Intelligence Driven Icons and Cursors

• US 20090049401A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Landon C. G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method is presented for representing emergent data in intelligent icons. The intelligent icons are visually coded to represent the emergent data. When logically linked, the visual coding of linked intelligent icons changes in accordance with how the intelligent icons are linked.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the data bus; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for visually representing emergent information by performing the steps of;

creating emergent information from underlying data;

creating at least one intelligent icon from the emergent data, wherein the at least one intelligent icon is visually coded to represent the emergent data for one or more specific parties on a visual display;

displaying at least one intelligent icon on the visual display, wherein the at least one intelligent icon presents information needed by a user to react to the emergent information, and wherein the intelligent icon is a spider chart;

interlinking the underlying data and logic for multiple parties on the visual display by clicking different intelligent icons for each of the multiple parties, wherein the multiple parties comprise a specific retail store, a specific distribution center, and a specific transportation vehicle, and wherein the altering of the visual coding depicts an effectiveness of utilizing the specific distribution center and the specific transportation vehicle for providing a particular product to the specific retail store;

in response to the interlinking, altering a visual coding of intelligent icons associated with the multiple parties; and

reacting to the emergent information by initiating physical action that results in the emergent information being changed.

2. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the data bus; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for visually representing emergent information by performing the steps of;

creating emergent information from underlying data;

creating at least one intelligent icon from the emergent data, wherein the at least one intelligent icon is visually coded to represent the emergent data for one or more specific parties on a visual display; and

displaying at least one intelligent icon on the visual display, wherein the at least one intelligent icon presents information needed by a user to react to the emergent information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are further configured for:

interlinking the underlying data and logic for multiple parties on the visual display by clicking different intelligent icons for each of the multiple parties;

in response to the interlinking, altering a visual coding of intelligent icons associated with the multiple parties; and

reacting to the emergent information by initiating physical action that results in the emergent information being changed.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the multiple parties comprise a friendly marine vessel and a hostile marine vessel, and wherein the altering of the visual coding represents a likelihood that the friendly marine vessel is capable of interdicting the hostile marine vessel.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the multiple parties comprise a specific retail store, a specific distribution center, and a specific transportation vehicle, and wherein the altering of the visual coding depicts an effectiveness of utilizing the specific distribution center and the specific transportation vehicle for providing a particular product to the specific retail store.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the intelligent icon is a spider chart.

7. A computer-readable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for visually representing emergent information by performing the steps of:

creating emergent information from underlying data;

creating at least one intelligent icon from the emergent data, wherein the at least one intelligent icon is visually coded to represent the emergent data for one or more specific parties on a visual display; and

displaying at least one intelligent icon on the visual display, wherein the at least one intelligent icon presents information needed by a user to react to the emergent information.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions are further configured for:

interlinking the underlying data and logic for multiple parties on the visual display by clicking different intelligent icons for each of the multiple parties;

in response to the interlinking, altering a visual coding of intelligent icons associated with the multiple parties; and

reacting to the emergent information by initiating physical action that results in the emergent information being changed.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the multiple parties comprise a friendly marine vessel and a hostile marine vessel, and wherein the altering of the visual coding represents a likelihood that the friendly marine vessel is capable of interdicting the hostile marine vessel.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the multiple parties comprise a specific retail store, a specific distribution center, and a specific transportation vehicle, and wherein the altering of the visual coding depicts an effectiveness of utilizing the specific distribution center and the specific transportation vehicle for providing a particular product to the specific retail store.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-usable medium is a component of a remote server, and wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a local computer from the remote server.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer executable instructions are capable of being provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.