Method of establishing constraints between master and slave graphical elements

Patent 5745122 Issued on April 28, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date:

August 20, 2016. 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

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Patent #: 5437008
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Method of establishing constraints between graphical elements Patent #: 5577189
Issued on: 11/19/1996
Inventor: Gay, et al.

Inventors

Application

No. 700038 filed on 08/20/1996

US Classes:

345/619Graphic manipulation (object processing or display attributes)

Examiners

Primary: Breene, John

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Fish & Richardson P.C.

International Class

G06F 003/00

Abstract

A user interface (UI) may be used in specifying spatial relationships between graphical elements in a graphics environment with drawing or graphical element manipulating functions. The UI interacts with the operating system through an application shell. A document engine, a graphics engine, and a constraint engine are coupled between the UI and operating system. A user may create a distribution frame with an area on a page of a documents and a set of elements may be specified to be automatically linked by the distribution frame. Graphical elements positioned within the distribution frame are governed by alignment and distribution criteria. The user may select alignment and distribution criteria to determine the spatial relationships between the elements in the set and the distribution frame. One or more dimensions of the graphical elements in the distribution frame are a function of the area encompassed by the distribution frame where a user's edits to one may affect the other. Spatial relationships between graphical elements are established using unidirectional and bidirectional links between pairs of graphical elements. With a unidirectional link, a master/slave relationship is established where attempts to edit the slave graphical element in a way that affects the constraint are inhibited.