Patent ID: 7870501

Claim:
A method for altering the appearance of an original highlighted graphical object on a display and preserving the meaning of the existing highlighting, comprising the steps of: receiving a user selection of the original graphical object; generating a transparent copy of the original graphical object; generating a first enlarged version of the original graphical object; overlaying the transparent copy of the original graphical object on the first enlarged version of the original graphical object creating a combined graphical object with a transparent graphical object interior; overlaying the combined graphical object on the original graphical object, thereby allowing the original graphical object and highlighting to be visible through the combined graphical object, wherein the combined graphical object is selectable such that a user selection of the combined graphical object causes selection of the original graphical object; defining a bounding area, wherein the bounding area comprises a shape that surrounds the original graphical object and the combined graphical object, wherein a thickness of the bounding area periodically varies between two or more thickness, thereby providing an indication that the original graphical object has been selected; and displaying the bounding area.