Dynamic extension view with multiple levels of expansion

• US 10,503,370 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Claux, David, Henderson, Jason Todd, Ouliankine, Oleg, Faoro, Michael Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Rayeez R
• Application Number:
  US14/964,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Application extension management may be provided. A plurality of related documents may be scanned to determine whether an activation trigger associated with an application extension has been triggered. In response to determining that the activation trigger associated with the application extension has been triggered, the application extension may be triggered and a user interface element associated with the application extension may be displayed according to a display rule.

Claims

1. A method for providing application extension management, comprising:

determining that an activation trigger associated with at least two application extensions has been triggered in response to a selection of at least one document displayed in a user interface; and

in response to determining that the activation trigger associated with the at least two application extensions has been triggered;

activating the at least two application extensions, wherein the at least two application extensions include information associated with the selected at least one document; and

causing display of a user interface element associated with the at least two application extensions in the user interface according to a display rule; and

while causing display of the selected at least one document in the user interface, in response to receiving a selection of the user interface element when more than one application extension is triggered, causing display of a tabular interface pane in a separate window within content of the selected at least one document, wherein the tabular interface pane comprises a tab specific for each of the at least two application extensions triggered in response to the selected at least one document, wherein the tabular interface pane displays a first tab for accessing a first application associated with a first application extension, and wherein switching from the first tab to a second tab switches display to a second application associated with a second application extension.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one activation trigger is triggered by a document opened in a software application associated with at least one of the at least two application extensions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display rule is associated with the software application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the display rule is associated with a metadata element of the document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display rule is associated with a user preference.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a modification to the display of the user interface element associated with the at least two application extensions; and

updating the user preference according to the modification.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing display of an indicator associated with the selected at least one document in a listing of a plurality of documents, wherein the indicator specifies that the at least two application extensions are available in the selected at least one document.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the indicator comprises a text element.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the indicator comprises an icon.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the indicator; and

causing display of the tabular interface pane associated with the at least two application extensions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a second selection of the user interface element; and

causing the tabular interface pane associated with the at least two application extensions to be hidden.

12. A system for providing application extension management, comprising:

a memory storage including computer-executable instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein upon executing the computer-executable instructions the processing unit is operable to;

cause display of a list of a plurality of related documents in a user interface pane;

determine that at least one activation trigger associated with at least two application extensions has been triggered by a received selection of at least one document of the plurality of related documents in the user interface pane, the at least two application extensions including information associated with one or more of the plurality of related documents;

cause display of a user interface element, the user interface element associated with the at least two application extensions; and

while causing display of the at least one document in the user interface pane, in response to receiving a selection of the user interface element when more than one application extension is triggered, cause display of a tabular interface pane in a separate window within content of the at least one document, wherein the tabular interface pane comprises a tab specific for each of the at least two application extensions triggered in response to the selection of the at least one document, wherein the tabular interface pane displays a first tab for accessing a first application associated with a first application extension, and wherein switching from the first tab to a second tab switches display to a second application associated with a second application extension.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface element comprises a name for each of the at least two application extensions.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface element comprises a list of the at least two application extensions associated with the at least one document.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further operable to:

receive a selection of the user interface element associated with the at least two application extensions; and

cause display of data associated with the at least two application extensions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data is displayed inline in the at least one document.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data is displayed in a separate user interface window.

18. A computer-readable memory storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, causes a computing system to perform a method for providing application extension management, comprising:

causing display of a list of a plurality of related documents in a user interface pane;

determining that at least one document of the plurality of related documents satisfies an activation trigger associated with at least two application extensions, the at least two application extensions including information associated with the at least one document of the plurality of related documents;

in response to determining that the at least one document satisfies the activation trigger, causing display of a user interface element in the user interface pane, the user interface element associated with the at least two application extensions; and

while causing display of the at least one document in the user interface pane, in response to receiving a selection of the user interface element when more than one application extension is triggered, causing display of a tabular interface pane in a separate window within content of the at least one document, wherein the tabular interface pane comprises a tab specific for each of the at least two application extensions, wherein the tabular interface pane displays a first tab for accessing a first application associated with a first application extension, and wherein switching from the first tab to a second tab switches display to a second application associated with a second application extension.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 18, wherein the user interface element comprises a list of the at least two application extensions associated with the at least one document.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 18, further comprising:

causing display of an indicator associated with the at least one document in the listing of the plurality of related documents, wherein the indicator specifies that the at least two application extensions are available in the at least one document.