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Expired Canadian patentCanada

Method and apparatus for distinctively displaying windows on a computer display screen

CA 2075427 C · Owner: International Business Machines Corporation · Inventors: Ryan, Jeffrey Michael; Bates, Cary Lee

CIPO record

Overview

Drawings and full text

Its claims, description and drawings are in the Canadian Patents Database.

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Abstract From the Canadian patent

A method and apparatus for distinctively displaying windows on a computer display screen is disclosed. The amount of time each of the windows presented to the display screen is active (also known as "in focus") is monitored. Upon receipt of a command from the user the windows that, were active a longer length of time are displayed more distinctively than windows that were active a shorter length of time. Active windows can be displayed more distinctively in many different ways. One such way is by placing the most active window in the upper left corner of the screen and placing the rest of the windows in a descending order of activity from left to right and top to bottom on the screen. …

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Listed from its CIPO record in Patent Yard's archive of Canadian patents past their term. Its claims, description and drawings are in the CIPO record and on Google Patents, and the Claude kit works from them.

Why it's free to use

  • Filed August 6, 1992 and granted January 21, 1997. A Canadian patent filed from October 1, 1989 lasts 20 years from filing, so its term ended August 6, 2012.
  • A certificate of supplementary protection adds at most two years for a drug, so even that would have ended by August 6, 2014.
  • We check Canadian rights only. A patent in its family in another country could still be in force: check its family on Google Patents.
FiledAugust 6, 1992
GrantedJanuary 21, 1997
Term endedAugust 6, 2012
Patent numberCA 2075427 C
Classification (IPC)G06F3/14 +2 more

Timeline

Timeline From CIPO dates

1993199519971999200120032005200720092011Application filedAug 6, 1992Patent grantedJan 21, 1997Term endedAug 6, 2012

Sources & verification

Everything on this page comes from the CIPO record linked above. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.