Method, system, and computer program product for user customization of menu items

• US 7,328,409 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Herman, Awada, Faisal M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/418,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 715/779, 715/810, 715/843, 715/781, 715/821, 715/840, 715/765, 715762-763
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product is disclosed that enables a user to customize selection elements of a GUI. For example, menu entries in a GUI can be customized so that the user can specify the font, the language, character sets, color, and other attributes of the text of one menu item (or less than all menu items); to have the ability to selectively activate multimedia options associated with selected menu items (e.g., to play a sound whenever the cursor/pointer passes over a particular menu item); and/or to assign an animation sequence that is unique to selected menu items. The menu item properties are defined by the user, using, for example, a dialog box that allows specification of the attributes. When the application is installed, a default set of menu item properties is defined by the software manufacturer, which can be further customized by the user.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a GUI display, said GUI display including one or more types of selection elements, each of said of selection elements types having customizable attributes, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one of said selection elements;

modifying at least one of said customizable attributes of said at least one selected selection elements, said customizable attributes including both visual and non-visual attributes; and

whereby said modification of said at least one customizable elements modifies the customizable attributes only of said selected selection elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said types of selection element includes menu items, said modifying step comprising at least the steps of:

selecting one or more languages for text in said menu items to be displayed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying step further comprises at least the step of:

selecting one or more character sets for text in said menu items to be displayed.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying step further comprises at least the step of:

selecting one or more font sizes for text in said menu items to be displayed.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying step further comprises at least the step of:

selecting one or more font attributes for text in said menu items to be displayed.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said modifying step further comprises at least the step of:

selecting one or more sounds associated with text in said menu items to be displayed.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said types of selection element further includes icons, said modifying step comprising at least the step of:

selecting of one or more languages for text in said icon to be displayed.