System and method for window queues and white space activation for toggling windows

• US 6,025,842 A
• Filed: 11/04/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Filetto, Thomas Michael, Robyck, Frank John, Martino, Gilford Francis, Timon, Vincent Thomas III
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Application Number:
  US08/964,290
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326-358, 345/145, 345/146
• US Class Current: 715/803
• 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

Abstract

Rapid toggling of application windows to the forefront of a computer monitor. One or more queues are established by a user comprising indicia representative of a sequence of a plurality of open application windows. Sequencial toggling among the windows of a given sequence is accomplished by actuating a mouse pointer positioned to the white space of any window within the given sequence.

Claims

1. Method for controlling the operation of a computer monitor, comprising the steps of:

establishing in a queue at least one sequence of a plurality of open windows; and

responding to user first type activation of a mouse pointer positioned within the white space of any window of said sequence to bring to the forefront the next window of said sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:

responding to user second type activation of said mouse pointer positioned within the white space of any window in said sequence to bring to the forefront the previous window of said sequence.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said establishing step comprises the steps of:

responding to user input to establish a plurality of sequences and include within each of said sequences one or more window indicia.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising the further steps of:

responding to user activation of a mouse pointer positioned within the white space of a window of a first sequence selectively to position to the forefront a previous or next window of said first sequence; and

responding to user activation of a mouse pointer positioned within the white space of a window of a second sequence selectively to position to the forefront a previous or next window of said second sequence.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said activation is selected from the group consisting of a single click of a mouse button, a double click of said mouse button, at least one click of a first mouse button, and at least one click of a second mouse button.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said sequence includes a main application window of a suite of applications and a plurality of open windows associated with said main application window.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said main application window is one of a suite of applications.

8. System for controlling the operation of a computer monitor, comprising the steps of:

means for establishing in a queue at least one sequence of a plurality of open windows; and

means responsive to user first type activation of a mouse pointer positioned within the white space of any window of said sequence to bring to the forefront the next window of said sequence.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

means responsive to user second type activation of said mouse pointer positioned within the white space of any window in said sequence to bring to the forefront the previous window of said sequence.

10. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine to perform method steps for controlling the operation of a computer monitor, said method steps comprising:

establishing in a queue at least one sequence of a plurality of open windows;

responding to user first type activation of a mouse pointer positioned within the white space of any window of said sequence to bring to the forefront the next window of said sequence; and

responding to user second type activation of said mouse pointer positioned within the white space of any window in said sequence to bring to the forefront the previous window of said sequence.

11. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for controlling the operation of a computer monitor, the computer readable program means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to establish in a queue at least one sequence of a plurality of open windows;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to respond to user first type activation of a mouse pointer positioned within the white space of any window of said sequence to bring to the forefront the next window of said sequence; and

respond to user second type activation of said mouse pointer positioned within the white space of any window in said sequence to bring to the forefront the previous window of said sequence.

12. Method for controlling a computer monitor, comprising the steps of:

establishing at least one sequence of windows, and bringing to the forefront of said monitor a next window within said sequence by activating a mouse positioned on the white space of any window in said sequence.