Method and apparatus for presenting information in a display system using transparent windows

• US 5,651,107 A
• Filed: 08/16/1994
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Frank, Edward H., Liu, John C., Naughton, Patrick J., Gosling, James Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURWELL, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US08/291,079
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 395/157, 395/159, 395/113, 395/114, 395/115, 395/116, 395/120, 395/147, 395/132, 395/133-135, 395/155-158, 395/160
• US Class Current: 715/768
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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: G09G 2310/02 Addressing, scanning or driving the display screen or processing steps related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A central processing unit (CPU) is provided and is coupled to a display for displaying graphic and other data in multiple overlapping windows. The CPU is further coupled to one or more input devices which permits a user to selectively position a cursor and input and manipulate data within each of the windows on the display. The windows include defined areas having window features such as text, icons and buttons corresponding to functions to be executed by the CPU. Multiple applications may be executed concurrently by the CPU such that each application is associated with one or more windows. Each display element ("pixel") comprising the display is represented by multiple bits in a computer frame buffer memory coupled to the CPU. An alpha value (α) is associated with the intensity of each pixel of the display such that multiple images may be blended in accordance with a predefined formula utilizing the alpha values. By setting the alpha values appropriately, transparency may be accomplished such that data associated with underlying windows may be rendered visible to the user. Effectively, the present invention merges multiple images through alpha "blending" such that several images appear transparently on top of one another. The present invention, through the selective use of alpha blending, permits underlying windows to display data visible to the user through windows which are overlaid above an underlying window.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method for selectively displaying and activating a plurality of overlapping display objects on a display, said method comprising the following steps:

for each one of the overlapping display objects, storing a plurality of bits representing the display object, said bits further representing one or more associated transparency values, such that for at least one display object said plurality of bits representing said at least one display object represents two or more associated transparency values;

simultaneously displaying the overlapping display objects on the display, each of the display objects having a degree of transparency determined by the transparency values associated with each of the display objects, such that the overlapping display objects are simultaneously visible on the display, and such that at least one of the display objects has two or more degrees of transparency;

selectively adjusting, by user interface means, the one or more transparency values associated with at least one of the overlapping display objects, such that the transparency of the at least one display object is continuously variable from fully opaque to fully transparent;

selectively activating, by user interface means, a desired one of the overlapping display objects without altering its transparency;

permitting the user to operate on the activated desired overlapping display object using a cursor control device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of selectively adjusting the one or more transparency values further includes displaying an image of a slider, said slider being adjustable by the user through the use of the cursor control device to selectively adjust said one or more transparency values.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of storing a plurality of bits further includes the step of storing a plurality of pixel values for each one of the display objects, and further storing an individual transparency value corresponding to each one of the pixel values.

4. The method of claim 1, where said step of selectively activating a desired one of said overlapping display objects is performed without bringing said desired one of said overlapping display objects to the top.

5. The method of claim 4, where said step of selectively activating a desired one of said overlapping display object is performed responsive to a mouse click on a button within said one of said overlapping display objects.

6. The method of claim 1, where said step of simultaneously displaying the overlapping display objects comprises the substep of sorting said overlapping display objects so that the most transparent of said overlapping display objects is on top.

7. A computer system for selectively displaying and activating a plurality of overlapping display objects on a display, said computer system comprising:

memory means for storing a plurality of bits corresponding to each display object, said bits further representing one or more associated transparency values, such that for at least one display object said plurality of bits representing said at least one display object represents two or more associated transparency values;

means for simultaneously displaying the overlapping display objects on the display, each of the display objects having a degree of transparency determined by the transparency values associated with each of the display objects, such that the overlapping display objects are simultaneously visible on the display, and such that at least one of the display objects has two or more degrees of transparency;

user interface transparency adjustment means for selectively adjusting the one or more transparency values associated with at least one of the overlapping display objects, such that the transparency of the at least one display object is continuously variable from fully opaque to fully transparent;

user interface activation means for selectively activating a desired one of the overlapping display objects without altering its transparency;

cursor control means for operating on the activated desired overlapping display object.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said transparency adjustment means further include means for displaying a slider, and cursor control means for interactively adjusting said slider to select a desired object transparency.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said memory means further includes means for storing a plurality of pixel values for each one of the display objects, and means for storing an individual transparency value corresponding to each one of the pixel values.

10. The computer system of claim 7, where said means for selectively activating a desired one of said overlapping display objects selectively activates said desired one of said overlapping display objects without bringing said desired one of said overlapping display objects to the top.

11. The computer system of claim 10, where said means for selectively activating a desired one of said overlapping display objects comprises means for responding to a mouse click on a button within said one of said overlapping display objects.

12. The computer system of claim 7, where said means for simultaneously displaying the overlapping display objects comprises means for sorting said overlapping display objects so that the most transparent of said overlapping display objects is on top.