Keyboard navigation of non-focusable components

• US 6,654,038 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Monsanto, Lynn, Mendenhall, David P, Albers, Michael C., Korn, Peter A., Gajewska, Hania
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US09/586,041
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/172, 345/762-765, 345/767, 345/781, 345/802, 345/803, 345/810, 345/835, 345/853, 345/854
• US Class Current: 715/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A method for keyboard navigation in a graphical user interface, including defining a key event dispatcher for focus ordering of at least one non-focusable component, configured to recognize a special mode entry character and a special mode exit character, upon entry of the special mode entry character by a user, entering a special mode wherein subsequent key events are manipulated by the key event dispatcher to navigate the focus ordering of the at least one non-focusable component while a current focus owner is maintained, and exiting the special mode upon entry of the special mode exit character by the user, wherein the special mode is at least one of the group consisting of an input method mode, an accessible navigation mode and a window navigation mode.

Claims

1. A method for keyboard navigation in a graphical user interface, comprising:

defining a key event dispatcher for focus ordering of at least one non-focusable component, configured to recognize a special mode entry character and a special mode exit character;

upon entry of the special mode entry character by a user, entering a special mode wherein subsequent key events are manipulated by the key event dispatcher to navigate the focus ordering of the at least one non-focusable component while a current focus owner is maintained; and

exiting the special mode upon entry of the special mode exit character by the user,

wherein the special mode is at least one of the group consisting of an input method mode, an accessible navigation mode and a window navigation mode.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the input method mode comprises manipulation of subsequent key events by diverting key events to an input method object.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising delivering characters to the current focus owner in response to a delivery indication from the input method object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessible navigation mode comprises manipulation of subsequent key events by using the key events to navigate the graphical user interface in accordance with an accessible navigation policy.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the key event dispatcher is further configured to recognize a set focus character, and further comprising changing focus from the current focus owner to a currently navigated component upon entry of the set focus character by the user.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising reading a currently navigated component using a screen reader.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the window navigation mode comprises manipulation of subsequent key events by using the key events to navigate a plurality of windows in accordance with a window navigation policy.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising reading a currently navigated component using a screen reader.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the accessible navigation mode comprising manipulation of subsequent key events and further comprises using the key events to navigate a currently navigated window in accordance with an accessible navigation policy.

10. A windowing toolkit for development of a graphical user interface, the toolkit comprising a plurality of tools having code suitable to be executed by a computer, the toolkit comprising:

a first tool for defining a special mode entry character and a special mode exit character; and

a second tool for defining a special mode for focus ordering of at least one non-focusable component, to be entered upon entry of the special mode entry character and to be exited upon entry of the special mode exit character, the second tool providing a manipulation mechanism by which key events are manipulated to navigate the focus ordering of the at least one non-focusable component while in the special mode and while maintaining a current focus owner,

wherein the special mode is at least one of the group consisting of an input method mode, an accessible navigation mode and a window navigation mode.

11. The windowing toolkit of claim 10, wherein the manipulation mechanism diverts key events to an input method object while in the input method mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the manipulation mechanism delivers characters to the current focus owner in response to a delivery indication from the input method object.

13. The windowing toolkit of claim 10, wherein the manipulation mechanism uses the key events to navigate the graphical user interface in accordance with an accessible navigation policy while in the accessible navigation mode.

14. The windowing toolkit of claim 13, wherein the first tool further defines a set focus character, and wherein the second tool provides for transfer of focus from the current focus owner to a currently navigated component upon entry of the set focus character.

15. The windowing toolkit of claim 13, wherein the accessible navigation policy provides for navigation to non-focusable components of the graphical user interface.

16. The windowing toolkit of claim 10, wherein the manipulation mechanism uses the key events to navigate a plurality of windows in accordance with a window navigation policy while in the window navigation mode.

17. The windowing toolkit of claim 16, wherein the first tool further defines a set focus character, and wherein the second tool provides for transfer of focus from the current focus owner to a currently navigated component upon entry of the set focus character.

18. The windowing toolkit of claim 16, wherein the window navigation policy provides for navigation to a window that cannot be an active window.

19. The windowing toolkit of claim 16, wherein the special mode defined by the second tool further comprises the accessible navigation mode, and wherein the manipulation mechanism uses the key events to navigate a currently navigated window in accordance with an accessible navigation policy.