Donald L Gentner

US Patent:

5884318, Mar 16, 1999

Filed:

Jun 26, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/670952

Inventors:

Jakob Nielsen - Atherton CA
Earl Johnson - San Jose CA
Donald R. Gentner - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 1730

US Classification:

707104

Abstract:

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of selecting a selectable element with a character input device from a list of exically unordered selectable elements on a graphical user interface (GUI). Typically, these selectable elements include hypertext links and GUI buttons on the GUI of computer program executing on a computer system. Each selectable element includes a character portion of data which facilitates selecting the selectable element. The method typically begins the selection process when a user enters one or more characters from a character input device. In response to receiving the characters, the present invention inserts each character into a match string. The match string is then compared with the character portion of each selectable element on the GUI. A selectable element is "armed" when the character portion of a selectable element is found which matches the match string.

US Patent:

7159207, Jan 2, 2007

Filed:

Apr 9, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/829597

Inventors:

John C. Tang - Palo Alto CA, US
Donald R. Gentner - Palo Alto CA, US
Nicole Y. Mordecai - Weston MA, US
James M. A. Begole - Mountain View CA, US
Michael L. Van De Vanter - Mountain View CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 3/00

US Classification:

717109, 715809

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for accessing related computer objects. In one embodiment, computer objects related to a user's current task by a metric are listed. In another embodiment, other users related to a user's current task by a metric are listed. In one embodiment, the metric used to determine whether a user is related to a computer object determines whether the user accessed the computer object. In another embodiment, the metric used to determine whether a user is related to a computer object determines whether the user is referenced in the computer object. In other embodiments, the metric used to determine whether a user is related to a computer object involves other measures of relatedness. In one embodiment, the metric used to determine whether a computer object is related to another computer object determines whether the computer objects have a related user in common.

US Patent:

20020107886, Aug 8, 2002

Filed:

Feb 7, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/778553

Inventors:

Donald Gentner - Palo Alto CA, US
John Tang - Palo Alto CA, US
Nicole Mordecai - Weston MA, US
James Begole - Mountain View CA, US
Michael Van De Vanter - Mountain View CA, US

International Classification:

G06F017/24
G06F017/21

US Classification:

707/511000, 707/530000

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for automatic electronic document versioning system. One embodiment of the present invention automatically and permanently saves information about the changes made between successive document states. Thus, every previous document state is retrievable. Another embodiment provides an interface for retrieving previous document states. A set of potentially memorable events are arranged in a timeline and used to identify certain previous document states. In one embodiment, closing a document is a memorable event used to identify a document state. In another embodiment, copying or synchronizing the document to another device is a memorable event used to identify a document state. In yet another embodiment, attaching the document to an electronic mail message is a memorable event used to identify a document state. In yet another embodiment, a user explicitly requesting a document state be saved as memorable is a memorable event used to identify a document state. In yet another embodiment, the document remaining unchanged for a significant period of time is a memorable event used to identify a document state. In one embodiment of the present invention, a previous document state is retrieved through committing a series of undos. In another embodiment, a previous document state is retrieved by selecting a document state associated with a memorable event on a timeline. In yet another embodiment, a previous state is retrieved by a combination of committing a series of undos and selecting a document state associated with a memorable event on a timeline.

US Patent:

20030229648, Dec 11, 2003

Filed:

Jun 11, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/167870

Inventors:

John Tang - Palo Alto CA, US
Nicole Mordecai - Weston MA, US
Donald Gentner - Palo Alto CA, US
James M.A. Begole - Mountain View CA, US
Michael Van De Vanter - Mountain View CA, US

International Classification:

G06F007/00

US Classification:

707/104100

Abstract:

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for integrating dynamic, context-sensitive awareness into software applications. In one embodiment, a computer interface is provided that helps users identify and interact with advisors having a particular expertise or interest. The list of advisors is dynamically created, based on an activity that the user os performing. In one embodiment, a list of advisors meeting defined criteria are identified and optionally ranked according to the level of expertise or knowledge the person has, in relation to the specified criteria.

US Patent:

57964041, Aug 18, 1998

Filed:

Jul 1, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/676087

Inventors:

Donald R. Gentner - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 300

US Classification:

345352

Abstract:

An electronic digital computer system includes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for displaying graphical objects such as icon buttons, scrolling text lists, and text entry fields on a monitor. A keyboard includes a label key such as a conventional alternate (Alt) key which, when depressed, causes alphanumeric characters to be superimposed on the graphical objects. Depression of an alphanumeric key on the keyboard corresponding to the alphanumeric character superimposed on a selected object causes an associated operation to be launched. The GUI includes an object table having an entry for each graphical object. Each entry includes an object name, corresponding alphanumeric character, object type (e. g. icon button, text input field), and object display position. A display generator accesses the object table using the object names as inputs, obtains the alphanumeric characters as outputs, and superimposes and displays the alphanumeric characters on the objects.

US Patent:

57245959, Mar 3, 1998

Filed:

Jun 19, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/666792

Inventors:

Donald R. Gentner - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

G06F 300

US Classification:

395762

Abstract:

An improved method and system for creating a link in an original hypertext document to a target hypertext document when a link creating icon is dragged from the target hypertext document to a specified location in the original hypertext document. The title of the target hypertext document is inserted at the link text.

US Patent:

61043974, Aug 15, 2000

Filed:

Jun 30, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/884962

Inventors:

Chris J. Ryan - Mountain View CA
Donald R. Gentner - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

G06F 300

US Classification:

345348

Abstract:

A method and system for generating improved command progress indicator including the steps of establishing at a location of a display at least one computer-generated graphic indicator associated with at least one computer executable operation in a first-state appearance, the graphic indicator having a first-state appearance and a dynamic second-state appearance, signaling the computer to conduct an operation, altering the appearance of the computer-generated graphic indicator from the first-state appearance to the dynamic second-state appearance while the computer is conducting the operation, and restoring the appearance of the computer-generated graphic indicator from the dynamic second-state appearance to the first-state appearance when the computer has completed the operation. An embodiment of the invention uses a button graphic as the computer-generated graphic indicator and further comprises the steps of establishing a cursor on the video display, positioning the cursor on the button graphic using a cursor control device, selecting the button graphic for signaling said computer to conduct the associated operation. When the button graphic is clicked and the computer begins executing the associated operation, the appearance of the button graphic will become a dynamic second-state appearance comprising the repeated steps of adding and subsequently removing a highlight color from the first-state appearance of the button graphic at predetermined intervals.

US Patent:

6271838, Aug 7, 2001

Filed:

Jun 30, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/107147

Inventors:

Donald R. Gentner - Palo Alto CA
John Evans - Mountain View CA
Christopher Cotton - Belmont CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06F 1300

US Classification:

345342

Abstract:

Methods and systems for using a sash control graphic to resize panes in a window are disclosed herein. In the present invention, a sash control comprising at least one direction area and a drag area is used to resize panes in a display window. Information reflecting a first configuration of the panes within the window is stored. The panes may be automatically reset to the first configuration from a second configuration within the window based on the stored information in response to a single-action activation of the at least one direction area of the sash control without moving or dragging the sash control.