Method and system for implementing enhanced buttons in a graphical user interface

• US 20060143575A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sauermann, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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 method and system are provided for implementing enhanced buttons in graphical user interface of a software application running on computer system. The enhanced buttons allow additional options to be presented to the user in a context-sensitive manner in the same graphical user interface screen that the user is interacting with. The enhanced buttons are context-sensitive buttons that appear on a graphical user interface window as a result of an initiating action or operation selected from the screen. The initiating operation may be linked to a field, button, or other graphical element or object on the screen and the context-sensitive buttons are associated with this linked graphical element. The context-sensitive buttons may be displayed on the graphical user interface screen in relation to the associated graphical element.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a subordinate button in a graphical user interface of a software application viewable on a display device, comprising:

initiating an operation from a window in the graphical user interface, wherein the operation represents an action to be performed with respect to a displayed data item and the operation is associated with a primary button in the graphical user interface;

associating the subordinate button with the primary button as a function of the initiated operation and the primary button; and

displaying the subordinate button in the graphical user interface in relation to at least one of the primary button and the displayed data item.

2. The method according to claim 1, the associating step further comprising:

associating the subordinate button with the primary button as a function of a predefined button hierarchy.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subordinate button is a confirmation button requesting a user to at least one of confirm and abort the initiated operation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initiated operation is a deletion operation and the deletion operation is associated with a delete button as the primary button in the graphical user interface.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary button disappears from the window of the graphical user interface while the subordinate button is displayed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the subordinate button is displayed at the same location as the primary button in the graphical user interface.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subordinate button is displayed using at least one of an animation and a graphical effect.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a button text for the primary button is altered as a function of the displayed subordinate button.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

inactivating the graphical user interface other than the subordinate button so that no action can be taken other than selecting at least one subordinate button;

reactivating the graphical user interface after at least one of the subordinate button is selected by a user action and a designated interval of time has passed; and

removing the subordinate button from the graphical user interface as a function of reactivating the graphical user interface.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the subordinate button is removed from the graphical user interface using at least one of an animation and a graphical effect.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing the subordinate button from the graphical user interface as a result of a user action in the graphical user interface wherein the user action is not directed toward the subordinate button.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the subordinate button is removed from the graphical user interface using at least one of an animation and a graphical effect.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing the subordinate button from the graphical user interface as a result of a designated interval of time passing.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the subordinate button is removed from the graphical user interface using at least one of an animation and a graphical effect.

15. A method for displaying a subordinate button in a graphical user interface of a software application viewable on a display device, comprising:

initiating an operation from a window in the graphical user interface, wherein the operation is associated with a displayed item in the graphical user interface;

associating the subordinate button with the displayed item as a function of the initiated operation and the displayed item; and

displaying the subordinate button in the graphical user interface in relation to the displayed item.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the subordinate button is a confirmation button requesting a user to at least one of confirm and abort the initiated operation.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the displayed item disappears from the window of the graphical user interface while the subordinate button is displayed.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the subordinate button is displayed at the same location as the displayed item in the graphical user interface.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the subordinate button is displayed using at least one of an animation and a graphical effect.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein a text value for the displayed item altered as a function of the displayed s ubordinate button.

21. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

inactivating the graphical user interface other than the subordinate button so that no action can be taken other than selecting at least one subordinate button;

reactivating the graphical user interface after at least one of the subordinate button is selected by a user action and a designated interval of time has passed; and

removing the subordinate button from the graphical user interface as a function of reactivating the graphical user interface.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the subordinate button is removed from the graphical user interface using at least one of an animation and a graphical effect.

23. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

removing the subordinate button from the graphical user interface as a result of a user action in the graphical user interface wherein the user action is not directed toward the subordinate button.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the subordinate button is removed from the graphical user interface using at least one of an animation and a graphical effect.

25. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

removing the subordinate button from the graphical user interface as a result of a designated interval of time passing.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the subordinate button is removed from the graphical user interface using at least one of an animation and a graphical effect.

27. A system for displaying a subordinate button in a graphical user interface of a software application viewable on a display device, comprising:

a program memory;

a storage device; and

a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to;

(i) initiate an operation from a window in the graphical user interface, wherein the operation represents an action to be performed with respect to a displayed data item and the operation is associated with a primary button in the graphical user interface;

(ii) associate the subordinate button with the primary button as a function of the initiated operation and the primary button; and

(iii) display the subordinate button in the graphical user interface in relation to at least one of the primary button and the displayed data item.

28. A system for displaying a subordinate button in a graphical user interface of a software application viewable on a display device, comprising:

a program memory;

a storage device; and

a processor, wherein the processor is adapted to;

(i) initiate an operation from a window in the graphical user interface, wherein the operation is associated with a displayed item in the graphical user interface;

(ii) associate the subordinate button with the displayed item as a function of the initiated operation and the displayed item; and

(iii) display the subordinate button in the graphical user interface in relation to the displayed item.

29. A computer readable medium including instructions adapted to execute a method for displaying a subordinate button in a graphical user interface of a software application viewable on a display device, the method comprising:

initiating an operation from a window in the graphical user interface, wherein the operation represents an action to be performed with respect to a displayed data item and the operation is associated with a primary button in the graphical user interface;

associating the subordinate button with the primary button as a function of the initiated operation and the primary button; and

displaying the subordinate button in the graphical user interface in relation to at least one of the primary button and the displayed data item.

30. A computer readable medium including instructions adapted to execute a method for displaying a subordinate button in a graphical user interface of a software application viewable on a display device, the method comprising:

initiating an operation from a window in the graphical user interface, wherein the operation is associated with a displayed item in the graphical user interface;

associating the subordinate button with the displayed item as a function of the initiated operation and the displayed item; and

displaying the subordinate button in the graphical user interface in relation to the displayed item.