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.

1 . A method for creating an interactive GUI widget (icon), the method comprising the steps of: 
 creating one or more first regions for the GUI widget, the first regions for manipulating a displayed widget GUI representation;    associating the first regions to manipulating programs for manipulating the displayed widget GUI representation;    creating one or more second regions for the GUI widget, the second regions for user interaction with an application program by way of the displayed widget GUI representation wherein the displayed widget GUI representation is associated with the application program;    associating the second regions to interaction programs for interaction with application programs; and    presenting at a user display in a single state, the GUI widget having one or more first regions and one or more second regions wherein while in the single state one or more of the first regions accepts manipulating user input and wherein while in the single state one or more of the second regions accepts interaction user input.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein any one of the first region or the second region comprises any one of an area inside the displayed widget, an area outside the displayed widget, an area sharing a common edge portion with the displayed widget border portion comprising an outer edge of the GUI widget, a border portion comprising an outer edge of the GUI widget wherein the border portion is instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the border portion, a portion within a border portion wherein the border portion is, a portion within the border portion instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the portion within the boarder portion, a portion instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the portion in combination with a key entry of a keyboard.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising the further step of creating a widget locking function for inhibiting GUI input to any one of the first region or the second region.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein any one of any one of the first regions or any one of the second regions is presented in the single state when a cursor is positioned over any one of any one of the first regions or any one of the second regions.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein the widget function comprises any one of additional commands, widget parameter interaction or widget locking/unlocking functions.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the first region for manipulating the widget GUI representation and display properties provides manipulating function comprising any one of: 
 selecting the icon, moving the icon, resizing the icon, instantiating a menu of operations for the icon, deleting, copying, icon locking, icon unlocking, switching states or editing widget properties.    
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the second region for user interaction with the widget provides interaction function comprising any one of: clicking, double clicking, multiple clicking, click & dragging, keyboard input (with cursor over widget).  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the single state is entered or exited by a user action comprising any one of keyboard key entry, mouse button entry or voice actuated entry.  
   
   
       9 . A computer program product for creating an interactive GUI widget (icon), the computer program product comprising: 
 a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising: 
 creating one or more first regions for the GUI widget, the first regions for manipulating a displayed widget GUI representation;  
   associating the first regions to manipulating programs for manipulating the displayed widget GUI representation;    creating one or more second regions for the GUI widget, the second regions for user interaction with an application program by way of the displayed widget GUI representation wherein the displayed widget GUI representation is associated with the application program;    associating the second regions to interaction programs for interaction with application programs; and    presenting at a user display in a single state, the GUI widget having one or more first regions and one or more second regions wherein while in the single state one or more of the first regions accepts manipulating user input and wherein while in the single state one or more of the second regions accepts interaction user input.    
   
   
       10 . The computer program product according to  claim 1  wherein any one of the first region or the second region comprises any one of an area inside the displayed widget, an area outside the displayed widget, an area sharing a common edge portion with the displayed widget border portion comprising an outer edge of the GUI widget, a border portion comprising an outer edge of the GUI widget wherein the border portion is instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the border portion, a portion within a border portion wherein the border portion is, a portion within the border portion instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the portion within the boarder portion, a portion instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the portion in combination with a key entry of a keyboard.  
   
   
       11 . The computer program product according to  claim 1  comprising the further step of creating a widget locking function for inhibiting GUI input to any one of the first region or the second region.  
   
   
       12 . The computer program product according to  claim 1  wherein any one of any one of the first regions or any one of the second regions is presented in the single state when a cursor is positioned over any one of any one of the first regions or any one of the second regions.  
   
   
       13 . The computer program product according to  claim 4  wherein the widget function comprises any one of additional commands, widget parameter interaction or widget locking/unlocking functions.  
   
   
       14 . The computer program product according to  claim 1  wherein the first region for manipulating the widget GUI representation and display properties provides manipulating function comprising any one of: 
 selecting the icon, moving the icon, resizing the icon, instantiating a menu of operations for the icon, deleting, copying, icon locking, icon unlocking, switching states or editing widget properties.    
   
   
       15 . The computer program product according to  claim 1  wherein the second region for user interaction with the widget provides interaction function comprising any one of: 
 clicking, double clicking, multiple clicking, click & dragging, keyboard input (with cursor over widget).    
   
   
       16 . The computer program product according to  claim 1  wherein the single state is entered or exited by a user action comprising any one of keyboard key entry, mouse button entry or voice actuated entry.  
   
   
       17 . A system for creating an interactive GUI widget (icon), the system comprising: 
 a network;    a user computer system in communication with the network;    a host computer system in communication with the network, wherein a computer system includes instructions to execute a method comprising:    creating one or more first regions for the GUI widget, the first regions for manipulating a displayed widget GUI representation;    associating the first regions to manipulating programs for manipulating the displayed widget GUI representation;    creating one or more second regions for the GUI widget, the second regions for user interaction with an application program by way of the displayed widget GUI representation wherein the displayed widget GUI representation is associated with the application program;    associating the second regions to interaction programs for interaction with application programs; and    presenting at a user display in a single state, the GUI widget having one or more first regions and one or more second regions wherein while in the single state one or more of the first regions accepts manipulating user input and wherein while in the single state one or more of the second regions accepts interaction user input.    
   
   
       18 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein any one of the first region or the second region comprises any one of an area inside the displayed widget, an area outside the displayed widget, an area sharing a common edge portion with the displayed widget border portion comprising an outer edge of the GUI widget, a border portion comprising an outer edge of the GUI widget wherein the border portion is instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the border portion, a portion within a border portion wherein the border portion is, a portion within the border portion instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the portion within the boarder portion, a portion instantiated when a cursor is positioned over the portion in combination with a key entry of a keyboard.  
   
   
       19 . The system according to  claim 1  comprising the further step of creating a widget locking function for inhibiting GUI input to any one of the first region or the second region.  
   
   
       20 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein any one of any one of the first regions or any one of the second regions is presented in the single state when a cursor is positioned over any one of any one of the first regions or any one of the second regions.  
   
   
       21 . The system according to  claim 4  wherein the widget function comprises any one of additional commands, widget parameter interaction or widget locking/unlocking functions.  
   
   
       22 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the first region for manipulating the widget GUI representation and display properties provides manipulating function comprising any one of: 
 selecting the icon, moving the icon, resizing the icon, instantiating a menu of operations for the icon, deleting, copying, icon locking, icon unlocking, switching states or editing widget properties.    
   
   
       23 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the second region for user interaction with the widget provides interaction function comprising any one of: clicking, double clicking, multiple clicking, click & dragging, keyboard input (with cursor over widget).  
   
   
       24 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the single state is entered or exited by a user action comprising any one of keyboard key entry, mouse button entry or voice actuated entry.