Apparatus and method for dynamically building a context sensitive composite icon
First Claim
1. A method, in a data processing system, for dynamically building a context sensitive composite icon for representing a data object in a graphical user interface, comprising:
- identifying a base icon data structure for a data object;
identifying one or more icon addition data structures based on a context of the data object, wherein one or more context rules are associated with the context of the data object and wherein the context rules are used to identify the one or more icon addition data structures based on the context of the data object;
adding the one or more icon addition data structures to the base icon data structure to thereby generate a composite icon data structure comprised of the base icon data structure and the one or more icon addition data structures;
graphically representing the composite icon data structure in the graphical user interface on a display of the data processing system;
determining if there is a conflict between two or more icon addition data structures of the one or more icon addition data structures; and
resolving the conflict based on priorities assigned to the two or more icon addition data structures.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for dynamically building a context sensitive composite icon are provided. A base icon is used to represent a particular object in a graphical user interface. This base icon has addition points where icon additions may be attached to the base icon, such as through an icon overlay process. By adding icon additions at the addition points of the base icon, a composite icon is generated and then registered with the graphical user interface. The icon additions that are used to generate the composite icon are selected based on a particular context in which the object associated with the base icon is being used. The use of icon additions with the base icon is determined dynamically as the context of the corresponding object changes. In this way, the same base icon may be used to represent a particular object with additions to the base icon being used to provide additional information that is important to the current context of the corresponding object.
58 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method, in a data processing system, for dynamically building a context sensitive composite icon for representing a data object in a graphical user interface, comprising:
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identifying a base icon data structure for a data object; identifying one or more icon addition data structures based on a context of the data object, wherein one or more context rules are associated with the context of the data object and wherein the context rules are used to identify the one or more icon addition data structures based on the context of the data object; adding the one or more icon addition data structures to the base icon data structure to thereby generate a composite icon data structure comprised of the base icon data structure and the one or more icon addition data structures; graphically representing the composite icon data structure in the graphical user interface on a display of the data processing system; determining if there is a conflict between two or more icon addition data structures of the one or more icon addition data structures; and resolving the conflict based on priorities assigned to the two or more icon addition data structures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer program product in a computer readable recordable medium for dynamically building a context sensitive composite icon for representing a data object in a graphical user interface, comprising:
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first instructions for identifying a base icon data structure for a data object; second instructions for identifying one or more icon addition data structures based on a context of the data object, wherein one or more context rules are associated with the context of the data object and wherein the context rules are used to identify the one or more icon addition data structures based on the context of the data object; third instructions for adding the one or more icon addition data structures to the base icon data structure to thereby generate a composite icon data structure comprised of the base icon data structure and the one or more icon addition data structures; fourth instructions for graphically representing the composite icon data structure in the graphical user interface on a display of the data processing system; fifth instructions for determining if there is a conflict between two or more icon addition data structures of the one or more icon addition data structures; and sixth instructions for resolving the conflict based on priorities assigned to the two or more icon addition data structures. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for dynamically building a context sensitive composite icon for representing a data object in a graphical user interface, comprising:
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means for identifying a base icon data structure for a data object; means for identifying one or more icon addition data structures based on a context of the data object, wherein one or more context rules are associated with the context of the data object and wherein the context rules are used to identify the one or more icon addition data structures based on the context of the data object; means for adding the one or more icon addition data structures to the base icon data structure to thereby generate a composite icon data structure comprised of the base icon data structure and the one or more icon addition data structures; means for graphically representing the composite icon data structure in the graphical user interface on a display of the data processing system; means for determining if there is a conflict between two or more icon addition data structures of the one or more icon addition data structures; and means for resolving the conflict based on priorities assigned to the two or more icon addition data structures.
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Specification