`I 1111111111111111 11111 1111111111 111111111111111 lll111111111111111
`IIIII IIIII
`6,061,695
`
`United States Patent
`[11]Patent Number:
`[19J
`May 9, 2000
`[45]Date of Patent:
`
`
`
`Slivka et al.
`
`US006061695A
`
`[54]OPERATING SYSTEM SHELL HAVING A
`
`WINDOWING GRAPHICAL USER
`0749081Al 5/1996 European Pat. Off . .
`
`INTERFACE WITH A DESKTOP DISPLAYED
`
`WO 96/30864 10/1996 WIPO .
`AS A HYPERTEXT MULTIMEDIA
`DOCUMENT
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Gavron, Jacquelyn and Joseph Moran. "How to Use
`
`
`
`Benjamin W. Slivka, Clyde Hill;
`
`
`[75]Inventors:
`
`Microsoft (R) Windows (R) NT 4 Workstation."
`
`Teresa Anne Martineau, Kirkland;
`
`
`
`
`(Emeryville: Ziff Davis Press, 1996) pp. 24, 25, 28, 29, 88,
`
`Christopher Ralph Brown, Seattle;
`
`
`89, 100---105, 108,109, 154-157 & 167, Jan. 1, 1996.
`
`
`George Pitt, Redmond; Satoshi
`
`
`Tittle, Ed. and Steve James. "HTML for Dummies" 2d ed.
`
`
`
`Nakajima, Redmond; Sankar
`
`
`(Foster City: IDG Books Worldwide, 1996) pp. 14, 15,
`
`
`Ramasubtamanian, Redmond; Mike
`
`
`31-37,57,58,60, 76-81,131-133,158,350,351,385,388,
`
`
`Sheldon, Redmond, all of Wash.
`392, 396 & 397, Mar. 11, 1996.
`
`[73] Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond,
`
`
`
`
`Wash.
`
`
`
`[21]Appl. No.: 08/761,699
`
`[22]Filed:Dec. 6, 1996
`
`Primary Examiner-James P. Trammell
`
`
`
`
`
`Assistant Examiner-John Leonard Young
`
`
`
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm----Klarquist Sparkman Campbell
`LLP
`
`Leigh & Whinston,
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`[56]
`
`
`
`References Cited
`
`
`
`
`An operating system shell provides a graphical user inter­
`
`Int. Cl.7 ...................................................... G06F 17/21
`[51]
`
`
`
`
`face having a windowing environment with a desktop. The
`
`
`
`U.S. Cl. .......................... 707/513; 345/333; 345/115;
`[52]
`
`
`
`shell synthesizes a hypertext page for display as the desktop
`707/501
`
`
`
`
`in the graphical user interface. The hypertext page has an
`
`
`Field of Search ..................................... 345/326, 333,
`
`[58]
`
`
`
`
`
`embedded software object which provides graphical icon­
`
`
`345/315, 349; 395/200.57; 707/501, 513
`
`
`
`oriented and menu-driven user interface elements for acti­
`
`
`
`vating operating system services in the displayed hypertext
`
`
`
`page. The shell also provides windowed hypertext pages for
`
`
`
`managing file system folders. The shell synthesizes the
`
`
`
`hypertext pages from templates which can be edited to
`3/1986 Simon et al. .
`4,575,579
`
`
`
`incorporate a variety of multi-media enhancements with the
`4/1994 Murphy .
`5,305,195
`
`
`
`
`user interface elements in the graphical user interface.
`9 /1994 Filepp et al. .
`5,347,632
`
`
`
`Templates can be associated with specific folders in the file
`2/1996 Belove et al. .
`5,491,820
`
`
`system to provide folder specific hypertext pages integrated
`11/1996 Judson .
`5,572,643
`
`
`
`with user interface elements for managing the folder.
