Method and apparatus for interfacing with a computer user via virtual thumbnails
First Claim
1. A method of interfacing with a computer user to display computer systems management information, the method comprising:
- determining a first association between a first systems management variable and a first zone of a first multi-zone shape;
determining a second association between a second systems management variable and a second zone of the first multi-zone shape;
determining a first state associated with the first systems management variable;
determining a second state associated with the second systems management variable;
rendering the first multi-zone shape to be indicative of (i) the first state of the first systems management variable in the first zone of the first multi-zone shape and (ii) the second state of the second systems management variable in the second zone of the first multi-zone shape;
rendering a plurality of additional multi-zone shapes such that the first multi-zone shape is displayed at the same time as the plurality of additional multi-zone shapes;
generating a first software event in response to receiving a first user action associated with the first zone of the first multi-zone shape; and
generating a second software event in response to receiving a second user action associated with the second zone of the first multi-zone shape, the second software event being different than the first software event.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus of interfacing with a computer user via virtual thumbnails are disclosed. The system determines the number of zones for each virtual thumbnail, the variable to represent in each zone, and the current state of each of those variables. The system then dynamically renders each of the virtual thumbnails accordingly. For example, if the top-left zone of a virtual thumbnail is to indicate the current operating system associated with a virtual machine, and the current operating system for that virtual machine is Microsoft Windows, then the system displays a flying window icon in the top-left zone of that virtual thumbnail. Once the virtual thumbnail are displayed, the system looks for events associated with the virtual thumbnails (e.g., a click in one of the zones) and executes instructions in response to detecting those events (e.g., show virtual thumbnails indicative of the operating system'"'"'s services if the operating system zone of a virtual thumbnail is clicked).
75 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of interfacing with a computer user to display computer systems management information, the method comprising:
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determining a first association between a first systems management variable and a first zone of a first multi-zone shape; determining a second association between a second systems management variable and a second zone of the first multi-zone shape; determining a first state associated with the first systems management variable; determining a second state associated with the second systems management variable; rendering the first multi-zone shape to be indicative of (i) the first state of the first systems management variable in the first zone of the first multi-zone shape and (ii) the second state of the second systems management variable in the second zone of the first multi-zone shape; rendering a plurality of additional multi-zone shapes such that the first multi-zone shape is displayed at the same time as the plurality of additional multi-zone shapes; generating a first software event in response to receiving a first user action associated with the first zone of the first multi-zone shape; and generating a second software event in response to receiving a second user action associated with the second zone of the first multi-zone shape, the second software event being different than the first software event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of displaying a virtual thumbnail, the method comprising:
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determining a first plurality of associations between a first plurality of variables and a first plurality of zones for a first size of the virtual thumbnail; determining a first plurality of states associated with the first plurality of variables; rendering the virtual thumbnail in the first size to be indicative of the first plurality of states associated with the first plurality of variables; receiving an instruction to change the virtual thumbnail from the first size to a second different size; determining a second plurality of associations between a second plurality of variables and a second plurality of zones for the second size of the virtual thumbnail, the second plurality of zones having a different number of zones than the first plurality of zones; determining a second plurality of states associated with the second plurality of variables; rendering the virtual thumbnail in the second size to be indicative of the second plurality of states associated with the second plurality of variables; rendering a plurality of additional multi-zone shapes such that the first multi-zone shape is displayed at the same time as the plurality of additional multi-zone shapes; generating a first software event in response to receiving a first user action associated with a first zone in the first plurality of zones; and generating a second software event in response to receiving a second user action associated with a second zone in the first plurality of zones, the second software event being different than the first software event. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus for interfacing with a computer user, the apparatus comprising:
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a controller; a display device operatively coupled to the controller; and a memory device operatively coupled to the controller, the memory device storing a software program to cause the controller to; determine a first plurality of associations between a first plurality of variables and a first plurality of zones for a first size of the virtual thumbnail; determine a first plurality of states associated with the first plurality of variables; render the virtual thumbnail in the first size to be indicative of the first plurality of states associated with the first plurality of variables; receive an instruction to change the virtual thumbnail from the first size to a second different size; determine a second plurality of associations between a second plurality of variables and a second plurality of zones for the second size of the virtual thumbnail, the second plurality of zones having a different number of zones than the first plurality of zones; determine a second plurality of states associated with the second plurality of variables; render the virtual thumbnail in the second size to be indicative of the second plurality of states associated with the second plurality of variables; rendering a plurality of additional multi-zone shapes such that the first multi-zone shape is displayed at the same time as the plurality of additional multi-zone shapes; generating a first software event in response to receiving a first user action associated with a first zone in the first plurality of zones; and generating a second software event in response to receiving a second user action associated with a second zone in the first plurality of zones, the second software event being different than the first software event.
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32. A non-transitory computer readable memory storing software instructions to cause a computing device to:
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determine a first plurality of associations between a first plurality of variables and a first plurality of zones for a first size of the virtual thumbnail; determine a first plurality of states associated with the first plurality of variables; render the virtual thumbnail in the first size to be indicative of the first plurality of states associated with the first plurality of variables; receive an instruction to change the virtual thumbnail from the first size to a second different size; determine a second plurality of associations between a second plurality of variables and a second plurality of zones for the second size of the virtual thumbnail, the second plurality of zones having a different number of zones than the first plurality of zones; determine a second plurality of states associated with the second plurality of variables; render the virtual thumbnail in the second size to be indicative of the second plurality of states associated with the second plurality of variables; rendering a plurality of additional multi-zone shapes such that the first multi-zone shape is displayed at the same time as the plurality of additional multi-zone shapes; generating a first software event in response to receiving a first user action associated with a first zone in the first plurality of zones; and generating a second software event in response to receiving a second user action associated with a second zone in the first plurality of zones, the second software event being different than the first software event.
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Specification