Patent US1548780A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0626635A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0626635A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Improved graphical user interface with method and apparatus for interfacing to remote devices
Assignee: Sun Microsystems Inc
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Filing: 1994-04-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-04-13
Abstract
Abstract An intuitive graphical user interface is based upon a geographic map structure, and includes a system for controlling remote external electronic devices. In the defined graphical user interface, each Space of the geographic map structure is rendered on a touch screen display as a graphic image of a geographic space. Within each Space are colored cartoon-like icons called "objects" which can be Selected and manipulated by the user. Certain objects, referred to as portals, transport the user from one Space to another Space when Selected. Other objects, referred to as buttons, perform associated actions or functions when Selected. The graphical user interface is displayed on a hand-held display device used to control remote devices. Each remote electronic device transmits a user interface program object that defines a graphical user interface to the display device. The hand-held display devices displays the graphical user interface associated with the remote device when a user selects an icon associated with the remote device on the display device's touch screen display.
Inventors
- 👤 Patrick J. Naughton
- 👤 Chris Warth
- 👤 Charles H. Clanton, Iii
- 👤 Joseph M. Palrang
- 👤 James A. Gosling
- 👤 Edward H. Frank
- 👤 David A. Lavallee
- 👤 R. Michael Sheridan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 17:26
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/03; G06F3/033; G06F3/038; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06F3/0482; G06F3/0484; G06F3/04847; G06F3/0485; G06F3/0486; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/465; G09; G09B; G09B5/00; G09B5/08; G09B5/14; H; H03; H03J; H03J1/00; H03J1/0008; H03J1/0025; H04; H04B; H04B1/00; H04B1/06; H04B1/16; H04B1/20; H04B1/202; H04L; H04L12/00; H04L12/28; H04L12/2803; H04L12/2816; H04L12/282; H04L67/00; H04L67/50; H04L67/75; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/4104; H04N21/4113; H04N21/4126; H04N21/41265; H04N21/4131; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204; H04N21/43; H04N21/431; H04N21/4312; H04N21/4314; H04N21/4316; H04N21/436; H04N21/43615; H04N21/43622; H04N21/47; H04N21/472; H04N21/47214; H04N21/4722; H04N21/482; H04N21/4821; H04N21/485; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; H04N21/85; H04N21/858; H04N21/8586; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17318; H04W; H04W4/00; H04W4/02; G06F2203/00; G06F2203/038; G06F2203/0384; H03J2200/00; H03J2200/25; H03J2200/26; H04L12/2807; H04L12/2809; H04L12/2818; H04L2012/284; H04L2012/2841; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/72; H04M1/724; H04M1/72403; H04M1/72409; H04M1/72415; H04N21/426; H04N21/478; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S715/00; Y10S715/977
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
191 words
A method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system, said computer system comprising a CPU, a memory, and graphics display screen, said method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of Spaces, each of said Spaces comprising a graphic background image; organizing said Spaces in a directed graph structure, said Spaces connected together with a plurality of portals; locating said plurality of portals in said Spaces, each of said portals having an associated target Space such that said portal connects the Space said portal is in with said associated target Space, each of said portals comprising a graphic icon; rendering a graphic background image of a first Space and portals located in said first Space on said graphics display screen, said first Space having at least a first portal; receiving input from a user, said input comprising a portal selected from said portals located in said first Space; and rendering a graphic background image of a target Space associated with said selected portal on said graphics display screen; such that said user can move between Spaces in said directed graph structure by selecting said portals within said Spaces.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 1 further wherein said steps of rendering a background image further comprises the steps of: rendering a first subset of said background image on said graphics display screen, said first subset from a first location in said background image; receiving directional input from said user, said directional input comprising a movement direction; and rendering a second subset of said background image on said graphics display screen, said second subset from a second location in said background image, said second location being said first location plus an offset corresponding to said movement direction; such that said user can move about within a background image associated with a Space.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 2 further wherein said step of receiving directional input from said user further comprises detecting a finger of said user sliding across said display screen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
