Computer system with graphical user interface including drawer-like windows

• US 7,904,828 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Thomas J., Moller, Elizabeth Ann Robinson
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro; Ryan F
• Application Number:
  US11/644,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 715/799, 715/798
• US Class Current: 715/799
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

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.

Claims

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 objects comprise processing units which 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 windows may overlap and obscure other windows in the plurality 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 the particular window from the window region in response to completion of a drag operation within the particular window, the drag operation comprising associating an object with a drag input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that graphically slides the particular opened window into the window region as if from outside the window region.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that removes the particular opened window from the window region, in response to user input.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that graphically slides the particular opened window out of the window region as if to outside the window region when removing the particular opened window from the window region.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer includes an input device by which a user selects a location within the window region and the control region, and with which the user provides the user input indicating selection of the identifier within the control region.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further including:

logic that removes the particular opened window from the window region in response to user gestures.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the user gestures include selecting another window.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second window management logic includes:

an input that receives an input signal to indicate a drag operation of a window in the graphic workspace; and

logic, coupled with the input device and the first window management logic, that initiates an identifier within the control region for a particular opened window in response to a drag operation of the particular opened window to the control region.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, further including:

logic, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag operation of a particular object over an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window to slide the particular opened window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular opened window encloses a particular identifier corresponding to an object enclosing other objects, and further including:

an input that receives an input signal to indicate a drag operation of an object in the graphic workspace;

logic, coupled to the display and an input device, responsive to a drag operation of a particular object over an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window that slides the particular opened window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation; and

logic, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag during the drag operation of the particular object over a particular identifier within the particular opened window, that opens a temporary window for the object corresponding to the particular identifier to display identifiers within the temporary window corresponding to objects enclosed by the corresponding object.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, 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 for displaying icons corresponding to related objects.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the particular opened window subject of the second window management logic comprises an application window.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the particular opened window subject of the second window management logic comprises an enclosure window.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of windows includes control panel windows providing area within the window region for system control functions, and the particular opened window subject of the second window management logic comprises a control panel window.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of windows includes tool palette windows providing area within the window region for tool functions for related applications, and the particular opened window subject of the second window management logic comprises a tool palette window.

16. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace, and a input device by which a user selects a location on the display, comprising:

memory to store a plurality of objects in the memory, wherein objects comprise processing units which 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 input device indicating selection of the identifier;

logic that removes the particular opened window from the window region in response to completion of a drag operation within the particular opened window, the drag operation comprising associating an object with a drag input.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the particular opened window subject of the second window management logic comprises an application window.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the particular opened window subject of the second window management logic comprises an enclosure window.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of windows includes control panel windows providing area within the window region for system control functions, and the particular opened window subject of the second window management logic comprises a control panel window.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of windows includes tool palette windows providing area within the window region for tool functions for related applications, and the particular opened window subject of the second window management logic comprises a tool palette window.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that graphically slides the particular opened window into the window region as if from outside the perimeter of the window region when opening the particular opened window.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that removes the particular opened window from the window region in response to user gestures with the input device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the second window management logic includes logic that graphically slides the particular opened window out of the window region as if to outside the perimeter of the window region when removing the particular opened window from the window region.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the user gestures include selecting another window.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second window management logic includes:

an input that receives an input signal to indicate a drag operation of a window in the graphic workspace; and

logic, coupled with the input device and the first window management logic, that initiates an identifier within the control region for a particular opened window in response to a drag operation of the particular opened window to the control region.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, further including:

logic, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag operation of a particular object over an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window, that slides the particular opened window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, further including:

logic, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag operation over an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window that slides the particular opened window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the particular opened window comprises an enclosure window, and further including:

an input that receives an input signal to indicate a drag operation of an object in the graphic workspace;

logic, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag operation of a particular object over an identifier within the control region corresponding to the particular opened window, that slides the particular opened window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation to display icons corresponding to objects enclosed by the particular opened window; and

logic, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag during the drag operation of the particular object over a particular icon within the particular opened window, that opens a temporary window within the window region for the object corresponding to the particular icon.

29. An apparatus for organizing a graphic workspace on a computer including a display having a graphic workspace and a input device by which a user selects a location on the display, comprising:

means for storing a plurality of objects in the memory, wherein objects comprise processing units which 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 input device indicating selection of the identifier within control region for moving the particular opened window into the window region;

means for receiving an input signal to indicate a drag operation within the graphic workspace on the display;

enclosure opening means, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag during a drag operation 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

logic that removes the particular opened window from the window region in response to completion of a drag operation within the particular opening window, the drag operation comprising associating an object with a drag input.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, 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 for displaying icons corresponding to related objects.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the particular opened window subject of the second window management means comprises an application window.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the particular opened window subject of the second window management means comprises an enclosure window.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the plurality of windows includes control panel windows providing area within the window region for system control functions, and the particular opened window subject of the second window management means comprises a control panel window.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the plurality of windows includes tool palette windows providing area within the window region for tool functions for related applications, and the particular opened window subject of the second window management means comprises a tool palette window.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, further including:

means, responsive to user gestures by the input device, for removing the particular opened window from the window region.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the user gestures include selecting another window.

37. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the second window management means includes:

means for receiving an input signal to indicate a drag operation of an opened window in the graphic workspace; and

means, coupled with the input device and the first window management means, for initiating an identifier within the control region for a particular opened window in response to a drag operation of the particular opened window to the control region.

38. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the second window management means includes:

means, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag operation of a particular object over an identifier within the control region corresponding to a particular opened window for sliding the particular opened window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation.

39. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the particular opened window comprises an enclosure window, and the enclosure opening means includes:

means, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag operation of a particular object over an identifier within the control region corresponding to the particular opened window for sliding the particular opened window into the window region in cooperation with the drag operation to display identifiers corresponding to objects enclosed by the particular opened window; and

means, coupled to the display and the input device, responsive to a drag during the drag operation of the particular object over a particular identifier within the particular opened window for opening a temporary window for the object corresponding to the particular identifier.