`
`
`
`11/1998 Nakajima et al. ...................... 345/326
`5,831,606
`
`
`
`3/1999 Dickman et al. ....................... 345/349
`5,877,765
`
`17 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
`
`
`5/1999 Straub et al. ........................... 345/333
`5,905,492
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`50
`
`72
`
`SHELL
`
`SHELL EXPLORER/
`WEB VIEW
`
`62
`
`TEMPLATES
`
`66
`
`CONFIGURATION
`FILES
`
`HYPERTEXT
`PAGE
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`VIEWER
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`
`IPR2023-00939
`Apple EX1004 Page 2
`
`

`

`6,061,695
`U.S. Patent May 9, 2000 Sheet 2 of 7
`
`FIG. 2
`
`50
`
`62
`
`TEMPLATES
`
`SHELL
`
`72
`
`SHELL EXPLORER/
`WEB VIEW
`
`60
`
`r--
`1
`
`I
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`
`I
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`
`66
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`CONFIGURATION
`FILES
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`DESKTOP
`INTERFACE
`CONTROLS
`(DEF VIEW)
`
`PRE­
`PROCESSOR
`
`56
`
`HYPERTEXT
`PAGE
`
`70
`
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`IPR2023-00939
`Apple EX1004 Page 3
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`May 9, 2000
`
`Sheet 3 of 7
`
`6,061,695
`
`IPR2023-00939
`Apple EX1004 Page 4
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`May 9, 2000
`
`Sheet 4 of 7
`
`6,061,695
`
`FIG. 4
`
`SERVER APPLICATION PROGRAM
`
`INSTANCE
`DATA
`STRUCTURE
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`VIRTUAL
`FUNCTION
`TABLE
`
`
`
`90
`
`92
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`METHODO
`
`METHOD 1
`
`METHOD 2
`
`102
`
`CLASS FACTORY
`
`IPR2023-00939
`Apple EX1004 Page 5
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`May 9, 2000
`
`Sheet 5 of 7
`
`6,061,695
`
`FIG. 5
`
`SHELLBROWSER
`
`122
`
`126
`
`ISHELLVIEW
`128
`ISHELLFOLDER
`OLEXXXI
`MSOXXX
`132
`
`
`
`
`
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`
`134
`
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`
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`WEBVIEW
`CONTAINER, r t
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`126 N - - - - - - -'
`7
`
`(DOCOBJECT
`
`D D
`
`HYPERTEXT VIEWER
`(DOCOBJECT)
`
`HTML PAGE
`
`DEFVIEW
`
`IPR2023-00939
`Apple EX1004 Page 6
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`May 9, 2000
`
`Sheet 6 of 7
`
`6,061,695
`
`
`
`so?do 1 s^^ eN
`
`IPR2023-00939
`Apple EX1004 Page 7
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`May 9, 2000
`
`Sheet 7 of 7
`
`6,061,695
`
`
`
`EI, FÈ
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`IPR2023-00939
`Apple EX1004 Page 8
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`

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`6,061,695
`
`1
`OPERATING SYSTEM SHELL HAVING A
`WINDOWING GRAPHICAL USER
`INTERFACE WITH A DESKTOP DISPLAYED
`ASA HYPERTEXT MULTIMEDIA
`DOCUMENT
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`This invention relates to a user interface or shell of an
`operating System, and more particularly relates to the incor
`poration of rich and dynamic multimedia content into Such
`an interface.
`
`2
`A drawback to many prior desktops is their limited
`capacity to present multi-media content enhancements. For
`example, the shell of the Microsoft Windows(R 95 operating
`System provides a graphical user interface with a windowing
`environment and a desktop. As a default, this desktop
`includes a “my computer icon, a “network neighborhood”
`icon, and a “recycle bin' icon against a Solid color
`background, and also includes a task bar along a bottom
`edge of the screen with a “start” button for menu-driven
`interaction. It is possible to add additional icons onto this
`desktop to represent other application programs, documents,
`files, and resources. The Start menu also can be customized
`to include additional items, Such as for launching particular
`applications, and opening documents or files. Further, a
`graphic image can be Selected as a background of the
`desktop (called “wallpaper”) in place of the default solid
`color background.
`Other aspects of the Windows(R 95 shell also are limited
`in their capacity to present multi-media content enhance
`ments. In particular, the shell provides windowed folder
`ViewS accessed through the my computer and network
`neighborhood icons that represent the contents (i.e., files and
`sub-folders) of a directory or folder in the file system of the
`computer or a connected local area network (LAN). The
`folder ViewS have four display modes: large icon, Small icon,
`list and detail. In the icon modes, the folder view displays
`icons representing the files and Sub-folders in a window
`against a white background. The icons used to represent the
`files and sub-folders in the folder view are dependent on the
`type or format of the file, e.g., documents having a MicroSoft
`Word format are represented with an icon indicative of that
`application program. In the list and detail modes, the folder
`view displays a text listing of the files and sub-folders in its
`window also against a white background.
