JPH03209299A - Control of computor display using two-dimensional selection and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To simultaneously manage a display area in two dimensions by two- dimensionally moving a third window area on the inside of a second window area to selectively display different parts of data available for display in a first window area. CONSTITUTION: A cursor is positioned to a position 50, and a cursor function key is already operated. When the cursor is moved to a position 51 with the cursor function key active, the outline of an observation area 52 is displayed again in a new place corresponding to the new position of the cursor, and dimensions of the observation area are not changed. Information is two- dimensionally dynamically scrolled so that a new part of information to be displayed in an active window 53 corresponds to the new position of the observation area. Thus, the observable part of information is two-dimensionally scrolled without direct operation of the display area.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to two-dimensional selection of multiple portions of a computer display area and two-dimensional selection of a portion of information to be displayed within a selected display area. Regarding selection.

In particular, the field of the invention is that of interactive computer display controls in which selected portions of available information may be viewed within selected portions of the display area.

[Problems to be solved by conventional technology and invention]

Information management systems are increasingly demanding physical resources available for displaying information to users. Currently, computer display management technology has the ability to display data within multiple rectangular portions (commonly referred to as windows) of a display screen.

The most precise technique known to the applicant is
Apple C in Cupertlno, California
ornputer, Inc.

Apple MacintoshTM- manufactured by
77 Viewer Finder interface. Controls are typically provided to resize and move the window within the physical display boundaries.

Additionally, auxiliary controls are provided for shifting the observable portion of the information within the limits of the window boundaries defined above. Shifting the observable portion of information in this manner is known as scrolling. Normally,
One control means is provided for scrolling the information horizontally and another control means is provided for scrolling the data vertically. The prior art does not provide a means for simultaneously scrolling the observable portion of information in two dimensions without directly manipulating the display area.

Current scrolling methods require the user to position the cursor inside a window containing information and set the observable portion by moving the cursor. Problems may arise with this method if the information window cannot be completely viewed or if there is a large amount of information to be displayed. Additionally, prior art does not provide the ability for dynamic feedback while the observable portion of the data is being selected. It provides a means for directly displaying the position and size of a portion in a 12-dimensional graphic on another area of the display screen.

Conventionally, it is generally not possible to define the size of a window or move the window beyond the physical boundaries of the display area. In order to operate a cylinder window with devices available in the prior art, the window typically must be visible and not hidden.

These abilities are important for efficiently using the limited display area. The present invention achieves this advancement in display management.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides methods and means for selecting a portion of the available information for display in a selected area of a display screen. The invention relates to paths connecting the components of the system to each other, a processor, a random access memory, a read-only memory, and a data storage means for storing data.

a display device including a display screen; an alphanumeric input device;
It consists of an interactive computer-controlled display system that includes a cursor control device for interactively positioning a cursor on a display screen, and a signal generation device. The present invention changes the contents and size of one window area (the "first window area") to another window area (the "second window area") by the two-dimensional movement of the cursor and the operation of the signal generator. A method and means are provided for displaying a window area on a display screen for controlling within a window area. The second window region includes a plurality of predetermined regions associated with a plurality of different functions that act on the first window region. When the cursor is positioned in one of these predetermined areas, the cursor symbol changes to indicate that the ability to resize or scroll the first window area is available.

According to another implementation, when the cursor moves into a predetermined region, the availability of a function is indicated by changing the display of the predetermined region rather than the cursor symbol. Also good. A predetermined area is also provided for moving or terminating the second window area. Also, the ability to zoom or extend the first window area or observable area to full size, the ability to revert the shape of the palette and the first window area to the shape before the last change, the ability to revert the shape of the palette and the first window area to the shape before the last change; The ability to configure the shape of an area to a default state (for example, placing it in the upper left corner), and the ability to set and save the shape of the palette and first window area at an earlier point in the shape set-up. Predetermined areas may also be provided for activating special functions. When a window area is removed from a display device, the position and shape of the window area is saved in a data storage device, and when displayed again, the window area is restored to the saved shape. 1st
The shape and size of the palette and its predetermined area may also be calculated when the palette is first activated based on the size and shape of the window area of the palette. Control is also executed to restrict the movement of the cursor in either the horizontal direction or the vertical direction.

The present invention provides methods and means for overcoming the drawback of conventional display systems of not being able to manage the display area in two dimensions simultaneously.

〔Example〕

The present invention relates to two-dimensionally selecting and displaying a portion of information in a portion of the display area available in a computer or information management system. The detailed description below describes a two-dimensional (2D) scrolling palette as a means of managing the available display area in this manner.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is an Apple Macintosh.
sh" computer system. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that another system may be adopted. In general, a system such as the one shown in FIG. a bus 100; a processor 101 coupled to the bus for processing information; and a random access memory 102 coupled to the bus 100 for storing information and instructions for the processor 101.
and the processor 101 coupled to the bus 100.
a read-only memory 103 for storing static information and instructions for a computer; and a data storage device 104, such as a magnetic disk and a disk drive, coupled to the bus 100 for storing information and instructions. , a display device 105 for displaying information to a user of the computer; and an alphanumeric input device 106 coupled to the bus and including alphanumeric and funk keys for communicating information and command selections to the processor 101; Combine,
a cursor control device 107 coupled to the bus 100 for communicating information and command selections to the processor 101;
a signal generator 108 for communicating command selections to the processor 101;

Display device 105 may be a liquid crystal device, a cathode ray tube, or other suitable display device. Cursor control device 107 allows a computer user to dynamically signal two-dimensional movement of visible symbols on the display screen of display device 105. Numerous implementations of cursor control devices are known in the art, including trackballs, mice, joysticks, or special keys on the alphanumeric input device 106 that can direct movement in a predetermined direction. ing.

2D scrolling palettes add controls and improve upon these window definition and cursor systems. Such features of the invention are discussed below. Since methods of operating windows or cursors are well known to those skilled in the art, general window or cursor operation will be described only where necessary to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.

An operational window area (window) of the present invention is typically a rectangular portion of a computer display screen on which information is displayed to a user. The window area may take on different shapes including round, trapezoidal or triangular. The information may be in the form of text data, numerical data, or graphic data. A window may be used, for example, to represent a notecard in a stack of cards.

The data displayed inside the window represents the information written on that notecard. One well-known system for displaying such notecards is Apple
Hypercard" system sold by Computer, Inc. A window management system provides controls that allow a user to select the size and position of a window within the physical boundaries of a display device. The window definition system also provides controls for scrolling or selecting portions of data visible within the window.

In the present invention, additional control processing means are provided for operating the 2D scroll palette. That is, the processing means generates and displays a window area that functions as a 2D scrolling palette. - Once activated, the 2D scrolling palette allows the user to manipulate the display of selected windows and information.

FIG. 1 shows a menu for operating the process of the present invention. A menu is a window that presents a list of command options to the user.

The user may do so by positioning a cursor symbol within the desired command sequence 11 or within the desired command area at the desired command property 12 using a mouse, joystick or other two-dimensional cursor control device. Select one option. After positioning the cursor, one or more function keys associated with the cursor control device are operated to select a command. U.S. Pat. No. 1,462,652, reissued March 29, 1988 as No. 32,632 to inventor Wl 11 jam Atkinson and assigned to the assignee of this application, discloses a cursor control device. discloses an apparatus suitable for use as a computer and means for implementing the menu control described above. This command or function selection method is employed throughout the description of the invention. Many other methods of command activation may be employed, such as entering a special code or sequence of commands from a keyboard or numeric keypad, or selecting an icon. Icons are small graphical symbols that are displayed to the user and can be identified as performing some function when selected. The invention may be initiated by selecting an icon representing a 2D scrolling palette. Alternatively, the invention may be implemented through a software interface with a computer's operating system software or other application software. Using this method, the 2D scrolling palette can be activated independently of direct user manipulation.

The 2D scrolling palette 1, when activated, is presented to the user on a display screen 2 as shown in FIG.

The palette represents a reduced replica of the available data space,
This may or may not correspond to the actual dimensions of the observable area. For example, the available data represented by a palette may consist of information contained in a single notecard that can be displayed in its entirety on a display screen. The available data may also consist of a complete document or graphical artwork that can only be partially displayed on the display screen at a time. The size of available data is a known quantity based on the maximum number of horizontal and vertical characters or pixels of displayable information. These dimensions are shown in FIG. The width of available data is shown as iw (information width), and the height of available data is shown as 1h (information height). The manner in which 2D scrolling palettes are associated with availability information is described in the following sections.

The palette itself may be displayed as one window. The window is movable to any area of the display using controls provided by the palette itself. When activated, a palette typically appears on top of a nested group of windows occupying the display screen. When a palette is displayed on the top layer, the palette hides all information displayed on the same layer or lower window layers.

2D scrolling palettes are designed to work in conjunction with an associated active window. Although the display screen may display many windows or data areas at once, at least one or more windows should be identified as the active window for operations using 2D scrolling palettes. . The active window is used to display to the user a portion of the data or information available for display. Because the window size is variable, some of the information may not fit within the boundaries of the active window. That is, a portion of the information available for display may not always be displayed. There are times when the dimensions of the available information (tw, fh above) are not the same as the dimensions of the active window. However, since the active window exists before the start of the scroll palette function, the dimensions of the active window are also values that are known from the beginning. Many window definition systems known in the art relate the information available for display to the portion of the information currently or actively displayed in the active window. According to one method of associating displayable information with information currently viewable in the active window, the position of two corners of the viewable information among the available information is calculated.

This relationship is shown in FIG. The upper left position of the observable portion of the information is defined by the offset (Cx, Cy). The lower right position of the observable part of the information is offset (dx
, dy). (ax.

The size and shape of the rectangle of observable information defined by ay) and (dx, dy) is the same as the size and shape of the active window. Since the dimensions of the available information and the dimensions of the active window are initially known values, the position of the observable part of the information (ax, a
y) and (ax, dy) are also known values.

The active window can be determined by positioning the cursor within the window and operating a cursor function key, by operating a special function key, by identifying the window using the window name or number, or if a In this embodiment, the kernel 7 may be identified by using other means such as
One example of an A/C key or signal generating means is a button located on a mouse that is pressed to set a function key to an active state. Active window 3 is shown in FIG. It is not necessary to display the active window on the topmost window layer in order to operate with the scroll palette. The active window may be hidden, displayed off-screen, or not displayed at the moment, but still for purposes of scrolling palette actions. The palette may be attached to the active window so that moving the active window causes the palette to move accordingly.

The initial dimensions of the 2D scrolling palette displayed on the display screen are calculated from the dimensions of the displayable information with which the scroll pant is associated. This feature allows the shape of the palette to be revealed as well as the dimensions of the information it represents. The initial palette size calculation begins by testing the larger size of the displayable information (iw or ih shown in FIG. 10).

If the horizontal dimension (IW) of the displayable information is larger than the vertical dimension (1h) of the displayable information, the horizontal dimension (pv in Figure 10) of the 2D scrolling palette will exceed the maximum size of the palette. is set to a predetermined constant value representing The vertical dimension of the pallet (ph in Figure 10) is equal to its predetermined constant value multiplied by the ratio of the vertical dimension of the displayable information divided by p by the horizontal dimension of the displayable information. is set to The calculation of the initial palette size for the displayable information area when the horizontal dimension is larger is expressed by the following equation.

iw = horizontal dimension of displayable information th = vertical dimension of displayable information C = constant value representing the maximum dimension of the palette ph = e'' (
ih/iw) where: ph is the calculated vertical dimension of the pallet.

If the vertical dimension (fh) of the displayable information is larger than the horizontal dimension (fw) of the displayable information, the roles of the horizontal component and the vertical component in the above equation are swapped. Once this calculation is complete, the dimensions of the pallet (pw and p
h) will be a known value that will be maintained throughout the scrolling palette is displayed.

Scroll palette a represents the available data area, but the available data does not necessarily have to be displayed inside the boundaries of the palette.

The operation of the 2D scrolling palette is independent of whether there is any portion of data available in the palette. This embodiment of the invention is described as a palette that does not include any available display area. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, palette 1 does not include any data displayed in active window 2. However, other embodiments are also possible. The palette may also be displayed with a miniature replica of the observable data displayed within the palette.

Methods of generating reduced data are already well known in the art. Apple Computer.

The Hypercird system, commercially available from Inc., includes functionality that can generate windows that display miniature copies of information that can be displayed full size in another window. It would not be too difficult to incorporate this technique into the present invention.

A 2D scrolling palette is made up of several different predetermined areas within the palette boundaries as shown in FIGS. 3 and 1. Dark area 5 at the top of the palette
is used to activate the function of moving the pallet as described below. Similarly, a control is provided for terminating the 2D scrolling palette function.

The palette itself provides a means of terminating the function.

A small area 4 on the upper left side of the pallet is provided for this purpose.

Ability to zoom or extend the first window area or observable area to full size, a function to revert the shape of the palette and the first window area to the shape before the last change, the palette and the first window Special features such as the ability to configure the shape of a region to its default state (for example, to place it in the top left corner), or the ability to set and save the shape of the palette and first window region at an earlier point in the shape set-up. A predetermined area 10 can also be provided for activating the function. These special predetermined areas 10 are arranged in a 2D scrolling palette as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, within the palette work area 6 there are two other areas for functional activation, namely a viewing area 7 used for resizing the active window; Scrolling area used to scroll the observable information in 8
is stipulated. Both of these areas are predetermined areas. The viewing area is always contained within the working area. The viewing area may be resized to be smaller than or equal to the working area. Upon initial activation, the viewing area is sized by default to the same reduced dimensions as the active window, as shown in FIG. Working Area Dimensions (pv, ph) H1 Represents the reduced dimensions of the entire set of displayable information calculated as shown above. The dimensions of the viewing area (defined by the corners (ax, ay) and (bx, by)) represent the reduced dimensions of the active window.

Therefore, initially, the viewing area is sized to the equivalent dimensions of the active window's actual dimensions (defined by the corners (eX, e7) and (ax, dy)). As mentioned above, the dimensions of available information (IW).

’h), active window dimensions (corners (eX.

ay) and (dx, dy)) and the dimensions of the pallet working area are known values, ie calculated values. Observation area dimensions (ax, ay) and (bx,
by) is calculated using the formula shown below and shown in FIG.

ax = pw” (ax/iw) ay = ph” (Cy/th 0 1) x = pw * (dx/fw) by = ph” (dy/ih) Once the above calculations are completed, the observation area The dimensions are known.The boundaries, or outline, of the viewing area can then be displayed within the working area of the palette.During the initial activation of the 2D scrolling palette, the outline of the viewing area is displayed within the working area, as shown in Figure 2. It may not be visible because it may overlap the border. As the viewing area is shrunk, the active window will shrink in the same way, and the outline of the viewing area will be visible to the eye as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The outline of the palette overlaps the boundaries of the viewing area. When the palette is finished, the position and size of the viewing area and the size of the palette are saved in computer memory.

If you change the position and size of the viewing area even while the palette is closed or hidden, the saved parameters will always represent the actual position and size of the viewing area. The position and size of the image will be updated. When the palette is subsequently reactivated, the palette and viewing area will be displayed in the saved position and at the saved size. At the time of reactivation, the size and shape of the palette can be calculated from the size and shape of the active window, as described above.

The scrolling area 8 is always included in the viewing area. The size of the scrolling area is defined by the size of the viewing area minus the scaled length in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. A portion of the observation area is always visible around all four of its boundaries. As the viewing area is resized, the scrolling area is resized by the same amount. The observation area is
It must not be reduced to such a small size that the scrolling area disappears. Initially, the scrolling area is sized to the dimensions of the work area minus a length scaled equally in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions.

Since no contour is displayed for the scrolling area, neither the diagonally shaded area nor the boundary of the scrolling area is actually displayed in FIG.

Within the observation area, there are also four inner areas 9, which are also predetermined areas. Although these areas are within the observation area,
Located outside the scrolling area. Inner area 2
The two adjacent boundaries are defined by the boundaries of the observation area.

The remaining two adjacent boundaries of the inner area are defined by extending the boundaries of the scroll ring area until they meet the boundaries of the full viewing area. It is also possible to define the size and shape of the inner region as a fixed-sized, ie, scaled, rectangular region centered on a corner of the scrolling region. As a result, even if the scrolling area is reduced to a small size, the inner area can be kept at a size that can be used to the utmost.

After the 2D scrolling palette is activated, the functionality provided by the palette is
1 key and the operation of the cursor function key, that is, the signal generating means. The function to be executed is determined by the position of the cursor at the time the cursor function key is operated. The selected function remains active regardless of where the cursor is moving on the display screen until the cursor function key is turned off. In other embodiments, the selected feature is automatically deselected when the cursor is moved outside the palette. In this way, the user may block features that would interfere with the arrangement of information on the screen. This is particularly useful in embodiments where the selected function is not actually executed until the cursor 7 unlock key is turned off.

Various cursor symbols are provided to identify which functions are selectable. When the cursor is positioned outside the 2D scrolling palette and the cursor function keys are not activated within the palette, the cursor symbol displayed is defined by the operating system or other application software. In this situation, control of the cursor is not part of the teachings of the present invention.

When a cursor function key is operated within the palette, the cursor symbol displayed is determined by the selected function for which the cursor function key is active and is controlled by the scrolling palette. This remains true even if the cursor is located outside the palette after the function is activated.

Within the boundaries of the 2D scrolling palette, the displayed cursor symbol can be controlled by the invention. If the cursor is in the palette end area 4 or the palette movement area 5, the cursor symbol is converted to a cursor symbol 1 without the need to send another signal to the display system. In the present invention, this symbol is represented as shown in Table 1.a Cursor symbol 1 is used when the cursor is located in all areas of the <2D scroll palette except in the palette work area 6. be done. In some situations, cursor symbols may also be used within the work area, as described below.

The cursor symbol displayed as the cursor moves into the working area 6 depends on whether the cursor enters the viewing area 7 or the scrolling area 8.

If the cursor is in the working area but not in either the viewing area or the scrolling area, the cursor symbol 1 is displayed again. In this case, the cursor symbol l indicates that the resizing or scrolling functions are not available. These functions will be explained below.

When the cursor is located within the observation area and the scrolling area, a cursor symbol 2 is displayed indicating that scrolling can be selected.

If the cursor is within the viewing area but not within the scrolling area, the 8
One of the types of cursor symbols is displayed to indicate the resizing function. The proximity region is defined by the same scaling length used to define the dimensions of the scrolling region relative to the viewing region as shown in FIG. When the cursor enters the proximity region by one or two boundaries, the displayed cursor symbol changes as described below. It is not possible for the cursor to enter the proximal region for all three or all four boundaries at the same time.

A cursor symbol 3 is displayed when the cursor is located near the upper boundary of the viewing area, but not near the left or right boundaries. When the cursor is located close to the upper boundary of the viewing area and close to the left boundary, the cursor is in one of the negative areas 9. In this case, a cursor symbol 9 is displayed. Similarly, when the cursor is in the corresponding area, the appropriate cursor symbol is displayed as shown in Table 1 at the end of this specification. - Cursor symbols 2 to 10 each represent a different function that is executed when the symbol is displayed and the user operates one or more cursor function keys. In reality, the function is not executed until the user operates the function key. The cursor symbol allows the user to visually determine which functions are available at any given time.

In some embodiments of the invention, the cursor symbol does not change as the cursor moves into different areas of the scrolling palette. In another equivalent embodiment, rather than changing the cursor symbol, the display of the predetermined area over which the cursor is placed is changed.

Changing a given region may include backlighting the region, applying reverse video to the region, changing the color of the region, blinking the region, or other methods of identifying the region as selectable. would be obtained by However, these embodiments do not reduce the functionality of the pallet. Regardless of the cursor symbol displayed or the means for indicating the selectable area, the selected function is determined by the position of the cursor at the time the signal generating means, ie the cursor function key, is actuated.

Once the 2D scrolling palette is active and the cursor is positioned on the appropriate function, one of several functions can be selected. As mentioned above, positioning the cursor in the dark area 5 above the palette selects the function of moving the palette around the display screen. The palette movement function is selected by moving the cursor into the palette movement area and operating a cursor function key. Therefore, the palette follows the movement of the cursor while the cursor function key is in the on state. In this way, the palette can be moved to any location within the display area. Again, the way to select features is
This may take many forms, such as entering a special food or command sequence from a keyboard or numeric keypad, selecting a menu, or selecting an icon.

By positioning the cursor over the palette end area 4 in the upper left corner, the palette end function can be selected.

If you select this area by operating the function keys while the cursor is positioned over the end area,
The palette is removed from the display area and the 2D scrolling function ends. The active window is not affected by the palette's exit.

If you use the palette to resize or scroll the active window, the active window remains at the selected size and scroll position even after the palette ends. While the palette is about to exit,
Several parameters regarding the state of the palette are retrieved and saved in computer memory or other data storage means for recall when the palette is later reactivated. These parameters include the X-Y pixel position of the palette on the display screen, the position of the viewing area, the dimensions of the viewing area, and other configurable palette parameters. If you change the position and size of the observation area, save parameters will always represent the actual position and size of the observation area, even while the palette is closed or hidden. The current position and size are updated in memory. When the palette is subsequently reactivated, the saved parameters are used to generate the palette with the proper configuration. When the palette is first activated, the shape and size of the palette and its predetermined area can also be calculated based on the size and shape of the active window. This is the preferred method when using one 2D scrolling palette to control more than one window. It is possible to use the saved parameters in combination with the dimensions of the active window to calculate the position, size and shape of the 2D scrolling palette.

Similarly, positioning the cursor within the work area 6 allows selection of the functions used to resize the active window and the functions used to scroll information within the active window. If the cursor is located within the working area but not within the viewing or scrolling area and the cursor symbol 1 is displayed, the only function available is that of window extension, i.e. zooming. It is. This function can be accessed as previously described, by pressing the special cursor function key while the cursor is in the work area, or by pressing the cursor function key twice in rapid succession. be done. Operating a cursor function key twice in succession is known as double-clicking.

When a double click occurs in the work area, the active window is immediately resized to the full display area, ie, zoomed out. At the same time, the viewing area is expanded to occupy the entire pallet working area.

The zoom function performs a method of quickly resetting the active window so that all available data that can be displayed within the active window is displayed when there are physical constraints on the size of the display screen. It is something to do. This typically fills the entire screen with data, but may also use an active window of smaller dimensions.

Another special function may be provided when the cursor is located in the working area but not in the viewing or scrolling area and the cursor symbol 1 is displayed. Each of these special functions has an associated predetermined area 10 provided for activating the function. Special features include the ability to zoom or extend the active window or observable area to full size, the ability to revert the palette and active window configuration to the configuration before the last change, and the ability to default the palette and active window configuration. state (for example,
(located in the top left corner) or the ability to set and save the configuration of the palette and first window area at an earlier point in the configuration setup.

Other functions may be provided in this area of the 2D scroll palette.

When the cursor is in both the observation area T and the scrolling area 8, the scrolling function can be selected. This function is selected by operating the cursor function keys prior to moving the cursor control device.

Once this selection is made, the viewing area follows the two-dimensional movement of the cursor within the work area, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, the cursor has been positioned by the user at a location indicated by 50, and the cursor function keys have been operated. If the cursor is moved to the position indicated at 51 while the cursor function key remains active, the outline of the viewing area 52 will be redisplayed at a new location corresponding to the new position of the cursor. The dimensions of the observation area remain unchanged. At the same time, active window 5
New portions of information displayed at 3 are dynamically scrolled in the second dimension to correspond to different positions of the observation area.

The old position of the portion of display data within the set of available data 54 before scrolling is indicated at 55. As the cursor is moved around within the palette's work area, the portion of the information displayed within the active window shifts accordingly. If you try to move the cursor beyond the edge of the palette's work area, the cursor can move beyond the palette's boundaries, but the viewing area boundary stops moving at the edge of the palette's work area. When the cursor function key is turned off, the viewing area stops following the cursor and the information displayed in the active window no longer shifts. The observation area is displayed at the new position and remains fc. The new portion of information remains displayed within the active window.

In comparable embodiments of the invention, new portions of information selected for display in the active window may not be dynamically displayed. This is especially true for computer systems with small memory or processing power. In such systems, the new table portion of the information is typically displayed in the active window the next time the cursor function keys are turned off, but is not dynamically updated when the cursor function keys are active. In this embodiment, scrolling of the active window may be abandoned by moving the cursor outside the work area 6 before turning off the cursor function key. Under this situation, the viewing area returns to the position it was in before the operation of the cursor function key) and the active window remains unchanged.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the second D scrolling palette can be automatically terminated when the cursor function key is turned off. In this embodiment, automatic termination of the palette occurs as if the termination area 4 had been explicitly selected by the user. The auto-close feature eliminates an extra step by implicitly closing the palette when the cursor function key is turned off.

Automatic termination may be enabled or disabled when the 2D scrolling palette is constructed.

Movement constraints (constraints) functionality may also be utilized while the cursor is located in the scrolling area. The constraint function can limit horizontal or vertical scrolling movement of the observation area. This function is selected by operating a special function key (in this example, the shift key) simultaneously with operating a cursor function key within the scrolling area. After operating these keys, move the cursor in the desired direction.

If the initial movement of the cursor in the X direction is greater than or equal to the initial movement in the Y direction, subsequent movement of the cursor and viewing area is limited to horizontal movement only. Similarly, if the initial movement of the cursor in the X direction is smaller than the initial movement in the Y direction, subsequent movement of the cursor and viewing area is limited to vertical movement only.

Limited scrolling movement continues as long as the cursor function keys are active.

The function to resize the active window by resizing the palette observation area is \1 of the border of the observation area.
is accessed by positioning the cursor within the viewing area near one of the corners. When the cursor is positioned correctly, the cursor symbol will follow the same pattern as described above.
It changes as shown in Table 1. position the cursor,
Once the symbol has changed, the resizing function can be selected by operating the cursor function keys.

The resizing function is shown in FIG. In Figure 6, the cursor has been positioned by the user at the location indicated by zero,
Cursor function keys are being operated. While the cursor function key is active, move the cursor to the position indicated at 61.

As the cursor moves, the active window 63 is outlined to indicate the boundaries of the newly sized window. While the cursor function key is active, the viewing area and the outline of the active window expand or contract as their size follows the two-dimensional movement of the cursor according to the formula of FIG. 10.

If only one boundary of the observation area is selected, the two end points of that boundary will both follow the movement of the cursor. The end point of the selected boundary moves in two dimensions as the cursor moves. The other boundary endpoints are adjusted orthogonally to close the region. The selected boundary is the only boundary whose length does not change. If one corner of the viewing area is selected, as shown in FIG. 6, the two boundaries having a common end point will move in the second dimension together with the cursor. The three endpoints follow the cursor. The endpoints of the unselected boundaries are adjusted orthogonally to close the region. Again, only the selected boundaries remain at the scaled length. If you try to move the cursor past the edge of the palette work area, the cursor will be able to move past the pallet boundary, but the observation area boundary will stop moving at the edge of the pallet work area. If the cursor moves out of the palette while Observation Area Glue Size is active, the opposing border that exits the cursor position is moved in the opposite direction of the cursor until the Observation Area border reaches the Palette Work Area border. . In contrast, the outline boundaries of the active window are not constrained by the edges of the display area. In this way, the palette may represent a virtual display area that is larger than the actual display area.

As long as the cursor function key is active, the boundaries of the viewing area 62 and the boundaries of the active window outline 63 move with the cursor. When the cursor function key is turned off, the observation area and active window outline are fixed at the new cursor position. at the time,
The active window itself is resized to the dimensions of the active window outline, a new portion of information 64 is displayed in the resized active window, and the outline disappears from display. The process is similar when selecting either the four boundaries or the four corners of the viewing area.

In some embodiments of the invention, the active window is dynamically resized as the cursor function keys are activated and the cursor is moved.

In those embodiments, new portions of information 64 are also typically updated dynamically. Although this embodiment requires a more powerful processor or more memory, the operation of the palette is the same.

The present invention includes computer program logic for operating a 2D scrolling palette. This logic is illustrated in FIGS. 7-9 and will be explained below. In addition to the computer resources discussed above, the present invention also uses operating system availability, windows,
It relies on system capabilities to be able to display information in windows, characters and cursor symbols on a display device.

System functionality is also required to interface with cursor control devices and cursor function keys. These resources are standard processing elements known in computer technology.

When the processing unit of the present invention is first powered up, the operating system logic takes control of system configurations such as read/write memory, display, cursor control, cursor function keys, and keyboard.
! Initialize elements.

The computer memory area described above for saving the next scroll palette parameters is also initialized to default parameter values. The operating system displays a menu similar to that of FIG. 1 at the end of its initialization cycle or in response to a user command. The 2D scrolling palette program logic begins control when the appropriate menu selection is made from a menu such as that shown in FIG. As previously discussed, other means may be utilized to manipulate the 2D scrolling palette.

After the 2D Scroll Palette program logic is activated, the process flow is labeled ``Start 2D Scroll Palette Function'', step 701 as shown in FIG.
start from. First, the scrolling palette is placed in a position and configuration calculated from the dimensions of the active window and the dimensions of the available information, and defined by the palette parameters previously saved in memory or initialized in memory (step 702). to display it on the display device (step 7)
The calculation for 03) was explained earlier and is also shown in FIG. The palette program then enters a loop starting with the person in FIG. This begins the process of looking for movement of the cursor control device.

The position of the cursor may be obtained via a call to a system function (step 801). The palette program may be informed of cursor movement within the palette via messages sent to the palette program by the operating system. If the cursor is located outside the 2D crawl palette (step 802), control transfers to the logic beginning at F in FIG.

Logic B of F looks for a function key or menu selection that requests termination of the 2D scrolling palette (step 707). If termination of the palette is not requested (step 716), special function selection is checked (step 71).
8). As previously discussed, special functions are selected by positioning the cursor within one of the special predetermined areas and operating a cursor function key. If a special function is selected (
step 719) and process the function in step 721.
), control returns to the person. If no special function is selected (step 720), control passes directly to A. For palettes that are not terminated, the processing loop is completed.

If pallet termination is requested (step 717)
, the palette parameters are saved in memory storage (step 708), as previously described. Control then returns to the operating system after the palette is removed from the display (step 709).

Returning to the program logic below the person in Figure 8, if the cursor is located inside the boundaries of the 2D scrolling palette (step 802), determine whether the cursor is within the viewing area or the scrolling area. A second round of testing is required to determine rounding. If it is not within the observation area (step 803), then the beam size function and scrolling function cannot be used, so cursor symbol 1 is displayed (step 806) and control returns to E. If the cursor is within the viewing area but not within the scrolling area (step 804), control passes to window resizing logic beginning at B in FIG. The logic flow starting from B will be explained later.

If the cursor is located within the scrolling area and the scrolling area is less than full size (step 8
05) and cursor symbol 2 is displayed (step 80).
7), the window scrolling logic in FIG. 8C is executed. If the scrolling area is full size (step 805), no scrolling is necessary since all available data is already displayed. In this case, cursor symbol 1 is displayed (step 806) and control returns to E. Scrolling is available whenever the dimensions of the available data are larger than the active window.

The window scrolling logic of FIG. 8C initiates a loop that continues as long as the cursor function keys are active. First, check the cursor function keys. If this key is not active, scrolling is not selected (step 808). The control then returns to E in FIG. If the cursor function key is active, check the state of the constraint function (
Stella 7'809). If scrolling was previously constrained in either the horizontal or vertical direction by the operation of the special function key described above, the horizontal constraint component (step 811) or the vertical constraint component of the new position is The position of the scrolling area 8 is adjusted by replacing (step 812) with the original scrolling area position component.

In this way, scrolling of the active window 3 is limited to horizontal or vertical movement. The outline of observation area 7 is moved to the new cursor position in step 8.
13), which determines the new position of the scrolling area 8. The new position of the observation area T is determined by the corners (JI!, ay) and (bx, by) of the observation area as shown in FIG.
A new value is defined for . .

After the new position ft'ii- of the observation area 7 has been determined, the position of the observation area 7 relative to the entire working area of the pallet is known both horizontally and vertically.

The position of this observation area 1 is the angle (ax, ay) and (1) x
.

by). Using their corner positions and the known dimensions (pw, ph) of the pallet working area 6,
Recalculates all parts of the information displayed in the active window. This calculation is the inverse of the calculation described above for the initial display of the palette. In this case, the required value is
Available data (iw, angular position of observable information in eye 0 tR ((Cx, Cy), (dX
, dy)). The formula representing this calculation is defined as follows.

Cx −1w (ax/pw) ay = lh*(ay/ph) dx = iw”(bx/pw) dy = ih*(by/ph) In the first equation, the horizontal direction of the upper left corner of the observation area T Position (−
, ) divided by the horizontal dimension of the working area 6 of the pallet. This value represents the scaling factor to be multiplied by the horizontal dimension (Iw) of the available information. The result is eX, which indicates the horizontal position of the upper left corner of the observable portion of the available information. Steal's three equations perform similar calculations to generate the location of the observable portion of the available information. The vertical position of the upper left corner (-y), the horizontal position of the lower right corner (dx), and the vertical position of the lower right corner (dy) are each calculated as described above for eX. Thus, the position of the observable part of the information in the information buffer (corners (eX, e7) and (dx).

dy)) is defined by the pallet working area 6 (p
w, ph) (defined by (ax, -y) and (bx, by)). This position in the information buffer becomes the new origin of the information displayed in the active window. The active window is recentered to the new data origin using well-known methods (eg, system calls executed by the operating system's window manager) (step 814). This re-centering causes a new portion of information to be displayed in the active window. Control passes to A, where the loop begins with the new cursor position.

The window resizing logic starting at B in FIG. 9 is executed when the cursor is positioned near the border or corner of the viewing area. When the cursor is within the proximity region described above, it is near a border or corner. B's logic is
The cursor position is tested against adjacent regions at each boundary or corner of the viewing area (steps 901-907) to determine which cursor symbols are appropriate for display (steps 908-915). If a resize operation is selected via cursor function key operation (steps 916-923), the viewing area and active window are resized as follows (steps 924-931).
). First, display an outline around the active window. Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the cursor movement is applied to the end point of the boundary of the selected viewing area and the end point of the boundary of the outline of the active window. For both the viewing region and the outline of the active window, the end points of the unselected boundaries are orthogonally adjusted to close the region. The boundaries for both the viewing area and the active window are adjusted so that the equation shown in FIG. 10 is always true.

After determining the new size of the viewing area 7, the dimensions of the viewing area 7 relative to the entire working area of the pallet are known, both horizontally and vertically. The dimensions of these new observation areas T are defined by the angles (aX, ILy) and (bx, by). Using those corner positions and the known dimensions (pw, ph) of the pallet work area 6, calculate again the portion of information that will be displayed in the active window. This calculation is similar to the calculation described above regarding the movement of the observation area. The values determined for resizing the observation area T are the same values that are generated for the movement of the observation area 7. These values are determined by the observable information (*w, Ih) in the available data (*w, Ih) as shown in Figure 10.
(ex, ay), (di, dy)) represents the position of the corner. The formula representing this calculation is defined as follows.

ax = iw”(ax/pw) cy = ih'(ay/ph) dx = 1w*(bx/pw) dy = ih*(by/ph) These formulas are based on the available information as explained earlier. Perform calculations similar to those to generate the position of the observable part of the top left corner (CX), the vertical position of the top left corner (Cy), the horizontal position of the bottom right corner (dx) and The vertical position (dy) of the lower right corner is calculated as described above, respectively, if necessary.
The position of the observable part of the information in the information buffer (1w, Ih) (corners (cX, ey) and (dx, dy))
is the dimension ((-x, -y) and (bx, by)) of the observation area T in the pallet work area 6 (pw, ph)
can be calculated accordingly. This observable area within the information buffer becomes the new origin of the information displayed in the active window. Using well-known methods (eg, system calls performed by the operating system's window manager), the active window is resized to the new dimensions previously calculated. This resizing causes a new portion of the information to be displayed within the active window. Control passes to A, where the loop begins with the new cursor position.

This resizing process continues as long as the cursor function key is selected. When the resizing operation is deselected, either by releasing the cursor function key or by interrupting another function, the active window itself is resized to the dimensions of the active window outline and the active window outline disappears from display. Control returns to A, where processing begins again with the new cursor position. In embodiments where the active window is dynamically resized, the active window itself resizes as the cursor moves while a cursor function key is selected. In this case, the outline of the active window is not required.

Although the invention has been described with respect to one particular embodiment, it should not be considered so limited. Rather, the invention is limited only by the scope of the claims.

Table 1 Cursor symbol 1 Kano symbol 2 Cursor symbol 3 Cursor symbol 4 Cursor symbol 5 Cursor symbol 6 Cursor symbol 7 Cursor symbol 8 Cursor symbol 9 cursor symbol 10 The cursor moves to the observation area and flow When outside the ring area the cursor is in the scrolling area when it's outside When the cursor is in the observation area, When near the boundary The cursor is on the right border of the observation area. when near the world When the cursor is in the observation area, When near the border and right border The cursor is in the observation area, below When near the boundary The cursor is in the observation area, below When near the border and right border The cursor is on the left border of the observation area. when near the world When the cursor is in the observation area, When placed near the border or left border The cursor is in the observation area, below. When near the border and left border

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows the means for activating a two-dimensional scrolling palette using a menu; FIG. 2 shows the display screen after the scrolling palette has been activated; and FIG. 3 shows the viewing area. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a two-dimensional palette in an initial configuration before the observation area is resized. FIG. Figure 5 shows the palette during two-dimensional scrolling operation, Figure 6 shows the palette during two-dimensional resizing operation, and Figures 7, 8, and 9 realize this method. A typical computer program flowchart, Figure 10, shows the calculation of the size and position of the viewing area inside the palette in relation to the size and position of the active window inside the available data buffer. and a diagram of an active window. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the architecture of a computer system. 111...-2D scroll palette, 2. Eyelids...Display screen 3 s...Active window, 4
---Pallet end area, 5φ ---Pallet movement area, 6...Pallet work area, 7. Urn.. Observation area, 8. Urn.-9 Scrolling area, 9.. O. Negative area.
10 fists, 30 special function areas.

Claims (12)

[Claims] (1) An interactive computer-controlled display system having a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. , a method for interactively selecting a portion of data to be displayed within a region of the data display screen, the method comprising: generating and displaying a first window region on the data display screen and displaying data available for display; a part of
displaying within an outer boundary of the first window area such that different portions of the data available for display are not displayed on the data display screen; generating a second window area having an outer border corresponding to an outer edge of the data available for the first window area and a third window area having an inner third window area having a border corresponding to the outer border of the first window area; and displaying the second window area on the data display screen simultaneously with the first window area; and displaying the different portions of data available for display into the first window area. moving the third window area two-dimensionally within the second window area for selective display. (2) An interactive computer-controlled display system having a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. , a method for interactively selecting a portion of data to be displayed within a region of the data display screen, the method comprising: generating and displaying a first window region on the data display screen and displaying data available for display; a part of
displaying within an outer boundary of the first window area such that different portions of the data available for display are not displayed on the data display screen; generating a second window area having an outer border corresponding to an outer edge of the data available for the first window area and a third window area having an inner third window area having a border corresponding to the outer border of the first window area; and displaying the second window area on the data display screen simultaneously with the first window area; resizing the third window area in two dimensions within the second window area for selective display within the second window area. (3) An interactive computer-controlled display system having a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. , a method for interactively controlling a window area displayed in the data display screen, the method comprising: generating and displaying a first window area in the data display screen; the first
associated with the first window area and having an outer border corresponding to an outer edge of the data available for display and having an outer border within the first window area; generating and displaying a second window region having a third window region having a border corresponding to an outer border of the window region; and displaying the second window region on the data display screen simultaneously with the first window region. A method comprising the steps of: displaying; and moving said second window region two-dimensionally within said data display screen simultaneously with a corresponding movement of said third window region. (4) An interactive computer-controlled display system having a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. , a method for interactively controlling a window area displayed in the data display screen, the method comprising: generating and displaying a first window area in the data display screen; the first
associated with the first window area and having an outer border corresponding to an outer edge of the data available for display and having an outer border within the first window area; generating and displaying a second window region having a third window region having a border corresponding to an outer border of the window region; and displaying the second window region on the data display screen simultaneously with the first window region. and terminating and removing said second window region from said data display screen simultaneously with the corresponding termination and removal of said third window region. (5) An interactive computer-controlled display system having a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. , a method for interactively selecting a portion of data to be displayed within a region of the data display screen and interactively controlling a window region displayed within the data display screen, comprising: generating and displaying a first window area and displaying a portion of the data available for display;
displaying within an outer boundary of the first window area such that different portions of the data available for display are not displayed on the data display screen; generating a second window area having an outer border corresponding to an outer edge of the data available for the first window area and a third window area having an inner third window area having a border corresponding to the outer border of the first window area; and displaying the second window area on the data display screen simultaneously with the first window area; moving the third window area two-dimensionally within the second window area for selectively displaying the different portions of the data available for display within the first window area; resizing the third window region in two dimensions within the second window region for selectively displaying within an outer boundary of the window region; terminating the second window area simultaneously with the corresponding termination and removal of the third window area; removing from said data display screen. (6) An interactive computer-controlled display system having a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. , a method for interactively selecting a display of all data available for display to be displayed within one area of the data display screen, comprising: generating and displaying a first window area on the data display screen; , displaying a portion of the data available for display within an outer boundary of the first window area such that a different portion of the data available for display is not displayed on the data display screen; a third window area associated with the first window area, having an outer border corresponding to the outer edge of the data available for display, and having an inner border corresponding to the outer border of the first window area; generating and displaying a second window area having a window area, and displaying the second window area on the data display screen simultaneously with the first window area; The third window area is arranged two-dimensionally inside the second window area in order to select all representations of data available for said display that can be displayed in the outer area of the window area of the window area. A method consisting of the process of expanding with (7) An interactive computer-controlled display system comprising a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. generating and displaying a first window area on the data display screen and displaying a portion of the data available for display in the first window area such that a different portion of the data available for display is not displayed on the data display screen; means for displaying data within an outer border of a first window region and coupled to the processor; having an outer border associated with the first window region and corresponding to an outer border of data available for display; generating and displaying on the data display screen a second window region having a third window region therein having a border corresponding to an outer border of the first window region; means for simultaneously displaying on the data display screen with the first window area and coupled to the processor; selecting the different portions of data available for display within the outer boundaries of the first window area; means coupled to the processor for moving the third window area two-dimensionally within the second window area for displaying an interactive computer-controlled display system. (8) An interactive computer-controlled display system comprising a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. generating and displaying a first window area on the data display screen and displaying a portion of the data available for display in the first window area such that a different portion of the data available for display is not displayed on the data display screen; means for displaying data within an outer border of a first window region and coupled to the processor; having an outer border associated with the first window region and corresponding to an outer border of data available for display; generating and displaying on the data display screen a second window region having a third window region therein having a border corresponding to an outer border of the first window region; means for simultaneously displaying on the data display screen with the first window area and coupled to the processor; selecting the different portions of data available for display within the outer boundaries of the first window area; means coupled to the processor for two-dimensionally resizing the third window area within the second window area for visually displaying an image. (9) An interactive computer-controlled display system comprising a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. generating and displaying a first window area on the data display screen and displaying a portion of the data available for display in the first window area such that a different portion of the data available for display is not displayed on the data display screen; means for displaying data within an outer border of a first window region and coupled to the processor; having an outer border associated with the first window region and corresponding to an outer border of data available for display; generating and displaying on the data display screen a second window region having a third window region therein having a border corresponding to an outer border of the first window region; means for simultaneously displaying the first window region on the data display screen and coupled to the processor; So 2
and means coupled to said processor. (10) An interactive computer-controlled display system comprising a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. generating and displaying a first window area on the data display screen and displaying a portion of the data available for display in the first window area such that a different portion of the data available for display is not displayed on the data display screen; means for displaying data within an outer border of a first window region and coupled to the processor; having an outer border associated with the first window region and corresponding to an outer border of data available for display; generating and displaying on the data display screen a second window region having a third window region therein having a border corresponding to an outer border of the first window region; means for simultaneously displaying the first window region on the data display screen and coupled to the processor; terminating the second window region simultaneously with the corresponding termination and removal of the third window region; and and means for being removed from the data display screen and coupled to the processor. (11) An interactive computer-controlled display system comprising a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. generating and displaying a first window area on the data display screen and displaying a portion of the data available for display in the first window area such that a different portion of the data available for display is not displayed on the data display screen; means for displaying data within an outer border of a first window region and coupled to the processor; having an outer border associated with the first window region and corresponding to an outer border of data available for display; generating and displaying on the data display screen a second window region having a third window region therein having a border corresponding to an outer border of the first window region; means for simultaneously displaying on the data display screen with the first window area and coupled to the processor; selecting the different portions of data available for display within the outer boundaries of the first window area; means coupled to the processor for moving the third window area two-dimensionally within the second window area for displaying the different portions of the data available for display; means coupled to the processor for two-dimensionally resizing the third window region within the second window region for selectively displaying within an outer boundary of the first window region; means coupled to the processor for moving the second window area within the data display screen in two dimensions simultaneously with a corresponding movement of the third window area; means for terminating and removing from the data display screen concurrently with corresponding termination and removal of the third window region and coupled to the processor. (12) An interactive computer-controlled display system comprising a processor, a data display screen coupled to the processor, and a cursor control device coupled to the processor for interactively positioning a cursor on the data display screen. generating and displaying a first window area on the data display screen and displaying a portion of the data available for display in the first window area such that a different portion of the data available for display is not displayed on the data display screen; means for displaying data within an outer border of a first window region and coupled to the processor; having an outer border associated with the first window region and corresponding to an outer border of data available for display; generating and displaying on the data display screen a second window region having a third window region therein having a border corresponding to an outer border of the first window region; means for displaying simultaneously with the first window area on the data display screen and coupled to the processor; and means coupled to the processor for extending the third window area within the second window area to select a representation of all data available for display. display system.