Color and symbol coded visual cues for relating screen items to each other

• US 8,219,924 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Christensen, Catherine, Gonzalez, Ricardo L., Hamilton, David Brooks, Wickham, Daina Edvina Pupons, Medl, Robert Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/931,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 715/772, 715/775, 715/781, 715/810, 715/835, 715/837, 715/849, 715/779, 715/803, 715/805, 715/817
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

Described is a method for visually delineating a relationship between diverse, but related graphical objects in a graphical user interface. An icon that has specified color scheme is associated with the diverse, but related but graphical objects. When one of the related graphical objects is displayed, the icon is displayed within the displayed graphical object. The persistence of the icon with the specified color scheme in the displayed graphical objects allows them to be recognized as related.

Claims

1. A computer-based method of visually delineating a relationship between related graphical objects in a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

associating an icon with each of at least two diverse, but related graphical objects/sub-objects, said icon having an associated color scheme, said icon and said color scheme unique to said related graphical objects/sub-objects;

displaying said related graphical objects/sub-objects, wherein said related objects/sub-objects are displayed with said associated icon with associated color scheme, said icon with associated color scheme being displayed within each of said related graphical objects/sub-objects;

wherein said displayed related graphical objects/sub-objects are recognizable as related by the persistence of said associated icon with said associated color scheme across each of said graphical objects/sub-objects.

2. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein said icon is displayed within a visible portion of said displayed graphical objects/sub-objects.

3. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein said objects/sub-objects are a series of graphical templates, and said persistence of said associated icon with said associated color scheme provides user assistance when traversing through said series of graphical templates.

4. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein said related graphical objects comprise any of:

graphical windows, toolbars, rulers, wizards, titlebars, tables and icons.

5. A computer-based method of delineating a relationship between related graphical objects, said method comprising:

associating an icon with at a first graphical object, said icon having an associated color scheme;

displaying said first graphical object with said icon having said associated color scheme, said icon being displayed within said first graphical object;

associating said icon having said color scheme with at a second graphical object that is diverse from, but related to, said first graphical object;

displaying said second related graphical object with said icon having said associated color scheme, said icon being displayed within said second related graphical object;

said second object being recognizable as related to said first object by persistence of said icon having said associated color scheme across said first graphical object and said related second graphical object.

6. The computer-based method of claim 5, wherein said first and second objects are located within a single graphical user interface.

7. The computer-based method of claim 5, wherein said first and second objects are associated with a series of graphical templates, and said persistence of said icon having said associated color scheme provides user assistance when traversing through said series of graphical templates.

8. The computer-based method of claim 5, wherein said first and second objects comprise any of:

graphical windows, toolbars, rulers, wizards, title bars, tables and icons.

9. A computer-based method of visually delineating lineage between related graphical objects comprising:

creating a graphical symbol, said graphic symbol having a specified pattern, and associating it with at least a first graphical object;

designating one or more color attributes for said graphic symbol;

displaying one or more related graphical objects;

retaining said created graphic symbol, its specified pattern and color attributes within said one or more displayed related graphical objects, and

wherein said one or more objects are recognizable as related to said first objects by the persistence of said specified graphic symbol pattern and designated colors.

10. The computer-based method of claim 9, wherein said created graphic symbol, its specified pattern and color attributes is retained within a visible portion of one or more related objects.

11. The computer-based method of claim 9, wherein said graphic symbol and persistence of color between said first and second objects provides user assistance when traversing a series of graphical templates.

12. The computer-based method of claim 9, wherein said group of related objects comprise any of:

graphical windows, toolbars, rulers, wizards, title bars, tables and icons.

13. A computer-based method of delineating lineage between a first object and a related object comprising:

creating an icon representing a first object;

designating at least a color scheme for said icon;

creating a second object related to said first object;

retaining said icon and color scheme of said first object within a visible area of said second related object, and

wherein said second object is recognizable as related to said first object by the persistence of said icon and color scheme.

14. The computer-based method of delineating lineage between a first object and a related object as per claim 13, wherein said first and second objects are located within a graphical user interface.

15. The computer-based method of delineating lineage between a first object and a related object as per claim 13, wherein the persistence of said icon and color scheme between said first and second objects provides user assistance when traversing a series of graphical templates.

16. The computer-based method of delineating lineage between a first object and a related object as per claim 13, wherein said related objects comprise any of:

graphical windows, toolbars, rulers, wizards, title bars, tables and icons.