`An add-on product for the Microsoft Windows(R 95
`operating system, called the Microsoft Windows(R 95 Plus
`Pack, includes packaged enhancements called “themes' for
`the graphical user interface of the Windows(R 95 operating
`System. Each theme includes a group of resources which
`alter the appearance and feel of the graphical user interface.
`These resources include Substitute icons, mouse pointer
`graphics and animations, Sounds, a wallpaper, and a Screen
`Saver. A particular theme can be selected and applied to the
`graphical user interface using a themes applet which the plus
`pack installs into the Windows(R 95 control panel (an
`application program group which includes Small application
`programs or applets that control various aspects of the
`operating System). Again however, the themes provide only
`limited multi-media content enhancements to the desktop.
`The applied theme can change the desktop's wallpaper, and
`the graphics of the my computer, network neighborhood and
`recycle bin icons.
`In contrast to the limited capacity for multi-media
`enhancement on the desktop, multi-media content com
`monly appears in a windowed application program in the
`graphical user interfaces of Windows(R 95 and like operating
`System shells. Application programs which present multi
`media content include desktop publishing, Video games,
`multi-media encyclopedias and like references, Internet
`browsers, and many others. Since the windowed application
`programs are separate and independent of the desktop, the
`multi-media content presented in the application program
`windows cannot effectively enhance the presentation on the
`desktop itself.
`Further, multi-media content is made available in numer
`ous formats. Still images are available in JPEG (Joint
`Photographic Experts Group), GIF, BMP (Windows(E)
`
`BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE
`INVENTION
`It is now common for operating Systems to have a shell
`which provides a graphical user interface (GUI). The shell is
`a piece of Software (either a separate program or component
`part of the operating System) that provides direct commu
`nication between the user and the operating System. The
`graphical user interface typically provides a graphical icon
`oriented and/or menu driven environment for the user to
`interact with the operating System.
`The graphical user interface of many operating System
`shells is based on a desktop metaphor. More specifically, the
`graphical user interface is intended to create a graphical
`environment which simulates working at a desk. These
`graphical user interfaces typically employ a windowing
`environment with a desktop.
`The windowing environment presents the user with Spe
`cially delineated areas of the Screen called windows, each of
`which is dedicated to a particular application program, file
`or document. Each window can act independently, as if it
`were a virtual display device under control of its particular
`application program. Windows can typically be resized,
`moved around the display, and Stacked So as to overlay
`another. In Some windowing environments, windowS can be
`minimized to an icon or increased to a full-screen display.
`Usually, the windows have a top to bottom order in which
`they are displayed, with top windows at a particular location
`on the Screen overlaying any other window at that same
`location. The top-most window has the “focus” and accepts
`the user's input. The user can Switch other windows to the
`top by clicking with a mouse or other pointer device, or by
`inputting certain key combinations. This allows the user to
`work with multiple application programs, files and docu
`ments in a similar manner as physically working with
`multiple paper documents and items which can be arbitrarily
`Stacked or arranged on an actual desk.
`The desktop of the graphical user interface is a Screen
`display containing icons representing programs, files and
`resources available to the user. AS Such, the desktop acts as
`a launching point for running application programs, opening
`documents or files, and initiating operating System Services.
`In accordance with the desktop metaphor, the desktop Simu
`lates the top of an actual desk on which various work items
`are made available to the office worker. The desktop in some
`graphical user interfaces thus includes icons representing
`resources found on a real desk, Such as a file cabinet,
`telephone, wastebasket, and Scratchpad, which are used to
`access their computer equivalents. In typical graphical user
`interfaces, the desktop always remains as a full-screen
`background display relative to the windowing environment.
`In other words, the desktop cannot be moved or resized, and
`all visible windows of the windowing environment overlay
`the desktop as would paper documents and other items on
`top of an actual desk.
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`6,061,695
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`3
`bitmap), and other file formats. Sounds are distributed in
`WAV (wave), MIDI and other file formats. Video is distrib
`uted in MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group), AVI and
`other file formats. The hypertext markup language (HTML)
`format is widely used to distribute documents or pages
`including text, images, video and Sound on the World-Wide
`Web of the Internet. Three dimensional environments are
`now being developed in Virtual reality markup language
`(VRML) and other formats. These various multi-media
`formats provide a facility for expressing multi-media
`content, but do not of themselves provide a facility for
`providing desktop functionality with multi-media enhance
`ment.
