IBM Seeks to Patent Checking a Box

Well, at least it’s checking a box via a GUI (graphical user interface).

You can’t make this stuff up. From the US Patent and Trademark Office:

Mode switching for ad hoc checkbox selection

Abstract
Controlling checkbox status by selecting and deselecting checkboxes in a GUI according to a mode of operation, the GUI having displayed upon it a set of checkboxes comprising a multiplicity of checkboxes, wherein each checkbox comprises a selection status indicating whether each checkbox is selected; detecting a mode selection event; and changing the mode of operation in dependence upon the detected mode selection event. In some exemplary embodiments each checkbox comprises a drag status and the method includes toggling the status of the first checkbox and statefully toggling the selection status of checkboxes experiencing drag event in dependence upon drag status, the new state of the first checkbox, and the original state of the current checkbox.

Inventors: Bosma; John Hans Handy (Cedar Park, TX), Walker; Keith Raymond (Austin, TX), Chen; Yen-Fu (Austin, TX)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)