Jonathan D Weiner

US Patent:

48623903, Aug 29, 1989

Filed:

Dec 24, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/137988

Inventors:

Jonathan A. Weiner - Palo Alto CA

Assignee:

Hewlett-Packard Company - Palo Alto CA

International Classification:

G06D 3037

US Classification:

364521

Abstract:

Apparatus and method for selecting entries within a plurality of entries. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a search control processor which causes an edit box and a list box to be displayed on a display. In the list box is displayed a subset of entries from a plurality of entries. As letters are typed on a keyboard, the letters are displayed in the edit box. The search control processor causes a first entry from the plurality of entries to be highlighted when the first letter(s) of the first entry match the letters displayed in the edit box and when the first entry is in alphabetical order before any other entry from the plurality of entries whose first letter(s) match the letter(s) displayed in the edit box. When a user presses "ENTER" or some other designated key on the keyboard the search control processor selects the entry highlighted on the screen. Since often the list box is not sufficiently large to display all entries in the plurality of entries, when the first entry whose first letter(s) match the letters in the edit box is not displayed, the search control processor will cause the list box to scroll so that the first entry is displayed.