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.
#71Multiple virtual control unit
Applies to Claims 1
Last updated: 2 months ago
Summary / Description
Summary / DescriptionA channel interface multiple virtual control unit controls a plurality of classes of terminal sessions on a graphics system workstation, the multiple virtual control unit includes lookup tables having indicia related to a class of display session to be enabled for controlling a workstation in either a alpha-numeric display mode or a graphics display mode.
 
Basic Information
Type of Prior ArtIssued Patents - US
 
CountryUnited States of America
 
Patent/Application #4737906
 
Kind CodeUnited States (US) - United STATES Patent - A
 
Patentee NameInternational Business Machines Corporation
 
Relevant Pages, Columns, or Lines
 
URLhttp://www.google.com/patents?i...
 
Publication DateSeptember 26, 1985
 
Additional InformationMultiple workspaces are a natural continuation of the multiple session functionality used on mainframes and workstations
 
Notes / To Do
NotesIt's important to note that this applies to "virtual" control units; that is, software implemented. Multiple work environments could be switched between at the same workstation, either in text or graphical modes.
 
Excerpt
What is claimed is: 1. Apparatus for controlling one or more multiple session work stations, each supporting one or more classes of session, comprising: first means for controlling communication with one or more host channels; second means for controlling communication with one or more work stations; third means connected to said first and second control means for controlling command and data flow between said first and second control means; and fourth means, connected to said first means and to said third means, for selecting one of a plurality of classes of work station sessions in response to a channel command of a type associated with said one class. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second means further comprises: a plurality of virtual control units, each controlling one class of said work station sessions. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fourth means further comprises: one or more look up tables each having a plurality of entries, each entry containing a class identifier. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fourth means further comprises: a plurality of command look up tables, there being at least one such look up table for each work station class. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third means further comprises: means for resolving contention between simultaneous operations directed to a plurality of work station classes. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said resolving means further comprises: a plurality of latches for storing a status for each work station class; and control means associated with said third means for responding to said simultaneous operations in accordance with said status contained in said latches.
Relevance
Claims
User interface with mulitple workspaces

A system comprising: a display; first and second workspace data structures relating respectively to first and second workspaces that can be presented 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; display object means for generating first and second display objects; the first workspace data structure being linked to the display object means so that the first display object is in the respective set of display objects of the first workspace; the second workspace data structure being linked to the display object means so that the second display object is in the respective set of display objects of the second workspace; and control means for accessing the first workspace data structure to cause the display to present the first workspace including the first display object; the control means further being for accessing the second workspace data structure to cause the display to present the second workspace including the second display object; the display object means generating the first and second display objects so that the second display object is perceptible as the same tool as the first display object when the second workspace is presented after the first workspace.
Relevance
Multiple work sessions, switchable via keyboard control.
Multiple work sessions, switchable via keyboard control.
Claim Chart
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