Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-20
2004-04-27
Kincaid, Kristine (Department: 2174)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06727921
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems, and in particular to a graphical user interface (GUI) of a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a mixed-mode GUI input field.
2. Description of the Related Art
Graphical user interface (GUI) components are graphical elements that are displayed on a screen to facilitate interaction between a user and a computer system. Selection menus or selection boxes are among the GUI components that display and allow a user to choose among various predetermined inputs within the selection menus or boxes.
It may be necessary and desired at times to provide a GUI component that permits mixed mode inputs (i.e., numeric inputs, textual inputs, and combined textual and numeric inputs). With reference to
FIG. 1
, a GUI component
8
that allows mixed mode inputs is displayed on a display screen
14
. A radio button
301
is assigned to each combined numeric and textual input
204
(i.e., Item 1, 2, or 3). A radio button
301
is also assigned to spin control box
100
for numeric-only input
104
. A user selects an input
204
or spin control box
100
by using a graphical pointing device to select a corresponding radio button
301
. If a combined number and text input
204
is selected, then the selection is indicated by highlighting the respective radio button
301
, and spin control box
100
is de-activated. If spin control box
100
is selected, then the selection is indicated by highlighting the associated radio button
301
. Spin control box
100
has a spin controller with scroll button
106
A and scroll button
106
B. Scroll buttons
106
A and
106
B are controlled by the user's interface control device and activated to respectively increment and decrement numeric input
104
(i.e. from the number “10”) to a desired number within a numeric range. Desired numeric input
104
is shown within numeric display area
102
in spin control box
100
. As shown, GUI component
8
of
FIG. 1
that allows selection of mixed mode inputs occupies a relatively large display area. Also, GUI component
8
requires a relatively large amount of code to provide such a layout, and the large amount of code requires a lot of large memory space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved graphical user interface (GUI) component for presenting mixed mode inputs. A GUI component disclosed as a mixed mode input box according to the present invention permits easier selection within the GUI component of an input among mixed mode inputs such as numeric inputs within a numeric range and combined textual and numeric inputs. Pull-down menu is activated to allow the user to select among mixed mode inputs. When the user selects a numeric value within a numeric range only as the selected input, scroll buttons are activated and used by the user to increment or decrement the numeric value to a desired, selected input value. When the selected input is any other input, such as a combined textual and numeric input, scroll buttons are de-activated. Display of mixed mode input box occupies a relatively small display area and only requires a relatively small amount of code to provide such a layout. Such a small amount of code is able to be stored in a small amount of memory space.
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IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, “User Guided Selection or Elimination of Identified Information in Video Sequence”, vol. 39, No. 8, Aug. 1996, pp. 141-146.
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Bracewell & Patterson LLP
International Business Machines - Corporation
Joseph Thomas J
Kincaid Kristine
Reid Scott W.
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