Color and Symbol Coded Visual Cues for Relating Screen Items to Each Other

• US 20130002700A1
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Christensen, Catherine, Gonzalez, Ricardo L., Hamilton, David Brooks, Pupons Wickham, Daina Edvina, Medl, Robert Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,354,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/589
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A graphic symbol is created having a specified pattern and being associated with at least a first graphical object. Color attribute(s) is/are designated for the graphic symbol. While displaying related graphical object(s), the created graphic symbol and its specified pattern and color attribute(s) are retained within such displayed related graphical object(s), wherein the related graphical object(s) are recognizable as related to the first graphical object by the persistence of the specific graphic symbol pattern and designated colors.

Claims

1. A computer program product for use with a graphics display device, said computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means included in said medium;

said computer readable program code means embodying a method for;

creating a graphic symbol, said graphic symbol having a specified pattern, and associating with at least a first graphical object;

designating one or more color attributes for said graphic symbol;

displaying one or more related graphical objects;

retaining said created graphic symbol, its specified pattern and color attributes within said one or more displayed related graphical objects, and

wherein said one or more objects are recognizable as related to said first objects by the persistence of said specific graphic symbol pattern and designated colors.

2. A computer program product for use with a graphics display device, said computer program product as per claim 1, wherein said created graphic symbol, its specified pattern and color attributes is retained within a visible portion of one or more related objects.

3. A computer program product for use with a graphics display device, said computer program product as per claim 1, wherein the persistence of said graphic symbol and designated one or more color attributes between said first and second objects provides user assistance when traversing a series of graphical templates.

4. A computer-based system with visually related graphical objects comprising:

one or more graphical symbols retained in computer storage, each of said one or more graphic symbols having a specified pattern and association with at least a first graphical object;

one or more color attributes designated for each of said one or more graphic symbols;

a display visually instantiating one or more graphical objects related to said first graphical object;

said one or more graphic symbols, specified pattern and color attributes replicated within a visual space of said displayed one or more graphical objects related to said first object, and

wherein said one or more related objects are visually recognizable as related due to the persistence of said specified graphic symbol pattern and designated colors.

5. A computer-based system with visually related graphical objects as per claim 4, wherein the persistence of said icon and designated colors between said first and related objects provides user assistance when traversing a series of graphical templates.