Component-based icon construction and customization system

• US 5,490,245 A
• Filed: 01/25/1995
• Issued: 02/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AST Research, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wugofski, Theodore D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/378,065
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 395/154, 395/157, 395/158, 395/159, 395/161
• US Class Current: 715/837
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

System and method for constructing and customizing icons for use in a graphical user interface (GUI) is disclosed. A GUI is provided with a set of available user interface components that may be selected and combined by a user to create new icons or to modify existing icons. Each icon comprises a plurality of components and each component may be represented by a set of primitives, or component objects. With respect to each component, a user may select an object from the set of objects to represent the component and the selected objects are combined to create a coherent icon used for representing applications, functions and documents in an operating system or applications program. The combination of the component objects is performed based on sets of rules associated with the individual components, which rules dictate the positioning, scaling, graphical combination and available coloring of the component. In this manner, the creation and modification of icons is accomplished by manipulating objects, rather than bits.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer system having a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

constructing a window on said display screen;

displaying an icon comprising at least two icon components within said window, wherein at least one of said at least two icon components is a user-modifiable non-text icon component;

for each said user-modifiable non-text icon component, selecting an object from a set of objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text icon component by using a pointing device to select a window element associated with said user-modifiable non-text icon component, wherein only one object from said set of objects is displayed on said display screen during said selecting step; and

for each said user-modifiable non-text icon component, responsive to said selecting, modifying said icon by overlaying said selected object on said icon, wherein said modifying occurs automatically without additional input from a user following said selecting;

wherein said modifying each said user-modifiable non-text icon component does not effect a modification of any other ones of said at least two icon components.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of displaying further comprises overlaying a first object on said icon to represent said user-modifiable non-text icon component.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of, for each said user-modifiable non-text icon component, removing said first object from said icon prior to said overlaying of said selected object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said overlaying is performed in accordance with rules associated with said user-modifiable non-text icon component.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said rules define a position of said overlaying of said selected object on said icon and a size of said selected object relative to said icon.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of, for each said user-modifiable non-text icon component, removing a currently overlaid object from said icon prior to said overlaying of said selected object.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of storing said modified icon in a memory of said computer system, wherein said modified icon is stored as a primitive of an operating system of said computer system which references said selected object.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing said modified icon as a new icon in a memory of said computer system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said icon comprises a human likeness and each said user-modifiable non-text icon component comprises a hair component, an eyes component, a lips component or a nose component.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising steps of, for each said user-modifiable non-text icon component:

selecting a color to be associated with said user-modifiable non-text icon component; and

color-filling said user-modifiable non-text icon component with said associated color.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said icon comprises a user identification icon associated with a user of said computer system, the method further comprising computer implemented steps of:

constructing a dialog box on said display screen;

displaying said user identification icon in said dialog box;

responsive to a selection of said user identification icon, logging said associated user on to said computer system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said logging on step further comprises the steps of:

prompting a user to enter a password associated with said user identification icon;

determining whether said entered password is valid; and

preventing said logging on if said entered password is not valid.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the computer implemented step of displaying said user identification icon on said display screen until said associated user has been logged off of said computer system.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said selection is performed using a pointing device of said computer system.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said user identification icon resembles said associated user.

16. A method of operating a computer having a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

constructing a graphical user interface (GUI) window on said display screen;

displaying an icon comprising at least two user-modifiable non-text components in said GUI window, wherein each of said user-modifiable non-text components is represented by a first object of a sequentially indexed set of objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text component, wherein said first object is overlaid on said icon;

for each of said user-modifiable non-text components, selecting a first window element to select a different object of said sequentially indexed set of objects to be overlaid on said icon, wherein only one object of said sequentially indexed set of objects is displayed on said display screen at any given time; and

responsive to said selecting of said first window element, modifying said icon by replacing said first object currently overlaid on said icon with a next object of said sequentially indexed set of objects, wherein said modifying occurs automatically without additional input by a user following said selecting.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of storing said modified icon as a new icon in a memory of said computer responsive to selection of a second window element.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising a computer implemented step of, responsive to selection of a second window element, storing said modified icon as a primitive of an operating system of said computer which primitive references an object of said sequentially indexed set of objects overlaid on said icon when said second window element is selected.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said selection is performed using a pointing device of said computer.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of, for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components:

indexing said first object prior to said displaying; and

responsive to said selection of said first window element, incrementing said index to index a next object in said sequentially indexed set of objects.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

constructing a dialog box on said screen;

displaying a plurality of icons within said dialog box, each of said icons being associated with a user of said computer and having a physical appearance that resembles a physical appearance of said associated user; and

responsive to a selection of one of said icons, signing said user associated with said selected icon on to said computer.

