Method and system for manipulating data through a graphic user interface within a data processing system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the displayable object associated with the selected graphical selection in a foreground mode.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a second plurality of graphic selections comprises displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation within the first plurality of graphic selections in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a second plurality of graphic selection comprises displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation around the first plurality of graphic selections in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections.

Claim 6

A data processing system for efficiently managing a plurality of displayable objects within a display, the method comprising the data processing system comprising: first display means for displaying a first plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation, each of the first plurality of graphic selections being associated with one of the plurality of displayable objects; second display means for displaying a rotatable pointer within the substantially circular formation, the rotatable pointer including a movable control element located within the rotatable pointer; third display means for displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections; and alteration means for altering a display of a displayable object associated with the selected graphic selection in response to a selection of one of the second plurality of graphic selections utilizing the rotatable pointer and the movable control element, wherein the rotatable pointer and the movable control element are manipulated by a user controlled pointer.

Claim 7

A data processing system for efficiently managing a plurality of displayable objects within a display, the method comprising the data processing system comprising: first display means for displaying a first plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation, each of the first plurality of graphic selections being associated with one of the plurality of displayable objects; second display means for displaying a rotatable pointer within the substantially circular formation, the rotatable pointer including a movable control element located within the rotatable pointer; third display means for displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections; and alteration means for altering a display of a displayable object associated with the selected graphic selection in response to a selection of one of the second plurality of graphic selections utilizing the rotatable pointer and the movable control element, wherein the rotatable pointer and the movable control element are manipulated by a user controlled pointer.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying the displayable object associated with the selected graphical selection in a foreground mode.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5, wherein the step of displaying a second plurality of graphic selections comprises displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation within the first plurality of graphic selections in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections.

Claim 10

The method of claim 5, wherein the step of displaying a second plurality of graphic selection comprises displaying a second plurality of graphic selections arranged in a substantially circular formation around the first plurality of graphic selections in response to a selection of a graphic selection from the first plurality of graphic selections.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9, wherein the step of displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring includes displaying a plurality of selections within the second ring.

Claim 14

The method of claim 9, wherein the step of altering the selected order includes displaying a selected one of the plurality of data collections in a foreground mode in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11, wherein the step of displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring includes displaying a plurality of selections associated with the selected one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of the first portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer.

Claim 16

A data processing system for selectively manipulating a display of a plurality of overlapping data collections which are displayed in multiple layers and in a simulated three-dimensional manner within a data processing system, the data processing system comprising: first display means for displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring; second display means for displaying a rotatable pointer rotatable about a pivot point within the first and second rings; association means for associating each of the plurality of data collections with a portion of the first ring; third display means for displaying the multiple layers of the overlapping data collections in a selected order; first alteration means for altering the selected order of the display of the multiple layers of overlapping data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer; and second alteration means for altering the display of a selected one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the second ring utilizing the rotatable pointer.

Claim 17

A data processing system for selectively manipulating a display of a plurality of overlapping data collections which are displayed in multiple layers and in a simulated three-dimensional manner within a data processing system, the data processing system comprising: first display means for displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring; second display means for displaying a rotatable pointer rotatable about a pivot point within the first and second rings; association means for associating each of the plurality of data collections with a portion of the first ring; third display means for displaying the multiple layers of the overlapping data collections in a selected order; first alteration means for altering the selected order of the display of the multiple layers of overlapping data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer; and second alteration means for altering the display of a selected one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the second ring utilizing the rotatable pointer.

Claim 18

A storage device readable by a data processing system and encoding data processing system executable instructions, the data storage device comprising: means for displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring; means for displaying a rotatable pointer rotatable about a pivot pointer within the first and second rings; means for associating each data collection in a plurality of data collections with a portion of the first ring; means for displaying each data collection within the plurality of data collections in a selected order; means for altering the selected order of the display of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer; and means for altering the display of one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the second ring utilizing the rotatable pointer, wherein the means are activated when the storage device is connected to and accessed by a data processing system.

Claim 19

A storage device readable by a data processing system and encoding data processing system executable instructions, the data storage device comprising: means for displaying a substantially circular control icon having a first ring and a second ring; means for displaying a rotatable pointer rotatable about a pivot pointer within the first and second rings; means for associating each data collection in a plurality of data collections with a portion of the first ring; means for displaying each data collection within the plurality of data collections in a selected order; means for altering the selected order of the display of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the first ring by the rotatable pointer; and means for altering the display of one of the plurality of data collections in response to a selection of a portion of the second ring utilizing the rotatable pointer, wherein the means are activated when the storage device is connected to and accessed by a data processing system.

Claim 20

The storage device of claim 14, wherein the storage device is a hard disk drive.

Claim 21

The storage device of claim 14, wherein the storage device is a ROM for use with a data processing system.

Claim 22

The storage device of claim 14, wherein the storage device is a floppy diskette.