Dynamic generation and overlaying of graphic windows for multiple active program storage areas

Claim 2

A computer terminal display system comprising a display surface, means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of overlapping rectangular graphic layers on said surface, wherein each of said graphic layers comprises an autonomous level of graphical information, means for associating each of said graphic layers with an independent computer program, means for storing a complete bitmap for each of said graphic layers, and means responsive to the associated one of said independent computer programs for continuously updating each of said bitmaps.

Claim 3

The display system according to claim 1 wherein said bitmaps for all partially obscured ones of said graphic layers comprise a plurality of partial bitmaps of obscured areas linked together.

Claim 4

The display system according to claim 2 wherein said interacting means includes a keyboard.

Claim 5

The display system according to claim 1 further comprising means for selectively interacting with any one of said graphic layers.

Claim 6

The display system according to claim 4 wherein said interacting means comprises a graphical cursor control device.

Claim 7

The display system according to claim 1 further comprising means for selectively displaying any one of said graphic layers in the topmost unobscured position.

Claim 8

A graphics terminal comprising a display, a keyboard, a graphics control device, and programmed apparatus for controlling said terminal, said apparatus comprising means responsive to said control device for creating a plurality of overlapping display layers on said display, wherein each of said display layers comprises an autonomous level of graphical information, and means for associating each of said display layers with an independent computer program, and means responsive to said keyboard for interacting with any selected one of said display layers to create, execute and display the output of an independent computer program.

Claim 9

A graphics terminal comprising a display, a keyboard, a graphics control device, and programmed apparatus for controlling said terminal, said apparatus comprising means responsive to said control device for creating a plurality of overlapping display layers on said display, wherein each of said display layers comprises an autonomous level of graphical information, and means for associating each of said display layers with an independent computer program, and means responsive to said keyboard for interacting with any selected one of said display layers to create, execute and display the output of an independent computer program.

Claim 10

The graphics terminal according to claim 7 further comprising means for creating a bitmap corresponding to each of said display layers, and means for maintaining each said bitmap current in response to said interacting means.

Claim 11

The graphics terminal according to claim 8 further comprising means for creating a separate partial bitmap for each obscured portion of all of said layers except the top layer, and means for maintaining an obscured bitmap list of all such partial bitmaps for each said layer.

Claim 12

The graphics terminal according to claim 9 wherein each said obscured bitmap list includes a specification of the size and position of the associated one of said layers.

Claim 13

The graphics terminal according to claim 7 where said means for creating, executing and displaying the output of independent computer programs includes a digital computer remote from said graphics terminal, and means for communicating between said graphics terminal and said remote digital computer.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of maintaining full bitmaps of each of said working areas, including both visible portions and portions obscured by others of said working areas, and utilizing said obscured area bitmaps to record corresponding portions of the output of said associated programs.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 13 further including the step of maintaining a list of all of the obscured area bitmaps associated with each of said working areas.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 14 further including the step of selectively bringing any one of said working areas to full visibility by assembling said obscured area bitmaps.