Computer system with graphical user interface including drawer-like windows
First Claim
1. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, comprising:
- memory to store a plurality of objects in the memory, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened;
first window management logic, coupled with the display, that manages and displays a plurality of opened windows within a window region of the graphic workspace, wherein windows in the plurality of opened windows may overlap and obscure other windows in the plurality of opened windows within the window region;
second window management logic, coupled with the display and the first window management logic, that provides a control region within the graphic workspace, and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window, and is responsive to user input indicating selection of the identifier within the control region for moving the particular opened window into the window region; and
logic that removes only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of a different window, wherein no icon is shown in the window region on the display to represent the particular window after it is removed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A window management mechanism allows a user to open a window as a drawer or, perhaps more appropriately named, a pop-up window. The drawer is an opened window that a user has dragged down to a drawer region at the bottom of the screen such that only the title bar or some drawer handle illustration is left showing. When the user does this, the window remains open but is kept offscreen. The user may momentarily pop the window back onto the screen by clicking on the window title bar or drawer handle, or by dragging the cursor into the window icon during a drag. The window stays onscreen as long as no other windows are selected. As soon as a user selects another window, or opens a file with a double click within the drawer, the window slides back offscreen. This allows the user to set up easy access windows. Another feature of a drawer window allows the user to open them during a drag. To do so, the user drags an object or the cursor into the drawer window that is desired to be opened. When the cursor touches the bottom of the screen, or an area within a threshold of the bottom of the screen, the drawer window slides open a notch at a time. As long as the user pushes against the bottom or remains in this threshold region, the drawer slides open.
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Citations
87 Claims
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1. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, comprising:
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memory to store a plurality of objects in the memory, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened; first window management logic, coupled with the display, that manages and displays a plurality of opened windows within a window region of the graphic workspace, wherein windows in the plurality of opened windows may overlap and obscure other windows in the plurality of opened windows within the window region; second window management logic, coupled with the display and the first window management logic, that provides a control region within the graphic workspace, and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window, and is responsive to user input indicating selection of the identifier within the control region for moving the particular opened window into the window region; and logic that removes only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of a different window, wherein no icon is shown in the window region on the display to represent the particular window after it is removed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, and a pointing device by which a user positions a cursor on the display, comprising:
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memory to store a plurality of objects in the memory, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened; first window management logic, coupled with the display, that manages a plurality of windows within a window region having a perimeter in the graphic workspace on the display corresponding to opened objects, wherein the plurality of windows includes application windows providing area within the window region for application programs and enclosure windows providing area within the window region to display icons corresponding to related objects; second window management logic, coupled with the display and the first window management logic, that provides a control region near the perimeter of the window region and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window, and that moves the particular opened window into the window region, in response to user gestures of the pointing device indicating selection of the identifier; and logic that removes only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of a different window, wherein no icon is shown in the window region on the display to represent the particular window after it is removed. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace and a pointing device by which a user positions a cursor on the display, comprising:
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means for storing a plurality of objects in the memory, wherein each of the objects occupy a window in the graphic workspace on the display when opened; first window management means, coupled with the display, for managing a plurality of windows within a window region in the graphic workspace on the display corresponding to opened objects; second window management means, coupled with the display and the first window management means, for providing a control region in the graphic workspace outside the window region, and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window, and responsive to user gestures of the pointing device indicating selection of the identifier within the control region for moving the particular opened window into the window region; means for receiving an input signal to indicate a drag operation of the cursor within the graphic workspace on the display; enclosure opening means, coupled to the display and the pointing device, responsive to a drag during a drag operation of the pointer over an identifier corresponding to a particular enclosure object which encloses other objects for opening a temporary window for the particular enclosure object to display identifiers within the temporary window corresponding to objects enclosed by the particular enclosure object; and means for removing only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of a different window, wherein no icon is shown on the display to represent the particular window after it is removed. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, the method comprising:
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storing a plurality of objects, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened; managing and displaying a plurality of windows within a window region of the graphic workspace, wherein one or more windows in the plurality of windows may overlap and obscure other windows in the plurality of windows within the window region; providing a control region within the graphic workspace and an identifier within the control region, the identifier corresponding to a particular window; responding to user input indicating selection of the identifier within the control region by displaying the particular window in the window region; and removing only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of an enclosure within the particular window, wherein the enclosure is operable to enclose an object. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, and a pointing device by which a user positions a cursor on the display, comprising:
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storing a plurality of objects, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened; managing a plurality of windows within a window region having a perimeter in the graphic workspace on the display corresponding to opened objects, wherein the plurality of windows includes application windows providing area in the window region for the application programs and enclosure windows providing area within the window region to display icons corresponding to related objects; providing a control region near the perimeter of the window region and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular window; displaying the particular window in the window region in response to user gestures of the pointing device indicating selection of the identifier; and removing only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of an enclosure within the particular window, wherein the enclosure is operable to enclose an object. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon to cause a computer to perform a method for organizing a graphic workspace on a display of the computer, the method comprising:
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storing a plurality of objects, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened; managing and displaying a plurality of windows within a window region of the graphic workspace, wherein one or move windows in the plurality of windows may overlap and obscure other windows in the plurality of windows within the window region; providing a control region within the graphic workspace and an identifier within the control region, the identifier corresponding to the particular window; responding to user input indicating selection of the identifier within the control region by displaying the particular window in the window region; and removing only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of an enclosure within the particular window, wherein the enclosure is operable to enclose an object. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A computer-readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon to cause a computer to perform a method for organizing a graphic workspace on a display for the computer, the computer including a pointing device by which a user positions a cursor on the display, the method comprising:
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storing a plurality of objects, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened; managing a plurality of windows within a window region having a perimeter in the graphic workspace on the display corresponding to opened objects, wherein the plurality of;
windows includes application windows providing area in the window region for application programs and enclosure windows providing area within the window region to display icons corresponding to related objects;providing a control region near the perimeter of the window region; providing an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular window; displaying the particular window in the window region in response to user gestures of the pointing device indicating selection of the identifier; and removing only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of an enclosure within the particular window, wherein the enclosure is operable to enclose an object. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, comprising:
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memory means for storing a plurality of objects, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened; first window management means, coupled with the display, for managing and displaying a plurality of windows within a window region of the graphic workspace, wherein one or more windows in the plurality of windows may overlap and obscure other windows in the plurality of windows within the window region; second window management means, coupled with the display and the first window management means, for providing a control region within the graphic workspace, and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular window, and for responding to user input indicating selection of the identifier within the control region for displaying the particular window in the window region; and means for removing only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of an enclosure within the particular window, wherein the enclosure is operable to enclose an object. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, and a pointing device by which a user positions a cursor on the display, comprising:
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memory means for storing a plurality of objects, wherein each of the objects occupy a window on the display when opened; first window management means, coupled with the display, for managing a plurality of windows within a window region having a perimeter in the graphic workspace on the display corresponding to opened objects, wherein the plurality of windows includes application windows providing area within the window region for application programs and enclosure windows providing area within the window region to display icons corresponding to related objects; second window management means, coupled with the display and the first window management means, for providing a control region near the perimeter of the window region and an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular window, and for displaying the particular window in the window region, in response to user gestures of the pointing device indicating selection of the identifier; and means for removing only the particular window from the window region in response to selection of an enclosure within the particular window, wherein the enclosure is operable to enclose an object. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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Specification