System and method for selecting a view mode using a control including a graphical depiction of the view mode

• US 20050246647A1
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Anthony, Colin R., Sierra, Giampiero M., Cummins, Charles, Tubbs, Kenneth M., Beam, Tyler K., De Vorchik, David G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• 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: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting a view mode and a preferred setting within that view mode for displaying one or more items in a screen display. A single user input indicates the selected view mode. The input mechanism can be a hardware device, such as a keyboard or mouse, or a software control presented in a graphical user interface. The software control includes a graphical depiction of the current view mode. A preferred setting for each available view mode may be stored and activated by the software control.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for selecting a mode for one or more items in a screen display, the method comprising:

providing a graphical depiction of the current mode on a user interface control;

obtaining a single user input indicative of a selection of one of a plurality of available modes;

mapping the single user input to the selected mode; and

providing a graphical depiction of the selected mode on the user interface control.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing a preferred setting for each of the plurality of available modes; and

mapping the single user input to the stored preferred setting for the selected mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device is a keyboard.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device is a pointing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface control is a button control in a graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the single user input is mapped to the selected mode and to the preferred setting substantially simultaneously.

7. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions stored thereon for performing the method of claim 1.

28. The method of claim 1, where the user interface control is a single user interface control.

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

a screen display for displaying one or more items in one of a plurality of available modes; and

a control presented in the screen display as a graphical representation of the current mode and operable to obtain a single user input indicative of both a selected mode and a selected setting within the selected mode.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the control comprises a button control.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the one or more items are represented in the screen display by one or more icons and the selected setting determines the icon size.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein metadata corresponding to the one or more items is displayed in the screen display and the selected setting determines the amount of metadata to display as a function of the icon size.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the button control provides for user selection of an available mode and a setting from a plurality of available modes and settings by cycling through the available modes and settings sequentially in response to each user input.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the current available modes are represented by graphical objects.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein the face of the button graphically depicts the selected mode.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the plurality of available modes includes at least one of the following view modes:

list, details, properties, preview, thumbnails, tiles and icons.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the selected setting arranges the one or more displayed items by property.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the selected setting is one of a plurality of size options for the one or more displayed items.

18. A view control in a graphical user interface for user selection of a view mode from a plurality of available view modes and a setting within that view mode, the view control comprising:

a display component for providing a graphical depiction of the current view mode; and

a user selection component operable to receive a single user selection indicative of one of the available view modes and of one setting associated with the selected view mode.

19. The view control of claim 18, wherein the display component comprises a button control which presents a graphical representation of the selected view mode.

20. The view control of claim 18, wherein the view control is presented in an operating system.

21. The view control of claim 18, wherein the view control is presented in an application program.

22. The view control of claim 18, wherein the view control is presented in a web interface.

23. An apparatus for selecting a view mode and a setting in the view mode for a screen display in which one or more items may be displayed in a plurality of view modes, the apparatus comprising:

an input mechanism for obtaining a single user input indicative of both a selected view mode and a setting in the selected view mode in response to a graphical depiction of the selected view mode and the setting in the selected view mode; and

computer-useable instructions for mapping the single user input to the selected view mode and for mapping the single user input to the setting in the selected view mode.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the input mechanism is an input device.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the input device is a keyboard, a pointing device, or a stylus.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the input mechanism is a view control presented in a graphical user interface.

27. A computer system configured for user selection of a view mode and a preferred setting within that view mode for a screen display in which one or more items may be displayed in a plurality of view modes, the system comprising:

means for simultaneous selection, by a user, of one view mode from a plurality of available view modes and of a preferred setting within said one view mode; and

means for applying said one view mode and said preferred setting in response to said simultaneous selection by the user.