`The present invention provides multi-media content
`enhancements to the desktop of an operating System's
`graphical user interface. In one System according to the
`invention, an operating System shell Synthesizes the display
`for the desktop into a hypertext multimedia document for
`mat (the HTML format, for example). The synthesized
`document includes the graphical icon oriented and menu
`driven user interface elements of the desktop, and also can
`include multi-media enhancements, Such as text, graphics,
`Sounds, animations, Video, hypertext links, etc. These
`enhancements can add informative or explanatory content to
`the desktop, or otherwise customize the appearance and/or
`behavior of the desktop. The shell also acts as a hypertext
`multimedia document viewing Software to display the Syn
`thesized document as the desktop in a graphical user
`interface, preferably as a full-screen background display to
`a windowing environment.
`According to one aspect of the invention, the shell Syn
`thesizes the hypertext multimedia document from a template
`which contains the multi-media enhancements or references
`to the enhancements. The Shell includes a pre-processor
`which processes the template and produces the Synthesized
`document which is to be displayed as the desktop. This
`pre-processor converts Soft or variable parameters into data
`in the hypertext multimedia documents format which is
`output in the Synthesized document for display with the
`multi-media enhancements. The templates also contain
`document data for output in the Synthesized document to
`cause embedding of a Software object or objects in the
`displayed view of the synthesized document. These software
`objects implement the functionality of the desktop's graphi
`cal icon-oriented and/or menu driven user interface elements
`which control operating System and/or file System Services.
`When the synthesized document is then displayed as the
`desktop in the graphical user interface, the object(s) provide
`the user interface features and functionality (e.g., for launch
`ing application programs, opening documents and files, drag
`and drop functionality, etc.) of the desktop. By embedding
`the objects in the Synthesized document, these user interface
`features are displayed in combination with the multi-media
`enhancements by the shell.
`According to a further aspect of the invention, the shell
`also Synthesizes hypertext multimedia documents for dis
`play as the folder views and other displays in the shell's
`graphical user interface. The hypertext multimedia docu
`ments for the various displays are Synthesized from tem
`plates which are identified in a configuration or “...ini file.
`When the user navigates to one of the displays, the shell
`looks up the appropriate template to use for the display. The
`shell then processes the template into a hypertext multime
`dia document with embedded objects to provide the user
`interface elements required for the display (e.g., the graphi
`cal icons and drag and drop functionality in a folder view).
`The synthesized document is then displayed by the shell.
`
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`The shell is thus able to provide multi-media content
`enhancements to these additional shell displayS.
`Synthesizing the desktop and other displays from tem
`plates further allows the multi-media enhancements to be
`easily and flexibly added and changed. The templates are in
`the format of the hypertext multimedia documents, and
`additionally contain directives to replace Soft parameters by
`the pre-processor. The enhancements provided by the tem
`plates can be altered by editing the templates using hypertext
`document editing Software or even a text editor.
`Alternatively, a new template or complete Set of templates
`can be Swapped in by changing entries in the configuration
`file. Accordingly, the Overall appearance and behavior of the
`shell can be immediately changed by Substituting the Set of
`templates identified in the configuration files.
`In an embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, the
`Synthesized documents for the various displays are dis
`played in a single designated area or frame in the graphical
`user interface, Such as the full-screen background display
`area of the windowing environment. AS the user navigates
`from one display (e.g., the desktop) to another (e.g., a folder
`View), the shell Switches the hypertext document displayed
`in the designated area in a fashion similar to navigating a
`hyperlink between hypertext documents.
`The shell in the illustrated embodiment further operates as
`viewer or browser of hypertext documents. In addition to the
`Synthesized hypertext documents for shell displayS, the shell
`also displays and navigates between other hypertext
`documents, such as those available from the Internet. The
`shell thus extends hyperlink navigation and the rich multi
`media content of hypertext documents to the Shell's graphi
`cal user interface.
`Additional features and advantages of the invention will
`be made apparent from the following detailed description of
`an illustrated embodiment which proceeds with reference to
`the accompanying drawings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer System that may
`be used to implement a method and apparatus embodying
`the invention for incorporating multi-media enhancements
`to an operating System shell.
