User interface with multi-state menu

• US 20060230354A1
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McLees, Lorraine R., Boyce, Douglas A., Gioconda, Thomas G., Jennings, Claire Anna, Brawley, Zoe, Jarrard, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• 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 user interface having a persistent graphical interface element is disclosed. The element may have an appearance of a mechanical structure that traverses one or more displayed tracks. Movement along the tracks may be animated in response to navigation commands. Selectable menu panels may be included in the interface, and may overlay displayed contents of documents being viewed and/or edited to ensure that certain menu options are always available. The menu may be given multiple distinct appearances corresponding to different display sizes.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for generating a user interface, the interface comprising:

a content portion displaying contents of an internet page that is being viewed; and

a persistent interface element overlaying a portion of the internet page, the interface element including a resizing indicia, wherein the interface element is displayable in two states based on selection of the resizing indicia, wherein in a first state the interface element includes selectable menu panels each having text and graphic indicia, and wherein in a second state the interface element includes smaller selectable menu panels having text indicia and lacking the graphic indicia.

2. The medium of claim 1, the interface further comprising:

a feedback display region, wherein in response to user highlighting of one of the menu panels, the feedback display region displays a graphic indicia corresponding to a graphic indicia of the selected menu panel.

3. The medium of claim 2, wherein the corresponding graphic indicia is presented in a color that is different from a color of the menu panel.

4. The medium of claim 2, wherein the feedback display region displays an animation in which one or more door panels are opened to reveal the corresponding graphic indicia.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein in response to the user selection, the resizing indicia is changed to a different appearance indicating that the menu panels may be changed to a different one of the states.

6. The medium of claim 2, wherein the user highlighting is made by hovering a pointer over a menu panel to be selected.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein in response to the highlighting, an additional sub-menu panel is displayed, the sub-menu panel containing additional selectable indicia corresponding to the highlighted menu panel.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the additional selectable indicia includes graphics and text.

9. The medium of claim 7, wherein the sub-menu panel is displayed using an animation that extends the sub-menu panel from the feedback region.

10. The medium of claim 2, wherein the feedback region is also selectable to cause a predetermined home internet page to be viewed.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the sub-menu panel is used for both states of the interface element.

12. The medium of claim 1, wherein the text indicia in the second state is a truncated form of the text indicia in the first state.

13. A method of displaying a document, comprising the steps of:

displaying a persistent interface element overlaying a portion of an internet page, the persistent interface element including a feedback region and a plurality of selectable menu panels, each panel having text and image indicia;

receiving a request to highlight one of the menu panels;

in response to the request, modifying the feedback region to display an indicia corresponding to an indicia found in the selected menu panel; and

receiving a user input finalizing a selection of the menu panel.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of displaying an appearance state indicia on the interface element to indicate that a second appearance state of the element is available.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of in response to receiving an input on the appearance state indicia, replacing the plurality of selectable menu panels with a second plurality of smaller menu panels, the smaller menu panels having truncated versions of the text indicia.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of in response to receiving a request to highlight one of the smaller menu panels, modifying the feedback region to display an indicia corresponding to an indicia associated with the one of the smaller menu panels.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the smaller menu panels lack the image indicia.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for generating a user interface, the interface comprising:

a content portion displaying contents of an internet page that is being viewed;

a persistent interface element overlaying a portion of the internet page, the interface element including a resizing indicia, wherein the interface element is displayable in two states based on selection of the resizing indicia, wherein in a first state the interface element includes selectable menu panels each having text and graphic indicia, and wherein in a second state the interface element includes smaller selectable menu panels having truncated versions of the text indicia and lacking the graphic indicia;

the interface element further including a feedback region, the feedback region having one or more animated door panels to reveal an image indicia corresponding to a highlighted menu panel, wherein the feedback region is further selectable, and upon selection of the feedback region, a predetermined home internet page is displayed.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein said interface element includes at least one rounded edge, and the rounded edge is generated using transparent portions of a non-rounded graphic element.