User interface with multiple workspaces for sharing display system objects

Claims

What is claimed:

1. A system comprising:

a display;

first and second workspace data structures relating respectively to first and second workspaces that can be presented on the display; each of the first and second workspaces including a respective set of display objects; each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features; the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display;

display object means for generating first and second display objects; the first workspace data structure being linked to the display object means so that the first display object is in the respective set of display objects of the first workspace; the second workspace data structure being linked to the display object means so that the second display object is in the respective set of display objects of the second workspace; and

control means for accessing the first workspace data structure to cause the display to present the first workspace including the first display object; the control means further being for accessing the second workspace data structure to cause the display to present the second workspace including the second display object; the display object means generating the first and second display objects so that the second display object is perceptible as the same tool as the first display object when the second workspace is presented after the first workspace.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure to the display object means and a second linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure to the display object means; the control means further being for accessing the first linking data structure after accessing the first workspace data structure to cause the display to present the first workspace including the first display object; the control means further being for accessing the second linking data structure after accessing the second workspace data structure to cause the display to present the second workspace including the second display object.

3. The system of claim 2 in which the first linking data structure includes first display characteristic data indicating a respective display characteristic of the first display object and the second linking data structure includes second display characteristic data indicating a respective display characteristic of the second display object, the control means further being for accessing the first display characteristic data while accessing the first linking data structure to cause the display to present the first display object with its respective display characteristic; the control means further being for accessing the second display characteristic data while accessing the second linking data structure to cause the display to present the second display object with its respective display characteristic.

4. The system of claim 3 in which the respective display characteristics of the first and second display objects are respective positions, the first and second display characteristic data indicating the respective positions of the first and second display objects, respectively.

5. The system of claim 3 in which the respective display characteristics of the first and second display objects are respective sizes, the first and second display characteristic data indicating the respective sizes of the first and second display objects, respectively.

6. The system of claim 2 in which the control means is further for accessing the display object means with a unique identifier identifying the display object means, the first and second linking data structures each including the unique identifier.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure to the display object means and a second linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure to the first workspace data structure so that the second workspace data structure is linked to the display object means through the first workspace data structure; the control means further being for accessing the first linking data structure after accessing the first workspace data structure to cause the display to present the first workspace including the first display object; the control means further being for accessing the second linking data structure after accessing the second workspace data structure to cause the display to present the second workspace including the second display object.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the display object means generates the first and second display objects with shared features so that the first and second display objects are perceptible as the same display object.

9. The system of claim 1 in which the first and second display objects each contain a respective plurality of internal display objects that are perceptible as having relative positions within a respective part of an internal space; the first display object's respective part of the internal space having a first location in the internal space and the second display object's respective part of the internal space having a second location in the internal space; the display object means providing the first and second display objects with the first and second locations being the same so that the second display object appears to the user to be the same tool as the first display object when the second workspace is presented after the first workspace.

10. The system of claim 9 in which the first and second display objects are windows and the internal display objects are characters in a text.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising input means for receiving signals from a user; the signals from the user including a first signal requesting an operation affecting the first display object and a second signal requesting an operation affecting the second display object; the display object means further being for receiving the first and second signals from the input means; the display object means responding to the first signal by generating a first response, the display object means further responding to the second signal by generating a second response, the display object means further generating the first and second responses so that the second display object is perceptible as the same tool as the first display object when the second workspace is presented after the first workspace.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising input means for receiving signals from a user; the first display object containing a user selectable display feature; the signals from the user including a signal selecting the user selectable display feature and requesting an operation; the display object means further being for receiving and responding to the signal selecting the user selectable display feature by performing the requested operation; after performing the requested operation, the display object means generating the first and second display objects differently than before receiving the signal such that the second display object is perceptible as the same tool as the first display object when the second workspace is presented after the first workspace.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising input means for receiving signals from a user, the signals from the user including a signal requesting a switch from the first workspace to the second workspace; the control means further being for responding to the signal requesting a switch from the first workspace to the second workspace by causing the display to cease presenting the first workspace and to begin presenting the second workspace.

