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

• US 8,316,316 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US12/163,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 715/772, 715705-712, 715762-763, 715/839, 715/968, 715/837, 715/817, 715/821, 715/846, 715/804, 715/802, 715/805, 715/851, 715853-855, 715/966, 715/768, 715/779
• 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 system and a computer program product 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. In a particular instance, the icon is displayed with each graphical object in a series of graphical objects that represent an evolution of progression of development.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer storage medium for use with a graphics display device, said non-transitory computer storage medium storing computer readable program code implementing a method for:

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

displaying said first icon with said first specified color scheme within said first graphical object;

progressively displaying a series of graphical objects diverse from, but related to said first graphical object, said one or more related graphical objects reflecting an evolution of progression of development of said first graphical object, and

wherein said first icon with said specified color scheme is displayed within each of said related graphical objects, and said first icon associated with an evolution of progression of development of said first graphical object being distinguishable from a second icon associated with an evolution of progression of development of a second graphical object.

2. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 1, wherein said related graphical objects reflecting said evolution of progression of development of said first graphical object collectively comprise a user assistance wizard.