Display control method and apparatus determining corresponding validity of windows or operations

• US 5,412,775 A
• Filed: 12/05/1991
• Issued: 05/02/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Maeda, Akira, Maeda, Miyuki, Yamashita, Khotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US07/803,766
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 395/158, 395/159, 395/157, 395/135, 395/146, 395/153, 340/721, 340/734, 340/723, 345/120, 345/119, 345/114, 345/113, 345/115
• US Class Current: 715/797
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A method and apparatus can set validity of the operation for a piece of information to be displayed on a display terminal, such as a displaying, scaling or underwriting operation, and to allow the operation of the displayed information responsive to the information indicating the validity. In the operation of a multi-window controlled screen, a desired screen can be easily displayed closest to the user. Moreover, the information displayed on a screen is divided into a constant unit, and the information indicating validity of the operation is caused to correspond to the divided unit. This information is separately displayed to the user as an icon. Then the overwriting, deleting, moving or scale changing operation, or the like, can be accomplished independently of one another so that a desired document can be easily made. If the invention is applied to an electronic mail system, the document can be easily overwritten.

Claims

1. A display control apparatus comprising:

a display terminal having a multi-window controlled screen;

means for selectively displaying a plurality of active windows;

first data representative of a status of the plurality of the active windows comprising an associated identity with an each of the plurality of windows, validity of display, non-validity of display, overlapping order of relative display of the plurality of the windows from front to back on the screen and nonvisibility of a valid one of the plurality of windows, wherein the first data indicates whether or not each of said plurality of windows should be validly displayed and visible on said display terminal;

a memory for storing said plurality of windows and the first data corresponding to each of said plurality of windows; and

a processor connected to said display terminal and said memory, for displaying (1) at least one of said plurality of windows stored in said memory on said multi-window controlled screen of said display terminal, and (2) a display symbol distinct from the windows having a selectively variable appearance in accordance with the first data representative of the window status.

2. A display control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

inputting means connected to said processor for inputting second data designating one of said plurality of windows,

wherein said processor changes said first data stored in said memory so that no window, which is predetermined to be displayed on the front side of said one window designated by said second data, is displayed on said multi-window controlled screen of said display terminal.

3. A display control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processor displays said first data on said multi-window controlled screen of said display terminal whereby the relation between said first data and each of said plurality of windows is visible by said display symbol.

4. A display control method of a multi-window controlled screen, comprising the steps of:

storing in a memory first data representing user drafted data comprising information to be displayed in a one of the windows and second data indicating overlapping order, position and size of an each of the windows which can be displayed on the screen;

selectively displaying the plurality of the windows on the screen according to the overlapping order, position and size stored in the memory;

further displaying on the screen a plurality of icons, each of which indicates identity, validity of the window, non-validity of the window, and visibility of an associated each of the windows by a selectively variable icon appearance, the validity comprising at least two kinds, a first kind indicating whether the window is selected as foremost among the overlapping order and thereby visible to a user, and a second kind, indicating the window is displayed and at least partially unseen for being overlapped by the foremost window;

inputting a designation of one of the icons;

obtaining from the memory an overlapping order of the windows resulting from the inputting of the designated icon;

changing the validity of some windows to non-validity wherein the some windows have an overlapping order in front of the window corresponding to the designated icon, and correspondingly varying the appearance of some icons indicating the some windows;

deleting from the screen the some windows having non-validity of display; and

,

displaying remaining windows retaining validity of display on the basis of the each overlapping order, position and size stored in the memory.

5. The display control method according to claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

inputting a designation of another one of the some icons indicating non-validity of window display;

obtaining from the memory another overlapping order of another window corresponding to the another designated icon as foremost;

changing the non-validity of the another window to validity and correspondingly changing the appearance of the another one of the some icons, and changing the non-validity to validity of any of the some windows having an overlapping order of display behind the another window and correspondingly changing the appearance of the icons associated therewith; and

,

displaying the another window and the any of the some windows on the basis of the overlapping order, position and size stored in the memory.

6. The display control method according to claim further comprising:

changing the validity of a previously foremost window from the first kind to the second kind wherein the previously foremost window has an overlapping order behind the window corresponding to the designated icon, and correspondingly varying the appearance of the icon indicating the previously foremost window and the designated one of the icons.

7. A display control method of a multi-window controlled screen, comprising the steps of:

determining first data representative of a status of a plurality of active windows which are selectively viewable on the screen comprising an associated identity with an each of the plurality of the active windows, validity of display, nonvalidity of display, overlapping order of relative display of the plurality and nonvisibility of a valid one of the plurality, wherein the first data is thereby indicative of whether each of the plurality of active windows should be validly displayed and visible on the screen;

displaying said first data separately from said windows as a first icon having a selectively variable appearance in accordance with the window status;

selectively changing the first data upon selection of an other icon representative of an other window when the selection invalidates the display of a one window;

selectively changing the variable appearance of the first icon to indicate invalidity of display of the one window when the overlapping order of the other window is greater than the one window; and

,

displaying said icons on said multi-window controlled screen wherein the first data is recognizable by a user from a viewing of the icons.

8. A display control method of a multi-window controlled screen, comprising the steps of:

determining a position and overlapping order of each of a plurality of active windows to be displayed, said overlapping order being one in which said plurality of windows are displayed on said multi-window controlled screen, from the front to back sides of said multi-window controlled screen;

determining first data indicating validity of display which shows whether a one of said plurality of windows should be displayed, the overlapping order of display, and nonvisibility for a window having a valid display and a certain overlapping order in back of a viewable and selected window;

displaying said first data separately from said information as an icon having a selectively variable appearance wherein the windows are identifiably represented by associated icons;

inputting second data designating a second of said windows;

amending said first data so that said one window, if determined to have an overlapping order on the front side of said second window, has the first data comprising an invalid display; and

,

displaying said plurality of windows on said multi-window controlled screen in accordance with said position and said overlapping order, responsive to said first data and said second data whereby the relations between the first and second data and the first and second window are visible to a user from the icons.