Patent ID: 6971067
Filing Date: 2005-11-29
Classification: G06F,G16H,G16Z

Abstract:
1. A software program stored on a computer-readable medium, the software program comprising instructions for execution on a computer comprising a display, at least one input device, a plurality of application programs and an operating system that, when two or more of the plurality of application programs are executing simultaneously, moves a focus among the simultaneously executing application programs so that only one of the simultaneously executing application programs has the focus and receives input from the at least one input device at a time, the plurality of application programs sharing a context which is managed in accordance with a Clinical Context Object Workgroup (CCOW) standard, the plurality of application programs including a first application program and a second application program, the display presenting first and second user interface elements associated with the respective first and second application programs, the instructions when executed, performing a sequence of steps, comprising: identifying that the first application program has the focus; in response to identifying that the first application program has the focus, visually attaching to the first user interface element of the first application program a user interface element of the software program, the user interface element of the software program enabling a user to change information defining the context shared by the plurality of applications, the information identifying a patient and a user; moving and resizing, on the display, the user interface element of the software program together with the first user interface element while the first application program has the focus, so the user interface element of the software program and the first user interface element of the first application program together give a visual impression on the display of one user interface; identifying that the focus has switched from the first application program to the second application program; and in response to identifying that the focus has switched from the first application program to the second application program, detaching the user interface element of the software program from the first user interface element of the first application program and attaching the user interface element of the software program to the second user interface element of the second application program.