Apparatus, system, and method for concurrent window selection

• US 8,230,356 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeBellis, Craig Michael, Pagan, William Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/846,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20050257160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,993 Days
• Field of Search: 715788-801, 715/738
• US Class Current: 715/771
• 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

An apparatus, system and method of concurrent window selection are provided. The invention communicates a directive to a plurality of window modules. Each window module may enter a selected state responsive to receiving a selection directive, enter a deselected state responsive to receiving a deselection directive, and maintain an existing state responsive to receiving a null directive. The state of each window module is independent of and unaffected by the state and the state change of each other window module. The invention further communicates a command to each window module in the selected state.

Claims

1. A concurrent selection apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

at least one stroke module comprising executable code stored on a storage device, executed by a processor and configured to receive a first multi-selection stroke from a user for a first window module of a plurality of window modules and direct a selection directive to the first window module and a null directive to each other window module of the plurality of window modules responsive to the first multi-selection stroke and receive a second multi-selection stroke from the user for a second window module and direct the selection directive to the second window module and the null directive to each other window module responsive to the second multi-selection stroke;

the plurality of window modules each comprising executable code stored on the storage device and executed by the processor and configured to enter a selected state responsive to the selection directive, to enter a deselected state responsive to a deselection directive, and to maintain an existing state responsive to the null directive, wherein the first and second window modules enter the selected state response to the selection directives and each window module in the selected state concurrently receives a user command as though directed to each window module individually and communicates the user command to a server, wherein each window module is in communication with and controls a distinct server; and

at least one listener module comprising executable code stored on the storage device, executed by the processor and in communication with at least one window module of the plurality of window modules and configured to receive the user command and communicate the user command to the server of each window module that is in the selected state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multi-selection stroke is a plurality of input strokes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one stroke module receives a uni-selection stroke for the first window module and directs the selection directive to the first window module and the deselection directive to the other window modules responsive to the uni-selection stroke.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each window module in the selected state receiving the command executes the command.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the state of each window module is independent of and unaffected by the state and change of state of the other window modules.

21. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the multi-selection stroke comprises depressing a SHIFT key and a left Mouse Click.

5. A concurrent selection module, the module comprising executable code stored on a storage device, executed by a processor and:

a stroke module comprising executable code stored on the storage device, executed by the processor and configured to receive first multi-selection stroke from a user for a first window module of a plurality of window modules and direct a selection directive to the first window module and a null directive to each other window module of the plurality of window modules responsive to the first multi-selection stroke and receive a second multi-selection stroke from the user for a second window module and direct the selection directive to the second window module and the null directive to each other window module responsive to the second multi-selection stroke, wherein each window module assumes a selected state responsive receiving the selection directive, a deselected state responsive to receiving a deselection directive, and maintains an existing state responsive to receiving the null directive, the first and second window modules enter the selected state responsive to the selection directives, and each window module comprises executable code stored on the storage device and executed by the processor and each window module in the selected state concurrently receives a user command as though directed to each window module individually and communicates the user command to a server, wherein each window module is in communication with and controls a distinct server; and

at least one listener module comprising executable code stored on the storage device, executed by the processor and in communication with each window module and configured to receive the user command and communicate the user command to the server of each window module if the window module is in the selected state.

6. A concurrent selection system, the system comprising:

a processor module comprising semiconductor logic and configured to execute at least one stroke module comprising executable code stored on a storage device, executed by the processor module, and configured to receive a first multi-selection stroke from a user for a first window module of a plurality of window modules and direct a selection directive to the first window module and a null selection directive to each other window module of the plurality of window modules responsive to the first multi-selection stroke and receive a second multi-selection stroke from the user for a second window module and direct the selection directive to the second window module and the null directive to each other window module responsive to the second multi-selection stroke, and execute the plurality of window modules, each comprising executable code stored on a storage device and configured to enter a selected state responsive to receiving the selection directive, to enter a deselected state responsive to receiving a deselection directive, and to maintain an existing state responsive to receiving the null directive, wherein the first and second window modules enter the selected state responsive to the selection directives and each window module in the selected state concurrently receives a user command as though directed to each window module individually and communicates the user command to a server, wherein each window module is in communication with and controls a distinct, the processor module further configured to receive the user command and communicate the user command to the server of each window module that is in the selected state;

an input module comprising executable code stored on the storage device, executed by the processor module, and configured to communicate the user command to processor module; and

a display module comprising executable code stored on the storage device, executed by the processor module, and configured to render each window module.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the multi-selection directive is a plurality of strokes.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the stroke module receives a uni-selection stroke for the first window module and directs the selection directive to the first window module and the deselection directive to each other window module responsive to the uni-selection stroke.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of window modules communicates with a separate computer.

