Dynamic desktop icon

• US 8,671,356 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bright Sun Technologies, Series 42 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Inventors: Marr, Thomas, Caldwell, John, Leon, Thomas G., Crosswhite, Richard Neyland, Franklin, Jay Kirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US12/569,391
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 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 desktop icon that is configured to enable execution of an application;

changing the desktop icon to another desktop icon configured to enable execution of another application, the changing based on a condition other than user interaction with the desktop icon, wherein the other desktop icon was not displayed prior to the change;

detecting one or more trigger events related to the desktop icon or to the other desktop icon; and

in response to the detection of the one or more trigger events, displaying a window on the desktop and, within the window, displaying a promotional video or promotional animation associated with the desktop icon related to the one or more trigger events, wherein the window was not displayed on the computer desktop prior to the detection of the one or more trigger events.

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

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

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting one or more trigger events related to the desktop icon includes detecting an amount of time that has passed since the desktop icon was first displayed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting one or more trigger events related to the desktop icon includes detecting that an input device of the computer system has selected the desktop icon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting one or more trigger events related to the desktop icon includes detecting that a marker associated with an input device of the computer system has overlapped the desktop icon, without selecting the desktop icon, for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the window includes displaying the promotional video with a link that is selectable to launch a specified target application.

8. A non-transitory 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 desktop icon that is configured to enable execution of an application;

change the desktop icon to another desktop icon configured to enable execution of another application, the change based on a condition other than user interaction with the desktop icon, wherein the other desktop icon was not displayed prior to the change;

detect one or more trigger events related to the desktop icon or to the other desktop icon; and

in response to the detection of the one or more trigger events, display a window on the desktop and, within the window, displaying a promotional video or promotional animation associated with the desktop icon relating to the one or more trigger events, wherein the window was not displayed on the computer desktop prior to the detection of the one or more trigger events.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for causing the computer system to display the desktop icon include instructions for causing the computer system to display the desktop icon on an original equipment manufacturer computer system.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the application includes a browser configured to automatically load a resource located at a uniform resource locator.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for causing the computer system to detect one or more trigger events related to the desktop icon include instructions for causing the computer system to detect an amount of time that has passed since the desktop icon was first displayed.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for causing the computer system to detect one or more trigger events related to the desktop icon includes instructions for causing the computer system to detect that an input device of the computer system has selected the desktop icon.

13. The medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for causing the computer system to detect one or more trigger events related to the desktop icon includes instructions for causing the computer system to detect that a marker associated with an input device of the computer system has overlapped the desktop icon, without selecting the desktop icon, for a predetermined amount of time.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions for causing the computer system to display the window includes instructions for causing the computer system to display a link in the window that will launch a specified target application.