Method and apparatus for linking images of sliders on a computer display

A computer apparatus with linked sliders comprising:

• a digital processor;
• read/write memory coupled to said digital processor;
• a display coupled to said digital processor;
• means for displaying a master slider, a slave slider, and a mode selector on said display, wherein each of said sliders includes a knob and a guide, each of said knobs being displayed along a portion of its respective guide, and wherein said slave slider can be operated in a full slave mode, or in at least one of a partial slave mode and a free mode based upon a setting of said mode selector that is selectable by a user to toggle said modes;
• means for moving said knob of said master slider along its guide in response to a pointer controlled by the user;
• and
• means for moving a knob of said slave slider, wherein said movement of said knob of said slave slider is influenced by a position of said knob of said master slider on said guide, such that in said full slave mode said slave knob moves in the same direction and in the same amount that said master knob is moved, regardless of direction and initial positioning of said slave knob.

A method for manipulating a plurality of sliders provided on a computer system, the method comprising:

• displaying a master slider having a master knob on a display screen, said master knob being operative to move in accordance with input from a pointing device controlled by a user;
• displaying a slave slider having a slave knob on said display screen;
• displaying a mode selector for said slave slider on said display screen, said mode selector being responsive to a selection from said user to set said slave slider to a partial slave mode, or alternatively to at least one of a full slave mode, and a free mode;
• influencing movement of a slave knob of said slave slider based on movement of said master knob, wherein said master knob is moved within a master guide and said slave knob is moved within a slave guide, and wherein, in said partial slave mode, said slave knob is prevented from moving past a position in said slave guide corresponding to a position of said master knob in said master guide;
• and
• displaying an indication of said influence on said movement of said slave slider.

A method for producing GUI slider bars with master/slave relationships comprising:

• providing a first slider having a first linear guide and a first knob engaged with said first linear guide, said first knob being operative to move along said first linear guide;
• adding a second slider having a second linear guide and a second knob engaged with said second linear guide, said second knob being operative to move along said second linear guide;
• determining a master-slave relationship between said first slider and said second slider by determining that said second slider is a slave of said first slider, and wherein said second slider is provided with a full slave mode and a partial slave mode selectable by a user;
• and
• displaying images of said first slider and said second slider on a display of a computer system, wherein for said full slave mode said images appear on said display such that said second knob tracks said first knob whenever said first knob is displayed as moving, regardless of direction and initial relative positioning of said slave knob and said master knob.

A method for controlling GUI sliders with master/slave relationships comprising:

• displaying a master slider and a slave slider on a computer screen;
• displaying a mode selector for said slave slider on said computer screen;
• determining when a pointer controlled by a user is selecting said mode selector to set a mode of said slave slider to a full slave mode, and alternatively to at least one of a partial slave mode and a free mode;
• determining when said pointer is selecting an active slider, wherein said active slider is one of said master slider and said slave slider;
• detecting movement of said pointer;
• moving an active knob of said active slider in accordance with said pointer;
• limiting said movement of said active knob when said active slider is said slave slider, said limit being based on a position of a master knob of said master slider and said mode of said slave slider;
• and
• moving a slave knob of said slave slider in accordance with said movement of said active knob when said active slider is said master slider, such that in said full slave mode said slave knob moves in the same direction and in the same amount that said master knob is moved regardless of direction of said master knob and relative positions of said master knob and said slave knob.