Single action selection of data elements

• US 20070055940A1
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Anthony, Colin, Mann, Justin, Moore, Jason, Van Tilburg, Martijn
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

Various aspects and attributes of a single-click list selection user interface are described herein. A user can toggle the list inclusion status of any item by single clicking on the item in a selection pane of the user interface. When the user single-clicks a storage container item, the selection pane navigates to and displays items in the selected storage container. In order to prevent inadvertent selections, the user interface may provide graphical feedback indicating the inclusion status of an item prior to the user single clicking that item, e.g., responsive to mouse hover over that item. The user interface may further include a list pane which displays all items presently included in the list, regardless of each item'"'"'s original storage container.

Claims

1. A method of data navigation and item selection using a single-click user interface, comprising steps of:

displaying a user interface window on a display screen, said user interface window comprising a selection pane for displaying a plurality of selectable items corresponding to a first storage location, and further comprising a list pane for displaying discrete items included within a list, wherein the plurality of selectable items comprise at least one storage location item and at least one discrete item, wherein each storage location item corresponds to a storage location;

when a user single-clicks on a first discrete item, toggling a status of the first discrete item with respect to inclusion in the list; and

when a user single-clicks on a first storage location item, navigating the selection pane to a storage location corresponding to the first storage location item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a graphical indication of the status of the first discrete item when the first discrete item is in the list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the graphical indication comprises highlighting the first discrete item in the selection pane.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, when an input pointer is hovering over the first discrete item in the selection pane, modifying the graphical depiction of the input pointer to indicate the status of the first discrete item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the modifying step is performed after the input pointer is hovering over the first discrete item for a predetermined amount of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each discrete item comprises a digital image, and the list is a virtual photo album.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each discrete item comprises an audio file, and the list is a playlist.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each discrete item is selectable by an application program,

wherein the displaying step is initiated as a result of the application program requesting a common file dialog, and

wherein the method further comprises the step of, upon receiving user input indicating the list contents are accepted, sending the list contents to the application program as the output of the common file dialog.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of toggling the status of the first discrete item upon receiving user input selecting a context menu item from a context menu corresponding to the first discrete item.

10. The method of claim 1, where the at least on storage container item comprises a virtual folder defined by a user-specified query.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a graphical indication of the status of the first storage location item when at least one other discrete item stored beneath the first storage location item is in the list.

12. One or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions for providing a user interface allowing a user to select the contents of a list, said user interface comprising:

an item selection pane displaying a plurality of items, said plurality of items comprising at least one container item and at least one discrete item capable of being included in the list;

a list pane displaying any contents of the list; and

a pointer controlled by a user-input device, said pointer for pointing to and selecting any of the plurality of items,

wherein, upon the user single-clicking the pointer on any container item, the user interface displays a plurality of items corresponding to the container item in the selection pane, and

wherein upon the user single-clicking the pointer on any discrete item, the user interface toggles an inclusion status of the single-clicked discrete item with respect to the list.

13. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein upon the user pointing the pointer at a first discrete item, the user interface alters the appearance of the pointer to indicate the inclusion status of the first discrete item.

14. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the item selection pane further displays a graphical indication corresponding to any items included in the list.

15. The computer readable media of claim 14, wherein the graphical indication comprises highlighting any items included in the list.

16. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein each discrete item comprises a digital image, and wherein the list is a virtual photo album.

17. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein each discrete item comprises an audio file, and wherein the list is a playlist.

18. The computer readable media of claim 12, wherein the user interface further comprises a user-selectable element to indicate that the list contents are accepted,

wherein each discrete item comprises an item usable by an application program, and

wherein the computer readable medium further stores computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

responsive to receiving a request from the application program for a common file dialog, launching the user interface;

responsive to receiving user input selecting the user-selectable element to indicate that the list contents are accepted, providing an indication of the list contents to the application program.

19. The computer readable media of claim 18, wherein the indication of the list contents comprises a link to each item in the list.