Real estate abstract
A method for maximizing the amount of screen display real estate
without sacrificing the user's ability to navigate through graphic
and other data. The CPU is capable of accessing and executing a
computer program which includes a first event handler including
events, each of which is selectively paired with a different set
of screen coordinates, the 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 handler, which then 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 navigation tool. The CPU executes
the first event handler thereby causing a navigation tool 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, most preferably a navigation tool
displaying event which launches the navigation tool. Then and only
then is the screen display encumbered by the presence of the navigation
tool. In accordance with the invention, it is not necessary to press
a mouse button to initiate a navigation 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
navigation display event on said display screen without any event
selection by said user, whereby said user may navigate said data
using raid pointer to interact with said navigation 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 navigation 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 navigation display event
displays a navigation event which permits the user to navigate 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 navigation event indicating a type of navigation of said data
desired by said user; and
said user selecting said type of navigation of said data by said
navigation event by depressing a select button on said pointer control
device when said pointer is positioned over said functional portion
of said navigation event.
6. A method as in claim 4, comprising the further step of modifying
properties of at least one of said navigation display event and
said navigation event.
7. A method as in claim 6, wherein the properties of said navigation
display event include at least one of: the presence of a time delay
before the activation of said navigation event, a duration of said
time delay, activation or deactivation of a display icon to indicate
the launch of said navigation event, a type of icon used as an indicator
of the launch of said navigation event, and a manner in which said
navigation event is activated by the user.
8. A method as in claim 6, wherein the properties of said navigation
event include at least one of: type of navigation too, screen position
of said navigation tool, size, shape, and color of said navigation
tool, and whether said navigation tool 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 navigation 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 navigation display event paired with said predetermined
area without any event selection by said user, whereby said user
may navigate said data using said pointer to interact with said
navigation 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 navigation 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 navigation display event
displays a navigation event which permits the user to navigate 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 navigation event includes
a navigation activation event handler including a navigation activation
event table which, in turn, includes a further navigation display
event which is paired with a navigation tool indicating a type of
navigation of said data desired by said user, said navigation tool
navigating 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 navigation tool.
14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said navigation tool comprises
a next page turn.
15. A system as in claim 13, wherein said navigation tool comprises
a previous page turn.
16. A system as in claim 13, wherein said navigation tool comprises
a jump page turn.
17. A system as in claim 13, wherein said navigation tool comprises
a dial.
18. A system as in claim 13, wherein said navigation tool comprises
a gauge.
19. A system as in claim 13, wherein said navigation tool comprises
an icon.
20. A system as in claim 13, wherein said navigation activation
event handler further includes a modifying event handler which modifies
properties of at least one of said navigation display event and
said navigation event.
21. A system as in claim 20, wherein the properties of said navigation
display event include at least one of: the presence of a time delay
before the activation of said navigation event, a duration of said
time delay, activation or deactivation of a display icon to indicate
the launch of said navigation event, a type of icon used as an indicator
of the launch of said navigation event, and a manner in which said
navigation event is activated by the user.
22. A system as in claim 20, wherein the properties of said navigation
event include at least one of: type of navigation tool, screen position
of said navigation tool, size, shape, and color of said navigation
tool, and whether said navigation tool 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 navigate through an electronic
software application, and more particularly, the present invention
relates to a computer controlled display system in which page turn
icons 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 page turn icons become visible to the user or "pop-up",
thereby allowing the user to "turn an electronic page"
on the screen (i.e. navigate the electronic application).
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 various screens or pages of images, text,
graphics and the like within the working area of a screen window.
Moving from screen to screen while traversing a computer application
can be controlled by navigation elements such as menus, buttons,
icons or other screen objects activated by key presses or by placing
the pointer over the screen objects representing application navigation
icons. If a pointer device is used, activating a selected switch
on a pointer control device or mouse, or alternatively, by placing
the pointer on the navigation element and depressing a pre-selected
switch on the pointer control device, results in navigation of an
application with associated screen window changes. However, these
application navigation menus, buttons, and icons, 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 navigate
application and 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 application navigation tools fixedly
displayed on the screen.
All of the software environments of the prior art known to the
applicant utilize navigation elements such as menu's, buttons, icons
or other screen objects that are fixed on a screen and, as such,
are a distraction both in terms of visual impact or aesthetics,
when application 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 navigate a software application.
These known software environments utilize event handlers to permit
standard operation of the application navigation elements fixed
on a display screen. An event 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 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
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, scrollbar, and navigation
events such as page turns. 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 handler table, the main event handler
is executed by the CPU, thereby causing the event paired with the
set of screen coordinates or key presses, such as the navigation
of an application through use of menu's, buttons, icons or other
screen objects, to take place. The navigation event permits text,
graphics and the like within the working area of a window to be
changed as the application is traversed in directions in which the
selected navigation event determines (eg. next page, previous page).
When the position of a pointer, as determined by the main event
handler or the navigation event handler does not correspond to an
activation table entry, the event 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 navigation's event handler eliciting the application
navigation 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 signal the CPU of selections in accordance with
the teachings of the present invention.
Instead of viewing the manipulation of application navigation elements
such as menu's, buttons, icons or other screen objects by the CPU,
for example, as the only relevant event, the present invention treats
the display of the navigation elements by the CPU as the relevant
event. In turn, this separate and heretofore unknown navigation
displaying event may have its own event handler which when executed
by the CPU provides for the modification of the navigation displaying
event properties. By employing this separate event type which keeps
navigation elements hidden until the event handler activates the
navigation displaying event thereby activating the navigation event,
the present invention overcomes the disadvantages attendant to known
computer controlled display systems utilizing navigation elements
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 navigate
a software application.
The presently preferred embodiment of the invention, in effect,
hides the navigation elements until the pointer enters a displaying
means such as a "hot spot". At which time the main event
handler activates the navigation displaying event under control
of the CPU thereby causing the associated navigation event to take
place which results in the navigation elements "popping-up"
and staying up while the pointer control device is utilized to activate
the navigation element, or the pointer otherwise remains within
the area of the displaying or activation means such as "hot
spots", or the main event and/or navigation activation event
handler recognizes some event which deactivates it. Once the navigation
element is displayed, the user can position the pointer over the
navigation activation "hot spots". The navigation activation
event handler is then executed by the CPU thereby causing the activation
of application navigation functions associated with the navigation
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 navigation elements, is automatically ended.
It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, that
the term "main event 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 handler of any subroutine
with CPU focus, for example, the navigation element's activation
event handler or modifying event handler. Therefor, 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 navigation displaying event and/or the navigation
event before the launch of the navigation event. This is accomplished
through the incorporation of a modifying event handler within the
navigation displaying event. Specifically, as the pointer enters
the navigation displaying event, properties associated with the
navigation displaying event and/or navigation event are presented
by the CPU and displayed for modification. The navigation 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 navigation
event and the duration of the time delay, activation or deactivation
of an icon to indicate the launch of the navigation 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 navigation event properties from which a
user could choose include type (i.e. next page, previous page, jump
to page, activate page, pop-up page, 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 navigation displaying
event and/or the navigation event the user saves these selected
characteristics to navigation displaying event and/or navigation
event tables respectively, and continues with the activation of
the navigation 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
handler for purposes of causing, in turn, the navigation displaying
event which in turn causes the navigation 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 next page navigation
icon 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. 4 but without the image of any navigation icon
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 this 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
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 navigate software applications 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 navigation elements 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 the main
event handler 50 monitor said 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. However,
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 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 handler 50, main event table 54,
other events 48 in the main event handler's (50) event's table 54,
navigation displaying event 57, navigation displaying event's modification
event handler 51, navigation displaying event's properties table
53, navigation event 58, navigation's activation event handler 52,
navigation's activation table 55, navigation event's modification
event handler 47, and navigation 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 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 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 navigation event, it should be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that said 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 navigation event is "hot spot" activated,
then the "hot spot's" size, shape, color, ets. 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 navigation event. In other words, one of the properties of
the display of navigation 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 such as, for example,
the display of, for example, command menus, window borders and,
most preferably, navigation elements. Each screen coordinate value
or key press and corresponding event are then loaded into main event
handler 50. As shown in the charts of FIGS. 2 and 3, the user practices
the present invention by first selecting the software application
to be navigated. 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 handler 50. Main
event 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 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, said event is
the launch by CPU 14 of the navigation event 58 by the navigation
displaying event 57.
Also as shown in FIG. 1 and the flow chart of FIG. 2, appropriate
programming of computer 10 is provided such that a navigation's
activation table 55 exists in memory 16 or referenced from a disk
file (not shown). Navigation'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 page turn Icon 60 of navigation
element 59, for example. Also existing with memory 16 is a navigation's
activation event handler 52 which, similar to main event handler
50, is a separate segment of source code which monitors the positional
changes of pointer 36, as well as keyboard events, once the navigation
event 58 has been launched and, in particular, when next page navigation
icon 59, for example, is displayed on screen 24.
Each screen coordinate or key press value in the navigation's activation
table 55 is paired with a specified event in an activation event
handler 52 such as, for example, the activation or controlling of
application navigation 24. If the positional coordinates of pointer
36 correspond to a given set of screen coordinates or key presses,
CPU 14 either automatically or under user direction executes the
navigation's activation event handler 52, thereby causing the activation
event paired with the matched set of screen coordinate values to
take place. In the presently preferred embodiment, said event is
the activation of the navigating means which allows navigation of
text, graphics, etc., such as image 62 within window 64, associated
with the functional areas of next, previous and/or jump navigation
elements, dials, gauges by CPU 14. This does not preclude the use
of the navigation's activation event handler for the inclusion of
other events such as modification events 47 or more particularly
additional navigation displaying events 46.
The presently preferred embodiment of the instant invention employs
a pointing device 36 as directed by the user, to deactivate the
navigation 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 navigation's
activation table 55. It should be appreciated, however, by those
skilled in the art that the navigation 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 navigation
displaying event and/or the navigation event before the launching
of the navigation event takes place through the modifying event
handler 51. Specifically, as pointer 36 enters a coordinate location
stored in the main event handler's main event table 54 the navigation
displaying event 57 is activated which in turn activates the modification
event handler of the navigation 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 navigation displaying event and/or the navigation event including
the presence of a time delay before the launch of the navigation
event and the duration of the time delay, activation or deactivation
of an icon to indicate the launch of the navigation 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), next page navigation, previous page navigation,
jump navigation, dial, gauge, icon, etc.), navigation element's
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 navigation 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 navigation
displaying event and/or the navigation event the user saves these
selected characteristics to navigation's displaying event properties
table 53 and/or navigation 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 navigation
displaying event 57 after the activating navigation event takes
place through an incorporated modification event handler 47 in the
activation event 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 navigation 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 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. |