Abstract: The present invention relates to a computer system having a user interface through which a user can select an action in order to invoke a desired operation, and to a method of operation of such a computer system. The action is selectable by one or more views provided via the user interface, and the system comprises generation means for representing an action by an action object, the action object defining, for each available view that can be employed to represent that action, the attributes required to provide that view, and an identifier to identify the operation to be invoked upon selection of the action. Further the system comprises identifying means for identifying when a user selection of a view has occurred, and for informing the associated action object of that selection, and the action object is responsive to the identifying means to employ the unique identifier to generate a command to invoke the desired operation.

Abstract: A method for processing data in a computer containing a processor is described, wherein the method comprises the steps of providing at least one program object having an instruction set, and at least one set of rules responsive to input data, the set of rules being used by the processor to determine program instructions to be issued, providing a form-based user interface, accepting input data from a user of a computer system through the forms-based user interface, causing the processor to compare the input data to one or more of the rules to determine at least one next program instruction to be executed, and then causing said at least one next program instruction to be executed. The forms-based user interface comprises standard Hyper-Text Markup Language constructs, together with new work flow interface commands which, depending on the information submitted to or received from the work flow process through one or more user interfaces, may alter that work flow process.

Abstract: A system for processing Aeromagnetic survey data to determine depth to basement rock is disclosed. The system uses Neural Networks having an input layer of elements, a hidden layer of elements and an output layer of elements which are interconnected by a weighted system of interconnections. A training session using known input and output data is used to train the Neural Network by adjusting the weighting functions repetitively to minimize any error in the output of the Neural Network.

Abstract: The problem addressed by this invention is that of resolving what occurs when a user's viewpoint comes into contact with an object residing in a three-dimensional workspace as the viewer navigates through that workspace. There are several possibilities in such a situation. For example, the viewer's viewpoint may be stopped and prevented from advancing further or it may penetrate the object. The instant invention provides a climbability property for objects in 3-D virtual environments. This property, when stored in the software along with the properties which define that object, can alter the viewer's viewpoint such that it will automatically be adjusted to simulate the behavior of climbing over the object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus enabling the usage of a remote display monitor for presenting display data from a mobile telephone is disclosed. A mobile telephone includes a display monitor communication function enabling the generation of a communications link between the mobile telephone and a receiver of a display monitor. The communications link enables the transmission of numeric and textual data intended to be displayed on a display associated with a mobile telephone on the larger screen of the remote display monitor. The type of data presented on the display monitor may be selectively programmed by a user.

Abstract: A method and system enables an assignment of a feature value from a set of preset feature values for a copy operation to be performed on a reprographic system The system displays a first screen on a user interface associated with the reprographic system, the first screen displaying a plurality of activatable areas corresponding to a subset of the set of preset feature values and an activatable area corresponding to a second screen associated with the set of preset reduction enlargement values. The system further determines if the activatable area corresponding to the second screen is engaged and displays the second screen on the user interface associated with the reprographic system the activatable area corresponding to the second screen is engaged, the second screen displaying a plurality of activatable areas such that each preset feature value within the set of preset feature values has an activatable area associated therewith.

Abstract: An objective, quantitative metric is used in a system that measures the physical effort expended by a user on computer input devices while the user manages the functionality of application software so that an evaluation of the desirability of computer-human interfaces being evaluated is generated. For certain convex polygonal targets of arbitrary size and location relative to a target acquiring device, the present invention identifies a circular subset of points that permits determination of the width and distance parameters of Fitts' Index of Difficulty and thus, permits objective quantification of the physical effort incurred in acquiring a target via computer input devices. The invention itself presents a method for symbolically expressing actual targets appearing on a computer-human interface and physical actions required by a user to accomplish a task set utilizing the application software.

Abstract: A stock information display method wherein, when a screen pattern and a stock are entered, stock information regarding the entered stock on display types specified by the entered screen pattern is displayed in accordance with a division pattern designated by the screen pattern. An information terminal wherein an auxiliary memory is equipped with a linkage registration table for storing, as screen patterns, a plurality of screen division patterns and the types of information to be displayed at respective display locations on a divided screen. When a screen pattern and a stock are entered, a controller reads from a main memory the stock information regarding the entered stock on the display types corresponding to the entered screen pattern, creates display data in accordance with a format of the division pattern which corresponds to the screen pattern, and supplies the created data to a display unit.

Abstract: A data processing system and method of operation thereof detect when a situation occurs in which a window displayed on a display device should be brought to a user's attention. That window is then surfaced at the top of a window system z-order of the data processing system without modifying a current activation state of the window. Thus, while the window is guaranteed to be visible or unobscured by any other windows, the current activation state is not changed and any user input is still in control of the user.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for providing help-data in association with applications launched from a network, such that the applications are displayed within a window of a graphical user interface. Initially, an application is selected from among a number of applications, which are constructed from data generated at a server located within the network. Next, help-data associated with that application is identified. Thereafter, the identified help-data is automatically converted to hypertext data if the identified help-data is derived from a native format other than hypertext format. Hypertext links associated with the identified help-data are then automatically displayed within a window of the graphical user interface. Thereafter, the help-data is automatically displayed within a window of the graphical user interface as a hypertext document, in response to an invocation of the hypertext link by a user of the application.

Abstract: A system and computer-based method for permitting a computer system to access a network location using a browser application by activating a desktop icon. The system comprises a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer system to display a desktop icon associated with a file containing a network address corresponding to the network location. When the desktop icon is activated, a second computer usable program code means causes the computer to launch an instance of a browser application or a new window for a currently executing browser application and a third computer usable program code means causes the computer system to pass the network address to the browser application, thereby accessing the network location.

