Shell browser preview display

• US 20050091254A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Stabb, Charles W., Marks, Alan L., Dersch, Joshua Alexander, Shea, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US10/691,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091254A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

A system and a method for a user interface which generates a preview display to aid in the navigation of items on a computer. A screen displays one or more items to a user. Upon receipt of a user input representing a selection to preview the contents of one or more of the items, a preview display is generated and rendered on the screen display. The preview display includes at least a portion of the display which would result from a selection to view the item.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media and executable on a computer, said graphical user interface comprising:

a screen area for receiving user inputs and displaying at least one item associated with a set of data; and

a preview display rendered within the screen area in response to receiving a user input representing a selection to preview the set of data associated with the displayed item, wherein at least a portion of the set of data associated with the displayed item is utilized to generate the preview display and wherein the preview display includes at least a portion of the display which would result in response to a user input representing a selection to view the set of data associated with the displayed item.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said screen area utilizes a graphical indicia to display said displayed item.

3. The user interface of claim 2, where said graphical indicia is an icon, a link, or a bookmark.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the set of data associated with the displayed item is a computer file.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the set of data associated with the displayed item is located on a remote computer

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the set of data associated with the displayed item is accessible over a network, over an intranet, or over the Internet.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the set of data associated with the displayed item is a document file.

8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the set of data associated with the displayed item is a word processing document, a presentation document, a spreadsheet document, a database or an email.

9. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the set of data associated with the displayed item is a webpage.

10. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said user input is communicated via a mouse, a keyboard, and/or a screen with user input capacity.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said user input is communicated via a mouse operably coupled with a pointer viewable on said screen area, and wherein said user input is communicated by hovering said pointer over the displayed item for a predetermined period of time

12. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said preview display is viewable in a display pane which is rendered in response to receiving said user input.

13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said preview display is rendered in a display pane which displays primarily said preview display.

14. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the data utilized to generate said preview display is capable of being utilized by an application to open the set of data being previewed.

15. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the data utilized to generate said preview display is capable of being utilized by an application to provide a user interface for interacting with the set of data being previewed.

16. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said preview display includes at least a portion of a document associated with the set of data being previewed.

17. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said preview display is capable of receiving a user input, and wherein said user input received in the preview display represents a selection to open a computer file associated with the set of data being previewed.

18. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said preview display is capable of receiving a user input, and wherein said user input received in the preview display represents a selection to alter the display presented in said preview display.

19. A computerized method for navigating content presented in a graphical user interface, said method comprising:

receiving a user input representing a selection to preview a set of data;

utilizing at least a portion of the set of data to generate a preview display in response to said user input, wherein said preview display includes at least a portion of the display which would result in response to a user input representing a selection to view the set of data associated; and

rendering said preview display upon a screen area.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein said set of data is associated with a computer file.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the data utilized to generate said preview display is capable of being utilized by an application to open the set of data being previewed.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein generating said preview display includes determining which portion of said set of data being previewed to present in the preview display.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the rendering of said preview display creates a separate display pane upon said screen area.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein said method further comprises receiving a user selection to perform an operation with respect to said set of data.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, wherein said method further comprises performing said operation with respect to said set of data.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein said method further comprises hiding said preview display in response to receiving a user input subsequent to the user input representing a selection to preview the set of data.

27. A navigation control for navigating content presented in a graphical user interface, said navigation control comprising:

a user input component for obtaining a user selection to preview a set of data;

a data utilization component for accessing the set of data;

a preview generation component for generating a preview image associated with said set of data; and

an output component for generating instructions for rendering said preview image on a screen area.

28. The navigation control of claim 27, wherein said set of data is capable of being utilized by an application to open the set of data.

29. The navigation control of claim 27, wherein said preview generation component determines which portion of said set of data being previewed to present in the preview image.

30. The navigation control of claim 27, wherein said preview image includes at least a portion of the display which would result in response to a user input representing a selection to view of set of data.

31. A navigation control for navigating content presented in a graphical user interface, said navigation control comprising:

means for obtaining a user selection to preview a set of data;

means for accessing the set of data;

means for generating a preview image associated with said set of data; and

means for generating instructions for rendering said preview image on a screen area.