Menu control in a graphical user interface
US5828376A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 23, 1996 |
| Grant date | Oct 27, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 23, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0482
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a graphical user interface (GUI) for a personal computer system, an improved method and apparatus for accessing and executing commands associated with user applications. In addition to the standard menu categories of a menubar and control icons of a tool bar, the present invention provides a "hyperbutton", a "context sensitive pop-up menu" and a "menu control editor". A hyperbutton displays, in a persistent subview, a user selected default hyperitem from the hyperitems of the menubar. The default hyperitem is automatically executed when selected by the user with a mouse. The hyperbutton displays a title of the default hyperitem. The user can change the default hyperitem using a pop-up menu displayed in response to an interface command such as a right mouse button. A context sensitive pop-up menu is associated with a particular object such as a grid subview. The user configures the context sensitive pop-up menu to contain a custom set of the hyperitems associated with the object. A hyperitem editor allows the user to configure the hyperbutton and context sensitive pop-up menu by defining the associated hyperitems and their attributes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.