Abstract: A processing architecture includes an object instantiation and interaction engine, an CUE interface, and remote processes to create, access, and process objects in a distributed manner. The CUE interface uses an interface wheel divided into portions denoted who, what, when, where, why, how, and now. Selection of a particular portion provides the user with control related to that portion. The interface is adaptable for use with a wide variety of machines, including computers, televisions, telephones, security systems, and automobiles. The wheel is implemented as a display on a video monitor or as a physical disk. Each portion of the wheel is assigned a color that serves as a mnemonic for that portion. A hierarchical network of engines provides distributed storage and access to data in conjunction with the CUE interface.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for a secondary scroll bar that yields increased granularity in scrolling through a viewable object, such as a document displayed within a window of a graphical user interface of a computer system. Initially, an icon is displayed within the graphical user interface which, when activated by a user, provides this secondary scroll bar. Next, the secondary scroll bar is displayed within the window in response to a selection of the icon by a user, wherein the secondary scroll bar allows a user to scroll through a narrowly defined region of the viewable object, in response to activation of the icon. Delimiter marks are also displayed within a primary scroll bar upon which the secondary scroll bar is dependent, in response to the selection by the user of the secondary scroll bar. The delimiter marks indicate a searchable range of the viewable object by the secondary scroll bar.

Abstract: A rule based system and method interacts with a user to provide the user a series of interim results. The system has a set of one or more operations. Each of these operations in turn has a set of one or more choices, called a choice set, associated with an operation. Rule based intelligence is applied to the operations set and/or one or more operation choice set by a set of rules associated with its respective operation and/or choice set. When one or more rules in a rule set are applied to the operation set, an offered operation set is created which is a subset of the operation set. Only the operations in the offered operation set are offered to the user. When one or more rules in a rule set are applied to a choice set, an offered choice set is created which is a subset of the choice set. Only those operation choices in the offered choice set are offered to the user.

Abstract: An apparatus and related method permit viewer navigation and object manipulation within a three-dimensional graphical experience or "virtual world" displayed by a programmable digital computer. The apparatus and method include the display of a series of six buttons. Twenty-four operations are divided among the six buttons, with each button having two pairs of cooperating or complementary operations. Three of the buttons are used to accomplish movement of the viewer in relation to the three-dimensional virtual world, and the other three buttons are used to manipulate selected objects within the virtual world. A mouse cursor is used to select one of the buttons and to activate one of four quadrants associated with the selected button to accomplish the operation associated with the activated quadrant. When a button is selected, it expands from its inactivated or "at rest" state to a larger, activated state. Two adjacent quadrants may be activated to perform two operations concurrently.

Abstract: A system and a method are both described for transferring data throughout computer systems, computer networks, data transmission facilities, and the like from an originating location to destination devices (50) at various physical locations. An electronic package data structure (10) is also described that includes document references (14), destination references (16), and package attributes (18, 28, 40). The document references (14) may be document names and locations or actual document contents. Destination references (16) identify printers, e-mail addresses, facsimile machines, electronic pagers and the like. A graphical user interface or GUI (140) serves to allow a user (52) to select documents, destinations, and additional package attributes that create the electronic package data structure (10). Once the components and attributes are assembled, the GUI is used to send the package (10) to a delivery service (12).

Abstract: A computer-implemented graphical user interface method receives a select command to select a first window from a group of three or more separate and distinct windows. A dock command is received to combine the selected first window and a distinct second window from the group of windows. The first window is docked to the second window to form a single composite window having its own content and its own decoration. The composite window includes a first pane containing the first window content and a second pane containing the second window content. A collapse command is received to collapse a selected one of the first and second panes in the composite window, and an uncollapse command is received to uncollapse the previously collapsed first or second pane in the composite window. A stack command is received to stack a third window with the second pane of the composite window.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and display for controlling defining and automatically executing a sequence of commands of a tool shelf. The user places (drags and drops) desktop icons from a tool box into a sequence tool shelf in an order in which the commands are to be executed. A directed list of the commands created during the placement of the icons in the sequence shelf, along with a current command pointer, is used to automatically control the execution of the commands in the order specified by the user. The execution can be performed without user input to indicate that the next command in the sequence should be executed or the user can control next command execution using a selection tool such as a marking menu. The icons of the commands are highlighted as the commands are executed to provide the user visual feed back concerning which command is currently being executed.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for automatically adjusting priority assigned to execution of applications, tasks, or workspaces to thereby improve performance relative to other such applications, tasks or workspaces in a computerized multitasking graphical user interface environment. A display of a plurality of visual indicators is provided, each of which corresponds to a differing task. By selection of one of the indicators, the priority given to execution of the task is altered as the task is thereby moved into a focused state as a result of such selection. A window manager interposed between a server and application registers in the server the adjusted state of a particular application as being either set in focus or cleared. An application may detect from the server a window-id corresponding to the application for which an adjustment in priority is desired.

Abstract: A process for use in a data processing system to define a display area within a display device in the data processing system. The display device includes an unviewable portion and a viewable portion in which a plurality of borders define the viewable portion of the display. The process includes displaying a line or some other graphical object parallel to the border within the plurality of borders in the display device. The line is moved relative to the border in response to a user input wherein the line remains parallel to the border. The line is fixed in response to a second user input. Additional lines are displayed, moved, and fixed for the remaining borders forming the viewable portion of the display, resulting in the definition of a display area. This display area is stored and employed to display data on the display device such that data is not displayed in the unviewable portion of the display device.