Patents Represented by Attorney Douglas W. Heslin & Rothenberg, P.C. Cameron
  • Patent number: 5852440
    Abstract: A method and system for facilitating the selection of icons. Those icons which are next likely to be used are selected and automatically moved towards a cursor thereby facilitating selection of the icons. Additionally, those icons likely to be used or other icons selected by a user may track the cursor such that those icons are always close to the cursor and capable of being easily selected. Further, in order to facilitate selection of icons, icons are provided with the capability of announcing themselves when a cursor comes close to the icon. In addition, it is possible to reduce the amount of clutter on a computer display so that icons may be easily selected. In order to clean up a computer display, icons which are least likely to be used are faded, eliminated or shrunk to a smaller size. In another embodiment, icons that are not used very often may disappear into a master icon and further, icons which have a conceptual relationship between them may be linked by a visual graphical representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bertrand M. Grossman, James Gordon McLean, Clifford A. Pickover, Michael Stephen Schwartz, Daniel James Winarski
  • Patent number: 5745715
    Abstract: A method and system for facilitating the selection of icons. Those icons which are next likely to be used are selected and automatically moved towards a cursor thereby facilitating selection of the icons. Additionally, those icons likely to be used or other icons selected by a user may track the cursor such that those icons are always close to the cursor and capable of being easily selected. Further, in order to facilitate selection of icons, icons are provided with the capability of announcing themselves when a cursor comes close to the icon. In addition, it is possible to reduce the amount of clutter on a computer display so that icons may be easily selected. In order to clean up a computer display, icons which are least likely to be used are faded, eliminated or shrunk to a smaller size. In another embodiment, icons that are not used very often may disappear into a master icon and further, icons which have a conceptual relationship between them may be linked by a visual graphical representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford A. Pickover, Michael Stephen Schwartz
  • Patent number: 5740390
    Abstract: A method and system for facilitating the selection of one or more of a plurality of icons located on a computer display. A selection is made, from a plurality of icons, of one or more icons to announce itself, such that one or more selected icons is provided. Each of the one or more selected icons makes an announcement. In one example, the announcement includes a designation of the icon making the announcement. Further, the announcement may include sound or a display on the computer display. In one embodiment, in order to select the one or more icons to announce itself, a location of a cursor positioned on the computer display is determined and a further determination is made as to which of the plurality of icons are within a predetermined distance from the location. Those icons within the predetermined distance are the selected icons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1998
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford A. Pickover, Michael Stephen Schwartz