Display terminal with a cursor responsive virtual distributed menu

Patent 4586035 Issued on April 29, 1986. Estimated Expiration Date:

February 29, 2004. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

3757037

Keyboard-display combination
Patent #: 4274093
Issued on: 06/16/1981
Inventor: Judge

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Inventor: Slater , et al.

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Issued on: 07/31/1984
Inventor: Dachowski , et al.

Inventors

Application

No. 06/584686 filed on 02/29/1984

US Classes:

345/157, Cursor mark position control device178/18.01, Position coordinate determination for writing (e.g., writing digitizer pad, stylus, or circuitry)715/790, Overlap control715/856Cursor

Examiners

Primary: Brigance, Gerald L.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Kraft; J. B.

International Classes

G06F 17/21 (20060101)
G06F 3/033 (20060101)
G09G 5/14 (20060101)

Abstract

An interactive display terminal of the multiple overlapping window type is provided. Each of the windows is smaller in dimension than the overall display screen. One or more of the windows have an associated virtual distributed menu which is made up of a plurality of menu items respectively distributed about the periphery of the associated window but not displayed during normal operations. Cursor means and means for moving the cursor are also provided. The display terminal further includes apparatus which in response to the movement of the cursor across a selected region in a window periphery will effect the display of a selected menu item associated with the particular selected region. The overlapping windows are preferably rectangular in shape and the selected regions are adjacent to corners of the periphery. The menu items are distributed so as to be positioned adjacent to the respective region across which the cursor movement will result in the item display.

Other References

"Virtual Terminal Management in a Multiple Process Environment", K. A. Lantz et al, Proceedings of The Seventh Symposium on Operating Systems Principles, 1979, p. 86
"BRUWIN: An Adaptable Design Strategy for Window Manager/Virtual Terminal Systems", N. Meyrowitz et al, Proceedings of The Eighth Symposium on Operating Systems Principles, 1981, p. 180
"The Smalltalk Environment", Larry Tesler, Byte, vol. 6, No. 8, Aug. 1981, p. 90
"The Lisa Computer System", Gregg Williams, Byte, Feb. 1983