User interface for configuring input and output devices of a computer
AssigneeApple Computer, Inc.
InventorsLisa Louise Davis, Gregory K. Mullins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A user interface is provided for configuring audio and video components connected to a computer through a textual display and a graphic display, so that users may more easily access and use all of the component capabilities of the system. Groups of the related components are integrated into a comprehensive, streamlined, consistent, and coherent user interface so that the user interaction is as straightforward and consistent as possible. A component-based configuration for the connected components permits new components to be easily added.
Claims11
In a computer system having a plurality of audio and/or video components, a user interface for configuring the operation of said components, comprising:
- a plurality of component modules which are respectively associated with said audio and video components, each of said component modules containing data pertaining to user controllable features of its associated audio or video component;
- and
- a framework which communicates with each of said component modules and generates a user interface display that provides a user a comprehensive overview of the audio and video components and access to the control features of each component within a single application.
A system for controlling related components connected to a computer comprising:
- a register for registering the components that are connected to the computer;
- a processing unit for sorting the components connected to the computer into groups of related components in a component-based configuration according to a component organizational strategy;
- and
- a configuration display for providing a comprehensive overview of the related components according to said component organizational strategy, said configuration display comprising a textual component display and a graphical component display, said textual component display providing a textual listing of the related components and said graphical component display providing a graphical model of the related components, their locations and their connections.
A method for configuring the operation of audio and/or video components in a computer system, comprising the steps of:
- storing a plurality of component modules which are respectively associated with said audio and video components,
- each of said component modules containing data pertaining to user controllable features of its associated audio or video component;
- and
- communicating with each of said component modules by a framework which generates a user interface display that provides a user a comprehensive overview of the audio and video components and access to the control features of each component within a single application.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.