Software interface
First Claim
1. A software control method comprising:
- Operationally associating a different graphical user interface (GUI) object with each of a plurality of functions of a software application, the plurality of functions being subdivided into a plurality of groups including a first group and a second group, each comprising at least two of the functions, and each one of the GUI objects comprising a first characteristic associating said one of the GUI objects with a one of the plurality of groups comprising the function associated with said one of the GUI objects, said first characteristic being common to each of the GUI objects in a same one of the plurality of groups, and, for each GUI object in the same one of the groups, a second characteristic that is different for each of the functions in the second group to distinguish the function associated with said one of the GUI objects from functions associated with other GUI objects in the same one of the groups, and each of the first and second characteristics of each GUI object being distinguishable by a user upon presentation of each GUI object;
presenting ones of the GUI objects to a user as an interface enabling control of the software application; and
wherein the first and second characteristics are non-spatial characteristics, functions in the first group have a first operationally related purpose, and functions in the second group have a second operationally related purpose different from said first related purpose.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A software control method includes forming groups of software application functions. A different characteristic is associated with each of the groups, and a different graphical user interface (GUI) object is formed for each function in each of the groups. Each GUI object includes the characteristic associated with its function'"'"'s group and a second characteristic that distinguishes its function from other functions within its function'"'"'s group. A computer program residing on a computer-readable medium includes instructions for causing a computer to form a different graphical user interface (GUI) object for each of a collection of software functions. Each GUI object may include a first visual characteristic that identifies a first characteristic of the object'"'"'s associated function, and a second visual characteristic that identifies a second characteristic of the object'"'"'s associated function.
138 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A software control method comprising:
Operationally associating a different graphical user interface (GUI) object with each of a plurality of functions of a software application, the plurality of functions being subdivided into a plurality of groups including a first group and a second group, each comprising at least two of the functions, and each one of the GUI objects comprising a first characteristic associating said one of the GUI objects with a one of the plurality of groups comprising the function associated with said one of the GUI objects, said first characteristic being common to each of the GUI objects in a same one of the plurality of groups, and, for each GUI object in the same one of the groups, a second characteristic that is different for each of the functions in the second group to distinguish the function associated with said one of the GUI objects from functions associated with other GUI objects in the same one of the groups, and each of the first and second characteristics of each GUI object being distinguishable by a user upon presentation of each GUI object;
presenting ones of the GUI objects to a user as an interface enabling control of the software application; and
wherein the first and second characteristics are non-spatial characteristics, functions in the first group have a first operationally related purpose, and functions in the second group have a second operationally related purpose different from said first related purpose.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An application control method comprising:
Operationally associating a different graphical user interface (GUI) object with each of a plurality of functions of a software application, the plurality of functions being subdivided into a plurality of groups including a first group and a second group, each comprising at least two of the functions, and each one of the GUI objects comprising a first characteristic associating said one of the GUI objects with a one of the plurality of groups comprising the function associated with said one of the GUI objects, said first characteristic being common to each of the GUI objects in a same one of the plurality of groups, and, for each GUI object in the same one of the groups a second characteristic that is different for each of the functions in the second group to distinguish the function associated with said one of the GUI objects from functions associated with other GUI objects in the same one of the groups, and each of the first and second characteristics of each GUI object being distinguishable by a user upon presentation of each GUI object;
Presenting ones of the GUI objects to a user as an interface enabling control of the software application; and
wherein the first and second characteristics are non-spatial characteristics, functions in the first group have a first operationally related purpose and functions in the second group have a second operationally related Purpose different from said first related purpose.- View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A computer program residing on a computer-readable medium, comprising instruction for causing a computer to:
operationally associating a different graphical user interface (GUI) object with each of a plurality of functions of a software application, the plurality of functions being subdivided into a plurality of groups including a first group and a second group, each comprising at least two of the functions, and each one of the GUI objects comprising a first characteristic associating said one of the GUI objects with a one of the plurality of groups comprising the function associated with said one of the GUI objects, said first characteristic being common to each of the GUI objects in a same one of the plurality of groups, and, for each GUI object in the same one of the groups, and a second characteristic that is different for each of the functions in the second group to distinguish the function associated with said one of the GUI objects from functions associated with other GUI objects in the same one of the groups, and each of the first and second characteristics of each GUI object being distinguishable by a user upon presentation of each GUI object; and
presenting ones of the GUI objects to a user as an interface enabling control of the software application; and
wherein the first and second characteristics are non-spatial characteristics, functions in the first group have a first operationally related, purpose, and functions in the second group have a second operationally related purpose different from said first related purpose.- View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer system having a processor operatively interconnected to a memory, a graphical display device, and a user input device, a graphical user interface comprising:
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a plurality of different graphical user interface (GUI) objects that can be rendered to the graphical display device, each GUI object being user-selectable to access one of a plurality of functions of a computer program, the plurality of functions being subdivided into a plurality of groups including a first group and a second group, each comprising at least two of the functions and each one of the GUI objects comprising a first characteristic associating said one of the GUI objects with one of the plurality of groups comprising the function associated with said one of the GUI objects, said first characteristic being common to each of the GUI objects in a same one of the plurality of groups, and a second characteristic that is different for each of the functions in the second group to distinguish the function associated with other GUI object from functions associated with other GUI objects in the same one of the groups, and each of first and second characteristics of each GUI object being distinguishable by a user upon presentation of each GUI object; and
presenting ones of the GUI objects to a user as an interface enabling control of the computer program; and
whereinthe first and second characteristics are non-spatial characteristics, functions in the first group have a first operationally related purpose, and functions in the second group have a second operationally related purpose different from said first related purpose. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A software control method comprising:
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forming a plurality of groups including a first group and second a group each comprising a plurality of functions of a software application;
associating a first visual characteristic with each of the groups, said first visual characteristic being different for each group and said first visual characteristic signifying a functional attribute common to the plurality of software functions in the group;
for each of the groups, associating a second visual characteristic with each of the plurality of functions in said group, the second visual characteristic being different for each function within the group and said second visual characteristic distinguishing each function in the group; and
operationally associating a different graphical user interface (GUI) object with each function in each of the groups, each GUI object comprising the first visual characteristic associated said function with the group comprising said function and the second visual characteristic distinguishing said function within the group comprising said function; and
whereinthe first and second characteristics are non-spatial characteristics, functions in the first group have a first operationally related purpose, and functions in the second group have a second operationally related purpose different from said first related purpose.
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Specification