Windowed computer display
First Claim
1. A system for keeping time, comprising:
- a memory device for storing application tasks for execution by said computer system;
a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to said memory device for executing selectable ones of said application tasks;
a display device coupled to said CPU and providing an area for displaying data associated with said selectable ones of said application tasks, said area capable of being divided into a plurality of windows, said plurality of windows providing regions within said area for displaying data associated with corresponding said selectable ones of said application tasks, said plurality of windows capable of occluding one another to denote foreground and background tasks on said computer system; and
a timekeeping task storable on said memory device and executable by said CPU as a background task, said timekeeping task capable of forming an associated timekeeping window in a foreground on said display device that;
is capable of occluding a portion of said plurality of windows, including a portion of a window corresponding to a foreground application task, andallows a user continued access to a timekeeping function of said timekeeping task that is operating as said background task, said continued access allowed without requiring said timekeeping task to be made a foreground task.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of displaying graphical data on a display device of a computer system and a computer system employing the method. The method comprises the steps of: (1) forming a first window on the display device, the first window capable of displaying data associated with a first task executing on the computer system, the first window occluding a first portion of a total area of the display device, the first window being a currently active window and (2) forming a second window on the display device, the second window capable of displaying data associated with a second task executing on the computer system, the second window occluding a second portion of the total area of the display device and superseding the first window as the currently active window, the first window occluding the second window to an extent that the first portion overlaps the second portion, the first window continuing to present functions associated with the first task to the user while the user interacts with the second task, the first task automatically redesignating the second window as the currently active window when the user is not interacting with the first task.
135 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system for keeping time, comprising:
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a memory device for storing application tasks for execution by said computer system; a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to said memory device for executing selectable ones of said application tasks; a display device coupled to said CPU and providing an area for displaying data associated with said selectable ones of said application tasks, said area capable of being divided into a plurality of windows, said plurality of windows providing regions within said area for displaying data associated with corresponding said selectable ones of said application tasks, said plurality of windows capable of occluding one another to denote foreground and background tasks on said computer system; and a timekeeping task storable on said memory device and executable by said CPU as a background task, said timekeeping task capable of forming an associated timekeeping window in a foreground on said display device that; is capable of occluding a portion of said plurality of windows, including a portion of a window corresponding to a foreground application task, and allows a user continued access to a timekeeping function of said timekeeping task that is operating as said background task, said continued access allowed without requiring said timekeeping task to be made a foreground task. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of operating a timekeeping system to display graphical data on a display device of said timekeeping system, comprising the steps of:
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forming a first window on said display device, said first window capable of displaying data associated with a timekeeping task executing as a foreground task on said timekeeping system, said first window occluding a first portion of a total area of said display device, said first window being a currently active window; and making said timekeeping task a background task on said timekeeping system when a second window is formed on said display device, said second window capable of displaying data associated with an application task executing on said timekeeping system, said second window capable of occluding a second portion of said total area of said display device and superseding said first window as said currently active window, said first window occluding said second window to an extent that said first portion overlaps said second portion, said first window continuing to present a timekeeping function associated with said timekeeping task to said user while said user interacts with said application task to allow said user continued access to said timekeeping function of said timekeeping task, still operating as said background task, without requiring said timekeeping task to be redesignated as said foreground task. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification