Real estate abstract
A method for maximizing the amount of screen display real estate
without sacrificing the user's ability to pan graphic and other
data is disclosed which has application for use in computer controlled
display systems. The CPU is capable of accessing and executing a
computer program which includes a first event loop handler. The
first event loop handler includes events, each which are selectively
paired with a different set of screen coordinates, said set of screen
coordinates comprising a first hot spot file. A user moves a pointer
around on the screen display by using a pointer control device.
The position of the pointer is monitored by the first event loop
handler. The first event loop handler determines whether the position
of the pointer corresponds to a set of screen coordinates in the
first hot spot file which, in turn, corresponds to an event, most
preferably, the display of a horizontal, vertical or diagonal scrollbar.
The CPU executes the first event loop handler thereby causing a
horizontal, vertical or diagonal scrollbar, most preferably, to
appear on the screen display, but only when the position of the
pointer corresponds to a set of screen coordinates in the main event
table paired with a pre-selected event, again, most preferably the
scrollbar displaying event which launches a panning means such as
a horizontal, vertical or diagonal scrollbar. Then and only then
is the screen display encumbered by the presence of scrollbars.
Accordingly, it is not necessary to press a mouse button to initiate
an event.
Real estate claims
We claim:
1. In a computer controlled display system comprising a display
device responsive to a central processing unit (CPU) for displaying
data, a method of maximizing display real estate on a display screen
of said display device comprising the steps of:
said CPU retrieving and displaying said data on said display screen;
a user moving a pointer over at least a portion of said data on
said display screen using a pointer control device coupled to said
CPU;
said CPU monitoring a coordinate position of said pointer as said
user moves said pointer over said data on said display screen;
said CPU determining whether the coordinate position of said pointer
on said display corresponds to a predetermined area on said display
screen and, if so, automatically activating a previously hidden
display event on said display screen without any event selection
by said user, whereby said user may use said pointer to interact
with said display event, once activated, so long as said CPU determines
that said pointer remains located over said predetermined area on
said display screen; and
automatically deactivating said display event when said pointer
is removed from said predetermined area on said display screen without
any event selection by said user.
2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said predetermined area is a
display "hot spot" on said display screen.
3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said predetermined area is a
display icon on said display screen.
4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said previously hidden display
event is a scrollbar display event which displays a scrollbar event
which scrolls said data on said display screen in response to user
selection using said pointer control device.
5. A method as in claim 4, comprising the further steps of:
said user positioning said pointer over a functional portion of
said scrollbar event indicating a direction of scrolling of said
data desired by said user; and
said user selecting said direction of scrolling of said data by
said scrollbar event by depressing a select button on said pointer
control device when said pointer is positioned over said functional
portion of said scrollbar event.
6. A method as in claim 4, comprising the further step of modifying
properties of at least one of said scrollbar displaying event and
said scrollbar event.
7. A method as in claim 6, wherein the properties of said scrollbar
displaying event include at least one of: the presence of a time
delay before the activation of said scrollbar event, a duration
of said time delay, activation or deactivation of a display icon
to indicate the launch of said scrollbar event, a type of icon used
as an indicator of the launch of said scrollbar event, and a manner
in which said scrollbar event is activated by the user.
8. A method as in claim 6, wherein the properties of said scrollbar
event include at least one of: type of scrollbar, screen position
of said scrollbar, size, shape, and color of said scrollbar, and
whether said scrollbar is visible or invisible.
9. A computer controlled display system comprising:
a display device having a display screen;
a pointer control device which permits a user to move a pointer
over at least a portion of said data on said display screen; and
a central processing unit (CPU) which processes display software
which retrieves and displays data on said display screen, monitoring
software which monitors a coordinate position of said pointer on
said display screen as said user moves said pointer over said data
on said display screen, and event handler software including a main
event table including a display event which is paired with a predetermined
area on said display screen, said event handler software determining
whether the coordinate position of said pointer on said display
determined by said monitoring software corresponds to said predetermined
area on said display screen and, if so, automatically activating
said display event paired with said predetermined area without any
event selection by said user, whereby said user may use said pointer
to interact with said display event, once activated, so long as
said event handler software determines that said pointer remains
located over said predetermined area on said display screen, said
event handler software further automatically deactivating said display
event when said pointer is removed from said predetermined area
on said display screen without any event selection by said user.
10. A system as in claim 9, wherein said predetermined area is
a display "hot spot" on said display screen.
11. A system as in claim 9, wherein said predetermined area is
a display icon on said display screen.
12. A system as in claim 9, wherein said display event is a scrollbar
display event which displays a scrollbar event which permits the
user to scroll said data on said display screen in response to user
selection using said pointer control device.
13. A system as in claim 12, wherein said scrollbar event includes
a scrollbar activation event handler including a scrollbar activation
event table which, in turn, includes a further scrollbar display
event which is paired with a scrolling device indicating a direction
of scrolling of said data desired by said user, said scrolling device
scrolling through said data in response to user depression of a
select button on said pointer control device when said pointer is
positioned over a functional portion of said scrolling device.
14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said scrolling device comprises
a vertical scrollbar.
15. A system as in claim 13, wherein said scrolling device comprises
a horizontal scrollbar.
16. A system as in claim 13, wherein said scrolling device comprises
a diagonal scrollbar.
17. A system as in claim 13, wherein said scrolling device comprises
a dial.
18. A system as in claim 13, wherein said scrolling device comprises
a gauge.
19. A system as in claim 13, wherein said scrolling device comprises
an icon.
20. A system as in claim 13, wherein said scrollbar activation
event handler further includes a modifying event handler which modifies
properties of at least one of said scrollbar displaying event and
said scrollbar event.
21. A system as in claim 20, wherein the properties of said scrollbar
displaying event include at least one of: the presence of a time
delay before the activation of said scrollbar event, a duration
of said time delay, activation or deactivation of a display icon
to indicate the launch of said scrollbar event, a type of icon used
as an indicator of the launch of said scrollbar event, and a manner
in which said scrollbar event is activated by the user.
22. A system as in claim 20, wherein the properties of said scrollbar
event include at least one of: type of scrollbar, screen position
of said scrollbar, size, shape, and color of said scrollbar, and
whether said scrollbar is visible or invisible.
Real estate description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for providing the maximum
amount of display screen area or "real estate" without
sacrificing a computer user's ability to pan the image, and more
particularly, the present invention relates to a computer controlled
display system in which scrollbars remain hidden from the user until
a pointer is positioned by the user, utilizing a pointer control
device, over selected locations (i.e. displaying means such as "hot
spots") at which time the scrollbars become visible to the
user or "pop-up", thereby allowing the user to pan the
image on the screen by utilizing the scrollbars in a conventional
manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common for computer display systems to represent and convey
information to a user through various graphic and textual representations
of data. Representations of data may take a variety of forms, such
as, for example, alphanumeric characters, Cartesian graphs, pictures,
as well as shapes of well known physical objects. As is well known
in the art, central processing units (CPU's) of computer display
systems often display fixed images of vertical and/or horizontal
scrollbars which permit text, graphics and the like within the working
area of a window to be panned in the direction in which the scroll
bar is "dragged" or "clicked". The scrollbars
may be activated by placing the pointer over the arrows of the scrollbar
and activating a selected switch on a pointer control device or
mouse, or alternatively, by placing the pointer on the scrollbar,
depressing a preselected switch on the pointer control device, and
moving it in the direction in which the text, graphics or the like
within the working area is to be panned. However, the vertical and/or
horizontal scrollbars displayed on a computer display screen occupy
significant portions of the screen's real estate, thereby leaving
less screen real estate available for the display of text, graphics
and the like.
With the development of software technology aimed at converting
text and graphics from the traditional, paper-based form to an electronic
form, as stored on CD-ROM, using traditional computer software programs
and apparatus, there has been a real, heretofore unmet, need to
develop complementary methods which permit the maximization of the
screen's real estate without sacrificing the ability to pan the
images displayed therein. The need for such methods of maximizing
a display screen's real estate is particularly keen among book and
magazine publishers, advertising agencies and comic strip publishers,
who are increasingly turning to software developers to convert text
and graphics from a traditional print medium to an electronic medium.
It is critical, however, to the success and viability of those products
which have been converted to an electronic medium to be displayed
on a computer screen where the size of the image, as well as its
visual impact, is not diminished or encumbered by the presence of
scrollbars fixedly displayed on the screen.
All of the software environments of the prior art known to the
applicant utilize scrollbars that are fixed on a screen and, as
such, are a distraction both in terms of visual impact or aesthetics
when panning is required. Moreover, they result in a significant
reduction in screen real estate that would otherwise be available
to more fully display the graphic or other data. The present invention
discloses a significant improvement in computer controlled display
systems, which results in the maximization of the amount of screen
real estate available for displaying graphic or other data without
sacrificing the user's ability to pan an image on the display screen.
These known software environments utilize event loop handlers to
permit standard operation of the scrollbars fixed on a display screen.
An event loop handler is a segment of source code which monitors
the position of a pointer on a display, keystrokes, etc. and produces
a response (ie. an event) for a corresponding input. The event could
be under user control or automated control of the CPU based on predetermined
algorithms. The event loop handler incorporates sets of screen coordinate
values or key strokes which include an activation table in memory
or file form. Paired with each set of screen coordinate values or
key presses within an event loop handler is a particular event.
Known events include, for example, the activation of a window title
bar, window border, action bar, system menu icon, window-sizing
icon and scrollbar. When a pointer, in response to movement of a
pointer control device, is positioned by a user on the display such
that its position corresponds to certain screen coordinates located
in the main event loop handler table, the main event loop handler
is executed by the CPU, thereby causing the event paired with the
set of screen coordinates or key presses, such as the panning of
an image through use of a vertical or horizontal scrollbar, to take
place. The scrollbar event permits text, graphics and the like within
the working area of a window to be panned in the direction in which
the scrollbar is pulled. When the position of a pointer, as determined
by the main event loop handler or the scrollbar's activation event
loop handler, does not correspond to an activation table entry,
the event loop handler has not caused the corresponding activation
event to take place. It is only when the position of a pointer corresponds
to an activation table entry that the CPU executes the scrollbar's
event loop handler eliciting the panning functions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method is disclosed which has application for use in computer
controlled display systems. A central processing unit (CPU) is provided
and is coupled to a monitor for displaying graphic and other data.
The CPU is further coupled to a pointer control device which permits
a user to selectively position a pointer at a desired location on
the display and to signal the CPU of selections in accordance with
the teachings of the present invention.
Instead of viewing the manipulation of the scrollbar by the CPU,
for example, as the only relevant event, the present invention treats
the display of the image of a scrollbar by the CPU as the relevant
event. In turn, this separate and heretofore unknown scrollbar displaying
event may have its own event loop handler which when executed by
the CPU provides for the modification of the scrollbar displaying
event properties. By employing this separate event type which keeps
scrollbars hidden until the event loop handler activates the scrollbar
displaying event thereby activating the scrollbar event, the present
invention overcomes the disadvantages attendant to known computer
controlled display systems utilizing scrollbars fixed on a computer
screen. As such, the present invention provides the advantages of
reducing screen clutter, enhancing the visual impact of the graphic
or other data, and maximizing utilization of precious screen space,
without losing the ability to pan the image.
The presently preferred embodiment of the invention, in effect,
hides the scrollbars until the pointer enters a displaying means
such as a "hot spot". At that time, the main event loop
handler activates the scrollbar displaying event under control of
the CPU thereby causing the associated scrollbar event to take place
which results in the scrollbar "popping-up" and staying
up while the pointer control device is utilized to activate the
scrollbar, or the pointer otherwise remains within the area of the
displaying or activation means such as "hot spots", or
the main event and/or scrollbar activation event loop handler recognizes
some event which deactivates it. Once the scrollbar is displayed,
the user can position the pointer over the scrollbar activation
"hot spots". The scrollbar activation event loop handler
is then executed by the CPU thereby causing the activation of panning
functions associated with the scrollbar event. When the pointer
is no longer over the displaying or activation means such as "hot
spots" on the display screen, the CPU's display and use of
the vertical, horizontal, and/or diagonal scrollbars, is automatically
ended. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art,
that the term "main event loop handler" is not used strictly
as a reference to a specific area of a software or firmware program
but as a general reference to any event loop handler of any subroutine
with CPU focus, for example, the scrollbar's activation loop handler
or modifying event loop handler. Therefore, subroutine calls to
or recursion on the instant invention is capable of being executed
under this embodiment.
In a second preferred embodiment, a user is able to change certain
characteristics of the scrollbar displaying event and/or the scrollbar
event before the launch of the scrollbar event. This is accomplished
through the incorporation of a modifying event loop handler within
the scrollbar displaying event. Specifically, as the pointer enters
the scrollbar displaying event, properties associated with the scrollbar
displaying event and/or scrollbar event are presented by the CPU
and displayed for modification. The scrollbar displaying event properties
from which a user could choose include the ability to modify and/or
change certain characteristics of itself including the presence
of a time delay before the launch of the scrollbar event and the
duration of the time delay, activation or deactivation of an icon
to indicate the launch of the scrollbar event, the type of icon
used as an indicator of the launch, and the type of activator ("hotspot",
button, switch, icon, or automated selection under CPU control).
The scrollbar event properties from which a user could choose include
type (i.e. horizontal scrollbar, vertical scrollbar, diagonal scrollbar,
dial, gauge, icon), screen position, size, shape, color, relief
(i.e. none, indented, outdented), and visibility status (i.e., visible
or invisible). A user chooses a desired property by means well-known
in the art such as menu options, dialogue boxes, command line data
entry, input field, pick boxes, scroll boxes, or any other means
available for entering data. Once the user has selected the desired
characteristics of the scrollbar displaying event and/or the scrollbar
event, the user saves these selected characteristics to scrollbar
displaying event and/or scrollbar event tables, respectively, and
continues with the activation of the scrollbar event.
Other details and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent as the following description of the presently preferred
embodiments and presently preferred methods of practicing the invention
proceeds.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a computer incorporating the teachings of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 shows one arrangement of program storage for the system
of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the sequence of steps utilized
by the present invention in causing the execution of the main event
loop handler for purposes of causing, in turn, the scrollbar displaying
event which in turn causes the scrollbar event to take place.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the sequence of steps taken
by a user in practicing the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a screen display depicting a graphic image of the presently
preferred embodiment as well as an image of a vertical scrollbar
made visible as a result of the cursor, as shown therein, being
positioned over the displaying "hot spot."
FIG. 6 is a screen display depicting the same graphic image as
depicted in FIG. 5 but without the image of any scrollbar since
the cursor, as shown therein, is not positioned over the displaying
"hot spot."
NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE
The detailed descriptions which follow are presented largely in
terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on
data bits within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions
and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data
processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their
work to others skilled in the art.
An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self consistent
sequence of steps leading to a desired result. These steps are those
requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually,
though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical
or binary signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined,
compared, and otherwise manipulated. It proves convenient at times,
principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals
as bits, values, elements, symbols, icons, characters, terms, numbers,
or the like. It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these
and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical
quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities.
Furthermore, the manipulations performed are often referred to
in terms, such as adding or comparing, which are commonly associated
with mental operations performed by a human operator. No such capability
of a human operator is necessary, or desirable in most cases, in
any of the operations described herein, which form part of the present
invention; the operations are machine operations, although when
dealing with a graphic interface, by its nature, the man/machine
interface utilizes some form of human input. Useful machines for
performing the operations of the present invention include general
purpose digital computers or other similar devices. In all cases
it should be borne in mind the distinction between the method of
operations and operating a computer and the method of computation
itself. The present invention relates to methods for operating a
computer and processing electrical or other physical signals to
generate other desired results.
The present invention also relates to apparatus for performing
these operations. This apparatus may be specially constructed for
the required purpose or it may comprise a general purpose computer
as selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored
in the computer. The images, algorithms, and data structures presented
herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or
other apparatus. In particular, various general purpose machines
may be used with programs written in accordance with the teachings
herein, or it may prove more convenient to construct more specialized
apparatus to perform the required method steps. In addition, no
particular programming language has been indicated for carrying
out the various procedures described herein. This is due in part
to the fact that not all languages that might be mentioned are universally
acceptable for the purpose of the present invention. Each user of
a particular computer will be aware of the language which is most
suitable for his immediate purposes. In practice it has been proven
useful to substantially implement the present invention in C++ source
code, C code, Pascal code, or assembly code. Accordingly, no detailed
program listings have been provided. It is considered that the operations
and other procedures described herein and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings are sufficiently disclosed to permit one of ordinary skill
to practice the present invention or so much of it as is of use
to him/her.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention discloses a method for maximizing the amount
of screen display real estate available to a user without sacrificing
the user's ability to pan images displayed on a computer screen.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set
forth such as computer display system elements, display formats,
sample data, etc. in order to provide a more thorough understanding
of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled
in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these
specific details. In other instances, well known circuits and structures
are not described in detail in order not to obscure the present
invention unnecessarily.
FIG. 1 illustrates a computer based system for generating graphic
images in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
Shown is a computer 10 which comprises three major components. The
first of these is an input/output (I/O) circuit 12 which is used
to communicate information in appropriately structured form to and
from other portions of the computer 10. In addition, computer 10
includes a central processing unit (CPU) 14 coupled to the I/O circuit
12 and a memory 16. These elements are those typically found in
most general purpose computers and, in fact, computer 10 is intended
to be representative of a broad category of data processing devices.
FIG. 1 also illustrates a keyboard 18 to input data and commands
into computer 10, as is well known. A magnetic disk 20 is shown
coupled to I/O circuit 12 to provide additional storage capability
for the computer 10. It will be appreciated that additional devices
may be coupled to computer 10 for storing data such as magnetic
tape drives, bubble memory devices, as well as networks which are,
in turn, coupled to other data processing systems. As is well know,
disk 20 may store other computer programs, characters, routines,
etc., which may be accessed and executed by CPU 14. A display monitor
24 is shown coupled to the I/O circuit 12 and is used to display
images generated by CPU 14 in accordance with the present invention.
Any well known variety of cathode ray tube (CRT) display may be
utilized as display 24. A pointer control device 28 is also shown
coupled to computer 10 through I/O circuit 12. Pointer control device
28 includes switches 30, 32 and 34 for signalling CPU 14. Pointer
control device 28 (an example of which is a "mouse") permits
a user to select various command modes, modify graphic data, input
other data, and, most importantly for purposes of the present invention,
use scrollbars utilizing event switches 30, 32 and 34. More particularly,
pointer control device 28 permits a user to selectively position
a pointer 36 at any desired location on display 24 by movement of
the pointer control device 28 over a surface 40. In the presently
preferred embodiment, a well known method for signalling CPU 14
of positional changes of pointer 36 is utilized by having a main
event loop handler 5 (FIG.2) monitor the positional changes. However,
it will be appreciated that other well known methods, including
optical methods, can be utilized to poll the position of pointer
36. It will be appreciated that a variety of well known pointer
control devices may be utilized by the present invention including
other pointer control devices such as mechanical mice, track balls,
joy sticks, etc., which may moved over a grid disposed on surface
40.
FIG. 2 shows one arrangement of major programs contained within
memory 16 illustrated in FIG. 1. In particular, there is shown a
frame buffer 49, which comprises a bit map of display 24. The frame
buffer 49 represents a video memory for the display 24, wherein
each storage location in the frame buffer 49 corresponds to a pixel
on the display 24. Thus, the frame buffer 49 comprises a two dimensional
array of points having known coordinates corresponding to the pixels
on the display. In its simplest form, frame buffer 49 comprises
a block of memory which is allocated such that each memory location
is mapped onto the corresponding pixel on the display 24. Memory
16 also includes a variety of other programs for execution by the
CPU 14. In particular, main event loop handler 50, main event table
54, other events 48 in the main event loop handler's (50) event
table 54, main event loop handler's (50) scrollbar displaying event
57, scrollbar displaying event's modification event loop handler
51, scrollbar displaying event's properties table 53, scrollbar
event 58, scrollbar's activation event loop handler 52, scrollbar's
activation table 55, scrollbar display event 46, scrollbar event's
modification event loop handler 47, and scrollbar event's properties
table 56, all as more fully described hereinbelow, may be stored
in memory 16. Moreover, memory 16 further includes space for other
programs requiring memory (16) such as a variety of control, display,
and calculating programs which may be used for a variety of other
well known functions and operations in data processing systems such
as implementing the operations and routines described in this Specification.
As shown in FIG. 1 and the chart of FIG. 2, appropriate programming
of computer 10 is provided such that a main event table 54 exists
in memory 16 or is referenced from a disk file (not shown). Main
event table 54 consists of sets of pre-selected screen coordinates
such as (x1, y1)/(x2, y2); (xx1, yy1)/(xx2, yy2), etc. Also existing
within memory 16 is main event loop handler 50 which is a well known
device or, more accurately, segment of source code which monitors
the positional changes of pointer 36, as well as keyboard and/or
other events.
Although the presently preferred embodiment of the instant invention
employs "hot spots" as a displaying means to activate
the heretofore unknown display of a scrollbar event, it should be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that the scrollbar event
can be activated by a variety of well-known means such as menus,
buttons, key sequences, key presses, etc. Accordingly, the properties
associated with the aforementioned other means can be similarly
modified. For example, if the display of a scrollbar event is "hot
spot" activated, then the "hot spot's" size, shape,
color, etc. may be modified. Moreover, as will be further appreciated
by one skilled in the art, the user can change the properties associated
with the instant invention such as the type of means for activating
the display of the scrollbar event. In other words, one of the properties
of the display of a scrollbar event is whether it is launched by
"hot spots", menus, buttons, key sequences, key presses,
etc.
Each screen coordinate value or key press in main event table 54
is then paired with a specified event in an event loop such as,
for example, the display of, for example, command menus, window
borders and, most preferably, scrollbars. Each screen coordinate
value or key press and corresponding event are then loaded into
main event loop handler 50. As shown in the flow charts of FIGS.
3 and 4, the user practices the present invention by first selecting
the graphic or other data to be panned. The user then moves pointer
36 in a desired direction on display 24 using pointer control device
28. The positional changes of pointer 36 are monitored by CPU's
main event loop handler 50. Main event loop handler 50 determines
whether the position of pointer 36 or a key press corresponds to
a given set of screen coordinates or key press in main event table
54. If the positional coordinates of pointer 36 correspond to a
given set of screen coordinates, CPU 14 executes main event loop
handler 50, thereby causing the event paired with the matched set
of screen coordinate or key press values to take place. In the presently
preferred embodiment, the event is the launch by CPU 14 of the scrollbar
event 58 by the main event loop handler's (50) scrollbar displaying
event 57.
Also as shown in FIG. 2 and the flow chart of FIG. 3, appropriate
programming of computer 10 is provided such that a scrollbar's activation
table 55 exists in memory 16 is referenced from a disk file (not
shown). Scrollbar's activation table 55 consists of pre-selected
key presses or screen coordinates such as (a1, b1)/(a2, b2); (aa1,
bb1)/(aa2, bb2), etc. which correspond to the functional portion(s)
of the image displayed such as a scrollbox 60 of scrollbar 59 (FIG.
5), for example. Also existing with memory 16 is a scrollbar's activation
event loop handler 52 which, similar to main event loop handler
50, is a separate segment of source code which monitors the positional
changes of pointer 36, as well as keyboard events, once the scrollbar
event 58 has been launched and, in particular, when vertical scrollbar
59, for example, is displayed on screen 24.
Each screen coordinate or key press value in the scrollbar's activation
table 55 is paired with a specified event in an activation event
loop handler 52 such as, for example, the activation or controlling
of panning of the image on the display 24. If the positional coordinates
of pointer 36 correspond to a given set of screen coordinates or
key presses,as shown in FIG. 5, CPU 14 either automatically or under
user direction executes the scrollbar's activation event loop handler
52, thereby causing the activation event paired with the matched
set of screen coordinate values to take place. In the presently
preferred embodiment, the event is the activation of the panning
means which allows panning of text, graphics, etc., such as image
62 within window 64, associated with the functional areas of vertical,
horizontal and/or diagonal scrollbars, dials, gauges by CPU 14.
This does not preclude the use of the scrollbar's activation event
loop handler 52 for the inclusion of other events such as modification
events 47 or, more particularly, additional scrollbar displaying
events 46 of scrollbar event 58.
The presently preferred embodiment of the instant invention employs
a pointing device 36 as directed by the user, to deactivate the
scrollbar event 58. This is done, again, most preferably, by allowing
the user to position pointer 36 such that its positional coordinates
correspond to a set of screen coordinates other than those paired
with the screen coordinates of the main event table 54 or the scrollbar's
activation table 55, as shown in FIG. 6. It should be appreciated,
however, by those skilled in the art that the scrollbar event 58
can be deactivated by a variety of well-known means other than the
utilization of "hotspots", such as menus, buttons, key
sequences, key presses, switches 30, 32, and/or 34 on pointer control
device 28.
A user is able to change certain characteristics of the scrollbar
displaying event and/or the scrollbar event before the launching
of the scrollbar event takes place through the modifying event loop
handler 51. Specifically, as pointer 36 enters a coordinate location
stored in the main event loop handler's main event table 54 the
main event loop handler's (50) scrollbar displaying event 57 is
activated which in turn activates the modification event loop handler
of the scrollbar event 51, a menu (not shown) is generated by CPU
14 and displayed. The menu items from which a user can choose include
the ability to modify and/or change certain characteristics of scrollbar
displaying event and/or the scrollbar event including the presence
of a time delay before the launch of the scrollbar event and the
duration of the time delay, activation or deactivation of an icon
to indicate the launch of the scrollbar event, the type of icon
used as an indicator of the launch, the type of displaying means
("hotspot", button, switch, icon or automated selection
under CPU control), horizontal scrollbar, vertical scrollbar, diagonal
scrollbar, dial, gauge, icon, etc.), panning means screen position,
size, shape, color, relief (i.e. none, indented, outdented), and
visibility status (i.e., visible or invisible) as well as other
characteristics of scrollbar events known in the art. Moreover,
as will be further appreciated by one skilled in the art, the user
can change the properties associated with the instant invention
by means well-known in the art such as menu options, dialogue boxes,
command line data entry, input field, pick boxes, scroll boxes,
or any other means available for entering data. Once the user has
selected the desired characteristics of the scrollbar displaying
event and/or the scrollbar event the user saves these selected characteristics
to scrollbar's displaying event properties table 53 and/or scrollbar
event properties table 56 respectively and continues from the point
at which he made the modifications. It will be readily appreciated
by one of ordinary skill that a user may be able to similarly change
characteristics of the scrollbar event's (58) scrollbar displaying
event 46 after the activating scrollbar event takes place through
an incorporated modification event loop handler 47 in the activation
event loop handler's (52) activation table 55. In turn, the specific
properties of each display means can be similarly modified. For
example, if the means selected for activating the display of the
scrollbar event is a button, the user is provided with means to
modify the size, shape, etc. of the button. If the means selected
is a menu, the name, location, etc. can be modified. Alternatively,
if the means selected is a key press or sequence, then the identity
of the key(s) can be modified. Moreover, as will be further appreciated
by one skilled in the art, as event loop handlers are incorporated
in each event, specifically the instant invention, they in turn
can provide a means for activating any desired function.
It will be understood that the figures set forth and described
herein are for illustration only and should not be taken as limitations
upon the invention. It is contemplated that many changes and modifications
may be made, by one of ordinary skill in the art, to the materials
and arrangements of the elements of the invention without departing
from the sphere and scope of the invention as disclosed above. |