System and method for navigating content in an item

• US 20050091612A1
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stabb, Charles W., Marks, Alan L., Dersch, Joshua Alexander, Shea, Gerald P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,159,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/816
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window scroll bar

Abstract

A system and a method for a user interface which generates a preview display to aid in the navigation of items of content on a computer. A screen displays an item to a user. Upon receipt of a user input representing a proposed navigational action to be performed with respect to the item, 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 perform the navigational action with respect to 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 primary display area operable to display an item;

a navigation area configured to accept user inputs relating to navigational actions to be performed with respect the item; and

a secondary display area rendered in response to a user input representing a proposed navigational action to be performed with respect to the item, wherein said secondary display region displays content which is not currently displayed in the primary display area but which would be displayed in the primary display area if the proposed navigational action were performed.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said item is a computer file.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said item is a document.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said item is a word processing document, a presentation document, or a spreadsheet.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said item is a webpage.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said primary display area is associated with an application capable of displaying said item within said primary display region.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said navigation area includes a scrollbar including a column bar and an indicator box, and wherein said user input representing a proposed navigational action is associated with a location within the column bar that relates to the proposed navigational action.

8. The user interface of claim 7, wherein said location is communicated via user interaction with a mouse, wherein said mouse includes a pointer viewable in said navigation area and wherein said pointer is positioned at the location for a predetermined time period.

9. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said navigational inputs are communicated via a mouse, a keyboard, and/or a screen with user input capacity.

10. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said proposed navigational action is to navigate to a portion of the item not currently displayed in said primary display area.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said item includes a link associated with a file or object.

12. The user interface of claim 11, wherein said proposed navigational action is to navigate to said file or object associated with the link.

13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said secondary display area displays a portion of the item which would be viewable in the primary display area if said proposed navigational action were performed.

14. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said secondary display area is hidden in response to a user input subsequent to said user input representing a proposed navigational action.

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

displaying an item in a primary display area;

receiving a user input representing a proposed navigational action to be performed with respect to said item; and

rendering a secondary display area in response to said user input, wherein said secondary display area displays content which is not currently displayed in the primary display area but which would be displayed in the primary display area if the proposed navigational action were performed.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said item is a computer file.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said item is a document.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said item is a word processing document, a presentation document, a spreadsheet or a web page.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said item includes a link associated with a computer file or object, or an icon associated with a computer file or object.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said primary display area is associated with an application capable of displaying said item within said primary display region.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said navigational inputs are communicated via a mouse, a keyboard, and/or a screen with user input capacity.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said proposed navigational action is to navigate to a portion of the item not currently displayed in said primary display area.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said proposed navigational action is to view the contents of a file or object.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein said file is associated with a link or an icon displayed in said primary display area.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said secondary display area displays a portion of the item which would be viewable in the primary display area if said proposed navigational action were performed

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein said proposed navigational action is to navigate to said portion.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a user selection to perform said navigational action with respect to said item; and

performing said navigational action with respect to said item.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein said performance causes at least a portion of said item to be viewable in the primary display region.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein said performance causes at least a portion of the content displayed in the secondary display area to be viewable in the primary display area.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises hiding said secondary display region in response to receiving a user input subsequent to said user input representing a proposed navigational action.

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

a user input component for obtaining data indicative of a proposed navigational action;

a navigational analysis component for determining a set of content which would be displayed to a user as a result of a selection to perform the proposed navigational action;

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

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

32. The navigation control of claim 31, wherein said preview generation component determines which portion of said set of data being previewed to present in the preview image.

33. The navigation control of claim 31, wherein said preview image includes content which is not currently displayed in the primary display area but which would be displayed in the primary display area if the proposed navigational action were performed.

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

means for obtaining data indicative of a proposed navigational action;

means for determining a set of content which would be displayed to a user as a result of a selection to perform the proposed navigational action;

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

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