User Interface having a carousel view

• US 20060048076A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Shuo, Vronay, David, Paniaras, Ioannis, Yu, Francisco L. Jr., Van Tilburg, Martijn Eldert
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/850
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A carousel view is described. In an implementation, a method includes determining a number of items that are included in data. A carousel is then generated for output in a user interface. The carousel has a plurality of bins, each of which representing a corresponding one of the items. The carousel has a radius for display of each of the bins based on the determined number of items.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving hierarchical data; and

generating a hierarchical carousel view of the hierarchical data.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the hierarchical carousel view is for output in a user interface.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the hierarchical data include a plurality of hierarchical levels;

the hierarchical carousel view includes a plurality of carousels; and

each said carousel represents a corresponding said hierarchical level.

4. A method as described in claim 3, wherein each said carousel is arranged, one to another, in a user interface corresponding to the hierarchical levels.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the hierarchical carousel view includes a plurality of carousels;

each said carousel includes a plurality of bins;

the hierarchical data include a plurality of items; and

each said bin represents a corresponding said item.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the hierarchical carousel view includes a plurality of carousels;

each said carousel includes a plurality of bins; and

each said bin is positioned in a respective carousel according to a radius that is computed based on a number of said bins included in the respective carousel.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the radius is computed utilizing a square root function.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the hierarchical carousel view includes a plurality of carousels; and

at least one said carousel is displayable to include a plurality of bins arranged in a plurality of rings.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the hierarchical carousel view includes a plurality of carousels;

at least one said carousel is displayable to include a plurality of bins; and

at least two said bins are arranged in the at least one said carousel according to an ideal arc length.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the hierarchical carousel view includes a plurality of carousels;

at least one said carousel is displayable to include a plurality of bins; and

at least one said bin is expandable for display of another carousel in the hierarchical carousel view.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the hierarchical carousel view includes a plurality of carousels;

at least one said carousel is displayable to include a plurality of bins; and

a first collection of said bins is spaced, one to another, in the at least one said carousel according to a first set of rules; and

a second collection of said bins is spaced, one to another, in the at least one said carousel according to a second set of rules.

12. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the hierarchical carousel view includes a plurality of carousels;

at least one said carousel is displayable to represent first and second collections of items in the data; and

the at least one said carousel includes a plurality of bins which are concurrently displayable to represent the first collection of items and a clipping area representing the second collection of items.

13. A computing device comprising a processor and memory configured to maintain one or more modules that are executable on the processor to perform the method of claim 1.

14. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

15. A method comprising:

determining a number of items that are included in data; and

generating a carousel;

for output in a user interface;

having a plurality of bins, each of which representing a corresponding said item; and

having a radius for display of each said bin based on the determined number of said items.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein:

the data is hierarchical data;

at least one said item is included in a first hierarchical level and another said item is included in a second hierarchical level;

the generated carousel includes at least one said bin representing the at least one said item; and

another carousel includes another bin representing the other said item.

17. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the generated carousel and the other carousel are arranged, one to another, in the user interface to indicate the first and second hierarchical levels.

18. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the radius is computed utilizing a square root function.

19. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the generated carousel is displayable to include the plurality of bins arranged in a plurality of rings.

20. A method as described in claim 15, wherein at least two said bins are arranged according to an ideal arc length.

21. A method as described in claim 15, wherein at least one said bin is expandable for display of another carousel.

22. A method as described in claim 15, wherein:

a first collection of said bins is spaced in the carousel according to a first set of rules; and

a second collection of said bins is spaced in the carousel according to a second set of rules.

23. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to perform the method of claim 15.

24. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to arrange a plurality of bins to form a carousel for output by:

applying a first set of rules for spacing each said bin, one to another, located in a first portion of the carousel; and

applying a second set of rules for spacing each said bin, one to another, located in a second portion of the carousel.

25. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 24, wherein the first and second portions of the carousel, when rendered, are displayed such that the first portion is in front of the second portion.

26. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 24, wherein the application of the first set of rules results in a spacing of said bins located in the first portion of the carousel according to an ideal arc length.

27. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 24, wherein:

the application of the first set of rules results in a first spacing of each said bin, one to another, located in the first portion of the carousel;

the application of the second set of rules results in a second spacing of each said bin, one to another, located in the second portion of the carousel; and

the second spacing is less than the first spacing.

28. One or more computer readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to:

output a user interface having at least one carousel that represents a plurality of items, wherein the at least one carousel, when output, includes;

a plurality of bins representing a first collection of the items; and

a clipping area representing a second collection of the items.

29. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 28, wherein each said bin is selectable to output a corresponding one of the first collection of the items.

30. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 28, wherein the clipping area is not selectable to output said items included in the second collection.

31. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 28, wherein the second collection of the items are not concurrently displayable as another plurality of bins in the user interface with the plurality of bins representing the first collection of the items.

32. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

memory configured to maintain one or more modules that are executable on the processor to determine if data includes a number of items that is below a threshold, and if so, represent each said item using a corresponding one of a plurality of bins in a carousel such that each said bin is selectable by a user.

33. A computing device as described in claim 32, wherein if the number is determined to be above the threshold, the one or more modules are executable to display the carousel having:

a representation of a first collection of the items for selection by the user; and

a representation of a second collection of the items that are not selectable by the user.

34. A computing device as described in claim 32, wherein the one or more modules are further executable to determine if the number is above another threshold, and if so, display the carousel having:

a representation of a first collection of the items for selection by the user;

a representation of a second collection of the items that are not selectable by the user; and

a clipping area representing a third collection of the items.

35. A computing device as described in claim 32, wherein the one or more modules are further executable to calculate a radius for the carousel based on the number of items.

36. A computing device as described in claim 35, wherein the radius is calculated utilizing a square root function.

37. A computing device as described in claim 32, wherein the one or more modules are further executable to:

receive the data that includes a plurality of hierarchical levels; and

generate a hierarchical carousel view of the data.

38. A computing device as described in claim 37, wherein the hierarchical carousel view includes the carousel and at least one other carousel that each correspond to a respective one of the plurality of hierarchical levels.

39. A computing device as described in claim 32, wherein:

each said bin located in a first portion of the carousel is spaced according to a first set of rules;

each said bin located in a second portion of the carousel is spaced according to a first set of rules; and

the spacing of the first portion of the carousel differs from the spacing of the second portion of the carousel.

40. A computing device as described in claim 32, wherein at least one said bin is expandable for display of another carousel.