Abstract: A directory tree is displayed and a command is detected to expand a subsection of the directory tree. It is determined whether certain criteria are met for displaying the subsection in a scrollable region within the directory tree. The subsection is presented in the scrollable region if the criteria are met, so that a greater number of members of the directory tree outside the subsection can be displayed within the graphical user interface. Some of the criteria which can be used to determine whether a scrollable subsection should be used include: whether the subsection has more than a predetermined number of members; whether all members of a root node directory of the tree can be displayed if the subsection is fully expanded; and whether the subsection is at a predetermined depth in the directory tree structure.

Abstract: There is provided a computer controlled display interface permitting simplified tracking of access time periods to secured data in a user interactive display system with a multitude of displayed windows comprising secured data. A process is provided for tracking for each of said plurality of windows a variable parameter relative to the window, in combination with a process for displaying along at least a portion of the borders of each of said windows a color varying with said variable parameter being tracked for said window. In secured access systems, the parameter being tracked is the period of access time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing digitized audio/video tracks. A plurality of lists are created wherein each of the plurality of lists defines a characteristic of the audio/visual data. The plurality of lists are linked according to a data structure such that performing an edit operation on a portion of the audio/visual data results in the edit operation being applied to the plurality of lists.

Abstract: A correlation server provides for links between disparate data structures in a hyper-relational data navigation system. In one hyper-relational navigation system, a correlation server is used to provide a relationship between a component in one data structure and a component in another data structure. In one method, a draggable element and a drop target are identified. Metadata is imported into a class-relation matrix maintained for the first data structure and a response to a navigation action is formulated, wherein the response is dependent upon at least the draggable element, the drop target and a cell in the class-relation matrix that corresponds to the draggable element and the drop target and includes imported metadata.

Abstract: Described is a method of creating objects for collecting textual information from a CTI server and display the textual information in an application for controlling a telephony system and for allowing users to enter information associated with a call and having this information automatically associated with the call information stored in a CTI server. The objects are created by selecting reusable image symbols and embedding them into an application, without requiring an application developer to write any programming code. After being embedded into an application, these objects are able to correct textual information from the CTI server and display the textual information within the objects. These objects are also able to collect textual information entered by a user and pass this information to the CTI server.

Abstract: A system and method for managing production printing workflow is disclosed. The system includes workflow management software which manages and facilitates the procedural stages of the workflow including job origination, job preparation, job submission and job fulfillment. The workflow management software provides an integrated object oriented interface which visually reflects and interacts with the workflow.

Abstract: A method and system for processing data are described. In one embodiment, a constraint-based configuration file is generated from a pre-defined data configuration domain at a server. In addition, the constraint-based configuration file is mapped into a plurality of display pages at a client, and a page of the plurality of display pages is updated directly from the constraint-based configuration file.

Abstract: A method and implementing computer system is provided in which sounds are projected or rendered in space surrounding a computer system to provide information concerning various aspects of information displayed on the computer system display screen. Computer system users are able to ascertain predetermined information relative to the displayed information, such as a relative scroll point in a lengthy context, by perceiving certain characteristics of the projected sounds, including the perceived location of the source of the projected sounds relative to a designated point of origin, such a user's head or the computer display screen. The display screen is selectively scanned for the location of predetermined image types and sounds representative of the predetermined image types are projected in the space away from the computer system in a manner to aurally indicate the relative screen position of the predetermined image types on the display screen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manipulating a window within a graphical user interface (GUI) of an operating system in a manner that provides a transitional effect between window states, which is pleasing to the user. This transitional effect includes changing the shape of a window while scaling and moving the window between two different sizes and positions. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect may be employed as a window is minimized into an icon, or restored from an icon. In another embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect is employed as a window is minimized within its title bar, or restored therefrom. The transitional effect may achieve scaling by a variety of filtering techniques including pixel averaging and pixel removal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for the simultaneous display of different “viewing areas” on a computer video display monitor so that a user sees them as displayed at different resolutions. When a user selects a resolution for a viewing area different from the background resolution of the rest of the video display monitor, the background resolution of the display monitor is set as the highest resolution at which data is to be displayed. High-level graphics commands are intercepted by a multi-resolution system mimicking a display driver. High-level graphics commands are interpolated using a resolution conversion ratio. Modified high-level graphics commands are sent to the true display driver and an image is displayed at an apparent resolution lower than the background resolution. This enables a user to optimize the display of computer data depending on the program outputting that data and the user's requirements.

Abstract: A graphical user interface is provided to represent relative and absolute physical locations of all RAID system components. Numerous graphical representations are defined. These graphical representations represent, in whole or in part, RAID system components such as disk drives, storage array controllers, controller and drive trays, power supplies, fans, software versions, hardware interfaces, connectors and/or cabling or wiring. The graphical representations are selected and arranged using a display screen. Their selection and arrangement are based on actual physical locations of their corresponding system components. The combined graphical representations can be used to check status of one or more system components, find and access the actual system components and/or update, either under user control or system control, the graphical representations to reflect any changes made to the corresponding actual RAID system components.

