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EP0327781A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method to automatically vary displayed object size with variations in window size

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1988-12-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-12-20
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Abstract

Abstract A method to maintain all of the information that is originally displayed in a window on the display screen in an interactive information handling system, as the size of the window is decreased. By selecting from a plurality of different character sets that are stored in the system, a character set is obtained which has the appropriate width and height attributes that allow the original text characters to be substituted for the corresponding text characters originally displayed. Since the selected character set contains proportionally smaller characters no information is lost because the size of the window was decreased. The different character sets that are stored may be hardware implemented such as ROM character generators based on different sized character boxes or software generated character sets which are also based on different sized character sets. The type of font is important only in the context that some fonts are more readable as the size of the characters decrease than others. The method allows the operator to dynamically vary the window size after the initial window has been displayed in response to some predetermined action by the operator. Any of the techniques suggested in the art for changing the window size would be appropriate. In the preferred embodiment of the method, the system includes a "mouse". Movement of the mouse in a generally horizontal direction with the button in the held position causes the horizontal window size to increase or decrease. The amount of decrease is calculated in real time by monitoring the movement of the mouse and cursor position. A table is stored in memory which lists all of the displayable character sets that are available. Each character set has a width attribute and a height attribute. A percentage decrease in width and height is stored in the table representing changes from the corresponding attributes of standard character set that is normally used to display information in the system. A new character set is selected from the table in accordance with the calculated percentage of decrease and the new character substituted in the text. If the user sizes the window below limits of readability or system capability for resolution, the window components are replaced with a graphic representation of the data or with icons. If the user decides to restore the size of the original, a 1-step key or mouse button sequence is available.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert Joseph Torres

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 03:46
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G5/00; G09G5/14; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G09G5/22; G09G5/222; G09G5/227

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 113 words
A method for an interactive information handling system which includes a display management function that allows an object to be displayed in a window format and permits the operator to decrease the size of a window displaying said object, said method comprising the following sequential steps in combination, A) storing a plurality of the same objects, each of which has different width and height attributes, and B) automatically selecting one of said plurality of stored objects when said window is decreased in size based on the amount of said decrease , whereby said selected object may be substituted in said decreased sized window to maintain the information content manifested by said original object.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 113 words
A method for an interactive information handling system which includes a display management function that allows an object to be displayed in a window format and permits the operator to decrease the size of a window displaying said object, said method comprising the following sequential steps in combination, A) storing a plurality of the same objects, each of which has different width and height attributes, and B) automatically selecting one of said plurality of stored objects when said window is decreased in size based on the amount of said decrease , whereby said selected object may be substituted in said decreased sized window to maintain the information content manifested by said original object.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 134 words
A method for an interactive information handling system which includes a display management function that allows character objects from a first character set to be displayed in a window format and permits the operator to decrease the size of a displayed window displaying said character objects, said method comprising the following sequential steps in combination, A) storing a plurality of the character set objects, each said character set object having different width and height attributes, and B) automatically selecting one of said plurality of stored character set objects when said window is decreased in size based on the amount of said decrease, whereby the characters from said selected character set object may be substituted in said decreased sized window to maintain the information content manifested by the said character objects that were originally displayed.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 134 words
A method for an interactive information handling system which includes a display management function that allows character objects from a first character set to be displayed in a window format and permits the operator to decrease the size of a displayed window displaying said character objects, said method comprising the following sequential steps in combination, A) storing a plurality of the character set objects, each said character set object having different width and height attributes, and B) automatically selecting one of said plurality of stored character set objects when said window is decreased in size based on the amount of said decrease, whereby the characters from said selected character set object may be substituted in said decreased sized window to maintain the information content manifested by the said character objects that were originally displayed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method recited in Claim 2 in which said system includes a display device and a windowing program including the further step of creating a window formatted screen on said display device with said windowing program.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method recited in Claim 3 in which said step of creation includes the step of displaying a predetermined text presentation in said window.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 31 words
The method recited in Claim 4 including the further step of entering new text into said system after said window format is created and displaying said new text in said window.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method recited in Claim 3 or 4 in which said windowing program includes a window sizing function that allows an operator of said system to decrease the size of said window.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 64 words
The method recited in Claim 6 in which said system includes a mouse which is functionally interrelated to said window sizing program and in which said step of decreasing includes the further step of said operator selecting a border of said window with said mouse and moving said mouse in a direction and for a distance to cause said window size to be decreased.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method recited in Claim 7 further including the step of determining the amount of horizontal and vertical decrease in the size of said window during said step of moving from an initial position to a final position.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 56 words
The method recited in Claim 8 further including the step of storing a table in said system including an entry for each one of said plurality of stored character sets, each said entry including fields for storing height and width attributes of said character set and the address in said system where said set is stored.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 57 words
The method recited in Claim 9 in which said window format includes a Command Bar component having a plurality of predetermined text commands displayed on said Bar, including the further step of shortening the initial length of said Command Bar as the horizontal width of said window is decreased by substituting text commands employing smaller width characters.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 50 words
The method set forth in Claim 10 in which said step of shortening includes the step of selecting from a plurality of different length Command Bars stored in said system, one command bar which has a length that is equal to or less than horizontal width of said resized window.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 60 words
The method recited in Claim 11 including the further step of storing said different length Command Bars in said system for use by said window formatting program including at least one command in which each each said command displayed text command is replaced with a different icon and said Bar has the shortest length of all said stored Command Bars.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method recited in Claim 12 including the further step of selecting said store icon Command Bar when said amount of decrease indicated by said step of determining exceeds a predetermined value.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 38 words
The method recited in Claim 13 including the further step of restoring said window to its original size with said window formatting sizing program in response to a predetermined keyboard operation involving no more than two different keys.

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