Docking and undocking user interface objects

• US 20070044035A1
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Erickson, Paul, Amadio, Louis, Amos, Keira, Fisher, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• 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

The present invention relates to a system and method for displaying information or a part within a second application, such as a sidebar application. The part can be docked in the sidebar application or undocked from the sidebar application and can send corresponding docking messages in a docking protocol to the sidebar application based on the docking status of the part or the location of the part in relation to the sidebar application. Graphically depicted animations indicate to a user the docking and/or undocking processes.

Claims

1. A method of providing information in an application on a display comprising:

launching a first application, the first application displaying information on a display of the first application;

moving the display of the first application in relation to a display of a second application;

displaying the information of the first application within the second application when the display of the first application overlaps at least a portion of the display of the second application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the launching further includes the first application sending a message to the second application, the message indicating a docking status.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second application is a sidebar and the first application is a part executable by the sidebar.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the message is one of WM_SIDEBAR_STARTDOCKED and WM_SIDEBAR_STARTUNDOCKED.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein after the moving step, the first application sends a first message to the second application.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein after the moving step, the display of the first application overlaps at least a portion of the display of the second application and the message comprises WM_SIDEBAR_DROP.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the moving step includes sending a message from the first application to the second application.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first application was previously docked on the second application and the message comprises WM_SIDEBAR_DRAGOVER.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first application was not previously docked on the second application and the first application does not overlap the second application.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the message comprises WM_SIDEBAR_DRAGOUT.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the moving step includes sending a message from the first application to the second application and the first application overlaps the second application, the message comprising WM_SIDEBAR_DRAGOVER.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the displaying step includes passing control of the first application to the second application.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein passing control includes creating a new display of the first application, the new display including the content from the window of the first application and wherein passing control further includes deleting the window of the first application.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising after the displaying step, moving the display of the first application away from the display of the second application.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of moving the display of the first application away from the display of the second application includes copying the contents of the display of the first application into a new window of the first application and deleting the display of the first application.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of displaying includes displaying an animation for indicating the display of the display of the first application in the display of the second application.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of moving the display includes moving the first application into the display of the second application and wherein the animation includes displaying a deformation of a border of the second application.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of moving the display includes moving the first application out of the display of the second application in a move direction and wherein the animation includes displaying a lateral displacement of a border of the second application in the move direction when the display of the first application abuts the border of the second application and displaying a lateral displacement of the border of the second application in a direction opposite to the move direction when the display of the first application substantially passes the border of the second application during the step of moving.

19. A method of providing information in an application comprising:

displaying a first display of a first application within a display of a second application on a display, the second application controlling the display of the first application;

moving the first display of the first application away from the display of the second application, the first application controlling the display of the first application when the display of the first application does not overlap the display of the second application.

20. A method of providing information in an application comprising:

launching a first application, the first application displaying information in a first display of the first application;

sending a first message to a second application, the first message being WM_SIDEBAR_STARTUNDOCKED if a previous display of the first application was undocked to the second application, otherwise the first message being WM_SIDEBAR_STARTDOCKED;

moving the first display of the first application in relation to a display of the second application;

sending a second message to the second application during the moving step, the second message being WM_SIDEBAR_DRAGOUT if the first display of the first application was not previously docked to the second application and the first display of the first application does not overlap the display of the second application, otherwise the second message being WM_SIDEBAR_DRAGOVER;

sending a third message to the second application after the moving step and displaying a second display of the first application within the display of the second application if the first display of the first application overlaps at least a portion of the display of the second application, the third message being WM_SIDEBAR_DROP, the second window of the first application including substantially content of the first display of the first application and being created responsive to the third message.