System and method for window navigation in GUI environment
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorChristopher M. Haynes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a GUI environment including a plurality of windows, a user may establish one or more groups of windows such that the windows comprising each group are related. The user may cycle focus successively between the windows in the group in response to a focus cycle command input by the user. The focus may cycle bidirectionally between the windows in the group in response to bi-directional focus cycle command inputs by the user. The user may shift focus to a window outside of the group by entering a focus shift command.
Claims18
A method of navigating within groups of windows in a GUI environment by a user, comprising:
- providing a GUI environment including a plurality of windows;
- establishing first and second groups of windows, each comprising a subset of two or more but less than all of said plurality of windows in said GUI environment such that the windows comprising said first group are related and the windows comprising said second group are related, by, for each of said first and second groups,
- selecting a first window;
- dragging said first window to a group icon on a second window;
- and
- dropping said first window on said group icon of said second window, thereby establishing a group relationship between said first and second window;
- cycling focus successively between the windows in said first group in response to a focus cycle command input by the user;
- shifting focus to a window in said second group in response to a focus shift command input by the user;
- and
- cycling focus successively between the windows in said second group in response to said focus cycle command input by the user.
A computer system, including:
- a display device;
- at least one input device;
- a processor programmed to display a GUI environment including a plurality of windows on said display device, said GUI environment operative to allow a user to form two or more groups of said windows via said input device, by, for each group, selecting a first window, dragging said first window to a group icon on a second window, and dropping said first window on said group icon of said second window, thereby establishing a group relationship between said first and second window, wherein each said group comprises two or more but less than all said plurality of windows, and to cycle focus between windows in said group by entering focus cycle command inputs.
A non-transient computer readable medium which stores computer-executable process steps for a GUI environment including a plurality of windows, said computer-executable process steps causing a computer to perform the steps of:
- displaying said GUI environment on a display device;
- accepting, from a user, designations first and second groups of windows, each comprising a subset of two or more but less than all of said plurality of windows in said GUI environment such that the windows comprising said first group are related and the windows comprising said second group are related, by, for each of said first and second groups,
- selecting a first window;
- dragging said first window to a group icon on a second window;
- and
- dropping said first window on said group icon of said second window, thereby establishing a group relationship between said first and second window,
- cycling focus successively between the windows in said first group in response to a focus cycle command input by the user;
- shifting focus to a window in said second group in response to a focus shift command input by the user;
- and
- cycling focus successively between the windows in said second group in response to said focus cycle command input by the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.