Patent EP0514307A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0514307A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for selectively revealing obscured portions of a viewport during graphic user interface drag and drop operations
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1992-04-07
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2012-04-07
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus is disclosed for manipulating selectable visual icons in a data processing system. The data processing system has a plurality of software objects which are simultaneously displayed in a plurality of viewports, which at least partially overlap. The method and apparatus allow for graphically selecting a particular one of the selectable visual icons within a first of the plurality of viewports. The method and apparatus allow relocation of particular one of the selectable visual icons to an exposed portion of a second viewport of the plurality of viewports. The movement between viewports triggers an automatic rearranging of the order in which the plurality of viewports overlap, causing the second of the plurality of viewports to be raised to a topmost position relative to all others of the plurality of viewports. An override function is provided which inhibits automatic rearranging when the selected visual icon is passed through intervening viewports between a source viewport and a target viewport.
Inventors
- 👤 David Chester Gibson
- 👤 Kendall Jay Jefferson
- 👤 Kendall Allen Lock
- 👤 David J. Schell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 10:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of manipulating visual icons in a data processing system having a plurality of software objects which are simultaneously displayed in a plurality of viewports which at least partially overlap, comprising the method steps performed with said data processing system of: graphically selecting a particular one of said selectable visual icons within a first of said plurality of viewports; relocating said particular one of said selectable visual icons to an exposed portion of a second of said plurality of viewports; and automatically rearranging the order in which said plurality of viewports overlap in response to movement of said particular one of said selectable visual icons onto said exposed portion of said second of said plurality of viewports, such that said second of said plurality of viewports is raised to a topmost position relative to all others of said plurality of viewports.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method of manipulating selectable visual icons according to Claim 1, further comprising: selectively preventing automatic rearrangement of said plurality of viewports notwithstanding relocation of said particular one of said selectable visual icons onto said exposed portion of said second of said plurality of viewports.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method of manipulating selectable visual icons according to Claim 1, further comprising: delivering said particular one of said selectable visual icons to said second of said plurality of viewports.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method of manipulating selectable visual icons according to Claim 1, further comprising: delivering said particular one of said selectable visual icons to said second of said plurality of viewports; and automatically returning said plurality of viewports to an arrangement identical to that of said plurality of viewports prior to said step of automatically rearranging.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
181 words
In a computer system having a visual display and a graphical user interface including a plurality of selectable icons representative of software objects, a visual indicator for moving a selected one of said selectable icons within said visual display, and a plurality of viewports which at least partially overlap which are, arranged in a stack having a top position unobscured by other viewports, wherein at least one revealed icon is visible in a source viewport and at least one obscured icon is disposed in an obscured portion of a target viewport which is obscured from view by an overlapping window, a drag and drop function facilitator means, comprising: means for determining when a particular one of said at least one revealed icon of said plurality of selectable icons is relocated with said visual indicator from said source viewport to said target viewport within said visual display; and means for automatically moving said target viewport to said top position in said stack to reveal said previously obscured at least one obscured icon of said target viewport, responsive to said means for determining.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A drag and drop function facilitator means according to Claim 5, further comprising: means for selectively preventing said means for automatically moving from moving said target viewport to said top position in said stack.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
A drag and drop function facilitator means according to Claim 5, further comprising: means for delivering said particular one of said at least one revealed icon of said plurality of selectable icons to said target viewport.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
67 words
A drag and drop function facilitator means according to Claim 5, further comprising: means for delivering said particular one of said at least one revealed icon of said plurality of selectable icons to said target viewport; and means for automatically returning said plurality of viewports to an arrangement identical to that of said plurality of viewports of prior movement of said target viewport to said top position.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
383 words
A method of facilitating a drag and drop manipulation of selectable visual icons in a data processing system having a planar visual display for displaying a plurality of viewports which at least partially overlap obscuring certain of said selectable visual icons, said data processing system also having a visual indicator positionable within said planar visual display which is adapted for selectively attaching and detaching to selectable visual icons for selectively positioning selectable visual icons within said planar visual display, wherein proximal placement of a plurality of selectable visual icons actuates a particular software operation, comprising the method steps performed by said data processing system of: graphically selecting with said visual indicator a particular one of said selectable visual icon within a first of said plurality of viewports; attaching said particular one of said selectable visual icons to said visual indicator; relocating said particular one of said selectable visual icons with said visual indicator within said planar visual display to an exposed portion of a second of said plurality of viewports which contains at least one selectable visual icon obscured by an overlapping viewport; monitoring for relocation of said visual indicator between ones of said plurality of viewports; automatically rearranging the order in which said plurality of viewports overlap in response to relocation detected between ones of said plurality of viewports, such that a recipient viewport of said plurality of viewports which receives said visual indicator with said particular one of said selectable visual icons attached thereto is raised to a topmost position relative to all others of said plurality of viewports; selectively overriding, upon receipt of a user command, said step of automatically rearranging to prevent rearrangement of the order in which said plurality of viewports overlap to accommodate passage through viewports of said plurality of viewports which are intermediate of said first of said plurality of viewports and second of said plurality of viewports; wherein, upon relocation of said visual indicator with a particular one of said selectable visual icons attached thereto into said second of said plurality of viewports, said second of said plurality of viewports is automatically rearranged to said topmost position to reveal entirely said second of said plurality of viewports including said at least one selectable visual icon previously obscured by overlapping ones of said plurality of viewports.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method of facilitating a drag and drop manipulation of selectable visual icons according to Claim 13, further comprising: detaching said particular one of said selectable visual icons from said visual indicator to place said particular one of said selectable visual icons proximate a particular one of said at least one selectable visual icon previously obscured by an overlapping viewport, allowing actuation of said particular software function.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
108 words
A method of facilitating a drag and drop manipulation of selectable visual icons according to Claim 13, further comprising: detaching said particular one of said selectable visual icons from said visual indicator to place said particular one of said selectable visual icons proximate a particular one of said at least one selectable visual icon previously obscured by an overlapping viewport, allowing actuation of a particular software function; automatically returning said visual indicator to said first of said plurality of viewports; and simultaneously automatically returning said plurality of viewports to an arrangement identical to that of said plurality of viewports at time prior to said step of automatically rearranging.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.