14. The system of claim 13 in which the first workspace's respective set of display objects further includes a selectable workspace switch display object; the system further comprising, in addition to the first above-mentioned display object means, a second display object means for generating the workspace switch display object, the first workspace data structure being linked to the second display object means; the control means further being for accessing the first workspace data structure to cause the display to present the first workspace including the workspace switch display object; the signal requesting the switch being a signal selecting the workspace switch display object.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a workspace return display object means for generating a selectable workspace return display object, the control means further responding to the switch sequence by linking the workspace return display object means to the second workspace data structure, the second workspace's respective set of display objects including the workspace return display object after the second workspace data structure is linked to the workspace return display object means; the control means further being for accessing the second workspace data structure to cause the display to present the second workspace including the workspace return display object; the signals from the user further including a signal selecting the workspace return display object; the control means further being for responding to the signal selecting the workspace return display object by causing the display to cease presenting the second workspace and to begin presenting the first workspace.

16. The system of claim 13 in which the display object means maintains a continuous state while the control means causes the display to cease presenting the first workspace and to begin presenting the second workspace.

17. The system of claim 13 in which the input means comprises a mouse.

18. The system of claim 1 in which the display has a display area, each workspace occupying the entire display area when it is presented.

19. The system of claim 1 in which the first workspace's respective set of display objects further includes a third display object, the system further comprising, in addition to the first above-mentioned display object means, a second display object means for generating the third display object, the first workspace data structure being linked to the second display object means so that the third display object is one of the respective set of display objects of the first workspace; the control means further being for accessing the first workspace data structure to cause the display to present the first workspace including the third display object; the second workspace's respective set of display objects not including a display object that is perceptible as the same tool as the third display object.

20. The system of claim 1 in which the first workspace's respective set of display objects further includes a third display object and the second workspace's respective set of display objects further includes a fourth display object, the system further comprising, in addition to the first above-mentioned display object means, a second display object means for generating the third and fourth display objects; the first workspace data structure being linked to the second display object means so that the third display object is one of the respective set of display objects of the first workspace; the second workspace data structure being linked to the second display object means so that the fourth display object is one of the respective set of display objects of the second workspace; the control means further being for accessing the first workspace data structure to cause the display to present the first workspace including the third display object and for accessing the second workspace data structure to cause the display to present the second workspace including the fourth display object; the fourth display object being perceptible as the same tool as the third display object when the second workspace is presented after the first workspace.

21. A method of operating a system that includes:

a display;

input means for receiving signals from a user;

display object means for generating a plurality of display objects; each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features;

the method comprising the steps of:

causing the display to present a first set of the display objects, the display objects of the first set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when presented on the display; the first set of display objects including a switching display object and a first tool display object;

while the first set of display objects is being presented, receiving a switch request signal from the input means, the switch request signal indicating selection of the switching display object; and

responding to the switch request signal by causing the display to cease presenting the first set of display objects and to begin presenting a second set of the display objects, the display objects of the second set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when presented on the display; the second set of display objects including a second tool display object, the first and second tool display objects being perceptible as the same tool.

22. The method of claim 21 in which the switching display object has a type, the type indicating whether it is necessary to include in the second set of display objects a return switching display object for switching back to the first set of display objects, the display object means further being for generating the return switching display object, the step of responding to the switch request signal comprising the substep of including the return switching display object in the second set of display objects if the type of the switching display object indicates that it is necessary to do so.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

while the second set of display objects are being presented, receiving from the input means the return switch request signal; and

responding to the switch request signal by causing the display to cease presenting the second set of display objects and to begin presenting the first set of display objects.

24. A method of operating a system that includes:

a display;

input means for receiving signals from a user;

first and second workspace data structures relating respectively to first and second workspaces that can be presented on the display; each of the first and second workspaces including a respective set of display objects; each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features; the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display; and

display object means for generating first and second display objects; the first workspace data structure being linked to the display object means so that the first display object is in the respective set of display objects of the first workspace; the second workspace data structure being linked to the display object means so that the second display object is in the respective set of display objects of the second workspace;

the method comprising the steps of:

causing the display to present the first workspace, the step of causing the display to present the first workspace comprising the substep of accessing the first workspace data structure so that the first workspace includes the first display object generated by the display object means;

receiving a switch signal from the input means while the first workspace is being presented, the switch signal requesting a switch from the first workspace to the second workspace;

responding to the switch signal by causing the display to cease presenting the first workspace and to begin presenting the second workspace, the step of responding to the switch signal comprising the substep of accessing the second workspace data structure so that the second workspace includes the second display object; the display object means generating the first and second display objects so that the second display object is perceptible as the same tool as the first display object.

