Component-based icon construction and customization system

A method of operating a computer having a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

• constructing a graphical user interface (GUI) window on said display screen;
• displaying an icon comprising at least two user-modifiable non-text components in said GUI window, wherein each of said user-modifiable non-text components is represented by a first object of a sequentially indexed set of objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text component, wherein said first object is overlaid on said icon;
• for each of said user-modifiable non-text components, selecting a first window element to select a different object of said sequentially indexed set of objects to be overlaid on said icon, wherein only one object of said sequentially indexed set of objects is displayed on said display screen at any given time;
• and
• responsive to said selecting of said first window element, modifying said icon by replacing said first object currently overlaid on said icon with a next object of said sequentially indexed set of objects, wherein said modifying occurs automatically without additional input by a user following said selecting.

A method of operating a computer having a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

• constructing a graphical user interface (GUI) window on said display screen;
• for each of at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, setting an index to reference a first object in a sequentially indexed set of objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text icon component;
• displaying an icon in said GUI window, wherein for of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components said first object is overlaid on said icon to represent said user-modifiable non-text icon component;
• for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, responsive to user actuation of a first control button of said GUI window, incrementing said index to reference a next object in said sequentially indexed set of objects;
• for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, modifying said icon using said next object, wherein said modifying occurs automatically and without additional input from a user following said selecting;
• and
• responsive to user actuation of a second control button of said GUI window, storing said modified icon in a memory of said computer;
• wherein for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text icon components, only the object of said sequentially indexed set of objects which is referenced by said index is displayed on said display screen at a given time.

In a computer having a display screen, a system for constructing and modifying a user-selected icon in a window displayed on said display screen, said user-selected icon comprising at least two icon components, wherein at least one of said at least two icon components is a user-modifiable, non-text icon component, the system comprising, for each of said user-modifiable non-text icon components:

• a first object overlaid on said user-selected icon for representing said user-modifiable non-text icon component;
• a plurality of additional objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text icon component, wherein said additional objects are not displayed on said display screen while said first object is overlaid on said user-selected icon;
• means for selecting one of said additional objects;
• and
• means responsive to said selection for modifying said user-selected icon by removing said first object from said user-selected icon and overlaying said selected one of said additional objects, wherein said removing and overlaying are performed automatically and without additional input from a user following said selecting;
• wherein said modifying of said user-modifiable non-text icon component does not effect a modification of any other ones of said at least two icon components.

In a computer having a display screen, a system for constructing or modifying an icon having at least two user-modifiable non-text components, the system comprising:

• a graphical user interface (GUI) window for displaying said icon;
• for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, a plurality of objects for representing said user-modifiable non-text component, wherein no more than one of said plurality of objects are displayed on said display screen at a given time;
• and
• for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, at least one first window element associated with said user-modifiable non-text component, wherein each time said at least one first window element is selected by a user, a different one of said plurality of objects is selected;
• wherein for each of said at least two user-modifiable non-text components, said selected object is automatically overlaid on said icon in the proper location without further input from said user following said selecting and defines the appearance of said at least one user-modifiable non-text component.