Patent ID: 6023272
Filing Date: 2000-02-08
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A computer system providing constant direct access to a set of computer resources, the system comprising:an electronic data storage;a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the electronic data storage for executing electronically encoded machine commands retrieved from the electronic data storage;a user interface facilitating user access to the variety of computer resources, the user interface including:a video display for presenting video images in accordance with signals transmitted by the CPU and constituting a video interface between a user and the CPU, said video interface including:an applications section defined by an applications section boundary for displaying images corresponding to signals transmitted by the CPU in accordance with the execution of an application program by the CPU, the executing application being displayed in a window that is fully contained within the boundary of the applications section; anda resizable tray section defined by a tray section boundary and displayed as being attached to an edge of the video display for displaying a collection of representations corresponding to the variety of computer resources, the tray section boundary being used to delimit the applications section boundary such that the tray section and the applications section do not overlap;a display set modifier for altering the collection of representations displayed in the tray section; andmeans for accessing the variety of computer resources corresponding to the collection of representations by selecting ones of the collection of representations displayed in the tray section.