25. The method of claim 24 in which the system further includes a linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure to the display object means; the step of responding to the switch signal comprising, after the substep of accessing the second workspace data structure, the further substep of accessing the linking data structure.

26. The method of claim 25 in which the linking data structure includes a unique identifier identifying the display object means, the step of responding to the switch signal comprising, after the substep of accessing the linking data structure, the further substep of accessing the display object means with the unique identifier so that the display object means generates the second display object.

27. The method of claim 25 in which the linking data structure includes display characteristic data indicating a display characteristic of the second display object, the step of responding to the switch signal comprising, after the substep of accessing the linking data structure, the further substep of accessing the display object means with the display characteristic data so that the display object means generates the second display object with the indicated display characteristic in the second workspace.

28. The method of claim 24 in which the step of responding to the switch signal comprises the substep of maintaining the display object means in a continuous state.

29. The method of claim 24 in which the step of responding to the switch signal comprises the substep of causing the display object means to cease generating the first display object and to begin to generate the second display object.

30. The method of claim 29 in which the substep of causing the display object means to cease generating the first display object and to begin to generate the second display object comprises the substeps of:

causing the display object means to change from generating the first display object to generating an invisible display object; and

causing the display object means to change from generating the invisible display object to generating the second display object.

31. The method of claim 30 in which the substep of causing the display object means to change from generating the first display object to generating an invisible display object comprises the substep of causing the display object means to generate the invisible display object at a different location than the first display object, the different location not being presented on the display.

32. The method of claim 24 in which the system further includes a first linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure to the display object means and a second linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure to the first workspace data structure so that the second workspace data structure is linked to the display object means through the first workspace data structure; the step of responding to the switch signal comprising, after the substep of accessing the second workspace data structure, the further substeps of:

accessing the second linking data structure;

accessing the first workspace data structure after the substep of accessing the second linking data structure; and

accessing the first linking data structure after accessing the first workspace data structure to cause the display to present the second display object.

33. The method of claim 24, comprising the further steps of:

while the display is presenting the second workspace, receiving a return signal from the input means, the return signal requesting a switch back from the second workspace to the first workspace; and

responding to the return signal by causing the display to cease presenting the second workspace and to begin presenting a redisplayed form of the first workspace.

34. The method of claim 33 in which the step of responding to the switch signal comprises the substep of storing display organization data indicating the organization of the first workspace and the step of responding to the return signal comprises the substep of organizing the redisplayed form of the first workspace according to the display organization data.

35. The method of claim 34 in which the substep of storing display organization data comprises storing display organization data in a linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure and the display object means, the organizing substep comprising accessing the linking data structure to retrieve the display organization data.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of continuing operation of the display object means from the presentation of the first wordspace through the presentation of the redisplayed form of the first workspace so that the first display object in the redisplayed form of the first workspace is generated by display object means operations which continue from those which generated the first display object in the presentation of the first workspace.

37. The method of claim 24 in which the step of responding to the switch signal comprises the substep of causing the display to cease presenting the first workspace and to begin presenting the second workspace rapidly enought that the user perceives a change of location from the first display object to the second display object.

38. A system comprising:

a display;

display object means for generating a plurality of display objects, each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features when presented on the display; the plurality of display objects including first and second display objects;

first and second workspace data structures relating respectively to first and second workspaces that can be presented on the display; each of the first and second workspaces including a respective set of the display objects; the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display;

first and second linking data structures; the first linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure to the display object means so that the first display object is one of the respective set of display objects of the first workspace; the second linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure to the display object means so that the second display object is one of the respective set of display objects of the second workspace; the display object means generating the first and second display objects so that the first and second display objects are perceptible as the same tool; and

control means for accessing the first workspace data structure and the first linking data structure to cause the display object means to generate the first display object when the first workspace is presented and for accessing the second workspace data structure and the second linking data structure to cause the display object means to generate the second display object when the second workspace is presented.

