User interface having simultaneously movable tools and cursor

Claim 1

A computer system in which a program displays data and a user interacts with the data through the use of displayed tools and a displayed cursor, wherein the tools and the cursor are simultaneously and independently positionable in response to separate sets of input signals.

Claim 2

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including first and second user-actuated devices, a display device, a processor coupled to the user input facility and the display device, a storage system for storing information including instructions defining at least one program to be executed by the processor and a set of associated data, the method comprising operating the processor to perform the steps of: executing the program to operate on tne data and display a visible representation thereof on the display device; displaying on the display device a visual depiction of a number of tool-defining regions thereon, each tooldefining region specifying at least in part a particular operation, each tool-defining region and its specified operation being referred to as a tool; positioning the tool-defining regions relative to the visible representation in response to a first set of signals from the first user-actuated device; positioning a cursor relative to the tool-defining regions and the visible representation in response to a second set of signals from the second user-actuated device; and performing an operation specified at least in part by a particular tool-defining region in response to a cursor event within the particular tool-defining region.

Claim 6

The method of any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein at least one of the tools, referred to as a click-through tool, has the property that the result of the operation depends on the location of the cursor event within the tool-defining region.

Claim 7

The method of any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein at least one of the tools, referred to as a conventional tool, has the property that the result of the operation does not depend on the location of the cursor event within the tool-defining region.

Claim 8

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including a user input facility including at least first and second user-actuated devices, a display device, a processor coupled to the user input facility and the display device, a storage system for storing information including instructions defining at least one application program to be executed by the processor and at least one application data structure including a number of application data items, the method comprising operating the processor to perform the steps of: executing the application program to operate on the application data structure and display a visible representation thereof on the display device; displaying on the display device a visual depiction of a number of tool-defining regions thereon, each tooldefining region specifying at least in part a particular operation, each tool-defining region and its specified operation being referred to as a tool; positioning the tool-defining regions relative to the visible representation in response to a first set of signals from the first user-actuated device; positioning a cursor relative to the tool-defining regions and the visible representation in response to a second set of signals from the second user-actuated device; and performing an operation specified at least in part by a particular tool-defining region in response to a cursor event within the particular tool-defining region.

Claim 9

A method for applying a software tool to a workpiece in an interactive computer system, the software tool having certain properties, the system comprising a processor coupled to a display screen and to first and second user-actuated input devices suitable for positioning objects with respect to the display screen, and user interface software that the processor executes, that controls at least a portion of the display screen, and that is responsive to said input device, the method comprising the steps of: using the processor, the user interface software, and the display screen to display a window whose contents represent the workpiece; using the processor, the user interface software, and the display screen to display at least one object that represents the tool; using the processor, the user interface software, and signals from the first input device to position the tool with respect to the window representing the workpiece; and using the processor, the user interface software, and signals from the second input device to selectively activate the tool.

Claim 10

A method of operating a processor-based machine, the machine including a display device, a pointing device for controlling the position of a cursor on the display device in response to user input, a positioning device, and a processor coupled to the display device, the pointing device, and the positioning device, the method comprising operating the processor to perform the steps of: executing an application program so as to operate an associated application data structure and display a representation thereof, referred to as the visible representation, on the display device; generating a visual depiction of a transparent overlay having a number of operation-specifying regions thereon; positioning the overlay relative to the visible representation in response to signals from the positioning device; positioning the cursor within a particular operationspecifying region in response to signals from the pointing device; and performing the operation specified by the particular operation-specifying region in response to a cursor event.