IP Innovation L.L.C. and Technology Licensing Corporation (collectively, "Plaintiffs") have brought a patent-infringement action against Red Hat, Inc., and Novell, Inc., alleging infringement of U.S. Patent Numbers 5,072,412; 5,533,183; and 5,394,521. The patents concern a user interface that has multiple workspaces. The Plaintiffs' complaint identifies as accused products "Red Hat Linux system," the "Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop," and the "Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Server."
UPDATE: THESE THREE PATENTS WERE INVALIDATED BY THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT, EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, ON APRIL 30, 2010, IN THE ABOVE REFERENCED ACTION.
UPDATE: THESE THREE PATENTS WERE INVALIDATED BY THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT, EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS, ON APRIL 30, 2010, IN THE ABOVE REFERENCED ACTION.
Last updated: 3 months ago
Summary / Description
| Summary / Description | 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. |
Basic Information
| Type of Prior Art | Issued Patents - US |
| Country | United States of America |
| Patent/Application # | 4586035 |
| Kind Code | United States (US) - United STATES Patent - A |
| Patentee Name | International Business Machines Corp. |
| Relevant Pages, Columns, or Lines | See excerpt |
| URL | http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/... |
| Publication Date | February 29, 1984 |
| Additional Information | Date listed is filing date |
Notes / To Do
| Notes | |
Excerpt
1.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 (Abstract).
In considering the best mode for carrying out the present invention, we wish to initially indicate the differences between the display screen produced through the apparatus of the present invention over typical prior art display screens as described in the previously referenced prior art articles. As shown in FIG. 1, a typical prior art display having overlapping windows comprises screen 20 having three overlapping windows designated by files 1, 2 and 3 as well as a menu 21 from which the operator may select the specified action to be taken with respect to the contents of any one of file 1, 2 and 3 windows. The appropriate action may be selected from the menu by activating one of the listed functions in any conventional way, e.g., through a mouse, or keyboard driven cursor or by some sort of touch mechanism such as a light pen or touch screen (col. 4, ln 4-19).
In contrast to the prior art display systems as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the display system of the present invention as illustrated generally in FIG. 3, during the operational or functional periods of the display, all of the menu items designated 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 associated with the window designated file 1 remain as virtual items distributed about the periphery of the file 1 window. It should be noted that the windows file 2 and file 3 have similar menus of distributed virtual items. In other words, menu items 31-38 as indicated by the dotted line remain undisplayed during the functional operation which may be carried out on the contents of the file 1 window (col. 4, 44-56).
Relevance
Claims
User interface with mulitple workspaces
An article of manufacture for use in a system that includes a display; a processor for controlling the display; and display object data the processor can use to generate first and second display objects the processor can present on the display; the article comprising:
memory that can be accessed by the processor; and
data stored in the memory; the data comprising:
first and second workspace data structures relating respectively to first and second workspaces that the processor can present on the display; each of the first and second workspaces including a respective set of display objects; each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features; the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display; and
first and second linking data structures; the first linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure and the display object data so that the processor presents the first display object in the first workspace's set of display objects; the second linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure and the display object data so that the processor presents the second display object in the second workspace's set of display objects; the first and second display objects being perceptible as the same tool.
Relevance
To be specified
To be specified
Claim Chart
All


