COLOR LABELING IN A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20120221973A1
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Imran Chaudhri
• Original Assignee: Imran Chaudhri
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran
• Application Number:
  US13/464,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221973A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/821
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for providing visual cues to a user of a graphical user interface (GUI) for a computer system is disclosed. The visual cues indicate a relationship with an icon having text and/or image elements. In some embodiments, the method receives a color for labeling an icon that has a text-element and an image-element. The method applies the color to a background-region of the text-element of the icon without applying the color to the image-element. In some embodiments, the method does not affect the font of the text. In some embodiments, the method receives a selection of an icon. The icon has a background-region that has a first color. The method changes the first color of the background-region to a second color but retains the first color in a section of the background-region. In some of these embodiments, the method outlines the section of the background-region with a third color.

Claims

1-33. -33. (canceled)

34. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that when executed by at least one processing unit provides a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising:

a display area for displaying at least one selectable icon that includes a text element having a first line of text, and a second line of text that is a different size in one dimension than the first line of text; and

a color labeling tool for (i) receiving a selection of a color from a plurality of different colors, and (ii) labeling the icon by applying the selected color to at least a background region about the icon'"'"'s text element so that an outer boundary of the background region follows a contour around the first and second lines of the text element, wherein the contour is a different size in the one dimension around the second line than around the first line.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the outer boundary of the background region does not follow the contour around the lines of the text element before the color is applied to the background region.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the display area comprises a background color that is different from the selected color, and the text element comprises a font color that is different from the selected color.

37. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the selected color is applied to the background region upon the selection of the color from the plurality of different colors.

38. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the icon further comprises an image element.

39. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein labeling the icon further comprises applying the selected color to the background region so that background region appears in the display area with rounded corners.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein said dimension is one of horizontal and vertical dimensions.

45. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 40, wherein the icon comprises an image element surrounded by the background region.

41. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that when executed by at least one processing unit provides a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising:

a display area for displaying a set of selectable icons; and

a color labeling tool for (i) receiving a selection of a color from a plurality of different colors, and (ii) labeling an icon by applying the selected color to at least a background region about the icon so that the background region appears in the display area with rounded corners.

42. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein the icon comprises a text element surrounded by the background region, wherein the text element comprises a font color that is different from a background color, wherein the selected color is different from the font color and the background color.

43. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein the text element retains the font color after the selected color is applied to the background region of the icon.

44. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 42, wherein labeling the icon further comprises applying the selected color so that the background region follows a contour of the text element of the icon.

46. A method of defining a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

), the method comprising;

defining a display area for displaying at least one selectable icon that includes a text element having a first line of text, and a second line of text that is a different size in one dimension than the first line of text; and

defining a color labeling tool for (i) receiving a selection of a color from a plurality of different colors, and (ii) labeling the icon by applying the selected color to at least a background region about the icon'"'"'s text element so that an outer boundary of the background region follows a contour around the first and second lines of the text element, wherein the contour is a different size in the one dimension around the second line than around the first line.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the outer boundary of the background region does not follow the contour around the lines of the text element before the color is applied to the background region.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the display area comprises a background color that is different from the selected color, and the text element comprises a font color that is different from the selected color.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the selected color is applied to the background region upon the selection of the color from the plurality of different colors.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein the icon further comprises an image element.

51. A method of defining a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

), the method comprising;

defining a display area for displaying a set of selectable icons; and

defining a color labeling tool for (i) receiving a selection of a color from a plurality of different colors, and (ii) labeling an icon by applying the selected color to at least a background region about the icon so that the background region appears in the display area with rounded corners.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the icon comprises a text element surrounded by the background region, wherein the text element comprises a font color that is different from a background color, wherein the selected color is different from the font color and the background color.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the text element retains the font color after the selected color is applied to the background region of the icon.