Abstract: The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for implementing an interactive graphical user interface having the ability to graphically depict the relationships between or among multiple portlets. In one aspect, the present invention relates a child sub-portlet to a parent portlet with at least one graphical indicator when the child sub-portlet is surfaced from the parent portlet. Other aspects of the present invention concern in-line tools integrated in the graphical indicators for managing portlet operations. The graphical indicators and inline controls of the present invention allow a user to accurately and precisely control portlets.

Abstract: The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for implementing the ability to transpose rows and columns of a table displayed in a graphical user interface of a computer system. In embodiments of the invention, at least one in-line table row and column control is incorporated in the table; when selected, the in-line table row and column control causes information originally arrayed in columns to be displayed in rows, and causes information originally arrayed in rows to be displayed in columns. In other embodiments of the present invention, a user can select subsets of rows or columns for display in a transposed table with a filter function that operates in combination with the in-line table row and column control. After a filter selection is made, information contained in rows and columns not selected is filtered out and only information in selected rows and columns will be displayed in the transposed table.

Abstract: An apparatus, graphical user interface, system, and method are provided for presenting a mapping between a namespace and a set of computing resources. The apparatus includes an input module, a format module, and an output module. The input module obtains a mapping between namespace identifiers and a set of computing resources. The format module associates a namespace identifier and a computing resource according to the mapping. The output module provides the namespace identifiers and the associated computing resource corresponding to each namespace identifier. A graphical user interface includes a window with a file system pane and a fileset pane. The file system pane includes a first tree control that displays the components of the file system. The fileset pane includes a second tree control that displays the filesets. The tree controls are updated in response to user input in either the file system pane or the fileset pane.

Abstract: A system in accordance with the present invention provides an improved console navigation area for managing multiple folders and applications. In particular, the present invention permits a user to create logical relationships among computer objects inline and dynamically within a navigation area, e.g., files, folders or application using search and filtering tools and to save them for later recall. The user specifies a name describing the search or filter results, and the search or filter results can be saved as a discrete entry in an easy to access selectable list. In other embodiments, the system of the present invention permits a user to collect a number of actions available in multiple application programs and save them under a unique name.

Abstract: A method in a data processing system for providing a user of the system with a visual indication of a quality of one or more features of an on-screen help message (e.g., a usefulness, an importance, or a content level of the message). The method involves a generation of a graphical help interface (e.g., a graphical indicator of usefulness within a button)) to visually indicate the quality of the feature(s) of the on-screen help message, and a display of the graphical help interface in a display window associated with the on-screen help message. The method can further involve a customization to the user by the data processing system of one or more of the features of the on-screen help message that are visually indicated by the graphical user interface, and/or one or more additional features of the on-screen help message that are not visually indicated by the graphical user interface.

Abstract: A method of indicating expanded states and collapsed states of lower level expander/collapser items in a higher level visual control of a user interface display. The method includes providing, in the higher level visual control, a lower level expander/collapser indicator area; displaying a first display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all the lower level expander/collapser items are in a first state; displaying a second different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when all of the lower level expander/collapser items are in a second different state; and displaying a third different display in the expander/collapser indicator area when a first one of the lower level expander/collapser items is in the first state and a second one of the lower level expander/collapser items is not in the first state.

Abstract: A method in a data processing system for providing a user of the data processing system with control of a software object organized into a plurality of information levels including initially displaying a first display window having a first size. The first display window includes a first level tab navigation frame to allow the user interactive access to a first information level of the plurality of information levels. The first display window additionally includes a first window-sizing interface to allow the user interactive access to a second display window having a second size which includes a second level tab navigation frame to allow the user interactive access to a second information level of the plurality of information levels and to subsequently display the second display window in response to the user interacting with the first window-sizing interface.

Abstract: In an event detection and monitoring system displaying event data in both tabular and chart formats, the displays of each are tightly-coupled to one another so that when a user selects an event in one format the corresponding event in the other format is highlighted or otherwise emphasized. When a user selects a row containing an event of interest in the event log table, the symbol in the event log chart corresponding to the selected event is simultaneously highlighted. Similarly, when a user selects a symbol in the event log chart corresponding to an event of interest, the row in the event log table containing the corresponding event is simultaneously highlighted. In addition, the rows of the event log table can be sorted and filtered according to predetermined criteria, and the events selected by the filters are highlighted in the chart with indicia distinguishing the filter.

Abstract: A portable storage device 10 includes a body 12, an actuator 16, and an indicator 18. When coupled to a host device 22, a user depressing the actuator 16 causes an interrupt message to be sent to the host device, which initiates shutdown of the portable device by removing it from a host device list of available storage media, and de-powers the portable device. The indicator then changes to signify that it is safe to remove the portable device from the host. The indicator may be visual, aural, or tactile. Preferably, the indicator uniquely identifies four states regarding the status of computer instruction exchange between the portable and host devices, including normal and inactive, normal and active, error, and ready-to-be-removed states. The latter is available only after actuating the actuator. Removal of the portable device is thereby effected by a single user action at the portable device: depressing the actuator.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and program storage device for inline controlling of row and column sets in tabular displays is disclosed. A macro controller provides a single control and is inline with the display and the user tasks. The macro controller allows the user to quickly switch between view configurations and thus provides an inline, e.g., it is not via a way off-to-the-side configuration panel, and very easy way to set the set of columns and set of rows that get displayed in a table with just one or two user actions.

Abstract: A computer system aids user positioning of a pointing device by providing an animated post warp retro guide in conjunction with an eye tracking system, based on perceived user intent, to assist a user in maintaining continuity for pointer warps. An eye tracking apparatus monitors a user's eye orientation while the user views a video display, detects the eye orientation relative to the video display, and automatically moves the positioning device to the calculated eye orientation of the user, while providing an animated history of the first location of pointing device and a second location of the pointing device. To enable the user to maintain continuity while reading lines of text, a reading guide and visual indicator are also provided. Automated text scrolling and paging is provided to further accommodate a user to maintain continuity while reading large blocks of text.

Abstract: A meeting negotiation system provides a new approach to scheduling events by negotiating schedules while preserving privacy through a shared representation that separates the meeting negotiation from the meeting invitation. The negotiation system integrates all scheduling-related information such as times users can meet, location, etc. and reduces dependency on designations of time as free or busy by a potential meeting attendee. Consequently, the negotiation system enables time preferences richer than just free or busy, allowing potential meeting attendees to designate preference in addition to time available. The negotiation system supports annotations and comments as a discussion mechanism, giving feedback to the meeting scheduler before the meeting invitation is issued. Possible times provided for the meeting are provided in the form of a bounded negotiation; participants may select the best time for them to attend a meeting from the bounded negotiation.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products provide a graphical user interface for a data processing system wherein a foster window associated with a secondary application program can be removably attached to a primary application window associated with a primary application program, such as a Web browser. The foster window can be automatically repositioned and/or resized in response to repositioning and/or resizing of the primary application window, such that the first and second windows maintain a generally rectangular attached configuration.