US6175364B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Framework and method for interfacing a GUI, container with a GUI component
Assignee: Sun Microsystems Inc
•
Filing: 1997-04-01
•
Granted: 2001-01-16
•
Expires: 2017-04-01
Abstract
Abstract Methods, software and data structures for installing a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface are disclosed. In one embodiment, a name and desired location for a component are provided. Both the desired component and a component object table that is to be associated with the component are then created. The component object table is arranged to identify both the location and identity of the component. The component object table is then referenced in a container lookup table arranged to associate the component object table with a container at the desired location. In a preferred embodiment, the container is a sliding panel associated with a window suitable for display on the monitor. The sliding panel is capable of supporting a plurality of handles that act as independent sub-containers. The component object table includes a location identifier that identifies an edge of the window that the sliding panel is associated with, and a handle index indicative of a particular handle within the sliding panel.
Inventors
- 👤 Hinkmond B. Wong
- 👤 George Tharakan
- 👤 Bartley H. Calder
- 👤 William A. Shannon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 06:56
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/451
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of installing a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication of a desired placement for a desired component, the desired placement being within a particular container suitable for display on a monitor; receiving a name for the desired component; creating the desired component after receipt of the name of the desired component; creating a component object table to be associated with the created component, the component object table being arranged to identify a location of the component and the identity of the component; and referencing the component object table in a container lookup table, the container lookup table being arranged to associate the component object table with a container at the desired location, wherein the container is suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of installing a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication of a desired placement for a desired component, the desired placement being within a particular container suitable for display on a monitor; receiving a name for the desired component; creating the desired component after receipt of the name of the desired component; creating a component object table to be associated with the created component, the component object table being arranged to identify a location of the component and the identity of the component; and referencing the component object table in a container lookup table, the container lookup table being arranged to associate the component object table with a container at the desired location, wherein the container is suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the container is a sliding panel associated with a window suitable for display on the monitor and the created component is a sliding panel component contained within the sliding panel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as recited in claim 2 wherein: the sliding panel is capable of supporting a plurality of handles that act as independent sub-containers; and the component object table includes a location identifier that identifies an edge of the window that the sliding panel is associated with, and a handle index indicative of a particular handle within the sliding panel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the component object table includes a location field for holding a location identifier that identifies the location of the associated container, and a handle field for holding a handle index indicative of a particular handle associated with the container, the container being capable of supporting a plurality of distinct handles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the component object table further includes an instance name field for holding an instance name identifier that identifies a unique instance name of the component, and wherein the instance name field is filled in by the container; and a class type field for holding a class name identifier that identifies the name of a class that is instantiated to create the component, and wherein the class name field is filled in by the component.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as recited in claim 4 wherein the location identifier and handle index are placed in the component object table by the component.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the desired component creating step includes instantiating a class corresponding to the received name for the desired component, wherein the created component appears to run within the container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of creating the container in response to the receipt of the desired placement.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of: determining whether a container exists at the desired placement; and when it is determined that a container does not exist at the desired placement, creating the container.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the desired placement is indicated by identifying a desired location.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the desired placement is indicated by identifying the particular container.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
136 words
A computer readable medium including programmed instructions arranged to install a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface, the computer readable medium including programmed instructions for: receiving a desired location for a desired component, the desired location being within a particular container suitable for display on a monitor; receiving a name for the desired component; creating the desired component after the receipt of the name of the desired component; creating a component object table to be associated with the created component, the component object table being arranged to identify the location of the component and the identity of the component; and referencing the component object table in a container lookup table, the container lookup table being arranged to associate component object tables with specific containers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
136 words
A computer readable medium including programmed instructions arranged to install a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface, the computer readable medium including programmed instructions for: receiving a desired location for a desired component, the desired location being within a particular container suitable for display on a monitor; receiving a name for the desired component; creating the desired component after the receipt of the name of the desired component; creating a component object table to be associated with the created component, the component object table being arranged to identify the location of the component and the identity of the component; and referencing the component object table in a container lookup table, the container lookup table being arranged to associate component object tables with specific containers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
141 words
A component object table for use in associating a component with a container suitable for containing the component, the component object table being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising: a location field for holding a location identifier that identifies a location of the container relative to a window suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface; a handle field for holding a handle index indicative of a particular handle associated with the container, the container being capable of supporting a plurality of distinct handles that act as independent sub-containers; a instance name field for holding a instance name identifier that identifies a unique instance name of the component; and a class type field for holding a class name identifier that identifies the name of the component that is instantiated within the associated container.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
141 words
