User interface and operating system for presenting the contents of a content collection based on content type

• US 20050154754A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sheldon, Michael G., Ouzts, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,645 B2
• 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

An apparatus and method for execution in a graphical user interface environment are provided. The apparatus and method are used to display a set of items within a content collection, such as a set of files within a folder on a computer operating system. The method includes obtaining data from the items that describes an item type for a number of the items. Based upon the obtained item types a distribution of the types of items within the collection is determined. The content collection is categorized based upon the determined distribution and, based upon the category, the content collection is displayed in a certain format that is chosen to best display that category of content. A user interface is also provided that includes a working area that displays the contents of a content collection. In the working area, the format of the display varies based upon the type of contents in the content collection. The user interface also includes a menu adjacent the working area that displays tasks corresponding to the contents exhibited in the working area.

Claims

1. A user interface embodied on a computer-readable medium and executable on a computer, comprising:

a working area displaying the contents of a content collection, the format of the content display varying based upon the type of contents determined to be in the content collection; and

a menu adjacent the working area displaying tasks corresponding to the determined type of content exhibited in the working area.

2. A user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the content collection comprises a folder and wherein the contents comprise files.

3. A user interface as recited in claim 2, wherein the files are image files and wherein the format includes an image preview of each of the files.

4. A user interface as recited in claim 3, wherein the options in the menu change in response to changing the content type of the files.

5. An operating system embodied on a computer readable medium incorporating the user interface of claim 1.