Technique for assisting a user in setting attributes of selected screen objects by use of a preview display of a replica object
First Claim
1. In a computer system, a method for assisting a user in setting attributes of screen objects, the method comprising:
- (a) in response to user input, selecting a screen object of interest;
(b) displaying a dialog which includes a sample comprising a replica of at least a portion of the screen object, so selected, the sample being displayed separately from the screen object;
(c) receiving additional user input for specifying at least one new attribute of the screen object;
(d) in response to the additional user input, previewing effects of applying said at least one new attribute by updating the sample with the at least one new attribute before said at least one new attribute is applied to the screen object; and
(e) in response to last user input, applying the at least one new attribute to the screen object, for setting the selected object to have said at least one new attribute.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A user interface technique for applying attributes to screen objects. The user selects a screen object, and causes the display of a dialog box for changing an attribute of the screen object. The dialog box includes an attribute palette or other controls used for setting attributes, as known in the art, but also includes a sample box in which a replica of the selected screen object (or a portion thereof) is displayed. The user then takes the actions necessary to select the desired attribute, in response to which the replica in the sample box is updated with the desired attribute. Once the user is satisfied with this previewed result, the user can accept the changes by clicking in the "OK" button or reject the changes by clicking in the "Cancel" button.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. In a computer system, a method for assisting a user in setting attributes of screen objects, the method comprising:
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(a) in response to user input, selecting a screen object of interest; (b) displaying a dialog which includes a sample comprising a replica of at least a portion of the screen object, so selected, the sample being displayed separately from the screen object; (c) receiving additional user input for specifying at least one new attribute of the screen object; (d) in response to the additional user input, previewing effects of applying said at least one new attribute by updating the sample with the at least one new attribute before said at least one new attribute is applied to the screen object; and (e) in response to last user input, applying the at least one new attribute to the screen object, for setting the selected object to have said at least one new attribute. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a computer system, a method for assisting a user in setting attributes of screen objects, the method comprising:
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(a) in response to user input, selecting a screen object of interest; (b) displaying a sample comprising a replica of at least a portion of the screen object, so selected, the sample being displayed separately from the screen object; (c) receiving additional user input for specifying at least one new attribute of the screen object; (d) in response to the additional user input, updating the sample with the at least one new attribute; and (e) in response to last user input, applying the at least one new attribute to the screen object, wherein the user input responded to in step (a) includes signals generated by a user selecting the screen object with a pointing device, and wherein; the user input responded to in step (a) includes signals generated by a user dragging a mouse cursor across the screen object for defining a rectangle; and the sample consists of the portion of the screen object contained within the rectangle.
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9. In a computer system, a method for assisting a user in setting attributes of screen objects, the method comprising:
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(a) in response to user input, selecting a screen object of interest; (b) displaying a sample comprising a replica of at least a portion of the screen object, so selected, the sample being displayed separately from the screen object; (c) receiving additional user input for specifying at least one new attribute of the screen object; (d) in response to the additional user input, updating the sample with the at least one new attribute; and (e) in response to last user input, applying the at least one new attribute to the screen object, wherein the user input responded to in step (a) includes signals generated by a user selecting the screen object with a pointing device, wherein the new attributes include foreground and background colors of the screen object.
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10. In a computer system, a method for assisting a user in setting attributes of screen objects, the method comprising:
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(a) in response to user input, selecting a screen object of interest; (b) displaying a sample comprising a replica of at least a portion of the screen object, so selected, the sample being displayed separately from the screen object; (c) receiving additional user input for specifying at least one new attribute of the screen object; (d) in response to the additional user input, updating the sample with the at least one new attribute; and (e) in response to last user input, applying the at least one new attribute to the screen object, wherein the user input responded to in step (a) includes signals generated by a user selecting the screen object with a pointing device, wherein step (e) includes redrawing the screen object with the at least one new attribute, whereby the screen object appears identical to the sample.
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11. In a computer system, a method for changing colors of objects displayable on a screen device, the method comprising:
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in response to user input selecting a screen region having an object of interest; displaying a dialog box having first and second buttons, designated "OK" and "CANCEL"; displaying in the dialog box, separately from the selected screen region, an image, referred to as the sample image, that is a replica of the selected screen region; displaying a color palette in the dialog box; in response to additional user input, selecting a desired color from the palette; re-displaying the sample image with the desired color; and in response to user input signifying clicking the "OK" button, applying the desired color to the object of interest. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In a computer system, an improved dialog module for assisting a user in setting attributes of objects displayable on a screen device, the improvement comprising:
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(a) means for displaying an example element of at least one object selected by the user, the example element being displayed separately from the at least one object; (b) means for entering new characteristics desired for the at least one object; (c) means, responsive to the entered new characteristics, for continually displaying the example element updated with the new characteristics, wherein the new characteristics are first applied to the example element, so that the user can preview the new characteristics prior to the new characteristics being applied to the at least one object; and (d) means, responsive to user input, for applying the new characteristics to the at least one object. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. In a computer system, an improved dialog module for assisting a user in setting attributes of objects displayable on a screen device, the improvement comprising:
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(a) means for displaying an example element of at least one object selected by the user, the example element being displayed separately from the at least one object; (b) means for entering new characteristics desired for the at least one object; (c) means, responsive to the entered new characteristics, for continually displaying the example element updated with the new characteristics; and (d) means for applying the new characteristics to the at least one object wherein the entered new characteristics include new colors for the object.
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24. A computer-aided system for assisting a user in displaying information, the system comprising:
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a computer having a memory and a processor; means for representing the information as objects on a screen; means, responsive to signals generated by the user, for selecting objects; means for setting new attributes for selected objects; means for displaying example elements that are replica images of selected objects separately from the selected objects; means for previewing effects of the new attributes by setting the example elements to have the new attributes before the selected objects are set to have the new attributes; and means, responsive to additional signals generated by the user, for setting the selected objects to have the new attributes. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. In a computer system, a method for assisting a user in setting attributes of screen objects, the method comprising:
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in response to first user input, selecting a screen object of interest; displaying, in a dialog box, a set of controls for changing object attributes and a sample comprising a replica of at least a portion of the screen object, so selected; receiving second user input for specifying at least one new attribute of the screen object; in response to the second user input, displaying, in the dialog box, the sample with the at least one new attribute; and in response to third user input, applying the at least one new attribute to the screen object, whereby the screen object takes on an appearance corresponding to the appearance of the sample in the dialog box at the time of the third user input. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification