Taligent, Inc.

Object Technology Licensing Corporation

Christopher White

John R Matheny

David R Anderson

Arnold Schaeffer

Arn J Schaeffer

Mark E Davis

David B Goldsmith

An event notification system for propagating object-change information. The notification system supports change notification without queues in an object-based application or operating system and can be scaled to propagate large numbers of events among a large plurality of objects. The event notification system interconnects a plurality of event source and event receiver objects. Any object, such as a command object, may operate as either an event receiver object, an event source object or both. A notification object is created by a source object to transport, from a source to a receiver, descriptive information about a change, which includes a particular receiver object method and a pointer to the source object that sent the notification. A receiver object must register with a connection object its &ldquo;interest&rdquo; in receiving notification of changes; specifying both the event type and the particular source object of interest. After establishing such connections, the receiver object receives only the events of the specified type for the source objects &ldquo;of interest&rdquo; and no others. This delegation of event selection avoids central event queuing altogether and so limits receiver object event processing that the invention can be scaled to large systems operating large numbers of objects.

Object-oriented event notification system with listener registration of both interests and methods

A method and apparatus for a menu based system containing size and location information is disclosed. Each menu contains a list of menu items containing a command and variables that reflect the command's current appearance. This includes status information determinative of the menu item's state (enabled/disabled), its name, its associated graphic, and whether its appearance is currently valid. Each of these were initialized when the menu item was created. The invention creates a menu item from a command, where a menu item is another object data structure containing a command sequence. The menu item is added to a list of menu items, and initialized as an invalid appearance. Later when the menu item is selected from a pull down menu, the appearance state is recomputed based on the system state.

Menu state system

A method and apparatus for a dialog processing system is disclosed. Dialogs include variables that reflect the system's current state. This includes status information determinative of a command's state (enabled/disabled), its name, its associated graphic, and whether its appearance is currently valid. The invention creates a dialog including an object's data structure containing a command sequence. The command is added to a list of commands, and a dialog box is presented to the user. Later when the dialog is processed, the appearance state is recomputed based on the system state.

Dialog system

A method and apparatus for an innovative object oriented system. The sequence of events corresponding to a user pressing, moving, and releasing the mouse is called the input syntax. Certain sequences of events are used to indicate particular actions, called semantic operations. This invention discloses the method and apparatus for translating input syntax into semantic operations for an object that supports Select, Peek, Move, AutoScroll, and Drag/Drop (Copy).

Interaction framework system

A method and apparatus for updating an application to conform to unique requirements of a specific locale. The update involves language translation, graphic substitution, and interface element reorientation. For example, the text used in labels, titles, and messages depends upon the selected language. Its direction and orientation may affect the placement and orientation of a menu, menubar, title, scrollbar, or toolbar. Similarly, the selection of icons and other graphical symbols may be culturally dependent. Once localized, user interface elements are stored in a disk dictionary. A disk dictionary is an object that, when given a key, returns a value after reading it in from disk. This disk dictionary is managed by an object called an archive. An archive is responsible for putting together the individual user interface elements that make up a particular presentation.

System for providing locale dependent user interface for presenting

A method and apparatus for a command system is disclosed. Commands include variables that reflect the command's current appearance. This includes status information determinative of the command's state (enabled/disabled), its name, its associated graphic, and whether its appearance is currently valid. Each of these were initialized when the command was created. The invention creates a command including an object's data structure containing a command sequence. The command is added to a list of commands, and initialized as an invalid appearance. Later when the command is selected, the appearance state is recomputed based on the system state.

Command object system for an object-oriented software platform

A method and apparatus for an object based notification system. The notification system is designed in a flexible manner to support change notification in an object based operating system.

Object-oriented menuing system using command objects of an

An object-oriented user interface utilizes object-oriented controls that operate together as a single, atomic group to change data values and are affected as a group by conventional editing 'undo' and 'redo' actions. In accordance with one embodiment, each control in the group generates a command which modifies a stored control value when the control is manipulated by a user. In response to user activation, a group acceptance control generates a command which causes the data values to be changed to the stored control values. In accordance with another embodiment, each control in the group generates a command which modifies the group acceptance control command. When the group acceptance control command is finally activated, the modified command causes the data values to be changed. The entire control group can also be undone and redone in a single atomic operation which is implemented by placing a mark on an undo stack when an interface session involving a control group is started. When the session ends, all of the commands executed since the mark was placed on the undo stack are collected together into a single command group which can be undone or redone as a unit.

Method and apparatus for processing commands generated by user interface

A method, system for providing help information to assist in using an object oriented operating system. The help technique is also oriented to the particular area on the screen that is indicated by a portion of the help information. When a user drags an object on a display screen and drops the object in close proximity with another object, a help display is presented with an indicator pointing to the associated area on the display. The help display provides information on the viability of the drop action and aids the user in navigating through the operation. In a preferred embodiment, the help display is presented in a balloon display pointing to the objects upon which the operation is transpiring.

Balloon help system

Objected oriented notification framework system

A system for an object based notification system. The notification system is designed in a flexible manner to support change notification in an object-oriented operating system. The change notification includes a memory for storing connection information including notification routing information and connection registration information. The connection registration information is stored in a connection object of the object-oriented system and the notification system updates the connection object with registration information indicative of enablement or disablement of notification. Then, when a notification event is detected, the object-oriented operating system selectively notifies objects in the system based on the connection registration information stored in the connection object in the memory of the computer system.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Christopher White