View-based navigation model for graphical user interfaces

• US 20060107218A1
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Clark, Bradford R., Feliberti, Vanessa Cristina
• Application Number:
  US11/333,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20060107218A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/733
• 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

Abstract

A graphical user interface for grouping a collection of objects having related categories or actions in a common product-neutral container of a navigation tree. The grouping permits a user to easily locate related objects from plurality of computer system or network product hierarchical trees in a single container.

Claims

1. In a computer system connected to a network, the computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method for displaying a top-level container comprising selectable objects on a navigation tree, the method comprising:

defining the top-level container based upon a category of selectable objects on the navigation tree it contains, said objects being associated with a plurality of products or functions; and

displaying the selectable objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable objects are displayed in a multiple pane navigation display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the multiple pane navigation display comprises a top-level pane, a first detail-level pane, and a second detail-level pane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the products or functions are located on a plurality of navigation trees associated with a plurality of servers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of top-level containers of fixed product-independent categories.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the categories are selected from the group consisting of users, recipients, server configuration, servers, tools, global configuration, and organization configuration.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user or recipients top-level container comprises objects on the navigation tree that are associated with users of a plurality of products on a network.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the server configuration or servers top-level container comprises objects on the navigation tree that are associated with servers having a plurality of functions.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the toolbox top-level container comprises objects on the navigation tree that are associated with system tools for a plurality of products on a network.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the global configuration or organization configuration container comprises objects on the navigation tree that are associated with configuration actions utilized to globally configure items on a network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-executable method of claim 1.

12. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a first field of data representing a container on a navigation tree; and

a second field of data representing a plurality of objects on the navigation tree of a related category or action contained in the first field of data;

said objects being located on a plurality of different hierarchical trees.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second field of data comprises data on the navigation tree located on a plurality of product hierarchical trees.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the plurality of hierarchical trees represent product or function information for products or functions that are executing on one or more servers.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second field of data comprises objects on the navigation tree associated with users, recipients, server configuration, servers, system tools, global configuration, or organization configuration of a network.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second field of data comprises objects on the navigation tree associated with users of a plurality of products on a network.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second field of data comprises objects on the navigation tree associated with servers having a plurality of functions.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second field of data comprises objects on the navigation tree associated with system tools for a plurality of products on a network.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

providing a navigational tree comprising a top-level container; and

providing a plurality of objects on the navigation tree of a related category or action contained in the top-level container, wherein the objects are located on a plurality of hierarchical trees.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the objects on the navigation tree are associated with users, recipients, server configuration, servers, tools, global configuration, or organization configuration of a network.