Selection paradigm for displayed user interface

• US 20050246664A1
• Filed: 06/14/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Michelman, Eric H., Moulhaud, Patrick, Isaacs, Scott M., Tripp, Daniel L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A moveable displayed user interface element can be used to select an item displayed on a user interface. Once the proper item or items are selected, an area of the moveable displayed user interface element can be activated to perform an operation on the selected item or items. The moveable displayed user interface element can additionally display information about a selected item, and, in some cases, the displayed information can be edited to modify the selected item. A versatile lightweight system can be used to determine when a moveable object is over any of a number of regions associated with specified targets. The lightweight system can be used to implement moveable displayed user interface elements.

Claims

1-50. -50. (canceled)

51. A method of presenting a computer user interface for performing one of a plurality of operations on displayed items, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that a particular function is to be performed on a displayed item;

responsive to receiving the indication that a particular function is to be performed on the displayed item, displaying a moveable displayed user interface element for performing the particular function and configured to be dragged by a graphical pointer;

responsive to determining that a hot point of the moveable displayed user interface element has been moved over the displayed item, selecting the displayed item; and

responsive to receiving an activation indication, performing the particular function on the selected displayed item.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the hot point of the moveable displayed user interface element has been moved off the displayed item, releasing the displayed item.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein selecting the displayed item comprises highlighting the displayed item.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the moveable displayed user interface element comprises a button within the displayed user interface element.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein receiving an activation indication comprises receiving an indication that the button has been pressed.

56. The method of claim 51, wherein the moveable displayed user interface element comprises a text box within the displayed user interface element.

57. The method of claim 51, wherein at least two displayed items are selected, and wherein responsive to receiving an activation indication further comprises causing the particular function to be performed on the at least two displayed items.

58. A computer-implemented system for determining when a moveable displayed item is moved over one of a plurality of displayed regions to thereby select one of a plurality of potential targets, wherein the regions are associated with the targets, the system comprising:

a region list data structure containing a list of the plurality of displayed regions;

acquire-target functionality designated for execution when the moveable displayed item acquires a target;

release-target functionality designated for execution when the moveable displayed item releases the target; and

functionality operable to consult the region list data structure to determine whether a moveable displayed item enters or exits any of the regions and further operable to invoke the acquire-target and release-target functionality with respect to a target associated with a region into which or out of which the moveable displayed item enters or exits.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the region list data structure comprises a region list object.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein the functionality operable to consult the region list data structure is operable to determine whether a hot point of the moveable displayed item is within any of the plurality of displayed regions.

61. The system of claim 58, wherein the region list data structure contains, for each of the plurality of regions, information describing extents of the region, as well as a reference to a target associated with the region.

62. The system of claim 58, wherein one or more of the plurality of displayed regions is associated with more than one target.

63. The system of claim 58, further comprising functionality operable, upon receiving an indication to display a moveable displayed item, to display the indicated moveable displayed item.

64. A computer-implemented method for determining over which of a set of potential targets displayed on a display a moveable displayed item has been dragged, the method comprising:

assembling a list of regions corresponding to display regions associated with the potential targets;

upon determining the moveable displayed item has been dragged to a location, consulting the list of regions to determine whether the moveable displayed item has been dragged over one of the potential targets; and

upon determining the moveable displayed item has been dragged over one of the potential targets, taking an action with respect to the one of the potential targets.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the moveable displayed item comprises a hot point, and wherein consulting the list of regions comprises determining whether the hot point of the moveable displayed item has been dragged over one of the potential targets.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein the action is selecting one of the potential targets.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein the list of regions comprises a region list object.

68. The method of claim 64, further comprising, upon receiving a request to display a user-selected moveable displayed item, displaying the moveable displayed item.

69. The method of claim 64, wherein consulting the list of regions comprises determining that the moveable displayed item has been dragged over two or more potential targets.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein taking an action with respect to the one of the potential targets comprises taking an action with respect to the two or more potential targets.