Data display for multiple layered screens

• US 7,624,339 B1
• Filed: 08/18/2000
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: PureDepth Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Witehira, Pita, Engel, Gabriel Daemon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn; Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US10/049,271
• Time in Patent Office: 3,385 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/503, 715/504, 715/517, 715/526, 715/200, 715/212, 715/214, 715/217, 715/243, 715/273
• US Class Current: 715/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects

Abstract

A method of displaying data on a multilevel screen display is disclosed. The method comprises assigning screen designation codes to respective groups of data, and determining the physical screen on which each group of data is displayed. The screens may comprise layered liquid crystal displays. The method is suitable for use with spreadsheet software, where a user is able to see overlaying spreadsheets simultaneously.

Claims

1. A method of displaying spreadsheet objects, said method comprising:

assigning a first screen designation code to a first portion of a spreadsheet object, said first screen designation code associated with a first display screen of a multi-component display;

assigning a second screen designation code to a second portion of said spreadsheet object, said second screen designation code associated with a second display screen of said multi-component display; and

simultaneously displaying said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object in accordance with said first and second screen designation codes, wherein said simultaneously displaying further comprises simultaneously displaying said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object on a respective display screen of said first and second display screens, wherein said simultaneously displaying comprises generating said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object using at least one pixel of said first display screen and at least one pixel of said second display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object are selected from a group consisting of a window portion, menu portion, a tab portion, an icon portion, a user-modifiable field portion, a cell portion, and a grouping of cells.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object are each associated with a respective user-selectable tab.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a formula, and wherein said second portion of said spreadsheet object comprises at least one of data associated with said formula and a result of said formula.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object comprise adjoining data wrapped from said first display screen to said second display screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a first color and said second portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a second color.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object displayed on said first display screen comprises a link to said second portion of said spreadsheet object displayed on said second display screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said second portion of said spreadsheet object comprises at least one of an error message related to said first portion of said spreadsheet object and information about said first portion of said spreadsheet object.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to a user interaction, updating a position of said first portion of said spreadsheet object on said first display screen with respect to a position of said second portion of said spreadsheet object on said second display screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object comprise an active cell, an active spreadsheet, and a user-selected cell.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second display screens are physically spaced apart from one another, and wherein said first display screen is positioned in front of said second display screen.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

increasing the transparency of said first portion of said spreadsheet object to increase the visibility of said second spreadsheet object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object is associated with a first spreadsheet and said second portion of said spreadsheet object is associated with a second spreadsheet, and wherein said first and second spreadsheets overlap.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically modifying said second portion of said spreadsheet object in response to a modification of said first portion of said spreadsheet object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said automatically modifying said second portion of said spreadsheet object comprises changing a color of said second portion of said spreadsheet object.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein an overlap of said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object indicates a relationship of said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object comprise at least one of a three-dimensional graph, a three-dimensional chart, and a three-dimensional object.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object are associated with a single spreadsheet cell.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object in accordance with said first and second screen designation codes to enable a viewer to contemporaneously view said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object.

20. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of displaying spreadsheet objects, said method comprising:

assigning a first screen designation code to a first portion of a spreadsheet object, said first screen designation code associated with a first display screen of a multi-component display;

assigning a second screen designation code to a second portion of said spreadsheet object, said second screen designation code associated with a second display screen of said multi-component display; and

simultaneously displaying said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object in accordance with said first and second screen designation codes, wherein said simultaneously displaying further comprises simultaneously displaying said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object on a respective display screen of said first and second display screens, wherein said simultaneously displaying comprises generating said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object using at least one pixel of said first display screen and at least one pixel of said second display screen.

21. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a formula, and wherein said second spreadsheet object comprises at least one of data associated with said formula and a result of said formula.

22. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object comprise adjoining data wrapped from said first display screen to said second display screen.

23. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a first color and said second portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a second color.

24. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object displayed on said first display screen comprises a link to said second portion of said spreadsheet object displayed on said second display screen.

25. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

in response to a user interaction, updating a position of said first portion of said spreadsheet object on said first display screen with respect to a position of said second portion of said spreadsheet object on said second display screen.

26. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object are selected from a group consisting of an active cell, an active spreadsheet, and a user-selected cell.

27. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

increasing the transparency of said first spreadsheet object to increase the visibility of said second portion of said spreadsheet object.

28. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

automatically modifying said second portion of said spreadsheet object in response to a modification of said first portion of said spreadsheet object.

29. The computer-usable medium of claim 20, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object comprise at least one of a three-dimensional graph, a three-dimensional chart, and a three-dimensional object.

30. A multi-component display comprising:

a first display screen operable to display a first portion of a spreadsheet object in accordance with a first screen designation code assigned to said first portion of said spreadsheet object, wherein said first screen designation code is associated with said first display screen, and wherein said first display screen is operable to display said first portion of said spreadsheet object using at least one pixel of said first display screen;

a second display screen operable to display a second portion of said spreadsheet object in accordance with a second screen designation code assigned to said second portion of said spreadsheet object, wherein said second screen designation code is associated with said second display screen, and wherein said second display screen is operable to display said second portion of said spreadsheet object using at least one pixel of said second display screen.

31. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first and second display screens are further operable to display said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object simultaneously.

32. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object are selected from a group consisting of a window portion, menu portion, a tab portion, an icon portion, a user-modifiable field portion, a cell portion, and a grouping of cells.

33. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object are each associated with a respective user-selectable tab.

34. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a formula, and wherein said second portion of said spreadsheet object comprises at least one of data associated with said formula and a result of said formula.

35. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object comprise adjoining data wrapped from said first display screen to said second display screen.

36. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a first color and said second portion of said spreadsheet object comprises a second color.

37. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object displayed on said first display screen comprises a link to said second portion of said spreadsheet object displayed on said second display screen.

38. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said second portion of said spreadsheet object comprises at least one of an error message related to said first portion of said spreadsheet object and information about said first portion of said spreadsheet object.

39. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first and second display screens are further operable to update relative positions of said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object in response to a user interaction.

40. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein at least one of said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object comprise an active cell, an active spreadsheet, and a user-selected cell.

41. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first and second display screens are physically spaced apart from one another, and wherein said first display screen is positioned in front of said second display screen.

42. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first and second display screens are further operable to vary the transparency of a respective portion of said spreadsheet object displayed thereon to change the visibility of a portion of said spreadsheet object selected from a group consisting of said first and second portions of said spreadsheet object.

43. The multi-component display of claim 30, wherein said first portion of said spreadsheet object is associated with a first spreadsheet and said second portion of said spreadsheet object is associated with a second spreadsheet, and wherein said first and second spreadsheets overlap.