22. The system of claim 6, wherein the state of each window module is independent of and unaffected by the state and change of state of the other window modules.

23. The system of claim 7, wherein the multi-selection stroke comprises depressing a SHIFT key and a left Mouse Click.

10. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable code for concurrent selection configured to:

receive a first multi-selection stroke from a user for a first window module of a plurality of window modules and a second multi-selection stroke from the user for a second window module;

communicate a selection directive to the first window module and a null directive to each other window module of the plurality of window modules responsive to the first multi-selection stroke and communicate the selection directive to the second window module and the null directive to each other window module responsive to the second multi-selection stroke, each window module comprising executable code stored on a storage device, executed by a processor and configured to enter a selected state responsive to receiving the selection directive, to enter a deselected state responsive to receiving a deselection directive, and to maintain an existing state responsive to receiving the null directive, wherein the first and second window modules enter the selected state responsive to the selection directives and each window module in the selected state concurrently receives a user command as though directed to each window module individually and communicates the user command to a server, wherein each window module is in communication with and controls a distinct server;

receive the user command; and

communicate the user command to the server of each window module that is in the selected state.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the multi-selection stroke is a plurality of input strokes.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computer code is further configured to direct a selection directive to the first window module and a deselection directive to each other window module responsive to receiving a uni-selection stroke for the first window module.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computer code is further configured to direct the deselection directive to the first window module of a plurality of window modules in the selected state responsive to receiving a uni-deselection stroke.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the command is a window module management command.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein each window module receiving the command executes the command if the command is a valid command.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the state of each window module is independent of and unaffected by the state and change of state of the other window modules.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the multi-selection stroke comprises depressing a SHIFT key and a left Mouse Click.

16. A method for concurrent selection, the method comprising:

receiving a first multi-selection stroke from a user for a first window module of a plurality of window modules and a second multi-selection stroke from the user for a second window module;

communicating a selection directive to the first window module and a null directive to each other window module of the plurality of window modules responsive to the first multi-selection stroke and communicating the selection directive to the second window module and the null directive to each other window module responsive to the second multi-selection stroke, each window module comprising executable code stored on a storage device and executed by a processor and configured to enter a selected state responsive to receiving the selection directive, to enter a deselected state responsive to receiving a deselection directive, and to maintain an existing state responsive to receiving the null directive, wherein the first and second window modules enter the selected state responsive to the selection directives and each window module in the selected state concurrently receives a user command as though directed to each window module individually and communicates the user command to a server, wherein each window module is in communication with and controls a distinct server;

receiving the user command; and

communicating the user command to the server of each window module that is in the selected state.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the multi-selection directive is a plurality of input strokes.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising directing the selection directive to the first window module and the deselection directive to each other window module responsive to receiving a uni-selection stroke for the first window module.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the state of each window module is independent of and unaffected by the state and change of state of the other window modules.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the multi-selection stroke comprises depressing a SHIFT key and a left Mouse Click.

19. A concurrent selection apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a first multi-selection stroke from a user for a first window module of a plurality of window modules and a second multi-selection stroke from the user for a second window module, the receiving means comprising executable code stored on a storage device and executed by a processor;

means for communicating a selection directive to the first window module and a null directive to each other window module of the plurality of window modules responsive to the first-multi-selection stroke and communicating the selection directive to the second window module and the null directive to each other window module responsive to the second multi-selection stroke, each window module comprising executable code stored on the storage device and executed by the processor and configured to enter a selected state responsive to receiving the selection directive, to enter a deselected state responsive to receiving a deselection directive, and to maintain an existing state responsive to receiving the null directive, wherein the first and second window modules enter the selected state responsive to the selection directives and each window module in the selected state concurrently receives a user command as though directed to each window module individually and communicates the user command to a server, wherein each window module is in communication with and controls a distinct server, the communicating means comprising executable code stored on the storage device and executed by the processor;

means for receiving the user command, the command receiving means comprising executable code stored on the storage device and executed by the processor; and

means for communicating the user command to the server of each of the window modules that is in the selected state, the command communicating means comprising executable code stored on the storage device and executed by the processor.