Dynamic graphic user interface

• US 20050270307A1
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Listen.com, Inc. (RealNetworks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacques Brouaux, Alexandre Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• 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 Graphical User Interface or “GUI” for use with a computer operating systems that operates dynamically according to the user'"'"'s preferences. Each element of the GUI is surrounded by a dynamic edge which allows the user to combine two or more elements together to create a visually coherent unit in real time. Users can merge or fuse together two or more edges together thus creating a combined group that has aspects and qualities from the constituent elements. Particular colors and color combinations can be created by the user along with user selected shapes and sizes of individual elements selected from a library of element shapes and sizes. The grouped elements can then be separated back to the individual elements for use in different applications or other groupings as later desired by the user.

Claims

1. A method utilizing a graphical user interface in a computer system, comprising:

providing an application program having a graphical user interface with a plurality of elements, each of said elements being associated with a set of commands one or elements being movable within the graphical user interface; and

changing the shape of at least one of said elements when two or more said elements are in close proximity.

2. A method, comprising:

determining in a computer system when two or more elements of a graphical user interface of an application program are in close proximity, the graphical user interface having a plurality of elements, each of said elements having an edge and being associated with a set of commands; and

fusing in a computer system the edge of two or more said elements together when said two or more elements are in close proximity.

3. A method utilizing a graphical user interface in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

executing an application program with a graphical user interface comprising a plurality of elements, each of said elements being associated with a graphical representation and a set of commands; and

changing the graphical representation of one or more of the said elements when two or more of said elements are in close proximity.