COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATING VIA A GRAPHICAL ELEMENT

• US 20070283289A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Combots Product GmbH
• Original Assignee: Combots Product GmbH
• Inventors: Schueler, Frank, Reissmueller, Christian, Greve, Michael, Biener, Dietmar
• Application Number:
  US11/756,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283289A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

A communication system for communicating includes a window-based graphical user interface and a graphical element. The window-based graphical user interface is displayed on a display device. The window-based graphical user interface includes an area defined as a window, and the area is displayed transparently. The graphical element includes non-transparent pixels displayed in the window.

Claims

1. A communication system for communicating, the system comprising:

a window-based graphical user interface, the window-based graphical user interface being displayable on a display device and comprising an area defined as a window, the area being displayed transparently; and

at least one graphical element, the at least one graphical element including, non-transparent pixels displayed in the window.

2. The communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-transparent pixels define a responsive area operable to perform functional features associated with the at least one graphical element.

3. The communication system as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the at least one graphical element includes transparent pixels and includes an image format having a transparency-value channel operable to determine which pixels of the graphical user interface are transparent and which pixels are non-transparent so as to determine the responsive area.

4. The communication system as recited in claim 3, wherein the image format of the at least one graphical element includes a PNG format having an alpha channel.

5. The communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one graphical element is operable to be animated.

6. The communication system as recited in claim 5, wherein the at least one graphical element is operable to be animated by a BINK player.

7. The communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein the window is sized to accommodate at least two graphical elements.

8. The communication system as recited in claim 7, wherein the window has an area of 372×

256 pixels.

9. The communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein the window is always displayed on a topmost display area of the display device or graphical user interface.

10. The communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one graphical element is operable to be transferred from a basic animation into a communication animation using a movie file.

11. The communication system as recited in claim 10, wherein the movie file is retrievable from a movie database.

12. The communication system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one graphical element includes an animation having a movie file associated therewith.

13. The communication system as recited in claim 10, wherein the communication animation includes a plurality of movie sequences.

14. The communication system as recited in claim 13, wherein the plurality of movie sequences includes at least one of a transformation sequence, a communication sequence, and a retransformation sequence.

15. The communication system as recited in claim 14, wherein in the communication sequence, the at least one graphical element includes a representation that differs from a representation in the basic animation.

16. The communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein the display is a display of a communication device, and wherein the at least one graphical element is operable to be animated by playing a movie file, the movie file being selectable depending on at least one of a property of the at least one graphical element, a property of the communication device, and an event to be represented.

17. The communication system as recited in claim 16, wherein the property of the communication device includes at least one of a class, type, model, software, and user preference.

18. The communication system as recited in claim 16, wherein the property of the at least one graphical element includes at least one of a category, size, and type.

19. The communication system as recited in claim 16, wherein the event to be represented includes at least one of a received signal, a transmitted signal, and a local signal.

20. A communication element comprising:

a transparently displayable window operable to be displayed on a window-based graphical user interface; and

at least one graphical element including non-transparent pixels in the window.

21. The communication element as recited in claim 20, wherein the non-transparent pixels, define a responsive area for performing functional features associated with at least one of the communication element and the at least one graphical element.

22. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable process steps operative to perform a method for communicating, the method comprising:

providing a window-based graphical user interface, the window-based graphical user interface being displayable on display device and comprising an area defined as a window, the area being displayed transparently; and

providing at least one graphical element, the at least one graphical element including non-transparent pixels displayable in the window.