METHODS FOR SHOWING USER INTERFACE ELEMENTS IN AN APPLICATION

• US 20100192097A1
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Molander, Mark E., Ortega, Kerry A., Brugler, Thomas Stanton, Eischeid, Todd Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/821
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving user input requesting display of information associated with user interface elements displayed on a page; analyzing the page for determining the information associated with the user interface elements; and outputting the information associated with a plurality of the user interface elements for concurrent display on the page with each other and with the user interface elements. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving user input requesting display of information associated with user interface elements displayed on a page;

analyzing the page for determining the information associated with the user interface elements; and

outputting the information associated with a plurality of the user interface elements for concurrent display on the page with each other and with the user interface elements.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface elements include links.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface elements include text or graphics that are not links.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user interface elements includes hover help information.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein only the information associated with the user interface elements that have some functionality is output.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the page is generated by at least one of a web application and an application program.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user interface elements is displayed in an immediate vicinity of the user interface elements associated therewith.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user interface elements is displayed in a list.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising detecting selection of one of the pieces of information, and initiating an action that occurs upon selecting the user interface element associated with the selected piece of information.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising detecting selection or a fly-over of one of the pieces of information, and emphasizing the user interface element associated with the piece of information.

11. A computer program product for outputting information associated with a plurality of user interface elements, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to receive user input requesting display of information associated with user interface elements displayed on a page;

computer usable program code configured to analyze the page for determining the information associated with the user interface elements; and

computer usable program code configured to output the information associated with a plurality of the user interface elements for concurrent display on the page with each other and with the user interface elements.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving user input requesting emphasis of user interface elements displayed on a page;

analyzing the page for determining the user interface elements; and

visually emphasizing at least some of the user interface elements displayed on the page.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein visually emphasizing the at least some of the user interface elements includes deemphasizing other portions of the page.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the user interface elements themselves and areas of the display immediately surrounding the elements are not changed.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein visually emphasizing at least some of the user interface elements includes at least one of changing the elements themselves and changing an area of the display immediately surrounding the elements.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising choosing the user interface elements to visually emphasize based on a frequency of user-selection of the user interface elements.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein only user interface elements that are most frequently used are visually emphasized.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein only user interface elements that are least frequently used are visually emphasized.

19. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein more frequently selected user interface elements are emphasized more than less frequently selected user interface elements.

20. A computer program product for outputting information associated with a plurality of user interface elements, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to receive user input requesting emphasis of user interface elements displayed on a page;

computer usable program code configured to analyze the page for determining the user interface elements; and

computer usable program code configured to visually emphasize at least some of the user interface elements displayed on the page.