Dynamic desktop icon

• US 7,603,629 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leon, Thomas G., Caldwell, John, Marr, Thomas, Franklin, Jay K., Crosswhite, Richard N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thanh T
• Application Number:
  US11/616,670
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 715/772, 715/775, 715/778, 715/779
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A first desktop icon is displayed on a computer desktop. The icon is configured to enable execution of a first application. Based on an evaluation of business rules, the first icon is changed to a second icon. The second icon is configured to execute a second application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, in a visible region of a computer desktop that is displayed by a computer system, a first desktop icon that is configured to enable execution of a first application;

detecting one or more conditions related to the computer system, wherein the conditions do not include user interaction with the first desktop icon;

accessing a set of business rules;

applying the accessed set of business rules to the detected conditions to determine whether to change the first desktop icon to a second desktop icon that is configured to execute a second application; and

in response to the application of the business rules resulting in a determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon, removing the first desktop icon from the visible region of the computer desktop and displaying the second desktop icon in the visible region in place of the first desktop icon that has been removed from the visible region, wherein the second desktop icon was not displayed on the computer desktop prior to the determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the first desktop icon includes displaying the first desktop icon on an original equipment manufacturer computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first application includes a browser configured to automatically load a resource located at a first uniform resource locator and the second application includes the browser configured to automatically load a resource located at a second uniform resource locator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first icon launches a different program than the second icon.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting one or more conditions related to the computer system includes detecting a type of Internet connection.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting one or more conditions related to the computer system includes detecting an amount of time that has passed since the computer system was first booted by a consumer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising animating the first desktop icon.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein animating the first desktop icon comprises displaying a commercial upon detecting a triggering event.

9. The method of claim 1 removing the first desktop icon from the visible region of the computer desktop and displaying the second desktop icon in the visible region in place of the first desktop icon that has been removed from the visible region, wherein the second desktop icon was not displayed on the computer desktop prior to the determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon includes changing a text description or bitmap associated with the first desktop icon to a text description or bitmap associated with the second desktop icon.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting one or more conditions related to the computer system includes detecting an amount of time that has passed since the first desktop icon was first displayed.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting one or more conditions related to the computer system includes detecting a number of times the user has logged into the computer system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting one or more conditions related to the computer system includes detecting an elapsed time since a user logged into the computer system.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a commercial related to the first desktop icon upon detecting a triggering event.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the first desktop icon is displayed at a first location on the computer desktop.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the second desktop icon is displayed at the first location on the computer desktop.

16. A computer-usable medium having a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer system to perform the following operations:

display, in a visible region of a computer desktop that is displayed by a computer system, a first desktop icon that is configured to enable execution of a first application;

detect one or more conditions related to the computer system, wherein the conditions do not include user interaction with the first desktop icon;

access a set of business rules;

apply the accessed set of business rules to the detected conditions to determine whether to change the first desktop icon to a second desktop icon that is configured to execute a second application; and

in response to the application of the business rules resulting in a determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon, remove the first desktop icon from the visible region of the computer desktop and display the second desktop icon in the visible region in place of the first desktop icon that has been removed from the visible region, wherein the second desktop icon was not displayed on the computer desktop prior to the determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon.

17. The medium of claim 16 wherein, the computer is an original equipment manufacturer computer system.

18. The medium of claim 16 wherein, to detect one or more conditions related to the computer system, the program comprises instructions for causing the computer system to detect an amount of time that has passed since the computer system was first booted by a consumer.

19. The medium of claim 16 wherein the computer program further comprises instructions for causing the computer system to animate the first desktop icon.

20. The medium of claim 19 wherein the computer program further comprises instructions causing the computer system to display a commercial related to the first desktop icon.

21. The medium of claim 16 wherein, to remove the first desktop icon from the visible region of the computer desktop and display the second desktop icon in the visible region in place of the first desktop icon that has been removed from the visible region, wherein the second desktop icon was not displayed on the computer desktop prior to the determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon, the program comprises instructions for causing the computer system to change a text description or bitmap associated with the first desktop icon to a text description or bitmap associated with the second desktop icon.

22. The medium of claim 21 wherein the computer program further comprises instructions causing the computer system to display a commercial related to the second desktop icon.

23. A system comprising:

means for displaying, in a visible region of a computer desktop that is displayed by a computer system, a first desktop icon that is configured to enable execution of a first application;

means for detecting one or more conditions related to the computer system, wherein the conditions do not include user interaction with the first desktop icon;

means for accessing a set of business rules;

means for applying the accessed set of business rules to the detected conditions to determine whether to change the first desktop icon to a second desktop icon that is configured to execute a second application; and

in response to the application of the business rules resulting in a determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon, means for removing the first desktop icon from the visible region of the computer desktop and displaying the second desktop icon in the visible region in place of the first desktop icon that has been removed from the visible region, wherein the second desktop icon was not displayed on the computer desktop prior to the determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the first icon launches a different program than the second icon.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein means for removing the first desktop icon from the visible region of the computer desktop and displaying the second desktop icon in the visible region in place of the first desktop icon that has been removed from the visible region, wherein the second desktop icon was not displayed on the computer desktop prior to the determination that the first desktop icon should be changed to the second desktop icon includes means for changing a text description or bitmap associated with the first desktop icon to a text description or bitmap associated with the second desktop icon.