System and method for rendering on-screen iconic buttons with dynamic textual link
First Claim
1. In a computer system having a processor coupled to bus, a memory coupled to said bus and a display screen, instructions stored in said memory for generating a display button on said display screen when executed by said processor, said instructions comprising:
- first cell instructions for creating a first end cap display region and identifying a first graphic image for display in said first end cap display region;
second cell instructions for creating a second end cap display region and identifying a second graphic image for display in said second end cap display region;
third cell instructions for creating a text display region to be rendered between said first and second end cap display regions and having a character based textual link for display therein with a text background color;
fourth cell instructions for creating a first upper row display region of a first background color to be rendered between said first and second end cap display regions and above said text display region; and
fifth cell instructions for creating a first lower row display region of a second background color to be rendered between said first and second end cap display regions and below said text display region, wherein said display regions integrate said graphic images and said textual link into one unified visual display button on said display screen and wherein said first and second graphic images are displayed whether or not said display button is selected and wherein further said first, second, third, fourth and fifth cell instructions are of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format residing within a Web page definition, andwherein said cell instructions compose said display button with said first and second graphic images, said character based textual link, said first upper row display region and said first lower row display region at a time when said Web page definition is rendered.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A display button for a web page integrating both a graphic pictorial image with character based textual information (with link) into a single iconic button. By providing a graphic image within a display button, the present invention provides the advantages of a graphic icon, e.g., speed of location and user recognition as well as increased meaning. By providing a character based dynamic textual link, the present invention provides an iconic button whose information can be readily translated between various languages (e.g., Italian, English, French, German, etc.) without requiring the image to be redrawn using complex and time consuming means; e.g., using an artist and a drawing tool. Instead, translation can be accomplished using automatic word and/or phrase conversion. Preferably, the display button of the present invention is represented in a table structure within HTML. The table structure contains two end cells which display graphic images therein and in between them a slightly shorter text cell is inserted that can display character based text. Filling the height difference between the text cell and the end cells are thin horizontal row cells that are colored to mach the end cells. The background colors of all the cells are selected to create a visual image of a complete display button having both graphic images and textual information. The display button can be selected by a user to obtain further display information or to advance to another web page or another website (e.g., used as a link). Within the present invention, a subroutine structure can be created in a language called JavaScript that is useful in reducing the amount of program code required to generate multiple display buttons in a single web page.
135 Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a computer system having a processor coupled to bus, a memory coupled to said bus and a display screen, instructions stored in said memory for generating a display button on said display screen when executed by said processor, said instructions comprising:
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first cell instructions for creating a first end cap display region and identifying a first graphic image for display in said first end cap display region; second cell instructions for creating a second end cap display region and identifying a second graphic image for display in said second end cap display region; third cell instructions for creating a text display region to be rendered between said first and second end cap display regions and having a character based textual link for display therein with a text background color; fourth cell instructions for creating a first upper row display region of a first background color to be rendered between said first and second end cap display regions and above said text display region; and fifth cell instructions for creating a first lower row display region of a second background color to be rendered between said first and second end cap display regions and below said text display region, wherein said display regions integrate said graphic images and said textual link into one unified visual display button on said display screen and wherein said first and second graphic images are displayed whether or not said display button is selected and wherein further said first, second, third, fourth and fifth cell instructions are of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format residing within a Web page definition, and wherein said cell instructions compose said display button with said first and second graphic images, said character based textual link, said first upper row display region and said first lower row display region at a time when said Web page definition is rendered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13)
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7. In a computer system having a processor coupled to bus, a memory coupled to said bus and containing hypertext markup language (HTML) cell instructions and a display screen, a method of displaying a display button for a web page, said method comprising the steps of:
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from first cell instructions, rendering a first graphic image into a first end cap display region on said display screen; from second cell instructions, rendering a second graphic image into a second end cap display region on said display screen; from third cell instructions, rendering a character based textual link having a text background color within a text display region displayed between said first and second end cap display regions, said text background color matching one of said first and second graphic images, and wherein said first graphic image on said display screen supports, in meaning, said textual link of said text display region; from fourth cell instructions, rendering a first upper row display region having a first background color and displayed between said first and second end cap display regions and above said text display region; and from fifth cell instructions, rendering a first lower row display region having a second background color and displayed between said first and second end cap display regions and below said text display region, and wherein said display regions integrate said graphic images and said textual link into a unified visual display button displayed on said display screen and wherein said first and second graphic images are displayed whether or not said display button is selected and wherein further said first, second, third, fourth and fifth cell instructions are of HTML format residing within a Web page definition, and wherein said cell instructions compose said display button with said first and second graphic images, said character based textual link, said first upper row display region and said first lower row display region at a time when said Web page definition is rendered. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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14. A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus, a computer readable memory unit coupled to said bus and a display coupled to said bus, said computer readable memory unit containing instructions that when executed implement method of displaying a display button for a web page, said method comprising the steps of:
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from first cell instructions, rendering a first graphic image into a first end cap display region on said display screen; from second cell instructions, rendering a second graphic image into a second end cap display region on said display screen; from third cell instructions, rendering a character based textual link having a text background color within a text display region displayed between said first and second end cap display regions, said text background color matching one of said first and second graphic images, and wherein said first graphic image on said display screen supports, in meaning, said textual link of said text display region; from fourth cell instructions, rendering a first upper row display region having a first background color and displayed between said first and second end cap display regions and above said text display region; and from fifth cell instructions, rendering a first lower row display region having a second background color and displayed between said first and second end cap display regions and below said text display region, and wherein said display regions integrate said graphic images and said textual link into a unified visual display button displayed on said display screen and wherein said first and second graphic images are displayed whether or not said display button is selected and wherein further said first, second, third, fourth and fifth cell instructions are of HTML format residing within a Web page definition, and wherein said cell instructions compose said display button with said first and second graphic images, said character based textual link, said first upper row display region and said first lower row display region at a time when said Web page definition is rendered. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification