Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for facilitating integration of software objects between workspaces in a data processing system graphical user interface

US5491784A · kind A · utility

85Cited by
0References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 30, 1993
Grant dateFeb 13, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 30, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0481
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for facilitating operator initiated integration of items between software objects in a graphical user interface. In this technique, the operator selects a source software object and one or more target software objects. The source software object and the target software objects include data items which may be copied by the operator between the software objects during an accelerated integration mode of operation. During the accelerated integration mode of operation, a graphical pointing device is utilized by the operator to select items which are present in the source software object. By manipulating the graphical pointing device, the operator selects items from the source software object for automatic inclusion in the one or more target software objects, while the graphical pointing device is maintained entirely within the source software object. A visual indication is automatically provided which is representative of the step of automatically copying.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.