Two level hierarchy in-window gallery

• US 20070101299A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shaw, Han-Yi, Trescases, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A graphical user interface is disclosed which allows users to interface with a computer operating system and/or application programs running in conjunction with the operating system. For an Office-style suite application program, a gallery bar may be displayed under the main task row of functions. The gallery bar has a first tier of tabs, where each tab corresponds to a high level formatting option associated with the current application program being used from the suite. When a user selects one of the first level tabs, a row of second level tabs is provided for the first selected tab. These second level tabs provide users with a simple range of functionality associated with the user'"'"'s most commonly used formatting tasks. A gallery of thumbnail templates of various document types or other categories is also displayed in association with the second level options. These gallery thumbnails provide an easy and engaging manner for discovering and using advanced features in the Office suite of application programs.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing a graphical user interface on the display, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a first level of categories of functions;

(b) displaying a second level of categories of functions, the second level of categories of functions being subcategories of a selected first level category of functions; and

(c) displaying a visual representation of one or more functions, the visual representation of one or more functions being one or more subcategories of a selected second level category of functions, and the visual representation of one or more functions providing a visual indication of the function represented by the visual representation.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, said step (a) of displaying a first level of categories of functions comprising the step of displaying a first level hierarchy of formatting options.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, said step (b) of displaying a second level of categories of functions comprising the step of displaying a second level hierarchy of formatting options.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one additional level of categories of functions above said first level of categories of functions.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, said step (a) of displaying a first level of categories of functions comprising the step of displaying seven or less buttons on the display for a user to select from.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, said step (b) of displaying a second level of categories of functions comprising the step of displaying seven or less buttons on the display for a user to select from.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, the seven or less first level categories of functions and the seven or less second level of categories of functions being displayed horizontally adjacent to each other across a length of the display.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of displaying at least one of a title and description of a visual representation of a function when a screen cursor controlled by a user is positioned over the visual representation of the function.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of magnifying a visual representation of a function when a screen cursor controlled by a user is positioned over the visual representation of the function.

10. In a computer system having a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing a graphical user interface on the display, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a first level of categories of formatting options;

(b) displaying a second level of categories of formatting options, the second level of categories of formatting options being subcategories of a selected first level category of formatting options; and

(c) displaying a visual representation of one or more formatting options, the visual representation of one or more formatting options being one or more subcategories of a selected second level category of formatting options, at least one of the second level of categories of formatting options and the visual representation of one or more formatting options being customizable by a user of the graphical user interface.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, at least one of the second level of categories of formatting options and the visual representation of one or more formatting options being customizable by a user of the graphical user interface comprising the step of allowing a second level of categories of formatting options to be repositioned on the display relative to others of the second level of categories of formatting options.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, at least one of the second level of categories of formatting options and the visual representation of one or more formatting options being customizable by a user of the graphical user interface comprising the step of allowing a visual representation of one or more formatting options to be repositioned on the display relative to other visual representations of formatting options.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, at least one of the second level of categories of formatting options and the visual representation of one or more formatting options being customizable by a user of the graphical user interface comprising the step of allowing a user to add additional visual representations of additional formatting options to the graphical user interface.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for programming a processor to perform a method of providing a graphical user interface on a display, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a first level of categories of formatting options;

(b) displaying a second level of categories of formatting options, the second level of categories of formatting options being subcategories of a selected first level category of formatting options; and

(c) displaying visual representations of formatting options, the visual representations of formatting options being subcategories of a selected second level category of formatting options, at least one of the second level of categories of formatting options and the visual representations of formatting options being customizable by a user of the graphical user interface.

15. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, the method further comprising the step of providing a scrolling feature allowing a user to scroll through groups of the visual representations of formatting options.

16. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, the method further comprising the step of highlighting a visual representation of a formatting option when crossed over by a cursor driven by a user interface selection device.

17. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, the second level of categories of formatting options and the visual representations of formatting options being customizable by a user of the graphical user interface comprising the step of allowing the second level of categories of formatting options to be repositioned on the display relative to others of the second level of categories of formatting options, and/or allowing a visual representation of a formatting option to be repositioned on the display relative to other visual representations of formatting options.

18. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, the second level of categories of formatting options and the visual representations of formatting options being customizable by a user of the graphical user interface comprising the step of allowing a user to add additional visual representations of additional formatting options to the graphical user interface.

19. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the graphical user interface is provided in at least one of a word processing application program, a spreadsheet application program and a presentation application program.

20. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 20, wherein changes made to the graphical user interface for one of the application programs is incorporated into the graphical user interface of at least one other application program.