22. A method of operating a computer having a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

constructing a graphical user interface (GUI) window on said display screen;

for each of at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, setting an index to reference a first object in a sequentially indexed set of objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text icon component;

displaying an icon in said GUI window, wherein for of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components said first object is overlaid on said icon to represent said user-modifiable non-text icon component;

for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, responsive to user actuation of a first control button of said GUI window, incrementing said index to reference a next object in said sequentially indexed set of objects;

for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, modifying said icon using said next object, wherein said modifying occurs automatically and without additional input from a user following said selecting; and

responsive to user actuation of a second control button of said GUI window, storing said modified icon in a memory of said computer;

wherein for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, only the object of said sequentially indexed set of objects which is referenced by said index is displayed on said display screen at a given time.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said step of modifying further comprises:

removing said first object from said icon; and

overlaying said next object on said icon;

wherein said overlaying of said next object is performed in accordance with rules associated with said user-modifiable non-text icon component.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said rules define a location and position of said overlaying of said next object and a size of said next object relative to said icon.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said user actuation of a first control button of said GUI window is performed using a pointing device of said computer to select said first or second control button.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of, for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, resetting said index to index said first object once said index has reached a maximum value.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:

constructing a dialog box on said screen;

displaying a plurality of icons within said dialog box, each of said icons being associated with a user of said computer and having a physical appearance that resembles a physical appearance of said associated user; and

responsive to a selection of one of said icons, signing said user associated with said selected icon on to said computer.

28. In a computer having a display screen, a system for constructing and modifying a user-selected icon in a window displayed on said display screen, said user-selected icon comprising at least two icon components, wherein at least one of said at least two icon components is a user-modifiable, non-text icon component, the system comprising, for each of said user-modifiable non-text icon components:

a first object overlaid on said user-selected icon for representing said user-modifiable non-text icon component;

a plurality of additional objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text icon component, wherein said additional objects are not displayed on said display screen while said first object is overlaid on said user-selected icon;

means for selecting one of said additional objects; and

means responsive to said selection for modifying said user-selected icon by removing said first object from said user-selected icon and overlaying said selected one of said additional objects, wherein said removing and overlaying are performed automatically and without additional input from a user following said selecting;

wherein said modifying of said user-modifiable non-text icon component does not effect a modification of any other ones of said at least two icon components.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein each of said objects is stored as a bit-map image file in a memory of said computer.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said image files are stored as a sequentially indexed set of files, said system further comprising means for indexing said set, wherein an initial value of said index references an image file of said first object.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said means for selecting further comprises means for incrementing said said index upon selection of one of said objects such that said index references an image file of said selected object.

32. The system of claim 28 further comprising:

user selectable means for causing said modified icon to be stored in a memory of said computer as a primitive of an operating system of said computer, wherein said primitive references said selected object.

33. The system of claim 28 further comprising:

user selectable means for causing said modified icon to be stored as a new icon in a memory of said computer.

34. The system of claim 28 wherein said means for selecting comprises a user-selectable window element associated with said user-modifiable non-text icon component.

35. The system of claim 28 further comprising:

means for overlaying said selected object on said at least one component in accordance with rules associated with said at least one icon component, wherein said rules define a location of said overlaying of said selected object on said user-selected icon and a size of said selected object relative to said user-selected icon.

36. The system of claim 28 wherein said icon comprises an image of a human face and each said user-modifiable non-text icon component comprises a hair component, an eyes component, a lips component or a nose component.

37. The system of claim 28 wherein said system further comprises, for each said user-modifiable non-text icon component:

means for selecting a color of said user-modifiable non-text icon component; and

means for color-filling said user-modifiable non-text icon component.

38. The system of claim 28 further comprising:

means for constructing a dialog box on said display screen;

means for displaying a plurality of icons within said dialog box, each of said icons being associated with a user of said computer and having a physical appearance that resembles a physical appearance of said associated user; and

means responsive to a selection of one of said icons for signing said user associated with said selected icon on to said computer.

39. In a computer having a display screen, a system for constructing or modifying an icon having at least two user-modifiable non-text components, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) window for displaying said icon;

for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, a plurality of objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text component, wherein no more than one of said plurality of objects are displayed on said display screen at a given time; and

for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, at least one first window element associated with said user-modifiable non-text component, wherein each time said at least one first window element is selected by a user, a different one of said plurality of objects is selected;

wherein for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, said selected object is automatically overlaid on said icon in the proper location without further input from said user following said selecting and defines the appearance of said at least one user-modifiable non-text component.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein said GUI window further comprises a graphic area pad in which said icon is displayed.

41. The system of claim 39 further comprising:

for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, means for overlaying said selected object on said user-modifiable non-text component in accordance with rules associated with said user-modifiable non-text component, which rules define the position of said selected object relative to said icon and the size of said object.

42. The system of claim 39 wherein for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, said plurality of objects are sequentially indexed into a set of objects associated with said user-modifiable non-text component.

43. The system of claim 42 further comprising:

for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, means for indexing said selected object.

44. The system of claim 43 further comprising:

for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, means for incrementing said indexing means upon actuation of said at least one first window element.

45. The system of claim 39 further comprising:

a second window element, wherein selection of said second window element results in said modified icon being stored in a memory of said computer as a primitive of an operating system of said computer, wherein said primitive references said selected object.

46. The system of claim 39 further comprising:

a second window element, wherein selection of said second window element results in said modified icon being stored as a new icon in a memory of said computer.

47. The system of claim 39 further comprising:

means for constructing a dialog box on said display screen;

means for displaying a plurality of icons within said dialog box, each of said icons being associated with a user of said computer and having a physical appearance that resembles a physical appearance of said associated user; and

means responsive to a selection of one of said icons for signing said user associated with said selected icon on to said computer.