161 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of: providing a Wayback portal, said Wayback portal displayed in each of said Spaces, said Wayback portal comprising a stack of data structures, each of said data structures comprising a pointer, each of said pointers pointing to one of said Spaces; pushing a first data structure on said Wayback portal stack when said user moves to said first Space, said first data structure containing a pointer to said first Space; popping a second data structure off of said Wayback portal stack when said user selects said Wayback portal, said second data structure containing a pointer to a second Space; and moving said user to said second Space pointed to by said pointer in said second data structure popped off said Wayback portal stack; such that said user can trace back along a path of Spaces which said user travels through.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said data structures in said Wayback portal further comprises a coordinate, said coordinate identifying a location in said first Space where said user was when said user left said first Space.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said Wayback portal is rendered as a snapshot of a Space pointed to by a pointer in a data structure on top of said Wayback portal stack.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of button objects, each of said button objects associated with a function; rendering said button objects within said Spaces, said button objects comprising graphic icons; and executing the function associated with a button object when said button object is selected by a user.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said display screen comprises a touch sensitive display screen.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said input from said user comprises a finger touching said touch sensitive display screen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of providing a graphical user interface on a computer system as claimed in claim 1, said method further comprising the steps of: rendering an anthropomorphic graphic character on said display; attracting said user's attention by animating said anthropomorphic graphic character; and conveying state information to said user by changing a visual appearance of said anthropomorphic character.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
176 words
A method of displaying a plurality of objects for a user to select from on a display screen associated with a computer system, said method comprising the steps of: organizing a plurality of objects into a circular object list; rendering a first subset of said objects in said circular object list as a first subset of graphic objects on said display screen, said graphic objects rendered on said display screen aligned along a first axis; and rotating through said circular object list when said user slides a pointing device across said graphic objects in a direction substantially parallel to said first axis such that said first subset of graphic objects on said display screen is replaced by a second subset graphic objects on said display screen, said second subset graphic objects on said display screen corresponding to a second subset of said objects in said circular object list; such that said user can choose any of said plurality of objects by rotating through the circular object list until a desired object appears on said display screen.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of displaying a plurality of graphic objects for a user to select from as claimed in claim 11 further comprising the step of: selecting a graphic object displayed on said display screen when a user places a pointing device on said graphic object displayed on said display screen for a minimum amount of time.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of displaying a plurality of graphic objects for a user to select from as claimed in claim 11 further comprising the step of: moving a graphic object off said circular object list when said user places said pointing device on said graphic object and moves said pointing device in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first axis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of displaying a plurality of graphic objects for a user to select from as claimed in claim 13 wherein said display screen comprises a touch screen and said pointing device comprises a finger.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of displaying a plurality of graphic objects for a user to select from as claimed in claim 11 wherein said step of rotating through said circular object list is enhanced by simulating a physical wheel that is affected by friction.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
254 words
In a graphical user interface for a computer system, said graphical user interface comprising a plurality of Spaces organized in a directed graph structure, each of said Spaces comprising a graphic background image, said Spaces coupled in said directed graph structure using a plurality of portals, each of said portals providing a connection between a first Space and a second Space, a method for storing a path traveled along said directed graph structure, said method comprising the steps of: rendering a graphic background image corresponding to a first Space on a display screen, said first Space including at least one portal, said portal associated with a target Space; providing a Wayback portal, said Wayback portal displayed in each of said Spaces, said Wayback portal comprising a stack of Space pointers, each of said Space pointers pointing to a previously visited Space; receiving input from a user, said input comprising said Wayback portal or a portal selected from said portals located in said first Space; and processing said input received from said user such that if said user selects a portal, said user interface pushing a pointer to a Space associated with said selected portal on said Wayback stack and rendering a graphic background image of the Space associated with said selected portal on said graphics display screen, else if said user selects said Wayback portal, said user interface popping a Space pointer off the top of said Wayback portal stack and rendering said Space indicated by said Space pointer on said graphics display screen.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of storing a path traveled along said directed graph structure in a graphical user interface for a computer system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said Wayback portal comprises a miniature image of the Space indicated by the pointer on the top of the Wayback portal stack.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
54 words
In a computer system having a graphical user interface, an animated multipurpose icon, said icon comprising the elements of: an anthropomorphic graphic character rendered on said display; means for attracting a user's attention by animating said anthropomorphic graphic character; and means for conveying state information by changing a visual appearance of said anthropomorphic character.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
173 words
In a graphical user interface for a computer system, said graphical user interface comprising a plurality of graphic objects rendered on a display screen, said display screen comprising a touch screen which senses a finger placed on the screen and determines a location of said finger on said touch screen, a method of allowing a user to grab a graphic object, said method comprising the steps of: rendering a graphic object on said touch screen display, said graphic object defining an area on said touch screen display; placing a finger on said touch screen display near said graphic object rendered on said touch screen display; circling said graphic object rendered on said touch screen display with said finger; touching said graphic object rendered on said touch screen display; and rendering said graphic object on said touch screen display at a location defined by said finger on said display screen as determined by said touch screen display; such that a user can select said graphic object by circling said graphic object with a finger.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
211 words
An apparatus for controlling at least one remote device, said apparatus comprising the elements of: a central processing unit (CPU); a memory, said memory coupled to said central processing unit; a display screen, said display screen coupled to said CPU, said display screen displaying graphic images; communications means for receiving and transmitting messages across a communications network, said communications means coupled to said central processing unit; means for receiving a user interface program object over said communications means, said user interface program object broadcast by a remote device, said user interface program object defining a user interface for said remote device; means for invoking a user interface method in said user interface program object, said user interface method displaying a graphical user interface associated with said remote device on said display screen; means for accepting input from a user, said input guided by said graphical user interface associated with said remote device on said display screen; and means for invoking a device driver method associated with said remote device in response to said input from said user, said device driver method controlling said remote device; such that said user interface of said remote device is displayed on said display screen and interaction with said user interface invokes a device driver method.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus for controlling at least one remote device as claimed in claim 20, said apparatus further comprising means for receiving a device driver program object associated with said remote device over said communications means, said device driver program object including said device driver method for controlling said remote device.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus for controlling at least one remote device as claimed in claim 21, said apparatus further wherein said device driver method is broadcast by said remote device across said communications network and copied into said apparatus.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus for controlling at least one remote device as claimed in claim 22 wherein said device driver method translates said input from said user into a plurality of control codes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus for controlling at least one remote device as claimed in claim 23 wherein said apparatus transmits said plurality of control codes to said remote device.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus for controlling at least one remote device as claimed in claim 20 wherein said device driver method is located within said remote device.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus for controlling at least one remote device as claimed in claim 25 wherein said device driver method is invoked remotely across said communications network by said apparatus.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus for controlling at least one remote device as claimed in claim 26 wherein said device driver method is remotely invoked using a robust remote procedure call manager.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of obtaining a graphical user interface from said remote device and controlling said remote device with a local display device, said local display device coupled to a communication network, said method comprising: connecting said remote device to said communication network; signaling from said remote device that said remote device has a graphical user interface to export upon being connected to said communication network; requesting said graphical user interface by said local display device; transmitting a graphical user interface program object to said local display device, said graphical user interface program object containing a method which display said graphical user interface; and invoking said method in said user interface program object such that said remote device's graphical user interface is displayed on said local display device.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of obtaining a remote device's user interface from said remote device and controlling said remote device with a local display device as claimed in claim 28, wherein said method further comprises the steps of: interacting with said remote device's user interface displayed on said local display device; and invoking a control method in a device driver program object to handle said interactions with said remote device's user interface.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of obtaining a remote device's user interface from said remote device and controlling said remote device with a local display device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said device driver program object is located within said remote device.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of obtaining a remote device's user interface from said remote device and controlling said remote device with a local display device as claimed in claim 30, wherein said control method in said device driver program object is invoked remotely across said communications network.