Displaying graphical information and user selected properties on a computer interface

• US 20020075312A1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guzak, Chris J., Amadio, Louis, Fortier, Philip P., Ouzts, Todd L., Andrew, Suzan M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4825 Interrupt from clock, e.g. time of day

Abstract

A new way of providing pertinent information about an item (e.g., a text file, a picture file, a music file, video file, or any other similar file) is provided. The invention provides graphical information about the item along with user-selectable properties that are specific to that item. The invention further provides a way of sorting the items by the user-selectable properties and communicating the sort order to the user. The invention thereby provides the user with a way of quickly finding pertinent information about the item.

Claims

1. A method of providing a graphical user interface to an operating system of a computer having a video screen, comprising the steps of:

a. providing an operating system user interface manipulable by a user,

b. providing a frame controlled by the operating system, the frame including a graphical representation of an item and at least one slot containing a user-selected property of the item, and

c. displaying a view of the frame on the video screen.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying the view in a folder view display of a graphical environment on the video screen.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying the view in an array on the video screen.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating system sorts the frames by the user-selected property.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the frame provides a plurality of sortable properties of the item.

6. An operating system of a computer having a video screen, comprising:

a default directory for storing information about an item,

a first control that provides a graphic user interface on the video screen, the first control retrieving the stored information from the default directory,

a second control that displays the information about the item on the video screen, the second control displays the information dynamically in a frame which is presented on the video screen, and

a user interface control manipulable by a user for requesting the display of the information on the video screen.

7. The operating system of claim 6 wherein the frame displays properties that identify the item.

8. The operating system of claim 7 wherein the frame displays a graphic representation of the item.

9. The operating system of claim 7 wherein the first control sorts the frames by one of the properties that identify the item.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

a. a database component for storing properties of an item that are specific to the item,

b. a first control component for providing a graphic user interface on a video screen,

c. a second control component for displaying the properties of the item on the video screen,

d. a user interface component manipulable by a user for requesting the display of the properties of the item on the video screen, and

e. if the request to display the properties of the item on the video screen is received from the user;

i. the first control component retrieving the stored properties from the database component and sending the properties to the second control component, and

ii. the second control component displaying the properties dynamically in a frame on the video screen.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 having computer-executable instructions wherein the user interface component requests the sort arrangement of the properties of the item on the video screen.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a sort request from the user,

sorting the properties by the sort request, and

displaying the sorted properties on the video screen.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the tile format is a user interface display which includes an icon and at least one row of item properties located adjacent to the icon.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the tile format is a user interface display comprising an icon and two rows of item properties.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a third menu entry execution signal indicative of the user interface selection device pointing at the icon, and

b. in response to the third execution signal, opening the item represented by the icon.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the item is a text file.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the item is a music file.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the item is an image file.

13. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of selecting from a menu and providing specific properties about an item, comprising the steps of:

a. displaying a set of menu entries including a tile menu entry,

b. receiving a first menu entry execution signal indicative of the user interface selection device pointing at the tile menu entry on the display,

c. displaying an arrange item menu entry including a set of cascade menu items associated therewith,

d. receiving a menu entry selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device pointing at the arrange item menu entry on the display,

e. in response to the selection signal, displaying the cascade menu items,

f. receiving a second menu entry execution signal indicative of the user interface selection device pointing at one of the cascade menu items associated with the arrange item menu entry,

g. in response to the first and second execution signals, retrieving from a default directory the specific properties of the item, and

h. displaying dynamically the properties of the item that are specific to that item in a tile format on the display, and

i. arranging the properties of the item on the display based on the selected one of the cascade menu items.