`FIG. 2 is a data flow diagram showing the Synthesis of a
`hypertext multimedia document by an operating System
`shell for a desktop display in a graphical user interface.
`FIG. 3 is a view of a navigation bar incorporated by the
`shell of FIG. 2 in the folder display of FIG. 7.
`FIG. 4 is a block diagram of typical data Structures for an
`object in the computer system of FIG. 1.
`FIG. 5 is an object framework in the shell of FIG. 2 which
`Supports presenting a hypertext document incorporating
`graphical user interface functionality as a desktop display.
`FIG. 6 is a view of a desktop display presented by the
`shell of FIG. 2.
`FIG. 7 is a view of a folder display presented by the shell
`of FIG. 2.
`
`60
`
`65
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
`1. Computer Overview
`Referring to FIG. 1, an operating environment for an
`illustrated embodiment of the present invention is a com
`puter System 20 with a computer 22 that comprises at least
`one high speed processing unit (CPU) 24, in conjunction
`with a memory System 26, an input device 28, and an output
`
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`device 30. These elements are interconnected by at least one
`
`an icon are displayed overlaying the desktop display 52 in
`
`
`
`
`
`bus structure 32.
`the windowing environment.
`
`
`
`The illustrated CPU 24 is of familiar design and includes
`In the illustrated shell 50, the shell presents a variety of
`
`
`
`an ALU 34 for performing computations, a collection of
`
`
`
`views 54 (listed in table 1 below) for different aspects of the
`
`
`
`registers 36 for temporary storage of data and instructions,
`5
`
`
`
`
`graphical user interface on the desktop display 52. These
`
`
`
`and a control unit 38 for controlling operation of the system
`
`
`
`views 54 are similar to displays presented in the graphical
`
`
`
`20. The CPU 24 may having any of a variety of architectures
`
`
`
`
`user interface of the Microsoft Windows® 95 operating
`
`
`including Alpha from Digital, MIPS from MIPS
`
`
`
`
`Technology, NEC, IDT, Siemens, and others, x86 from Intel
`
`
`
`
`system, but additionally include multi-media enhancements
`
`
`
`
`and others, including Cyrix, AMD, and Nexgen, and the 10
`
`
`
`incorporated in the views in accordance with the invention.
`
`PowerPc from IBM and Motorola.
`
`
`
`
`More particularly, the views 54 include the desktop and
`
`
`The memory system 26 generally includes high-speed
`
`
`
`
`
`desktop container displays of the Microsoft Windows® 95
`main memory 40 in the form of a medium such as random
`
`
`
`
`
`
`operating system. The desktop container displays are sub-
`access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM)
`
`
`
`
`
`that containdesktop, Window® 95 15 displays of the Microsoft
`
`semiconductor devices, and secondary storage 42 in the
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`a group of related graphical icons for file management or for
`form of long term storage mediums such as floppy disks,
`
`
`
`
`launching application program and operating system ser­
`hard disks, tape, CD-ROM, flash memory, etc. and other
`
`
`
`
`
`
`vices (e.g., My Computer, Network Neighborhood, Control
`
`devices that store data using electrical, magnetic, optical or
`
`
`
`Panel, etc.).
`other recording media. The main memory 40 also can
`
`
`
`include video display memory for displaying images 20
`
`
`For each of the views 54 presented on the desktop display
`
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`through a display device. Those skilled in the art will
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`52, the shell 50 synthesizes the view as a hypertext page 56.
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`recognize that the memory 26 can comprise a variety of
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`The illustrated hypertext page 56 is in a hypertext markup
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`alternative components having a variety of storage capaci­
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`language (HTML) format. The HTML format is a standard
`ties.
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`format for multi-media hypertext documents which is used
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`The input and output devices 28, 30 also are familiar. The 25
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`on the Word-Wide Web portion of the Internet. (The Internet
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`input device 28 can comprise a keyboard, a mouse, a
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`physical transducer (e.g., a microphone), etc. The output
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`is a global network of cooperatively interconnected com­
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`device 30 can comprise a display, a printer, a transducer
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`puter networks, consisting of millions of individual com­
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`(e.g., a speaker), etc. Some devices, such as a network
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`puters. A portion of the Internet referred to as the "World­
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`interface or a modem, can be used as input and/or output
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`Wide Web" consists of computers, also referred to as "sites,"
`30
`devices.
