Animation on object user interface

• US 20060017734A1
• Filed: 08/20/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Qureshi, Imran Iqbal, Geffner, Steven P., Law, Elaine Y., Faraday, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,165,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• 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: G06T 13/00 Animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

A system and method for graphically showing the animation order of animated elements in a presentation program or other software. The invention consists of a User Interface (UI) widget which shows the order of the animation in the presentation. This UI employs an animation On Object User Interface (OOUI), or animation tag, that is preferably a rectangular control that encloses a number, and labels the order in which objects are animated. Each animation OOUI or animation tag is associated with an object on a display during creation and editing. The animation OOUI or tag is preferably placed in close proximity to the object it is associated with, rather than in a separate window or dialog box, and is hence termed ‘On Object’. The animation tag is active and responds to computer input device selection actions. Each animation OOUI is typically associated with an animation list.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A computer-implemented process for viewing and controlling an animation sequence of a presentation program comprising:

a displaying step for displaying at least one animation on object user interface in close proximity of an object to be animated indicating an animation effect sequence of said object, wherein the animation on object user interface displays a number that represents a number in a sequence of input device selection actions that cause an animation effect on that object, and wherein said at least one animation on object user interface is associated with an effect in a list of animation effects in animation sequence order, and wherein each effect in said list of animation effects represents its order in a sequence of computer input device selection actions, wherein when at least one of said effects on said list of animation effects is selected, a corresponding animation on object user interface associated with said object is selected; and

a manipulation step for allowing a user to manipulate the animation using said at least one animation on object user interface.

43. The computer-implemented process of claim 42 wherein when at least one of said effects on said list of animation effects that was previously selected is deselected, said corresponding animation on object user interface associated with said object is deselected.

44. The computer-implemented process of claim 42 wherein said animation on object user interface changes so as to graphically indicate to the user that the effect has been selected when at least one of said effects on said list of animation effects is selected.

45. The computer-implemented process of claim 42 wherein when one of said effects on said list of animation effects is deleted, a corresponding animation on object user interface associated with said object is deleted.

46. The computer-implemented process of claim 42 wherein when the animation order of one of said effects on said list of animation effects is changed, the corresponding animation on object user interface animation order is changed.

47. The computer-implemented process of claim 42 wherein said animation on object user interface displays a pop-up window when said animation on object user interface is selected.

48. The computer-implemented process of claim 47 wherein said pop-up window allows the user to manipulate the animation of said object.

49. The computer-implemented of claim 42 wherein the user can use input device selection actions to activate the animation OOUIs.

50. The computer-implemented method of claim 42 wherein more than one animation effect can be combined, such that said more than one animation effect will occur at the same time in said animation sequence.

51. The computer-implemented process of claim 42 wherein more than one animation effect occurring at the same time on said object can be separated, such that said more than one animation effect will occur at different times in said animation sequence.

52. A computer-implemented process for controlling and displaying an animation sequence, comprising:

a displaying step for displaying at least one animation tag near an object to be animated, said animation tag indicating an order of at least one animation effect on said object; and

a manipulation step for allowing a user to manipulate the order of said at least one animation effect using said at least one animation tag, wherein the animation tag displays an indicator that represents a number in a sequence of input device selection actions that cause an animation effect on said object; and

wherein the user can use keyboard keys to activate the animation tags.

53. The computer-implemented process claim 52 wherein said at least one animation tag is associated with an effect in a list of animation effects in animation sequence order.

54. The computer-implemented process of claim 53 wherein each effect in said list of animation effects represents its order in a sequence of computer input device selection actions.

55. The computer-implemented process of claim 53 further comprising at least one of:

a selecting step for selecting at least one of said effects on said list of animation effects such that a corresponding animation tag associated with said object is selected; and

a deselecting step for deselecting at least one of said effects on said list of animation effects that was previously selected such that said corresponding animation tag associated with said object is deselected.

56. The computer-implemented process of claim 53 wherein said animation tag changes so as to graphically indicate to the user that the effect has been selected when at least one of said effects on said list of animation effects is selected.

57. The computer-implemented medium of claim 53 wherein when one of said effects on said list of animation effects is deleted, a corresponding animation tag associated with said object is deleted.

58. The computer-implemented process of claim 53 wherein when the animation order of one of said effects on said list of animation effects is changed, the corresponding animation tag order is changed.

59. The computer-implemented process of claim 52 wherein several objects overlap and wherein the animation tag associated with a selected object comes to the foreground.

60. The implemented process of claim 52 wherein said animation tag is visible when an animation sequence is being created and edited, and wherein said animation tag is not visible when said animation sequence is viewed by an audience.

61. The computer-implemented process of claim 52 wherein the user can set the animation order by using a graphical control that allows the user to increment or decrement a value using a input device selection action associated with a pop up window given when the user selects the OOUI.