Method and apparatus for efficiently updating coordinates of hierarchical views
US5802326A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 5, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 1, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 5, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0481
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a computer display system, data structures or views are organized in a hierarchical manner. Each view has stored therein: (1) display information; (2) information pertaining to how that view is linked to other views in the hierarchy; (3) relative coordinates; (4) global coordinates indicating where on the display the view should be drawn; and (5) a valid flag indicating whether the global coordinates are currently valid. When a view is moved, its global coordinates are no longer valid. Thus, the valid flag in the view is reset to so indicate. In addition, the valid flag of all of that view's subviews are reset (if they are not already reset). The global coordinates of the view and subviews, however, are not immediately recomputed. Rather, the global coordinates of these views are recomputed only when they are needed, such as when they are accessed for display. By storing a view's global coordinates within the view, and by updating the global coordinates only when necessary, the process of managing global coordinates is optimized.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.