Task-sensitive methods and systems for displaying command sets

• US 20040268260A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Perlow, Jonathan D., Jacobs, Nancy E., Erickson, Paul R., Westreich, Daniel J., Rockey, Eric S., Kelly, Gavin M., Hopcroft, Michael J., Talbott, Shannon P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,610,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/708
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Methods and systems present commands to a user within a software application program by determining the user'"'"'s context within the application program and automatically presenting in a user interface commands that pertain to the user'"'"'s current context. When the user'"'"'s context changes, the context-sensitive commands are automatically removed from the user interface. In one implementation context blocks and context panes are employed to present the commands.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of exposing commands in a software application program comprising:

associating multiple context blocks with individual expressions, individual context blocks containing one or more commands, individual expressions defining conditions that describe one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s interaction with the application program;

evaluating at least portions of at least some of the expressions responsive to a change in the user'"'"'s context; and

displaying, for the user, at least one context block responsive to said evaluating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the expressions define conditions that describe one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s interaction with a document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating comprises maintaining a table with entries for the context blocks and their associated expressions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the expressions are Boolean expressions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating comprises:

representing each expression as a tree structure having multiple nodes, each node comprising either an expression operand or an operation;

associating a value with each of the nodes, the node values being capable of changing when a user'"'"'s context changes;

for some of the tree structures, evaluating values associated with less than all of the nodes to ascertain whether to display a context block associated with the tree structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said evaluating comprises:

representing each expression as a tree structure having multiple nodes, each node comprising either an expression operand or an operation;

associating a value with each of the nodes, the node values being capable of changing when a user'"'"'s context changes;

if a value for a particular node changes, and if the particular node has a parent node, notifying the parent node with the changed value and re-evaluating the parent node'"'"'s value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each tree structure has a root node, and further comprising displaying the context block associated with a tree structure only if the root node changes in value.

8. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

associate multiple context blocks with individual expressions, individual context blocks containing one or more commands, individual expressions defining conditions that describe one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s interaction with the application program;

evaluate at least portions of at least some of the expressions responsive to a change in the user'"'"'s context by;

representing each expression as a tree structure having multiple nodes, each node comprising either an expression operand or an operation, each tree structure having a root node;

associating a value with each of the nodes, the node values being capable of changing when a user'"'"'s context changes; and

if a value for a particular node changes, and if the particular node has a parent node, notifying the parent node with the changed value and re-evaluating the parent node'"'"'s value; and

display, for the user, at least one context block responsive to said evaluating only if the root node of the tree structure that is associated with the context block changes in value.

9. A computer-implemented method of exposing commands in a software application program comprising:

associating, using a table, multiple context blocks with individual expressions, individual context blocks containing one or more commands, individual expressions defining conditions that describe one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s interaction with a document provided by the application program;

evaluating at least portions of at least some of the expressions responsive to a change in the user'"'"'s context; and

displaying, for the user, at least one context block responsive to said evaluating.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the expressions are Boolean expressions.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said evaluating comprises:

representing each expression as a tree structure having multiple nodes, each node comprising either an expression operand or an operation;

associating a value with each of the nodes, the node values being capable of changing when a user'"'"'s context changes;

for some of the tree structures, evaluating values associated with less than all of the nodes to ascertain whether to display a context block associated with the tree structure.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said evaluating comprises:

representing each expression as a tree structure having multiple nodes, each node comprising either an expression operand or an operation;

associating a value with each of the nodes, the node values being capable of changing when a user'"'"'s context changes;

if a value for a particular node changes, and if the particular node has a parent node, notifying the parent node with the changed value and re-evaluating the parent node'"'"'s value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each tree structure has a root node, and further comprising displaying the context block associated with a tree structure only if the root node changes in value.

14. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 9.

15. A computer system embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 14.

16. A computer-implemented method of exposing commands in a software application program comprising:

associating multiple context blocks with individual expressions, individual context blocks containing one or more commands, individual expressions defining conditions that describe one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s interaction with a document provided by the application program;

evaluating at least portions of at least some of the expressions responsive to a change in the user'"'"'s context, wherein said evaluating comprises;

representing each expression as a tree structure having multiple nodes, each node comprising either an expression operand or an operation;

associating a value with each of the nodes, the node values being capable of changing when a user'"'"'s context changes;

for some of the tree structures, evaluating values associated with less than all of the nodes to ascertain whether to display a context block associated with the tree structure; and

displaying, for the user, at least one context block responsive to said evaluating.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each tree structure has a root node, and further comprising displaying the context block associated with a tree structure only if the root node changes in value.

18. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 16.

19. A computer system embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 18.

20. A computer-implemented method of exposing commands in a software application program comprising:

associating multiple context blocks with individual expressions, individual context blocks containing one or more commands, individual expressions defining conditions that describe one or more aspects of a user'"'"'s interaction with a document provided by the application program, wherein individual expressions comprise Boolean expressions;

evaluating at least portions of at least some of the expressions responsive to a change in the user'"'"'s context; and

displaying, for the user, at least one context block responsive to said evaluating.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said evaluating comprises:

representing each expression as a tree structure having multiple nodes, each node comprising either an expression operand or an operation;

associating a value with each of the nodes, the node values being capable of changing when a user'"'"'s context changes;

for some of the tree structures, evaluating values associated with less than all of the nodes to ascertain whether to display a context block associated with the tree structure.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said evaluating comprises:

representing each expression as a tree structure having multiple nodes, each node comprising either an expression operand or an operation;

associating a value with each of the nodes, the node values being capable of changing when a user'"'"'s context changes;

if a value for a particular node changes, and if the particular node has a parent node, notifying the parent node with the changed value and re-evaluating the parent node'"'"'s value.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each tree structure has a root node, and further comprising displaying the context block associated with a tree structure only if the root node changes in value.

24. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 22.

25. A computer system embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 24.