Displaying option information using a non-modal dialog box

• US 6,853,390 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bentley Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bentley Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Bastings, R. Brien, Wandersleben, William A., Cortesi, Gino
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US09/696,882
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 345/802, 345808-812, 345/822, 345/825, 345/835, 345/837, 345/860, 345841-846, 345/866, 345/902
• US Class Current: 715/802
• 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

The invention pertains to a method for displaying option information on a computer display screen. The method includes displaying a workspace and at least one icon, presenting a non-modal dialog box when a predetermined icon is chosen, providing a preference option that may hide or shrink the non-modal dialog box, and providing a means for restoring the non-modal dialog box. The dialog box may subsequently be restored in a manner and a location chosen by the user.

Claims

1. A method for automatically dismissing option information comprising:

displaying a workspace on a computer screen;

displaying at least one icon;

presenting a non-modal dialog box within the workspace when a predetermined icon is chosen;

providing a preference option that, when enabled by a user, operates to hide the non-modal dialog box when a cursor moves off a frame of the dialog box to maximize the amount of available workspace on the computer screen for displaying work; and

providing a hot-spot for restoring the non-modal dialog box when the cursor moves over the hot-spot, wherein the hot-spot is re-locatable by a user to any location on the workspace.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hot-spot includes at least one of the icon and a preference option box.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a means to activate and to deactivate the preference option.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a means for customizing the preference option.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the means for customizing is a preference option properties dialog that includes at least one customizable feature choice.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the customizable feature includes at least one of a choice between a large and a small preference option icon, an automatic positioning option for tool settings dialog boxes, a new tool delay time, and a hide dialog delay time.

7. A computer program residing on a computer-readable medium that provides a method for automatically dismissing option information, the program comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

display a workspace on a computer screen, the workspace having at least one toolbar including a plurality of icons that each represents a tool;

display a non-modal dialog box within the workspace when an icon is chosen;

hide the non-modal dialog box when a preferences option is enabled and a cursor is moved outside the boundaries of the non-modal dialog box to maximize the amount of available workspace on the computer screen for displaying work; and

restore the non-modal dialog box when the cursor moves over a predetermined hot-spot on the workspace, wherein the hot-spot is re-locatable by a user to any location on the workspace.

8. The program of claim 7 further including instructions to permit a user to disable and enable the preference option.

9. The program of claim 7 wherein the hot-spot includes at least one of a tool icon and a preference option icon.

10. The program of claim 7, further comprising instructions enabling a user to customize the preference option.

11. The program of claim 10, wherein a preference option properties dialog box including at least one customizable feature is provided.

12. The program of claim 11, wherein the customizable features include at least one of a choice of a large or small preference option box, a choice of automatically positioning a tool settings dialog, a new tool delay time, and a hide dialog delay time.