Single submission buttons

• US 20050251759A1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pagan, William G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,310,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method and mechanism for enforcing a one-submission-only policy for a graphical button has been disclosed. The method provides a button object defined to be enabled for only one submission action upon the button object. When a first submission action upon the button object is detected, the action associated with the button object is executed. When another submission action upon the button object is detected, the other submission action is discarded without executing the associated action. Subsequent submission actions are similarly ignored until the button object is re-instantiated to restore its functionality. In this manner, the one-submission-only behavior is embedded into the button object itself, without reliance on external mechanisms. The enforcement of the one-submission-only policy is thus provided in a consistent and reliable manner.

Claims

1. A method for enforcing a one-submission-only policy for a graphical button, comprising:

(a) providing a button object, wherein the button object is defined to be enabled for only one submission action upon the button object;

(b) detecting a first submission action upon the button object;

(c) executing an action associated with the button object;

(d) detecting another submission action upon the button object; and

(e) discarding the other submission action without executing the action associated with the button object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing (a) comprises:

(a1) instantiating the button object, wherein the button object is defined to be enable for only one submission action upon the button object, wherein a state of the button object is ‘

enabled’

.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing (c) comprises:

(c1) determining a current state of the button object is ‘

enabled’

;

(c2) executing the action associated with the button object; and

(c3) changing the current state to ‘

disabled’

.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the discarding (e) comprises:

(e1) determining a current state of the button object is ‘

disabled’

; and

(e2) discarding the other submission action without executing the action associated with the button object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) destroying the button object; and

(g) re-instantiating the button object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the re-instantiating (g) comprises:

(g1) re-instantiating the button object, wherein the re-instantiated button object is defined to be enable for only one submission action upon the re-instantiated button object,

wherein a state of the re-instantiated button object is ‘

enabled’

.

7. A computer readable medium with program instructions for enforcing a one-submission-only policy for a graphical button, comprising instructions for:

(a) providing a button object, wherein the button object is defined to be enabled for only one submission action upon the button object;

(b) detecting a first submission action upon the button object;

(c) executing an action associated with the button object;

(d) detecting another submission action upon the button object; and

(e) discarding the other submission action without executing the action associated with the button object.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the providing (a) comprises:

(a1) instantiating the button object, wherein the button object is defined to be enable for only one submission action upon the button object, wherein a state of the button object is ‘

enabled’

.

9. The medium of claim 7, wherein the executing (c) comprises:

(c1) determining a current state of the button object is ‘

enabled’

;

(c2) executing the action associated with the button object; and

(c3) changing the current state to ‘

disabled’

.

10. The medium of claim 7, wherein the discarding (e) comprises:

(e1) determining a current state of the button object is ‘

disabled’

; and

(e2) discarding the other submission action without executing the action associated with the button object.

11. The medium of claim 7, further comprising:

(f) destroying the button object; and

(g) re-instantiating the button object.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the re-instantiating (g) comprises:

(g1) re-instantiating the button object, wherein the re-instantiated button object is defined to be enable for only one submission action upon the re-instantiated button object,

wherein a state of the re-instantiated button object is ‘

enabled’

.

13. A mechanism for enforcing a one-submission-only policy for a graphical button, comprising:

a button object, wherein the button object is defined to be enabled for only one submission action upon the button object,

wherein when a first submission action upon the button object is detected, an action associated with the button object is executed,

wherein when another submission action upon the button object is detected, the other submission action is discarded without executing the action associated with the button object.