Modeless interaction with GUI widget applications

Abstract

A user displayed interactive GUI widget (icon) provides two or more regions. A first region provides widget manipulation function for editing the widget, editing including moving or sizing functions. A second region provides widget interaction function for user interaction with the widget including interaction lists or interaction graphics. The regions may comprise one or more icon border regions and one or more icon internal regions.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] In many graphic interfaces there is a problem that arises in having two modes of interacting with widgets (or icons), on the screen of a user interface. A mode is a computer science term meaning the state of a program (or device). The term “mode” implies choice. One can choose to put the system in a mode by changing a setting. In this document, we use mode and state interchangeably. One mode is an edit mode where a user can modify the properties and visual characteristics of the icon. The second mode is one used for interacting with the icon so the user can manipulate virtual simulations or real devices through the interface. At times, the user wants to edit the icon and change the properties or behaviors of the icon. At other times, the user wants to interact with the icon and with the underlying application. The common solution is to allow the user to change between working modes (change states). By changing modes (switching to the first or secon...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] This invention utilizes the edge border to graphically enable 2 modes. This edge border can also enable other modes or other actions by including various buttons for these separate states or actions. For example, in windows, the upper right corner of the title bar includes 3 buttons by default—minimize, maximize, and close. Likewise, in the edge border we can include buttons for application dependent actions, such as delete or copy as well as icon locking (to disable the edit mode) or other buttons to switch modes like switching tabs in a tabbed widget. These additional modes can also be dynamically accessed by allowing the user to use modifier keys, instead of physical regions, to switch between modes. The region is not limited to the complete border around the icon but maybe dynamically configured so that only the edge of the icon that the mouse enters is temporarily activated as an editing region. In this way, the standard title bar functionality of a window would be available from any edge the user's cursor enters the window or widget. An alternative is to use the right mouse button to allow the user to execute an edit operation. In this variation, the user would click right and get a menu of relevant actions for the icon (move, resize, etc). In another embodiment, additional modes of input can be simultaneously used to access the different modes of interaction. For example, voice input could be used to indicate to the system when interaction versus editing operations should apply or control keys on the keyboard (control, alt, shift etc) or mouse button combinations could be used to access the different modes.

Problems solved by technology

In many graphic interfaces there is a problem that arises in having two modes of interacting with widgets (or icons), on the screen of a user interface.

One of the problems with modal interfaces is the added cognitive expense to the user to remember to switch between the modes to do the necessary tasks.

In addition, users forget which mode they are in, causing confusion and added frustration for the user.

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