39. The system of claim 38 in which the first linking data structure includes first display characteristic data indicating a respective display characteristic of the first display object and the second linking data structure includes second display characteristic data indicating a respective display characteristic of the second display object, the control means further being for accessing the first display characteristic data while accessing the first linking data structure to cause the display to present the first display object with its respective display characteristic; the control means further being for accessing the second display characteristic data while accessing the second linking data structure to cause the display to present the second display object with its respective display characteristic.

40. The system of claim 39 in which the respective display characteristics of the first and second display objects are respective positions, the first and second display characteristic data indicating the respective positions of the first and second display objects, respectively.

41. The system of claim 39 in which the respective display characteristics of the first and second display objects are respective sizes, the first and second display characteristic data indicating the respective sizes of the first and second display objects, respectively.

42. The system of claim 38 in which the control means is further for accessing the display object means with a unique identifier identifying the display object means, the first and second linking data structures each including the unique identifier.

43. The system of claim 38, further comprising input means for receiving signals from a user, the signals from the user including a request for a display system operation and a request for a workspace transition; the display object means further being for responding to the request for the display system operation and the control means further being for responding to the request for the workspace transition.

44. A method of operating a system that includes:

a display;

display object means for generating a plurality of display objects, each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features when presented on the display; the plurality of display objects including first and second display objects;

first and second workspace data structures relating respectively to first and second workspaces that can be presented on the display; each of the first and second workspaces including a respective set of the display objects; the display objects of each respective set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when the respective workspace is presented on the display; and

first and second linking data structures; the first linking data structure linking the first workspace data structure to the display object means so that the first display object is one of the respective set of display objects of the first workspace; the second linking data structure linking the second workspace data structure to the display object means so that the second display object is one of the respective set of display objects of the second workspace; the display object means generating the first and second display objects so that the first and second display objects are perceptible as the same tool;

the method comprising the steps of:

accessing the first workspace data structure and the first linking data structure to cause the display object means to generate the first display object when presentation of the first workspace begins; and

accessing the second workspace data structure and the second linking data structure to cause the display object means to generate the second display object when presentation of the second workspace begins.

45. The method of claim 44 in which the first linking data structure includes first display characteristic data indicating a respective display characteristic of the first display object and the second linking data structure includes second display characteristic data indicating a respective display characteristic of the second display object; the step of accessing the first workspace data structure and the first linking data structure comprising the substep of accessing the display object means with the first display characteristic data to cause the display to present the first display object with its respective display characteristic; the step of accessing the second workspace data structure and the second linking data structure comprising accessing the display object means with the second display characteristic data to cause the display to present the second display object with its respective display characteristic.

46. The method of claim 44 in which the first and second linking data structures each includes a unique identifier identifying the display object means; the step of accessing the first workspace data structure and the first linking data structure comprising accessing the display object means with the unique identifier so that the display object means generates the first display object; the step of accessing the second workspace data structure and the second linking data structure comprising accessing the display object means with the unique identifier so that the display object means generates the second display object.

47. The method of claim 44 in which the system further includes input means for receiving signals from a user; the method further comprising the steps of:

while the first workspace is being presented, receiving from the input means a request for transition from the first workspace to the second workspace; and

responding to the request by causing the display to cease presenting the first workspace and to begin presenting the second workspace, the step of responding to the request including the step of accessing the second workspace data structure and the second linking data structure.

48. The method of claim 47 in which the signals from the user further include a request for a return transition from the second workspace to the first workspace; the method further comprising the steps of:

while the second workspace is being presented, receiving from the input means a request for a return transition from the second workspace to the first workspace; and

responding to the request by causing the display to cease presenting the second workspace and to begin presenting the first workspace, the step of responding to the request including the step of accessing the first workspace data structure and the first linking data structure.

49. A system comprising:

a display;

input means for receiving signals from a user;

display object means for generating a plurality of display objects; each of the display objects being perceptible as a distinct, coherent set of display features; and

control means for causing the display to present a first set of the display objects, the display objects of the first set being perceptible as having spatial positions relative to each other when presented on the display; the first set of display objects including a switching display object and a first tool dis