Data processing: structural design – modeling – simulation – and em – Emulation – Of peripheral device
Reexamination Certificate
1997-05-27
2001-11-27
Teska, Kevin J. (Department: 2123)
Data processing: structural design, modeling, simulation, and em
Emulation
Of peripheral device
C703S027000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324498
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention concerns a method of identifying a compatibility of programs which are accessible through a user interface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The user-friendly operation of computers utilizes a graphic user interface, such as e.g. Windows from the Microsoft Company. Different application programs are accessible through such a user interface. A program manager provides graphic symbols in the form of icons to indicate to a computer user which application programs are accessible. Such an icon represents one application program in each case.
The different accessible application programs can potentially process different data formats so that data streams of two or more application programs cannot simply be linked to each other. Data with a first data format, which were output by a first application program, must therefore first be reformatted for use in a second application program so that they can be processed by the second application program.
If the user wishes to link two or more application programs with each other, he or she must first check whether the data streams are compatible. Compatibility in this case means that the data in the first data format, which were output by the first application program, can be processed by the second application program. In this instance the data streams of the first and the second application program are compatible. The application programs exchange compatibility codes by means of an internal protocol.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the task of the present invention to provide the user with a low-cost and concise recognition of program compatibility.
This task is fulfilled by a method of identifying program compatibility for programs that are accessible through a user interface, on a display device of a computer, the method comprising the steps of displaying the accessible programs as respective graphic symbols; and assigning to the graphic symbol of one of the accessible programs a first identifier which indicates which data format can be processed by the at least one accessible program.
Because of the invention it is fortunately possible to check whether an exchange of data between two or more application programs is possible without the need to exchange the data of the respective application programs.
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Alcatel
Phan Thai
Teska Kevin J.
Ware Fressola Van der Sluys & Adolphson LLP
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