Window display system, window display method, program development support device, and server device

• US 8,627,217 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Takatoshi Yanase
• Original Assignee: Takatoshi Yanase
• Inventors: Takatoshi, Yanase
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US11/579,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,189 Days
• Field of Search: 715781-784, 715764-769, 715/762, 715/763, 715/804, 715/778
• US Class Current: 715/762
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Provided is a window display system and the like, in which plural window structures are switched to be displayed on a single window. An event processing program is associated with a first window structure, and this first window structure is assigned to a basic window. By executing an event processing program, a second window structure is assigned to the basic window. By changing or updating the basic window, or by assigning the second window structure to the basic window, a drawing window is drawn. On the single drawing window, the first and second window structures and are switched to be displayed. The drawing of the drawing window is caused by window size change, window movement, change of overlapping window position, window visualization, invalidation of window drawing area, or window color change.

Claims

1. A window display system which displays a window under management of a window management unit for managing plural windows as regions for display, each of the plural windows being composed of a single basic window and at least one window structure, said window display system comprising:

a main memory;

a basic window creation unit, stored on the main memory, that creates or obtains a single basic window as a region for display under management of the window management unit;

a first window structure creation unit, stored on the main memory, that creates a first window structure, the first window structure being a first set of display elements to be displayed on the single basic window and data displayable on a single window under management of the window management unit;

a second window structure creation unit, stored on the main memory, that creates a second window structure, the second window structure being a second set of display elements to be displayed on the single basic window and data displayable on a single window under management of the window management unit;

an associating unit, stored on the main memory, that associates the single basic window with one of the first window structure and the second window structure;

a graphic memory;

a drawing unit, stored on the main memory, that draws (a) the single basic window and (b) the one of the first window structure and the second window structure by recording, onto the graphic memory as image data, the one of the first window structure and the second window structure together with the single basic window, the single basic window being associated with the one of the first window structure and the second window structure; and

a drawing-event generation unit, stored on the main memory, that (i) generates a drawing-event which triggers said drawing unit to perform drawing or (ii) executes a command of causing said drawing unit to perform drawing,

wherein said associating unit switches a window structure to be associated with the single basic window, from the first window structure to the second window structure, or from the second window structure to the first window structure, when a predetermined event is detected by the window management unit,

wherein said drawing-event generation unit (i) generates the drawing-event which triggers said drawing unit to perform drawing or (ii) executes the command of causing said drawing unit to perform drawing, when said associating unit performs switching of the window structure to be associated with the single basic window, and

wherein said drawing unit draws, on the single basic window, (a) the single basic window and (b) one of the first window structure switched to be associated with the single basic window and the second window structure switched to be associated with the single basic window, (i) after (i-1) said drawing-event generation unit generates the drawing-event which triggers said drawing unit to perform drawing, (i-2) the window management unit detects the drawing-event, and (i-3) adjustment for providing the drawing event to the single basic window is performed, or (ii) after said drawing-event generation unit executes the command of causing said drawing unit to perform drawing.

2. The window display system according to claim 1,

wherein said drawing-event generation unit executes, as the drawing-event which triggers said drawing unit, window size change, window movement, change of overlapping window position, window visualization, invalidation of a window drawing area, or window color change.

3. The window display system according to claim 2, wherein said drawing-event generation unit further:

holds, as predetermined window states, states of various kinds of windows;

holds, as an obtained window state, a state of a target window which is the single basic window drawn by said drawing unit;

selects, as a selected window state, one state from the predetermined window states;

compares selected window state to the obtained window state;

chooses another state from the predetermined window states, when the selected window state is identical to the obtained window state;

chooses the selected window state, when the selected window state is different from the obtained window state; and

sets the chosen state as a new window state of the target window, so that the target window generates the drawing-event, and said drawing unit draws, on the single basic window, the first window structure or the second window structure.

4. The window display system according to claim 3,

wherein the predetermined window states include states of various windows having respective different window sizes.

5. The window display system according to claim 1, wherein said first window structure creation unit and said second window structure creation unit further obtain a pointer to a target window with which the first or second window structure is to be associated or the target window itself, and create the first or second window structure for the pointer or the target window.

6. The window display system according to claim 1,

wherein, when said associating unit switches the first window structure to the second window structure, said associating unit deletes the first window structure and said second window structure creation unit creates the second window structure, and

wherein when said associating unit switches the second window structure to the first window structure, said associating unit deletes the second window structure and said first window structure creation unit creates the first window structure.