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`which make multi-media documents in HTML format gen­
`As is familiar to those skilled in the art, the computer
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`erally available for downloading or retrieval by individuals
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`system 20 further includes an operating system and at least
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`having a computer with Internet access.) HTML format
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`one application program. The operating system is the set of
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`documents are ASCII encoded files which employ tags to
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`software which controls the computer system's operation
`35
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`designate text formatting, hyperlinks, and multi-media con­
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`and the allocation of resources. The application program is
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`the set of software that performs a task desired
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`tent to be by the user, incorporated from other resources (e.g., files) into
`using computer resources made available through the oper­
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`the document. Further details of the HTML format of the
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`ating system. Both are resident in the illustrated memory
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`illustrated hypertext page 56 are described in the HTML
`system 26.
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`40 Reference, attached hereto as Appendix Q.
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`In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the
`A hypertext document is a document that contains hyper­
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`art of computer programming, the present invention is
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`links. Hyperlinks are references to other documents which
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`described below with reference to acts and symbolic repre­
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`sentations of operations that are performed by computer are generally indicated in a displayed view of the document
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`system 20, unless indicated otherwise. Such acts and opera-45
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`as a graphic, underlined text, or highlighted text, and which
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`tions are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed.
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`can be activated by user input to the viewing software to
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`It will be appreciated that the acts and symbolically repre­
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`cause the viewing software to navigate to the referenced
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`sented operations include the manipulation by the CPU 24 of
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`document. A multimedia document is a document which
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`electrical signals representing data bits which causes a
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`contains or incorporates multiple forms and/or formats of
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`resulting transformation or reduction of the electrical signal
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`50
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`information content such as text, images, sounds, software
`representation, and the maintenance of data bits at memory
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`objects, video, animations, etc.
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`locations in memory system 26 to thereby reconfigure or
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`otherwise alter the computer system's operation, as well as
`The shell 50 obtains the hypertext page 56 from which a
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`other processing of signals. The memory locations where
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`view in the graphical user interface is synthesized from
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`data bits are maintained are physical locations that have 55
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`processing a stored hypertext template, or alternatively
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`particular electrical, magnetic, or optical properties corre­
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`directly from a stored hypertext page. In the former case, the
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`sponding to the data bits.
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`shell 50 includes a pre-processor 60 which synthesizes the
`2.Shell Overview
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`hypertext page 56 from one or more of a set of templates 62
`With reference to FIG. 2, a shell 50 for an operating
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`64. The tem­interface controls 60 and one or more desktop
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`system of the computer 20 (FIG. l) provides a graphical user
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`plates 62 are files which contain data in the HTML format
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`interface for a user of the computer to interact with the
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`which is to be incorporated into the hypertext page 56, and
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`operating system. The graphical user interface includes a
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`additionally include pre-processor directives. The directives
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`desktop display 52 presented on a video screen of the
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`are instructions to the pre-processor for converting soft
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`computer's output device 30 (FIG. 1). The desktop display
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`65 parameters into html formatted data in the hypertext page
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`52 preferably is presented by the shell in a windowing
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`56.The templates for each of the views in the illustrated
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`environment as a full-screen background display.
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`shell are shown in the following Table 1.
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`Specifically, any visible windows that are not minimized to
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`IPR2023-00939
`Apple EX1004 Page 11
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`

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`7
`
`TABLE 1.
`
`Hypertext View Templates
`
`Friendly Name
`
`Briefcase
`Control Panel
`Default folder
`Desktop
`Favorites folder
`File-system folder
`My Computer
`Network Neighborhood
`Printers
`Recycle Bin
`Start Menu and subfolders
`Workgroups
`Vendor-specific workgroups
`Vendor-specific networks
`Vendor-specific servers
`Servers
`Audio CD
`Dial-Up Networking
`Entire Network
`Fonts folder
`History
`My Documents
`Network Workgroup
`Program Files folder
`Root of data CD
`Root of floppy disk drive
`Root of hard disk
`Windows folder
`
`FileName
`
`brfcase.htm
`control.htm
`folder.htm
`desktop.htm
`favorite.htm
`directry.htm
`mycomp.htm
`methood.htm
`printer.htm
`recycle.htm
`startmnu.htm
`domain.htm
`msdomain.htm
`msnet.htm
`misserver.htm
`server.htm
`audiocd.htm
`dialupnt.htm
`fullnet.htm
`fonts.htm
`history.htm
`mydocs.htm
`workgrp.htm
`progfile.htm
`datacd.htm
`floppy.htm
`harddrv.htm
`windows.htm
`
`6,061,695
`
`8
`one or more configuration files 66. The configuration files 66
`can include both local and global configuration files. More
`particularly, folders that are actual file System directories can
`contain a hidden local configuration file (named “deskto
`p.ini” in the illustrated computer 20). (Hidden files are files
`having a flag or attribute which is Set to indicate that the file
`normally is not displayed by a file management tool, e.g., the
`Windows Explorer in the Windows(R 95 operating system.)