A component object table for use in associating a component with a container suitable for containing the component, the component object table being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising: a location field for holding a location identifier that identifies a location of the container relative to a window suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface; a handle field for holding a handle index indicative of a particular handle associated with the container, the container being capable of supporting a plurality of distinct handles that act as independent sub-containers; a instance name field for holding a instance name identifier that identifies a unique instance name of the component; and a class type field for holding a class name identifier that identifies the name of the component that is instantiated within the associated container.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
83 words
A component object table as recited in claim 13 further comprising: a background color field for holding a container color indicator that identifies a background color of a panel portion of the container that contains the component when the panel is displayed on the a display monitor; and a handle color field for holding a handle color indicator that identifies a color of a handle portion of the container that contains the component when the handle is displayed on the a display monitor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
A plurality of component object tables as recited in claim 13 wherein: each component object table associates a unique component with an associated container handle; and each container handle may be associated with a plurality of unique components.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
83 words
A system comprising: a window suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface; a sliding panel container associated with a boundary of the window, the sliding panel container being suitable for display as a part of the graphical user interface; a component contained in the sliding panel container; a component object table for associating the component with the sliding panel container; and a sliding panel table for associating the sliding panel container with the component object table.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
83 words
A system comprising: a window suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface; a sliding panel container associated with a boundary of the window, the sliding panel container being suitable for display as a part of the graphical user interface; a component contained in the sliding panel container; a component object table for associating the component with the sliding panel container; and a sliding panel table for associating the sliding panel container with the component object table.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
129 words
A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the sliding panel container is capable of supporting a plurality of distinct handles that act as independent sub-containers and the component object table includes: a location field for holding a location identifier that identifies a particular boundary window that the sliding panel container is associated with; a handle field for holding a handle index indicative of a particular handle associated with the sliding panel container, the sliding panel container being capable of supporting a plurality of distinct handles; a instance name field for holding a instance name identifier that identifies a unique instance name of the component; and a class type field for holding a class name identifier that identifies the name of a that is instantiated to create the component.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
95 words
A system as recited in claim 14 wherein: a plurality of components are provided with each component having a unique component object table associated therewith: the sliding panel table is arranged to hold a multiplicity of entries, with one entry in the sliding panel table being provided for each component; and each entry in the sliding panel table includes an object reference that identifies a particular one of the component object tables and a sliding panel identifier that identifies the sliding panel container that contains the component that the component object table is associated with.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of modifying a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a component object table associated with a modified component stored in the container; receiving new values for the component object table; updating the component object table with the values; and updating a container lookup table associated with the component with the values.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of modifying a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a component object table associated with a modified component stored in the container; receiving new values for the component object table; updating the component object table with the values; and updating a container lookup table associated with the component with the values.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as recited in claim 19 wherein the new values include one of a location, a background color, a handle color, and a handle for the associated component.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
182 words
A method of installing a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication of a desired placement for a desired component, the desired placement being within a particular sliding panel suitable for display on a monitor, the sliding panel being capable of supporting a plurality of handles that act as independent sub-containers; receiving a name for the desired component; creating the desired sliding panel component; creating a component object table to be associated with the created component, the component object table including a location identifier that identifies an edge of a graphical user interface feature that the sliding panel is associated with, and a handle index indicative of a particular handle within the sliding panel; and referencing the component object table in a container lookup table, the container lookup table being arranged to associate the component object table with a container at the desired location, wherein the container is suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
182 words
A method of installing a component in a container suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication of a desired placement for a desired component, the desired placement being within a particular sliding panel suitable for display on a monitor, the sliding panel being capable of supporting a plurality of handles that act as independent sub-containers; receiving a name for the desired component; creating the desired sliding panel component; creating a component object table to be associated with the created component, the component object table including a location identifier that identifies an edge of a graphical user interface feature that the sliding panel is associated with, and a handle index indicative of a particular handle within the sliding panel; and referencing the component object table in a container lookup table, the container lookup table being arranged to associate the component object table with a container at the desired location, wherein the container is suitable for display on a display screen as part of a graphical user interface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
104 words
A method as recited in claim 21 wherein the desired sliding panel component creating step includes instantiating a class corresponding to the received name for the desired sliding panel component and the component object table further includes an instance name field for holding an instance name identifier that identifies a unique instance name of the component, and wherein the instance name field is filled in by the container; and a class type field for holding a class name identifier that identifies the name of a that is instantiated to create the component, and wherein the class name field is filled in by the component.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method as recited in claim 21 further comprising: determining whether a container exists at the desired placement; and when it is determined that a container does not exist at the desired placement, creating the container.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 21 wherein the created sliding panel component is arranged to run within the particular sliding panel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5305435A
Cited
US5825348A
Cited
US5739928A
Cited
US5475812A
Cited
US5416901A
Cited
US5657462A
Cited
US5694549A
Cited
US5557298A
Cited
US5659694A
Cited
US5745718A
Cited
US5874958A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-01-16 | 2004-07-17 | 2005-01-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-01-16 | 2008-07-17 | 2009-01-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-01-16 | 2012-07-17 | 2013-01-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |