Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »
Advanced Patent Search | Web History | Sign in

Patents

Method and apparatus for a first process operative in a computer system controlling a user interface on a computer system display under control of a second process operative in the computer system. An event handler is installed for the second process, the event handler servicing events generated for controlling the user interface display under control of the second process. The first process may then perform a first set of functions in the computer system. The first process generates events for controlling the user interface display, the events related to the functions performed by the first process. The event handler receives the events generated by the first process and updates the user interface on the computer system display according to the events generated by the first process and received by the event handler.

Inventors: Stephen Fisher, Eric Mathew Trehus
Original Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
Current U.S. Classification: 715/764
International Classification: G09G 500

View patent at USPTO
Search USPTO Assignment Database

Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US4313113Mar 24, 1980Jan 26, 1982Xerox CorporationCursor control
US4484302Nov 20, 1980Nov 20, 1984International Business Machines CorporationSingle screen display system with multiple virtual display having prioritized service programs and dedicated memory stacks
US4555775Oct 7, 1982Nov 26, 1985AT&T Bell LaboratoriesDynamic generation and overlaying of graphic windows for multiple active program storage areas
US4688167Sep 27, 1984Aug 18, 1987Wang Laboratories, Inc.Screen manager for data processing system
US4698624Apr 16, 1985Oct 6, 1987International Business Machines Corp.Definition of line unit size
US4698625May 30, 1985Oct 6, 1987International Business Machines Corp.Graphic highlight adjacent a pointing cursor
US4720703May 4, 1987Jan 19, 1988Tektronix, Inc.Display method and apparatus employing cursor panning
US4780883Jun 26, 1986Oct 25, 1988Racal Data Communications Inc.Data modem with adaptive synchronized speed change
US4831556Jul 15, 1987May 16, 1989Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaDevice capable of displaying window size and position
US4862376Oct 28, 1987Aug 29, 1989International Business Machines Corp.Bill of material interface to CAD/CAM environment
US4868765Jan 2, 1986Sep 19, 1989Texas Instruments IncorporatedPorthole window system for computer displays
US4905185Jul 14, 1987Feb 27, 1990Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaApparatus for transferring block data in original form and editing the block data
US4922414Sep 8, 1987May 1, 1990Symbolics Inc.Symbolic language data processing system
US4954967Dec 20, 1989Sep 4, 1990Canon Kabushiki KaishaInformation processing apparatus
US5047930Jun 26, 1987Sep 10, 1991Nicolet Instrument CorporationMethod and system for analysis of long term physiological polygraphic recordings
US5079695Apr 25, 1988Jan 7, 1992Hewlett-Packard CompanyObject management facility which includes a snapshot facility for providing data transfer between two objects
US5140677May 11, 1990Aug 18, 1992International Business Machines CorporationComputer user interface with window title bar mini-icons
US5157763Jul 30, 1991Oct 20, 1992International Business Machines CorporationVisually assisted method for transfer of data within an application or from a source application to a receiving application
US5196838Dec 28, 1990Mar 23, 1993Apple Computer, Inc.Intelligent scrolling
US5202828May 15, 1991Apr 13, 1993Apple Computer, Inc.User interface system having programmable user interface elements
US5214756Sep 22, 1992May 25, 1993International Business Machines CorporationDirect manipulation of icons via conversational linking
US5226117May 15, 1990Jul 6, 1993International Business Machines CorporationMethod for simultaneous update and change in parent and child windows
US5226163Aug 1, 1989Jul 6, 1993Silicon Graphics, Inc.File characterization for computer operating and file management systems
US5228123Jan 29, 1992Jul 13, 1993Interface and application development management system based on a gene metaphor
US5260697Nov 13, 1990Nov 9, 1993Wang Laboratories, Inc.Computer with separate display plane and user interface processor
US5287448Mar 24, 1993Feb 15, 1994Apple Computer, Inc.Method and apparatus for providing help information to users of computers
US5301268Oct 10, 1990Apr 5, 1994Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Apparatus for transferring information between different window systems
US5305435May 7, 1993Apr 19, 1994Hewlett-Packard CompanyComputer windows management system and method for simulating off-screen document storage and retrieval
US5333256Apr 7, 1992Jul 26, 1994International Business Machines CorporationMethods of monitoring the status of an application program
US5339392Dec 28, 1990Aug 16, 1994Apparatus and method for creation of a user definable video displayed document showing changes in real time data
US5341293Sep 3, 1992Aug 23, 1994Apple Computer, Inc.User interface system having programmable user interface elements
US5371844Mar 20, 1992Dec 6, 1994International Business Machines CorporationPalette manager in a graphical user interface computer system
US5371851Apr 26, 1989Dec 6, 1994Credence Systems CorporationGraphical data base editor
US5400057Sep 3, 1993Mar 21, 1995Texas Instruments IncorporatedInternal test circuits for color palette device
US5422993Dec 17, 1991Jun 6, 1995International Business Machines CorporationMethod and system for performing direct manipulation operations in a computer system
US5442742Oct 14, 1993Aug 15, 1995Apple Computer, Inc.Method and apparatus for the manipulation of text on a computer display screen

Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US6874126Nov 30, 2001Mar 29, 2005View Space TechnologiesMethod and apparatus for controlling content display by the cursor motion
US6874130Feb 17, 2000Mar 29, 2005International Business Machines CorporationCopy/move graphical user interface apparatus and method
US7065556Sep 14, 2000Jun 20, 2006Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Method and system for logging event data and persistently downloading the same
US7076727Dec 13, 2001Jul 11, 2006Sparta Systems, Inc.Configuring activities to perform operations on user-defined fields
US7216132Aug 15, 2001May 8, 2007Sparta Systems, Inc.System and method for automated process control
US7237204Nov 21, 2002Jun 26, 2007ADC DSL Systems, Inc.Change detection in a graphical user interface
US7237206Nov 21, 2002Jun 26, 2007ADC DSL Systems, Inc.Message passing in a graphical user interface
US7266764Nov 7, 2001Sep 4, 2007Sparta Systems, Inc.Graphical user interface for automated process control
US7512142Nov 27, 2002Mar 31, 2009ADC DSL Systems, Inc.Managing a finite queue
US7516161Aug 27, 2004Apr 7, 2009Sparta Systems, Inc.Administrative triggers
US7584478Feb 8, 2005Sep 1, 2009Sun Microsystems, Inc.Framework for lengthy Java Swing interacting tasks
US7627581Jan 30, 2007Dec 1, 2009Sparta Systems, Inc.System and method for automated process control
US7739604Sep 25, 2002Jun 15, 2010Apple Inc.Method and apparatus for managing windows
US7925527Apr 5, 2002Apr 12, 2011Sparta Systems, Inc.Process control system utilizing a database system to monitor a project's progress and enforce a workflow of activities within the project
US8111814Mar 20, 2006Feb 7, 2012Microsoft CorporationExtensible alert types
US8174503May 17, 2008May 8, 2012David H. CainTouch-based authentication of a mobile device through user generated pattern creation
US8180883Aug 2, 2004May 15, 2012Cisco Technology, Inc.Method and system for processing directives included in management events
USD552114Jun 30, 2005Oct 2, 2007Microsoft CorporationUser interface for a portion of a display screen

Claims

1. In a computer system comprising a processor, a display, a memory, a user input device, a first process operative in the computer system, a second process operative in the computer system as a foreground process and a user interface on said computer system display under the control of the second process, a method for the first process to perform operations for the second process and control a content of the user interface on said computer system display, said content under control of the foreground second process operative in said computer system, said first process controlling the content to display information regarding the operations performed by the first process for the second process, said method comprising the following steps:

a. installing an event handling process as part of said second process, said event handling process when said second process is operative in said computer system, servicing events generated by the first process for controlling said user interface display under control of said second process;
b. said second process initiating said first process to perform operations for said second process, said second process operative in the foreground and said first process operative in the background;
d. said first process generating events for controlling said user interface display while the second process remains as a foreground process and the first process is a background process, said events providing information regarding the operations performed by said first process for the second process; and
e. said event handling process receiving events generated by said first process, said event handling process updating said user interface on said computer system display according to said events generated by said first process, while said first process remains in the background, and received by said event handling process.

Drawings