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US5907326A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

System and method for updating cultural profiles with dragging and dropping locale objects

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1997-03-10
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Granted: 1999-05-25
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Expires: 2017-03-10
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention is directed to a system and method of changing a cultural profile of a program, or application, while the program is executing in an information handling system. The system and method of the present invention enable programs to be globalized/localized to support many different countries and cultures. A user may dynamically change a program's cultural profile to a different cultural profile without having to reboot the system. The profile change may be accomplished through the use of a drag and drop interface. Different aspects, or windows, within a program may utilize different cultural profiles, and a cultural profile change to one aspect, or window, of the program does not affect the other aspects of the program. The present invention allows programs to be customized to support any culture or combination of cultures. This is accomplished through the use of a drag and drop interface, where cultural profiles, referred to as locale objects, are dropped onto windows within a program. When a locale object is dropped on a window, a message is sent to the window, and the window then updates its cultural profile information accordingly.

Inventors

  • 👤 Steven Edward Atkin
  • 👤 Kenneth Wayne Borgendale
  • 👤 John D. Howard

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 23:06
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/451; G06F9/454

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim 80 words
An information handling system, comprising: one or more processors; storage means; input/output means; display means; one or more images of an operating system for controlling operation of said processors; means for executing one or more programs, wherein each program comprises one or more windows; and means for changing a cultural profile of a selected window, wherein said means for changing includes means for dragging and dropping a locale change object on a graphical user interface representation of the selected window.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 80 words
An information handling system, comprising: one or more processors; storage means; input/output means; display means; one or more images of an operating system for controlling operation of said processors; means for executing one or more programs, wherein each program comprises one or more windows; and means for changing a cultural profile of a selected window, wherein said means for changing includes means for dragging and dropping a locale change object on a graphical user interface representation of the selected window.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
An information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said means for changing further comprises means for changing an interaction cultural profile for the window.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
An information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said means for changing further comprises means for changing a data cultural profile for the window.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
An information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said means for changing comprises means for invoking a locale change daemon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 57 words
An information handling system according to claim 1, wherein said means for changing comprises: means for dragging and dropping a locale change object on a selected window; means for sending a message to the program containing the window on which the locale change object was dropped; and means for invoking a registered procedure to handle the message.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
An information handling system according to claim 5, wherein said means for invoking a registered procedure comprises means for ignoring the message.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
An information handling system according to claim 5, wherein said means for invoking a registered procedure comprises means for sending the message to a parent window.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
An information handling system according to claim 5, wherein said means for invoking a registered procedure comprises means for obtaining data regarding the locale object.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 37 words
An information handling system according to claim 8, wherein said means for obtaining data comprises means for invoking an application programming interface to obtain a pointer to a memory area containing the data regarding the locale object.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 59 words
A method of globalizing an information handling system, comprising the steps of: executing one or more programs, wherein each program comprises one or more windows; and changing a cultural profile of a selected window, wherein said changing step includes the step of dragging and dropping a locale change object on a graphical user interface representation of the selected window.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 59 words
A method of globalizing an information handling system, comprising the steps of: executing one or more programs, wherein each program comprises one or more windows; and changing a cultural profile of a selected window, wherein said changing step includes the step of dragging and dropping a locale change object on a graphical user interface representation of the selected window.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 23 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein said changing step further comprises the step of changing an interaction cultural profile for the window.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 23 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein said changing step further comprises the step of changing a data cultural profile for the window.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 19 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein said changing step comprises the step of invoking a locale change daemon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 51 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein said changing step comprises the steps of: dragging and dropping a locale change object on a selected window; sending a message to the program containing the window on which the locale change object was dropped; and invoking a registered procedure to handle the message.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 17 words
A method according to claim 14, wherein said invoking step comprises the step of ignoring the message.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method according to claim 14, wherein said invoking step comprises the step of sending the message to a parent window.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 20 words
A method according to claim 14, wherein said invoking step comprises the step of obtaining data regarding the locale object.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 34 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said obtaining step comprises the step of invoking an application programming interface to obtain a pointer to a memory area containing the data regarding the locale object.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 55 words
A computer-readable medium, comprising: means for executing one or more programs, wherein each program comprises one or more windows; and means for changing a cultural profile of a selected window, wherein said means for changing includes means for dragging and dropping a locale change object on a graphical user interface representation of the selected window.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 55 words
A computer-readable medium, comprising: means for executing one or more programs, wherein each program comprises one or more windows; and means for changing a cultural profile of a selected window, wherein said means for changing includes means for dragging and dropping a locale change object on a graphical user interface representation of the selected window.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 24 words
A computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein said means for changing further comprises means for changing an interaction cultural profile for the window.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 24 words
A computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein said means for changing further comprises means for changing a data cultural profile for the window.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 20 words
A computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein said means for changing comprises means for invoking a locale change daemon.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 56 words
A computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein said means for changing comprises: means for dragging and dropping a locale change object on a selected window; means for sending a message to the program containing the window on which the locale change object was dropped; and means for invoking a registered procedure to handle the message.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 21 words
A computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein said means for invoking a registered procedure comprises means for ignoring the message.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 25 words
A computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein said means for invoking a registered procedure comprises means for sending the message to a parent window.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 24 words
A computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein said means for invoking a registered procedure comprises means for obtaining data regarding the locale object.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 36 words
A computer-readable medium according to claim 26, wherein said means for obtaining data comprises means for invoking an application programming interface to obtain a pointer to a memory area containing the data regarding the locale object.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-05-24 2002-11-23 2003-05-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-05-24 2006-11-23 2007-05-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-05-24 2010-11-23 2011-05-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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