Method and System for Identifying Remote Objects on a Client System

• US 20070183389A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clee, Scott, Masters, Peter, Would, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,501,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/347
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system for identifying remote objects on a client system is provided. A client system (101) has a connection means (302) to access a component (310) on a remote system (103). The client system (101) has a graphical user interface (308) including a user interface object (306) representing the component (310) at the remote system (103). Means (304) are provided for applying a theme to the object (306) to distinguish it as representing a remote component (310). The graphical user interface (308) also includes user interface objects (307) for components local to the client system (101), and the means for applying a theme (304) applies distinguishing themes to the local objects (307) and the remote objects (306).

Claims

1. A method for identifying remote user interface objects on a client system comprising:

establishing a connection at a client system to a remote system to access a component on the remote system;

providing a user interface object at the client system representing the component on the remote system; and

applying a theme to the object, the theme distinguishing the object as representing a remote component.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method includes applying a theme to user interface objects at the client system for components local to the client system, wherein themes for local and remote components are distinguished.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the theme distinguishing the object as representing a remote component represents:

one or more remote systems, a type of remote system, a type of component on a remote system, a type of operating system, a sub-network of remote systems, or a physical location of a remote system.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a theme has a plurality of aspects and each aspect represents a feature of a component.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein a theme has a hierarchy of aspects representing features of a component.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a group of components have a common theme in the form of a colour applied to the object and an individual component is represented by a shade of the colour.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user interface object is a window object.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method includes determining details of the connection to the remote system and determining the theme based on the details.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component on the remote system is an application, a database, a service, files, data, or documents.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the theme includes control features based on the type of component on the remote system.

11. A system for identifying remote objects on a client system comprising:

a client system having a graphical user interface;

a connection means at a client system to access a component on a remote system;

the graphical user interface of the client system including an object representing the component on the remote system; and

means for applying a theme to the object, the theme distinguishing the object as representing a remote component.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface includes objects for components local to the client system, wherein the means for applying a theme applies distinguishing themes to the local objects and the remote objects.

13. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the theme distinguishing the object as representing a remote component represents:

one or more remote systems, a type of remote system, a type of component on the remote system, a type of operating system, a sub-network of remote systems, or the physical location of a remote system.

14. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for applying a theme includes means for creating and modifying themes.

15. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the means for applying a theme includes means for determining details of the connection to the remote system and means for determining the theme based on the details.

16. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein a theme has a plurality of aspects and each aspect represents a feature of a component.

17. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein a theme has a hierarchy of aspects representing features of a component.

18. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein a group of components have a common theme in the form of a colour applied to the object and an individual component is represented by a shade of the colour.

19. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface is a window-based interface.

20. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the component on the remote system is an application, a database, a service, files, data, or documents.

21. A system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the theme includes control features based on the type of component on the remote system.

22. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable program code means for performing the steps of:

establishing a connection at a client system to a remote system to access a component on the remote system;

providing a user interface object at the client system representing the component on the remote system; and

applying a theme to the object, the theme distinguishing the object as representing a remote component.