`This “desktop.ini configuration files Stores data identifying
`the template (e.g., by path and file name in the computer's
`file System) to be used in producing a folder view display of
`the folder. A listing of a representative desktop.ini file is
`shown in the following table 2.
`
`15
`
`TABLE 2
`
`Representative Desktop. Ini File Listing.
`
`{ 00000001-0001-0002-0003-000000000001}={25336920-03F9-11CF
`
`{ 00000002-0001-0002-0003-000000000002}=00020900-0000-0000
`COOO-OOOOOOOOOO46
`
`25
`
`{ 00000003-0001-0002-0003-000000000003}=00020810-0000-0000
`COOO-OOOOOOOOOO46
`
`In general, the templates listed in Table 1 are related
`one-to-one with folders and are used to Synthesize a hyper
`text page for a display associated with the related folders.
`Some of the folders correspond to actual directories in a file
`system of the computer's memory system 26 (FIG. 1). For
`example, each of the “windows folder,” “root of hard disk.”
`and “my documents' folders correspond to actual file System
`directories. The displays associated with these folder gen
`erally represent (at least in part) the contents of the corre
`sponding directory, and are called “folder views.” Others of
`the folders (termed “virtual folders”) do not correspond to
`any file System directory. Accordingly, the displays associ
`ated with these folders generally do not represent the con
`tents of a file System directory. For example, the “my
`computer” folder is a virtual folder.
`The templates listed in Table 1 are for producing displayS
`associated with a set of standard folders in the Windows(E)
`operating System. In addition to these Standard folder tem
`plates listed in table 1, the templates 62 also can include
`additional templates for non-standard folders (herein called
`“custom templates'), Such as folders corresponding to file
`System directories created by a user or added by a Software
`installation program. For example, an installation program
`of an application Software product (Such as a productivity
`Software, computer game, or utility Software) that creates a
`new folder in which to install the application software's files
`also can add a template associated with the folder to the Set
`of templates 62. When the newly created folder is viewed in
`the graphical user interface, the shell 52 uses this added
`custom template to produce a folder view display represent
`ing the newly created folder's contents. These added custom
`templates can contain multimedia content enhancements
`Specific to the new folder, Such as graphic images, text,
`hyperlinks, or Software objects relating to the application
`Software product or its vendor.
`The template (or alternatively stored hypertext page) to be
`used by the Shell in Synthesizing the hypertext page View in
`each display in the graphical user interface is identified in
`
`35
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`40
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`45
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`50
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`55
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`60
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`65
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`{ 00000001-0001-0002-0003-000000000001}
`PersistFile="pageone.html
`MenuName="friendly-name-for-view-1
`ToolTipText="Html View”
`HelpText="This shows a HTML document”
`00000002-0001-0002-0003-000000000002}
`PersistFile="word.doc
`MenuName="friendly-name-for-view-2
`ToolTipText="Word Document View”
`HelpText="This shows a Word document
`{ 00000003-0001-0002-0003-000000000003}
`PersistFile="Excel.xls
`MenuName="friendly-name-for-view-N
`ToolTipText="Excel Spreadsheet view”
`HelpText="This shows an Excel spreadsheet
`{FB7E5040-1F6D-11D0-89A9-00AOC9054129}
`Icon Area Image="c:\win95 B\bubbles. bmp'
`IconArea Pos=1
`
`The above representative desktop.ini file begins with a
`section having the heading “ExtShellFolderViews.” This
`section lists globally unique identifiers (“GUIDs”) associ
`ated with software objects that implement views of the
`folder in which the desktop. ini file is stored. A line begin
`ning “default=” specifies a