User interface with multiple workspaces for sharing display system objects
US5233687A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 9, 1991 |
| Grant date | Aug 3, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 9, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/451
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Workspaces provided by an object-based user interface appear to share windows and other display objects. Each workspace's data structure includes, for each window in that workspace, a linking data structure called a placement which links to the display system object which provides that window, which may be a display system object in a preexisting window system. The placement also contains display characteristics of the window when displayed in that workspace, such as position and size. Therefore, a display system object can be linked to several workspaces by a placement in each of the workspaces' data structures, and the window it provides to each of those workspaces can have unique display characteristics. The display system object can operate continuously despite switching between one workspace and another, and the windows it provides in successive workspaces can share features so that they appear to the user to be the same window or versions of the same window. As a result, the workspaces appear to be sharing a window. Workspaces can also appear to share a window if each workspace's data structure includes data linking to another workspace with a placement to the shared window. …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.