Methods and systems for changing language characters of graphical and application interfaces

• US 20070124675A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ban, Oliver, Lim, Shu-Chen, Maresca, John, Johnson, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US11/289,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124675A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/703
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

Methods and systems for changing language characters of graphical user interfaces and application programming interfaces are disclosed. Embodiments comprise a method of changing the characters of a first language displayed on a device interface screen to a second language upon activation of an element on the device. In some embodiments, the element for changing the language is a menu bar item. In one embodiment, the element for changing the language is a mechanical switch. In another embodiment, the element for changing the language of the displayed characters is a touch-screen target. Some embodiments comprise systems such as industrial and personal computers, while other embodiments comprise smaller electronic devices such as cellular telephones, handheld computers, and portable gaming devices.

Claims

1. A method to return a display on a screen of a device to a pre-selected language, the method comprising:

enabling access for a user of the device to an element in more than one navigable displays for the screen; and

linking activation of a language function with activation of the element of the user interface, wherein the language function is adapted to switch from a current language associated with a current display of the more than one navigable displays on the screen to the pre-selected language.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising linking activation of a language toggle function to more than one activations of the element, wherein the language toggle function is adapted to toggle the display on the screen to another language.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein linking activation of the language toggle function comprises linking the more than one activations to a Chinese language.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling selection by a user of the pre-selected language.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein enabling selection by a user of the pre-selected language comprises enabling selection by the user of a Spanish language as the pre-selected language via a user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling access comprises displaying the element on the screen as a touch-screen target element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling access comprises designating a key on the device as the element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein linking activation of the language function comprises linking activation of the element to responsively switch from the current language to an English language.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein linking activation of the language function comprises linking activation of the element to responsively switch from the current language to a Russian language.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein linking activation of the language function comprises linking activation to selection of a target element on the screen.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein linking activation to selection of the target element on the screen comprises linking activation to selection of a touch-screen target element with a stylus.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein linking activation to selection of the target element on the screen comprises linking activation to selection of the target element on the screen by depressing at least one key on the device.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a language toggler to toggle the display on the screen to another language in response to more than one activations of the element.

13. A system to change a plurality of characters of a current language to a pre-selected language, the system comprising:

a screen to display the plurality of characters of the current language and the pre-selected language; and

an element to switch the current language associated with a current display of more than one navigable displays to the pre-selected language in response to activation, wherein the element is accessible for activation while the device is to display one of the more than one navigable displays on the screen.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the element comprises a touch-screen target of a touch screen.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the element comprises a key on the device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the element comprises a menu selection item.

18. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions, which when executed by a machine cause the machine to change characters displayed on an interface, comprising:

enabling access for a user of the device to an element in more than one navigable displays for the screen; and

linking activation of a language function with activation of the element of the user interface, wherein the language function is adapted to switch from a current language associated with a current display of the more than one navigable displays on the screen to the pre-selected language.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise linking activation of a language toggle function to more than one activations of the element, wherein the language toggle function is adapted to toggle the display on the screen to another language.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 18, wherein linking activation of the language function comprises linking activation to display a second plurality of characters in response to user selection of target element of a touch screen via a stylus.