US5801699A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Icon aggregation on a graphical user interface
Assignee: Intermec IP Corp
•
Filing: 1996-01-26
•
Granted: 1998-09-01
•
Expires: 2016-01-26
Abstract
Abstract Using a graphical user interface (GUI), users manipulate, organize, classify, and/or arrange icons by having the icons bind (stick) to one another and be moved as aggregates. Icons sticky sites may be on icons, windows, or other graphical objects. For example, when an icon with a sticky site is dragged close to another icon with a sticky site, the icons bind together and are subsequently moved as one graphical unit. In some embodiments, a visual indication or binding is given. The icons may be unbound by pointing to an unbinder icon, or using a button sequence on the mouse of keyboard.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael David Hocker
- 👤 Neal Martin Keller
- 👤 James Gordon McLean
- 👤 Clifford Alan Pickover
- 👤 Daniel James Winarski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 16:48
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T5/00; G06T5/50; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06F3/04817; G06F3/0484; G06F3/0486
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
A computer system with a computer memory and a central processing unit, comprising: a graphical user interface; two or more graphical objects displayed on the graphical user interface, two or more of the graphical objects being sticky objects having bonding sites, two or more of the sticky objects bound together to form a cluster when the sticky objects come within a threshold distance one another of on the graphical user interface, and the sticky objects in the cluster moving together as a single graphical object.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
85 words
A computer system with a computer memory and a central processing unit, comprising: a graphical user interface; two or more graphical objects displayed on the graphical user interface, two or more of the graphical objects being sticky objects having bonding sites, two or more of the sticky objects bound together to form a cluster when the sticky objects come within a threshold distance one another of on the graphical user interface, and the sticky objects in the cluster moving together as a single graphical object.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where the graphical objects include any one or more of: icons, windows, root windows, and virtual reality objects.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where there is a visual change on the graphical user interface to indicate that two or more sticky objects are bound together.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where the cluster is in any one of the following shapes: a block, an edge, a zig-zag, and a bounding region.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where the bonding is initiated by a user input.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where the bonding requires a user password.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where the graphical objects in the cluster have one or more common characteristics.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where the graphical objects in the cluster have one or more relationships.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where one or more of the bonding sites are in an interior part of the graphical object.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where one or more of the graphical objects becomes unbonded.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A computer system, as in claim 10, where one or more of the graphical objects becomes unbonded by a user input.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
84 words
A computer system, where the computer memory and a central processing unit, comprising: a graphical user interface; two or more graphical objects for being displayed on the graphical user interface, two or more of the graphical objects being sticky objects having bonding sites; and a cluster binding together two or more sticky objects when the sticky objects come within a threshold distance of one another of the graphical user interface, and the sticky objects in the cluster moving together as a single graphical object.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
84 words
A computer system, where the computer memory and a central processing unit, comprising: a graphical user interface; two or more graphical objects for being displayed on the graphical user interface, two or more of the graphical objects being sticky objects having bonding sites; and a cluster binding together two or more sticky objects when the sticky objects come within a threshold distance of one another of the graphical user interface, and the sticky objects in the cluster moving together as a single graphical object.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of organizing two or more graphical objects on a computer graphical user interface, comprising the steps of: selecting one or more of the graphical objects to be a selected graphical object; moving the selected graphical object to a new location; determining that the new location is within a threshold distance of a second graphical object; and visually indicating the binding of the selected graphical object to the second graphical object to form an object cluster when the selected graphical object is within the threshold distance.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of organizing two or more graphical objects on a computer graphical user interface, comprising the steps of: selecting one or more of the graphical objects to be a selected graphical object; moving the selected graphical object to a new location; determining that the new location is within a threshold distance of a second graphical object; and visually indicating the binding of the selected graphical object to the second graphical object to form an object cluster when the selected graphical object is within the threshold distance.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
A computer system, as in claim 1, where a subset of the graphical objects being one or more of the sticky objects are placed by one or more naked sticky sites, the naked sticky sites being not associated with any graphical object on the display.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5421015A
Cited
US5550969A
Cited
US5404439A
Cited
US5544295A
Cited
US5442746A
Cited
US5598557A
Cited
US5535403A
Cited
US5564004A
Cited
US5570281A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-08-31 | 2002-03-02 | 2002-09-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-08-31 | 2006-03-02 | 2006-09-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-08-31 | 2010-03-02 | 2010-09-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |