International Business Machines Corporation

Gordon W Arbeitman

Alan Richard Tannenbaum

Yu L An

Guy F Verrier

Peter A Lee

Evon C Greanias

John Mark Zetts

Frank L Stein

Robert L Donaldson

Gunnar P Seaburg

Anthony S Akins

A computer system enables a user to design touch activated keyboards for use on a display surface without writing code. The computer system enables the user to resize and move the keyboard image anywhere on the display to allow the concurrent display of other applications running in an integrated operating environment. Computer system actions can be assigned by the user to each key. An execution unit displays the selected keyboard, determines whether a key has been touched and executes the appropriate action for each key touch.

User defined keyboard entry system

Improvements in the art of sensor and display technology now make the implementation of a workpad concept feasible. While prior art touch displays are acceptable for short, casual use tasks, they may not be feasible or suited for intensive use tasks. Recent improvements in the optical qualities (brightness, contrast, viewing cone) of flat panel displays, such as LCDs, allow implementing a touch screen for use in a horizontal orientation. This greatly improves the human factors for applications involving extensive pointing, drawing, or writing.

Flat touch screen workpad for a data processing system

An advanced user interface operates in an integrated operating environment which supports realtime handwriting, graphical and image data. The integrated operating environment is capable of running several application programs on a standard stand-alone processor, such as a personal computer, each in its own display window. A communication window is established in a first window. Image data is imported into it from a second window. And freehand drawing data is added to the first window. The contents of the first window can then be sent to a second processor. In this manner, hand drawn images can be combined with other image data and communicated over a network.

Realtime communication of hand drawn images in a multiprogramming window

An advanced user interface for use with a computer system operating on an integrated operating environment. The integrated operating environment allows a plurality of application programs to be running simultaneously, one of which is designated the active application program to which all input data is directed. The advanced user interface allows a user to select among user-friendly input devices to operate any application program according to his individual preferences without change to the application program code. The advanced user interface includes alternate input modules which translate the input signals transmitted from the various input devices into input messages useable by the rest of the interface. The advanced user interface also includes interface profiles which contain mappings of the input messages against corresponding commands useable by the application programs, the integrated operating environment or other modules of the advanced user interface itself. An environment link module refers to the interface profiles and matches the input message against the corresponding command for the application program active at the time the input signal was transmitted and send the corresponding command to that application program. The environment link module matches the input message against a corresponding command for an application which owns a window in which a key feature of a gesture is made.

Graphical user interface with gesture recognition in a multiapplication

An advanced user interface for use with a computer system operating on an integrated operating environment. The integrated operating environment allows a plurality of application programs to be running simultaneously, one of which is designated the active application program to which all input data is directed. The advanced user interface allows a user to select among user-friendly input devices to operate any application program according to his individual preferences without change to the application program code. The advanced user interface includes alternate input modules which translate the input signals transmitted from the various input devices into input messages useable by the rest of the interface. The advanced user interface also includes interface profiles which contain mappings of the input messages against corresponding commands useable by the application programs, the integrated operating environment or other modules of the advanced user interface itself. An environment link module refers to the interface profiles and matches the input message against the corresponding command for the application program active at the time the input signal was transmitted and send the corresponding command to that application program.

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Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America

Gordon W Arbeitman