7. The window display system according to claim 1,

wherein said drawing unit includes a display screen, and

wherein said drawing unit displays only one window on the display screen, and draws, as the only one window, a set of (i) the single basic window and (ii) the first window structure associated by said associating unit with the single basic window or the second window structure associated by said associating unit with the single basic window.

8. The window display system according to claim 1,

wherein the event for changing the size of the single basic window by the predetermined number of pixels includes a changing of a window size by a number of pixels less than a few pixels, a difference in the changing of the window size being too small to be perceived by a human being.

9. A window display method of displaying a window under management of a window management unit for managing plural windows as regions for display, each of the plural windows being composed of a single basic window and at least one window structure, said window display method comprising:

creating or obtaining, in a main memory of a window display system, a single basic window as a region for display under management of the window management unit;

creating, in the main memory, a first window structure, the first window structure being a first set of display elements to be displayed on the single basic window and data displayable on a single window under management of the window management unit;

creating, in a main memory, a second window structure, the second window structure being a second set of display elements to be displayed on the single basic window and data displayable on a single window under management of the window management unit;

associating the single basic window with one of the first window structure and the second window structure;

drawing (a) the single basic window and (b) the one of the first window structure and the second window structure by recording, onto a graphic memory as image data, the one of the first window structure and the second window structure together with the single basic window, the single basic window being associated with the one of the first window structure and the second window structure; and

performing one of (i) generating a drawing-event which triggers said drawing and (ii) executing a command of causing said drawing, wherein in said associating, a window structure to be associated with the single basic window is switched from the first window structure to the second window structure, or from the second window structure to the first window structure, when a predetermined event is detected by the window management unit,

wherein in said performing, (i) the drawing-event which triggers starting of said drawing is generated or (ii) the command of causing said drawing is executed, when the window structure to be associated with the single basic window is switched, and

wherein said drawing includes drawing, on the single basic window, (a) the single basic window and (b) the one of the first window structure switched to be associated with the single basic window and the second window structure switched to be associated with the single basic window (i) after (i-1) the drawing-event is generated in said performing which triggers starting of said drawing, (i-2) the window management unit detects the drawing-event, and (i-3) adjustment for providing the drawing even to the single basis window is performed or (ii) after the command of causing said drawing to be executed in said executing.

10. The window display method according to claim 9,

wherein said drawing includes displaying only one window on a display screen, and drawing, as the only one window, a set of (i) the single basic window and (ii) the first window structure associated in said associating with the single basic window or the second window structure associated in said associating with the single basic window.

11. The window display method according to claim 9,

wherein the event for changing the size of the single basic window by the predetermined number of pixels includes a changing of a window size by a number of pixels less than a few pixels, a difference in the changing of the window size being too small to be perceived by a human being.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon that causes a computer to perform a window display method of displaying a window under management of a window management unit for managing plural windows as regions for display, each of the plural windows being composed of a single basic window and at least one window structure, the window display method comprising:

creating or obtaining, in a main memory, a single basic window as a region for display under management of the window management unit;

creating, in the main memory, a first window structure, the first window structure being a first set of display elements to be displayed on the single basic window and data displayable on a single window under management of the window management unit;

creating, in the main memory, a second window structure, the second window structure being a second set of display elements to be displayed on the single basic window and data displayable on a single window under management of the window management unit;

associating the single basic window with one of the first window structure and the second window structure;

drawing (a) the single basic window and (b) the one of the first window structure and the second window structure by recording, onto a graphic memory as image data, the one of the first window structure and the second window structure together with the single basic window, the single basic window being associated with the one of the first window structure and the second window structure; and

performing one of (i) generating a drawing-event which triggers said drawing and (ii) executing a command of causing said drawing,

wherein in said associating, a window structure to be associated with the single basic window is switched from the first window structure to the second window structure, or from the second window structure to the first window structure, when a predetermined event is detected, wherein in said performing (i), the drawing-event which triggers starting of said drawing is generated or (ii) the command of causing said drawing is executed, when the window structure to be associated with the single basic window is switched, and

wherein said drawing includes drawing, on the single basic window, (a) the single basic window and (b) the one of the first window structure switched to be associated with the single basic window or the second window structure switched to be associated with the single basic window (i) after (i-1) the drawing-event is generated in said performing which triggers starting of said drawing, (i-2) the window management unit detects the drawing-event, and (i-3) adjustment for providing the drawing event to the single basic window is performed or (ii) after the command of causing said drawing to be executed in said executing.