The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 05, 1995
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1992
Thomas B Douglas, Dallas, TX (US);
Robert J Torres, Colleyville, TX (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for visually representing data processing operations in a data processing system. An action feedback message is provided for a particular data processing operation. It includes a non-textual message component. Communication between an operator and the data processing system is monitored for requests for performance of the particular data processing operation. For each time a particular data processing operation is performed by the data processing system, the action feedback message is automatically displayed on a display of the data processing system, preferably for a predetermined time interval during the performance of the particular data processing operation. The action feedback message may be moved along a predetermined display path on the display of the data processing system during automatic display. Preferably the action feedback message and/or the predetermined display path is located in a region of the display of likely operator focus, as determined from automatic monitoring of operator input to the data processing system. If it is impossible to determine the region of likely operator focus, the display of the action feedback message is delayed until such determination can be made. Additionally, an operation completion message, which includes a non-textual graphical message component, and which differs from the action feedback message, is provided for display upon completion of the particular data processing operation. If operator input activities indicate that the operator is not likely to be focused on the display screen, the operation completion messages are queued for display at a later time, preferably a time during which operator input indicates that the operator is focused on the display screen of the data processing system.