# US 6,297,837 B1 · Method of maintaining characteristics information about a system component either modified by an application program or a user initiated change > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,297,837 B1 - Document ID: US6297837B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/495,738 - Filed: 2000-02-01 - Granted: 2001-10-02 - Earliest claimed: 1993-04-28 - Assignees: Microsoft Corporation - Inventors: Jeffrey L. Bogdan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6297837B1 ## CPC - G06F 3/04855: Interaction with scrollbars - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06F 9/451: Execution arrangements for user interfaces - G09G 5/14: Display of multiple viewports - G09G 2340/04: Changes in size, position or resolution of an image - G09G 2360/121: using a cache memory - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract An operating system provides a number of window elements that the operating system itself or applications may use in displaying a window. The operating system includes a dialog box for enabling a user to adjust the individual sizes of the respective window elements independently of the size of the window. The bitmaps for the window elements are stored in a cache that is re-drawn each time the user changes the size of any of the window elements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In a computer system having an output device and processor for running an operating system having a graphical user interface and an application program wherein the application program and the graphical user interface output window elements that are based on a visual representation of the window elements provided by the operating system, a method comprising the computer-implement steps of: maintaining information by the operating system about the metric characteristics of a specific window element provided by the operating system independent of other window elements provided by the operating system; outputting by the application program and the graphical user interface, the specific window element provided by the operating system, wherein the output it uniformly based solely on the information maintained by the operating system about the metric characteristics of the specific window element provided by the operating system; providing a function in the operating system for obtaining the information that is maintained about the metric characteristics of the specific window element provided by the operating system; and calling the operating system function by the application program and the graphical user interface of the operating system to obtain the information maintained about the metric characteristics of the specific window element provided by the operating system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the specific window element is a scroll bar. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the information includes dimensional information about the dimensions of the scroll bar. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the information includes information about the position of a thumb on the scroll bar. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the information maintained about the metric characteristics of a specific window element independent of other window elements provided by the operating system is stored in a cache. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the cache is a bitmap cache. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the specific window element is stored as a bitmap in the bitmap cache. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the specific window element is a scroll bar. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the information includes dimensional information about the dimensions of the scroll bar. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the information includes information about the position of a thumb on the scroll bar. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) A computer-readable medium containing computer-implementable instructions for carrying out the method of any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10. ### Claim 12 In a computer system having an output device and processor for running an operating system having a graphical user interface and an application program, a method comprising computer-implement steps of: storing information by the operating system about system metrics that specific information about certain system components, including information about the size of selected system-provided window elements independent of the size of other system-provided window elements; outputting by the application program and the graphical user interface the selected system-provided window elements uniformly based solely on the information stored by the operating system about the system metrics of the selected system-provided window element; providing a function in the operating system for accessing the system metrics on behalf of the application program and the graphical user interface; and calling the function by the application program and the graphical user interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the function sets a value of the system metrics of a least one of the window elements independent of the system metrics of the other window elements. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the function includes an interface that allows a user to initiate system metric changes for window elements not integrated into the application program. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein system metrics that specify information about certain system components are stored in a cache. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the cache is a bitmap cache. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein certain system components are stored as bitmaps. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the function sets a value of the system metrics. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the function includes an interface that allows a user to initiate system metric changes for window elements not integrated into the application program. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18) A computer-readable medium containing computer-implementable instructions for carrying out the method of any one of claims 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19.