User interface for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are contextually relevant to a selected object

• US 20060036945A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harris, Jensen M., Radtke, Roland, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Butcher, Aaron M., Morrow, Catherine R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,117,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/708
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable functionality controls that identifies the context of the object to which the user interface is relevant, which contains rich functionality controls for applying contextually relevant functionality to a selected object, and which may be efficiently switched to a different context for applying a different set of functionalities to a different or neighboring editable object. A context menu of functionalities is displayed adjacent to a selected object where the menu of functionalities includes functionalities associated with editing the selected object. The context menu includes an identification of the object context and a control for selectively changing the context and associated functionalities of the menu to a different object context for displaying a different set of functionalities associated with the different context.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface that is contextually relevant to one or more objects, comprising:

upon receiving a selection of an object for editing, displaying a contextually relevant user interface adjacent to the selected object;

displaying in the user interface a control for identifying a context of the user interface based on an attribute of the object selected for editing; and

displaying in the user interface one or more selectable controls representing a subset of a plurality of functionalities, whereby the subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the selected object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the one or more selectable controls in the user interface hierarchically based on frequency of previous use.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in the user interface a control for changing a context of the user interface for editing a different object, whereby upon selection of the control for changing a context of the user interface, displaying in the user interface one or more selectable controls representing a different subset of the plurality of functionalities, whereby the different subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the different object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in the user interface a control for causing a display in a second user interface of all selectable controls that may be used for editing the selected object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in the user interface a selectable control representing a group of additional selectable controls where each of the additional selectable controls represents functionality of the software application that may be used for editing the selected object.

6. The method of claim 1, whereby in response to a selection of one or more of the selectable controls, providing a gallery of formatting images, whereby each formatting image contained in the gallery of formatting images is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object;

and whereby in response to a selection of one of the formatting images, automatically applying the one or more formatting attributes associated with the selected formatting image to the selected object.

7. The method of claim 6, whereby providing a gallery of formatting images includes providing the gallery of formatting images within a second user interface deployed adjacent to the contextually relevant user interface.

8. An improved user interface that is contextually relevant to a selected object, comprising

a menu of one or more selectable controls deployed adjacent to a selected object, the one or more selectable controls representing a subset of a plurality of functionalities, whereby the subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the selected object;

and

a control disposed above the menu for identifying a context of the user interface based on an attribute of the object selected.

9. The user interface of claim 8, further comprising a control disposed below the menu for selectively causing a display in a second user interface of additional selectable controls that may be used for editing the selected object.

10. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing a user interface that is contextually relevant to a selected object, comprising:

upon receiving a selection of an object for editing, displaying a contextually relevant user interface adjacent to the selected object;

displaying in the user interface a control for identifying a context of the user interface based on an attribute of the object selected for editing; and

displaying in the user interface one or more selectable controls representing a subset of a plurality of functionalities, whereby the subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the selected object.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising displaying the one or more selectable controls in the user interface hierarchically based on frequency of previous use.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising displaying in the user interface a control for changing a context of the user interface for editing a second object, whereby upon selection of the control for changing a context of the user interface, displaying in the user interface one or more selectable controls representing a second subset of the plurality of functionalities, whereby the second subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the second object.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising displaying in the user interface a control for causing a display in a second user interface of all selectable controls that may be used for editing the selected object.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising displaying in the user interface a selectable control representing a group of additional selectable controls where each of the additional selectable controls represents functionality of the software application that may be used for editing the selectable object.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, whereby in response to a selection of one or more of the selectable controls, providing a gallery of formatting images, whereby each formatting image contained in the gallery of formatting images is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object;

and whereby in response to a selection of one of the formatting images, automatically applying the one or more formatting attributes associated with the selected formatting image to the selected object.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, whereby providing a gallery of formatting images includes providing the gallery of formatting images within a second user interface deployed adjacent to the contextually relevant user interface.

17. A method for providing a user interface that is contextually relevant to a selected object, comprising:

upon receiving a selection of an object for editing, displaying a contextually relevant user interface near the selected object in a software application workspace;

displaying in the user interface one or more selectable controls representing a subset of a plurality of functionalities, whereby the subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the selected object;

displaying in the user interface a control for changing a context of the user interface for editing a second object, whereby upon selection of the control for changing a context of the user interface, displaying in the user interface one or more selectable controls representing a second subset of the plurality of functionalities, whereby the second subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the second object; and

displaying in the user interface a control for causing a display in a second user interface of additional selectable controls that may be used for editing the selected object.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying the one or more selectable controls in the user interface hierarchically based on frequency of previous use.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying in the user interface a control for identifying a context of the user interface based on an attribute of the object selected for editing

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying in the user interface a selectable control representing a group of additional selectable controls where each of the additional selectable controls represents functionality of the software application that may be used for editing the selectable object.

21. The method of claim 17, whereby in response to a selection of one or more of the selectable controls, providing a gallery of formatting images, whereby each formatting image contained in the gallery of formatting images is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object;

and whereby in response to a selection of one of the formatting images, automatically applying the one or more formatting attributes associated with the selected formatting image to the selected object.

22. The method of claim 21, whereby providing a gallery of formatting images includes providing the gallery of formatting images within a second user interface deployed adjacent to the contextually relevant user interface.

23. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing a user interface that is contextually relevant to a selected object, comprising:

upon receiving a selection of an object for editing, displaying a contextually relevant user interface near the selected object in a software application workspace;

displaying in the user interface one or more selectable controls representing a subset of a plurality of functionalities, whereby the subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the selected object;

displaying in the user interface a control for changing a context of the user interface for editing a second object, whereby upon selection of the control for changing a context of the user interface, displaying in the user interface one or more selectable controls representing a second subset of the plurality of functionalities, whereby the second subset of the plurality of functionalities comprises one or more of the plurality of functionalities that are at least substantially the most used in editing an object of a same type as the second object; and

displaying in the user interface a control for causing a display in a second user interface of additional selectable controls that may be used for editing the selected object.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, further comprising displaying the one or more selectable controls in the user interface hierarchically based on frequency of previous use.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23, further comprising displaying in the user interface a control for identifying a context of the user interface based on an attribute of the object selected for editing

26. The computer readable medium of claim 23, further comprising displaying in the user interface a selectable control representing a group of additional selectable controls where each of the additional selectable controls represents functionality of the software application that may be used for editing the selectable object.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 23, whereby in response to a selection of one or more of the selectable controls, providing a gallery of formatting images, whereby each formatting image contained in the gallery of formatting images is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object;

and whereby in response to a selection of one of the formatting images, automatically applying the one or more formatting attributes associated with the selected formatting image to the selected object.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, whereby providing a gallery of formatting images includes providing the gallery of formatting images within a second user interface deployed adjacent to the contextually relevant user interface.