Single submission buttons

• US 7,310,783 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pagan, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US10/842,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 715/840, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/837, 715/780, 715/802, 715/811, 715/821, 715/813, 715/825
• US Class Current: 715/840
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method and mechanism for enforcing a one-submission-only policy for a graphical button is provided. The method provides a button object defined to be enabled for only one submission action upon the button object. When a first submission action upon the button object is detected, the action associated with the button object is executed. When another submission action upon the button object is detected, the other submission action is discarded without executing the associated action. Subsequent submission actions are similarly ignored until the button object is re-instantiated to restore its functionality. In this manner, the one-submission-only behavior is embedded into the button object itself, without reliance on external mechanisms.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for enforcing a one-click-only policy for a graphical button object that is displayable on a computer screen, the one-click-only policy preventing a user from inadvertently activating a pre-determined action associated with the graphical button object more than one time, the computer program comprising computer executable code for:

displaying the graphical button object on a computer screen, the graphical button object having been previously instantiated from a button class, the button class embedding the one-click-only policy within the graphical button object so that a JavaScript external to the graphical button object is not required to enforce the one-click-only policy for the graphical object;

responsive to receiving user input clicking on the graphical button object displayed on the computer screen for a first time, activating the pre-determined action associated with the graphical button object; and

responsive to receiving user input clicking on the graphical button object displayed on the computer screen for a second time subsequent to the first time, not activating the pre-defined action associated with the graphical button object in accordance the one-click only policy embedded in the graphical button object.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the graphical button object is displayed on the computer screen within a web page; and

the computer program further comprises computer executable code for discarding the graphical button object and re-instantiating a second graphical button object responsive to the web page being reloaded, wherein a pre-determined action associated with the second graphical button object is activatable responsive to user input clicking on the second graphical button object for a first time.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the pre-determined action associated with the graphical button object or the second graphical button object includes one of payment of a bill through the web page, ordering of merchandise through the web page, or submission of information through the web page.

4. A computer-implemented method for enforcing a one-click-only policy for a graphical button object that is displayable on a computer screen, the one-click-only policy preventing a user from inadvertently activating a pre-determined action associated with the graphical button object more than one time, the method comprising:

displaying the graphical button object on a computer screen, the graphical button object having been previously instantiated from a button class, the button class embedding the one-click-only policy within the graphical button object so that a JavaScript external to the graphical button object is not required to enforce the one-click-only policy for the graphical object;

responsive to receiving user input clicking on the graphical button object displayed on the computer screen for a first time, activating the pre-determined action associated with the graphical button object; and

responsive to receiving user input clicking on the graphical button object displayed on the computer screen for a second time subsequent to the first time, not activating the pre-determined action associated with the graphical button object in accordance with the one-click-only policy embedded in the graphical button object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the graphical button object is displayed on the computer screen within a web page; and

the method further comprises discarding the graphical button object and re-instantiating a second graphical button object responsive to the web page being reloaded, wherein a pre-determined action associated with the second graphical button object is activatable responsive to user input clicking on the second graphical button object for a first time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pre-determined action associated with the graphical button object or the second graphical button object includes one of payment of a bill through the web page, ordering of merchandise through the web page, or submission of information through the web page.