Abstract: A power management control system provides control and graphical representation of a plurality of electrical devices and components of an electrical distribution system. The control system includes a virtual three-dimensional annunciator panel for displaying an indication of the status or condition of a plurality a plurality of electrical devices of an electrical distribution system. The virtual annunciator panel includes an array (6×8) of indicator buttons that represent a particular device, event or group of events of the PMCS. The buttons are displayed in different colors to indicate different alarm systems. The annunciator panel functions to notify the user/operator of an alarm condition of a device, as well as permits the user to acknowledge alarms. The development of the virtual annunciator panel display is automated using software, namely an Annunciator Panel Wizard.

Abstract: A power management control system (“PMCS”) provides control and graphical representation of a plurality of electrical devices and components of an electrical distribution system. The PMCS includes a customized tabular display with database links for viewing selected, metered data provided by various intelligent electronic devices and components of the electrical distribution system. The Custom Table Wizard provides a simple method of selecting and displaying important parameters to the user during operation of the PMCS. The custom table graphic includes approximately 1 to 12 rows of information representative of selected, metered data of the selected device. The development of a custom table display is automated using software, namely a Custom Table Wizard. The Custom Table Wizard automates the configuration of the customized tabular display, which is user configurable, and thereby enables the integrator to generate a tabular data interface quickly without programming skills.

Abstract: Portable electronic devices including housings in which input keypads are disposed above display screens and in which input keypads and/or display screens are optionally directly oriented for one-handed operation are provided. Devices including input keypads and/or display screens that are adjustably rotatable relative to device housings are also provided. Methods of manufacturing and using these portable electronic devices are additionally provided.

Abstract: Display and/or input regions to represent a plurality of tree-related elements include a region to represent a root element, at least two concave regions to represent at least two non-root, internal elements, and at least two regions to represent at least two leaf elements. In a particular embodiment, a first concave region is radially adjacent both a second concave region and a third concave region, the second concave region is angularly adjacent the third concave region, and a radial width of the second concave region differs from a radial width of the third concave region.

Abstract: A software visualization technique allows a software application or portfolio to be visually analyzed to determine the extent and depth of problems raised when converting an existing software application or portfolio to make application- or portfolio-wide revisions, such as those needed to respond to the year 2000 problem or the conversion to Euro currency. The software visualization technique first generates or inputs statistical data on a number of different software metrics and statistics about the conversion process, such as the data or currency dependent lines of program code, the types of affected code lines, and the sizes and complexities of the systems, subsystems and programs of a software application and of the applications forming a portfolio. These metrics and statistics are then used to alter the appearance of various views of the software application, systems, subsystems, programs individual lines of the programs generated by various visualization tools of the software visualization technique.

Abstract: Representing display objects, such as windows, in a graphical user interface in such a way as to indicate which display object should be focused on by a user as a currently active display object. The method includes modifying appearance characteristics of a first display object, the first display object transitioning from an active to an inactive state, to make the first display object appear farther from a user than at least one other display object. The method further includes modifying appearance characteristics of a second display object, the second display object transitioning from the inactive state to the active state, to make the second display object appear closer to the user than at least the first display object. The user intuitively recognizes the nearer display object as the currently active display object.

Abstract: A credit card processing system includes a layer of abstraction between the presentation layer and the display, which enables rapid modification of the display by a user who is not necessarily knowledgeable about the inner workings of the presentation layer. To enable rapid modification of the program that controls a graphical user interface, the present invention uses generic statements in the commands in the underlying computer program that reference a series of tables (termed “Meta Data Tables”), in which are stored the values necessary to effect the desired command. These tables are known as Meta Data Tables because they store Meta Data, which is defined as data or information about other data. A powerful example of the use of the Meta Data Table is to define the nodes within the tree of screens presented to the user in a Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Abstract: A method for recreating a user interface of an existing application screen into a graphical user interface having the same functionality of the original interface includes matching the structure data in a user interface of an existing application to a pattern of data structure in the application which communicates with the screen. Portions of the existing program communicating with each screen of the user interface of the existing application, correspondence between fields of a specific screen and the portion of the program which communicates with the specific screen, and statements where the field is compared with other fields and literal values, are detected. The detected information is displayed and from that information a determination made about which fields represent events. The type of graphical user interface control to be used for each event is specified. The text appearing on the graphical user interface for each control is specified. The result of the event is specified.

Abstract: An object oriented computer apparatus and method provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for existing host-based (i.e., green screen) applications by defining some object oriented classes that reside on the client workstation, and by substituting function calls for display data in the green screen application with function calls that interface with the object oriented GUI defined by the classes. In this manner the present invention takes advantage of the processing power of client workstations in a network computing environment by having the client run the GUI. The underlying green screen application is modified to replace all display function calls with new function calls to the GUI, but this change is relatively minor and does not affect the underlying core logic of the application. In addition, the new function calls access the GUI screens directly without having to determine which screen is being displayed.