroll-bar slider, the user can move overlapping windows out of the way and find the window of interest.

Claims

1. A method for generating a window scroll-bar, comprising:

displaying the window scroll-bar on a display, wherein the window scroll-bar comprises a plurality of sections associated with a plurality of respective windows on the display;

displaying a slider within the window scroll-bar; and

as the slider moves across a section boundary into a section, incrementally fading into view a respective window associated with the section on the display responsive to the motion of the slider through a range near the section boundary.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the slider moves in response to user input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections comprise a color of the respective, associated window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections comprise a title of the respective, associated window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections comprise an icon of the respective, associated window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the window scroll-bar further comprises:

ordering the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by last use of the respective, associated window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the window scroll-bar comprises:

ordering the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by most use of the respective, associated window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step displaying the window scroll-bar further comprises:

ordering the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by most use weighted by last use of the respective, associated window.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the window scroll-bar further comprises:

ordering the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by time since activation of the respective, associated window.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the window scroll-bar further comprises:

ordering the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by user choice.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the window scroll-bar further comprises:

creating a size of each of the plurality of sections, wherein the section size is proportional to use of the respective, associated window.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the window scroll-bar further comprises:

changing a z-order of the plurality of windows to match the order of the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar.

13. An apparatus that generates a window scroll-bar, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

a controller residing in the memory and executing on the processor, wherein the controller displays the window scroll-bar on a display, wherein the window scroll-bar comprises a plurality of sections associated with a plurality of respective windows on the display, and wherein the controller displays a slider within the window scroll-bar, wherein as the slider moves across a section boundary into a section, the controller incrementally fades into view a respective window associated with the section responsive to the motion of the slider through a range near the section boundary.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the slider moves in response to user input.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sections comprise a color of the respective, associated window.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sections comprise a title of the respective, associated window.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sections comprise an icon of the respective, associated window.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by last use of the respective, associated window.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by most use of the respective, associated window.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by most use weighted by last use of the respective, associated window.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by time since activation of the respective, associated window.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by user choice.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller further creates a size of each of the plurality of sections, wherein the section size is proportional to use of the respective, associated window.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the controller further changes a z-order of the plurality of windows to match the order of the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar.

25. A program product, comprising:

a controller that displays a window scroll-bar on a display, wherein the window scroll-bar comprises a plurality of sections associated with a plurality of respective windows on the display, and wherein the controller displays a slider within the window scroll-bar, wherein as the slider moves across a section boundary into a section, the controller incrementally fades into view a respective window associated with the section responsive to the motion of the slider through a range near the section boundary; and

signal-bearing media bearing the controller.

26. The program product of claim 25, wherein the slider moves in response to user input.

27. The program product of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sections comprise a color of the respective, associated window.

28. The program product of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sections comprise a title of the respective, associated window.

29. The program product of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sections comprise an icon of the respective, associated window.

30. The program product of claim 25, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by last use of the respective, associated window.

31. The program product of claim 25, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by most use of the respective, associated window.

32. The program product of claim 25, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by most use weighted by last use of the respective, associated window.

33. The program product of claim 25, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by time since activation of the respective, associated window.

34. The program product of claim 25, wherein the controller further orders the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar by user choice.

35. The program product of claim 25, wherein the controller further creates a size of each of the plurality of sections, wherein the section size is proportional to use of the respective, associated window.

36. The program product of claim 25, wherein the controller further changes a z-order of the plurality of windows to match the order of the plurality of sections in the window scroll-bar.

37. The program product of claim 25, wherein as the slider moves across a section boundary out of the section, the controller incrementally fades out of view the respective window associated with the section responsive to the motion of the slider through a range near the section boundary.

38. The program product of claim 25, wherein the controller further calculates a percentage of the slider that is in the section, and wherein the controller bases a number of pixels displayed within the respective window on the slider percentage within the section.