Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-30
2004-02-03
Nguyen, Chanh (Department: 2675)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Graphic manipulation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06686927
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of user interfaces for computer systems. In particular, this invention relates to an improved user interface for scrolling a visible portion of a document within a window in a computer system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
A user interface is the means by which a user interacts with a computer system. Known user interfaces utilize windows and icons in conjunction with a cursor control device. The cursor control device, commonly a mouse or trackball device is used to position a cursor on a display. The mouse or trackball typically includes a switch having at least two positions for generating signals to the computer to indicate a selection or other action by a user. The combination of the windows, ICONs, and a cursor control device allows a user to operate in a visual “point and click” fashion rather then through the typing of terse computer commands. “Point and click” operation refers to positioning a cursor on a display so it is over a desired icon, setting a switch (usually a button) on the cursor control device into a second position (usually by depressing the button) and immediately resetting the switch in a first position (usually by releasing the button). The “click” generally refers to tactile and audible feedback to the user on depressing and releasing the button. An example of such a user interface is the Finder™ interface of the Macintosh® family of Computers available from Apple® Computer Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. The Finder interface as implemented allows a user to locate, manage and organize data files and applications on the Macintosh Computer System. Portions of this point and click interface, as well as a mouse, have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,652.
The Macintosh system organizes files in a hierarchical fashion. Hierarchical files systems are well known in the art and have been utilized on numerous computer systems, e.g. the UNIX® (a registered trademark of AT&T) operating system. A directory in a hierarchical file system is comprised of items. These items include data files, executable code files, and other directories (e.g. sub-directories) that are directly accessible. The Macintosh system uses the term folder to denote a directory or sub-directory.
As utilized by the Finder interface, a window displays the contents of a folder or a storage medium (e.g. a diskette). Known computer systems, including the Macintosh Computer, allow for the concurrent display of multiple windows. A desirable feature of the Finder interface is the ability to select an item or set of items in one window and move them to another window. This feature is described with reference to
FIG. 1
a
“©1986 Apple Computer, Incorporated” (17 U.S.C. 401).
FIG. 1
a
illustrates a first window
1
and a second window
2
, both open on display
3
. To utilize this feature, the user moves the cursor (e.g. by moving the mouse) to position it over the item to be selected and then places the switch associated with the mouse in a predetermined position (usually in the down position); this indicates to the computer system that the item has been selected (typically for some further action to be specified by the user). In
FIG. 1
a
, the item
4
has been selected. To move the selected item, the user keeps the switch in the predetermined position and the cursor over the item and then moves the cursor to another window (e.g. window
2
in
FIG. 1
a
). With the Finder interface, an outline of the selected item will move with the cursor to the second window
2
. This is often called “dragging” the item. At this point, the user may release the switch associated with the mouse into an up position and the item
4
will appear in the second window
2
. With the Finder interface, this has the effect of moving the selected item(s) from one folder (directory or sub-directory) to another folder (directory or sub-directory) or copying the item(s) from one storage medium, to another storage medium, e.g. a diskette to a fixed hard disk. If the movement of the item is characterized as a movement from one folder to a second folder, the item
4
would disappear from window
1
, otherwise item
4
would remain in window
1
as well as be displayed in window
2
. Additionally, the Finder interface allows items to be removed from a window and placed on the Finder desktop and further allows selected items to be copied to ICONs located on the Finder desktop, the ICONs representing folders or a storage medium. These capabilities are well known to users of the Macintosh Computer System and have been described in numerous references.
A window (also called a visible display area) utilized by the Finder interface is illustrated in
FIG. 1
b
“©1986 Apple Computer, Incorporated” (17 U.S.C. 401). A data display area
101
contains names and ICONs of items within that particular folder or storage medium,
102
. The ICON represents the type of item, i.e. a folder, data file or executable code file. The window is further comprised of window control means, including a zoombox
103
, a title bar
104
, a closebox
105
, a title
106
, a horizontal scroll box
107
, a horizontal scroll bar
121
, a left scroll arrow
108
, a right scroll arrow
109
, a size box
110
, a vertical scroll box
112
, a vertical scroll bar
122
, an up scroll arrow
111
, and a down scroll arrow
113
. Use of the window control means identified in
FIG. 1
will be familiar to users of the Apple Macintosh computer.
When the data and/or document which is being displayed within the window is larger than the data display area
101
or the window, some of the data is “hidden”. This “hidden” data can be brought into the data display area
101
through scrolling. Scrolling refers to moving the data/document in a user defined direction in order to bring “hidden” portions within the data display area
101
. Known window interfaces provide different methods for scrolling. One method is to provide predetermined scroll areas where scrolling can be invoked; e.g. scroll bars, scroll arrows or scroll boxes. Using this method, the user positions the cursor in the scroll area and a switch associated with the cursor control device is placed in a predetermined position or clicked. Scrolling will occur in a direction and manner associated with the particular scroll area. A second method is to initiate scrolling whenever the computer system detects that a cursor is on or near the edge of the window and a switch associated with the cursor control device is in a predetermined position. Scrolling will then occur in a corresponding direction of the window edge detected. A third known method, primarily used in application software, allows a user to select an icon from a function palette, to enable the cursor to control movement of the data within the window in a corresponding fashion. This action is analogous to moving a flat piece of paper around on a desk with one's hand.
The Finder interface, as shown in
FIG. 1
b,
provides three alternative means for scrolling. It should first be noted that the position of scroll boxes
112
and
107
within scroll bars
122
and
121
respectively, represent a relative position of the data being displayed, within the document. In a first direct means to move the data display area
101
vertically, the cursor is moved into the vertical scroll box
112
and the switch associated with the cursor control device is placed and kept in a predetermined position while the cursor control device is manipulated to cause the cursor to be moved vertically, which also causes the vertical scroll box
112
to be moved vertically within the vertical scroll bar
122
, in a corresponding fashion. As long as the
Meier John R.
Mercer Paul
Sullivan John
Apple Computer Inc.
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Nguyen Chanh
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