Temporal displacement icon in a graphical user interface
US5943678A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 3, 1996 |
| Grant date | Aug 24, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 3, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F8/71
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
This invention permits users to conveniently examine functions, applications, data, and other parameters for different periods of time. A region of the graphical user interface is provided to which other icons may be dragged so that the function represented by the dragged icon returns to a prior state or is extrapolated to a future state. By storing the previous m versions of a file, application, database, etc., where m is user selectable, the user can review prior versions of that file, application, or database without explicitly having to track those versions. The graphical nature of the present invention provides a significantly more intuitive way to manipulate the time.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.