Graphical action invocation method, and associated method, for a computer system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for graphically invoking an action to be performed upon at least two objects identified by a datatype, the datatype having an action menu associated therewith, the action menu including at least one action, said method comprising:
- selecting a first object;
in response thereto, generating an iconic representation representing the at least one action menu associated with the datatype of the first selected object;
selectively dragging and dropping the first object upon the iconic representation of the at least one action of the action menu;
selecting a second object having the same datatype of the first selected object, wherein the iconic presentation remains displayed;
selectively dragging and dropping the second selected object upon the iconic representation of the at least one action of the action menu; and
in response thereto, invoking performance of the at least one action upon the first selected object together with the second selected object, wherein the iconic representation remains displayed until at least such time as when the at least one action is carried out upon the selected first and second objects and a new object having a different datatype is selected.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus, and an associated method, provides iconic representations of actions available to be performed upon an object of a particular datatype. The iconic representations are displayed, for instance, as part of a toolbar on a computer display. A representation of an object upon which an action is to be performed is dragged-and-dropped upon the iconic representation of the selected action to invoke that action upon both the dropped object and the object of a particular datatype.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A method for graphically invoking an action to be performed upon at least two objects identified by a datatype, the datatype having an action menu associated therewith, the action menu including at least one action, said method comprising:
-
selecting a first object;
in response thereto, generating an iconic representation representing the at least one action menu associated with the datatype of the first selected object;
selectively dragging and dropping the first object upon the iconic representation of the at least one action of the action menu;
selecting a second object having the same datatype of the first selected object, wherein the iconic presentation remains displayed;
selectively dragging and dropping the second selected object upon the iconic representation of the at least one action of the action menu; and
in response thereto, invoking performance of the at least one action upon the first selected object together with the second selected object, wherein the iconic representation remains displayed until at least such time as when the at least one action is carried out upon the selected first and second objects and a new object having a different datatype is selected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
Specification