Glass appearance window frame colorization

• US 20070124692A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hoek, Tjeerd, Lindsay, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

A method for changing a color value and/or level of opacity value of a glass appearance window frame for an application window is described. The method includes steps of determining a defined color value and a defined level of opacity value to apply to a glass appearance window frame and displaying the glass appearance window frame in accordance with the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value. A command may be received to apply the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value to the glass appearance window frame, thereby applying the defined color value and level of opacity value to the glass appearance window frame. Color values and/or level of opacity values may be changed automatically, be application specific, and/or be changed in response to receipt of an input from a user to change one or more portions of a default configuration.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method for applying a color and opacity to a glass appearance window frame when executed by a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a defined color value and a defined level of opacity value to apply to a glass appearance window frame; and

displaying the glass appearance window frame in accordance with the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes steps of:

receiving a command to apply the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value to the glass appearance window frame; and

applying the defined color value and level of opacity value to a blur region behind the glass appearance window frame.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising receiving a command to change a color value and a level of opacity value of the glass appearance window frame to the defined color value and defined level of opacity.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 3, further comprising determining whether to change the color value and the level of opacity value of the glass appearance window frame to the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value are based upon user-defined entries.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising changing an active status of a first application window associated with the glass appearance window frame to an inactive status.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a request to display a second application window;

determining an active status color value and an active status level of opacity value to apply to a glass appearance window frame of the second application window; and

displaying the glass appearance window frame of the second application window in accordance with the active status color value and the active status level of opacity value.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising displaying the glass appearance window frame of the first application window in accordance with an inactive status color value and an inactive status level of opacity value.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the active status level of opacity value corresponds to a more opaque glass appearance window frame than the inactive status level of opacity value.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the glass appearance window frame corresponds to an application window.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising displaying a glass appearance window frame of a taskbar button in accordance with the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to display a first application window, wherein the glass appearance window frame corresponds to the first application window;

receiving a request to display a second application window with a corresponding second glass appearance window frame;

determining whether to apply to the second glass appearance window frame a different color value and a different level of opacity value; and

displaying the second glass appearance window frame of the second application window in accordance with the different color value and the different level of opacity value.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of determining includes determining a user-defined color value and a user-defined level of opacity value, and wherein the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value correspond to the user-defined color value and the user-defined level of opacity value.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the glass appearance window frame is associated with a first application window, the method further comprising:

receiving a request to display a second application window;

determining an application specific color value and an application specific level of opacity value to apply to a second glass appearance window frame of the second application window; and

displaying the second glass appearance window frame of the second application window in accordance with the application specific color value and the application specific level of opacity value,

wherein the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value are defined by a first application corresponding to the first application window and the application specific color value and the application specific level of opacity value are defined by a second application corresponding to the second application window.

15. A system for transferring computer-executable instructions to one or more computers, the system comprising a computer readable medium having the computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method for applying a color and opacity to a glass appearance window frame when executed by the one or more computers, the method comprising steps of:

determining at least one of a defined color value and a defined level of opacity value to apply to a glass appearance window frame;

changing a glass appearance window frame in accordance with the at least one of defined color value and the defined level of opacity value.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a second computer configured to transmit the computer readable instructions to the one or more computers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise steps of:

receiving a command to apply the at least one of the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value to the glass appearance window frame; and

applying the at least one of the defined color value and level of opacity value to a blur region behind the glass appearance window frame.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the defined color value and the defined level of opacity value are based upon user-defined entries.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise a step of changing an active status of a first application window associated with the glass appearance window frame to an inactive status.

20. A software architecture stored on one or more computer-readable media for processing data representative of a change in a color and level of opacity of a glass appearance window frame of an application window, comprising:

at least one component configured to automatically change a color and a level of opacity of a blur region behind a glass appearance window frame of an application window in response to a command; and

at least one application program interface to access the component.