System and method for changing the characteristics of a button by direct manipulation
US5914714A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 1, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jun 22, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 1, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0486
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a computer employing a graphical user interface (GUI), a web browser displays a drop down menu bar, an address bar, and a links bar. Each button on the links bar has a customizable title and an associated URL. When the user clicks on a button, the browser is pointed directly to the URL associated with the button. The user may alter the title and URL associated with each button by dragging a GUI link element (e.g., a graphic or text representing a hypertext link) onto the links bar button. The browser determines the characteristics associated with the dropped GUI element and replaces the button's characteristics with those of the dropped object. This allows the characteristics of the button to be altered by direct on-screen manipulation of the affected GUI object, instead of requiring use of a separate dialog box or other interface.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.