Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for constructing network interfaces

US6154212A · kind A · utility

87Cited by
8References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 6, 1997
Grant dateNov 28, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 6, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S715/969
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A network interface includes a network view portion developed using a low-level, high-performance programming language such as C++, and a user interface portion developed using a higher level scripted programming language such as Tcl/Tk. Variables in the C++ network view portion are linked to corresponding variables in the Tcl/Tk user interface portion. The network view and user interface portions are developed in accordance with a general framework, which in an illustrative embodiment includes: (1) a set of network structures stored in a database; (2) a C++ component including a network base class to generate functions common to multiple views, and a display class derived from the network base class to generate operations specific to a particular view; and (3) a Tcl/Tk component including a standard user interface corresponding to the network base class associated with a given view, and a special interface corresponding to the display class derived from that network base class. The network base classes support a range of viewing functions including identification, selection, zooming, panning, rotation, elision, collapse, expand, repositioning and transforming. The invention may be…

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