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of obtaining a remote device's user interface from said remote device and controlling said remote device with a local display device as claimed in claim 29, said method further comprising the step of transmitting said device driver program object across said communications network to said local display device.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of obtaining a remote device's user interface from said remote device and controlling said remote device with a local display device as claimed in claim 32, wherein said device driver method within said device driver program object is invoked within said local display device.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of obtaining a remote device's user interface from said remote device and controlling said remote device with a local display device as claimed in claim 33, wherein said device driver method translates said user input into commands codes.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of obtaining a remote device's user interface from said remote device and controlling said remote device with a local display device as claimed in claim 34, wherein said local display device transmits said commands codes to said remote device.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
155 words
A method of copying an object in a graphical user interface, said method comprising the steps of: rendering a first graphic image of said object at a first position on a graphics display screen; receiving input from a user, said input comprising a command to copy said object; rendering a ghost image of said object at said first position on said display screen, said ghost image comprising a copy of said first graphic image of said object drawn in muted colors; receiving input from a user, said input comprising a second position to locate a copy of said object; rendering said first graphic image of said object at said second position; and changing the ghost image of said object at said first position on said display screen such that said ghost image of said object becomes identical to said first graphic image of said object; such that two graphic images of said object now exist.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of copying an object in a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 36, wherein said input comprises a finger touching a touch screen display
Claim 38
Independent Claim
160 words
A method of moving an object in a graphical user interface, said method comprising the steps of: rendering a first graphic image of said object at a first position on a graphics display screen; receiving input from a user, said input comprising a command to move said object; rendering a ghost image of said object at said first position on said display screen, said ghost image comprising a copy of said first graphic image of said object drawn in muted colors; receiving input from a user, said input comprising a second position to locate a said object; rendering said second graphic image of said object at said second position; and moving said ghost image of said object at said first position to said second position such that said ghost image of said object merges into said second graphic image of said object at said second position; such that one graphic image of said object now exists at said second position.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of copying an object in a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 38, wherein said input comprises a finger touching a touch screen display
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
150 words
In an object-oriented graphical user interface, said object-oriented graphic user interface illustrating objects as graphical icons, a method of providing information to a program object, said method comprising the steps of: rendering a graphic image of a data object at a first position on a graphics display screen; receiving input from a user, said input comprising a command to move said data object; rendering a ghost image of said object at said first position on said display screen, said ghost image comprising a copy of said first graphic image of said object drawn in muted colors; receiving input from a user, said input comprising a second position to locate a said data object, said program object located at said second position; and receiving input from a user, said input a command to provide said data object to said program object; such that two graphic images of said object now exist.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of providing information to a program object as claimed in claim 40, wherein said input comprises a finger touching a touch screen display
Claim 42
Independent Claim
144 words
A method of navigating through a graphical user interface, said graphical user interface displayed on a display screen, said graphical user interface comprising a plurality of Spaces, each of said Spaces comprising a graphic background image, said Spaces organized into a map structure, said method comprising the steps of: displaying a first Space on said display screen, said first Space representing where a user currently is within said map structure; displaying a plurality of portals in said first Space, each of said portals having an associated target Space such that said portal connects the Space said portal is in with said associated target Space such that each portal provides said user a place to go, each of said portals comprising a graphic icon; and displaying a Wayback portal in said first Space, said Wayback depicting a image of a Space said user just left.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of navigating through a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 42, wherein said map structure is organized as a directed graph.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of navigating through a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 43, wherein if a user selects one of said portals then said user is moved to a Space associated with said Portal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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