Desktop management scheme

• US 20070157125A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Peters, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/837
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

The present invention introduces a “contextual icon” to an icon-driven interface in which a single icon represents a shortcut to a suite of computer applications. The icon is associated with a single main application that may be invoked if an operator double-clicks on it or enters some other predetermined quick launch command. The desktop icon also may be associated with a context menu that reveals ancillary applications or tools that are related to the suite and typically are used less frequently than the main menu. The context menu may be opened with an ancillary interaction command (example: right clicking on the icon) and, thereafter, an operator may browse through and select an application from the context menu that may be desired. In this way, the contextual icon management scheme reduces desktop clutter while maintaining a highly intuitive navigation scheme among related applications.

Claims

1. An icon-driven user interface for a computer system comprising at least one context icon in which:

a quick launch command asserted on the context icon causes launch of a main application, and

an interaction command asserted on the context icon causes the user interface to open a context menu displaying at least one entry corresponding to secondary application associated with the context icon.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the quick launch command is a double click entered through a pointer device of a computer system.

3. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the interaction command is a right click entered through a pointer device of a computer system.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the context icon is provided on a desktop of the user interface.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the context icon is provided in a folder of the user interface.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the context icon is provided in a pull down menu of the user interface.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the context icon is provided in a pull up menu of the user interface.

8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the context icon is provided in a system tray of the user interface.

9. A computer system, comprising:

integrated processor, memory and display apparatus,

the processor operating through program instructions to render an icon-based graphical user interface (GUI) via the display, wherein for a context icon therein the GUI provides navigation pathways to a plurality of application programs of the computer systems.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein

a first navigation pathway is a quick launch command entered by a double-click of a pointer device against the context icon and

a second navigation pathway is a right click entered through the pointer device of against the context icon.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the context icon is provided on a desktop of the user interface.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the context icon is provided in a folder of the user interface.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the context icon is provided in a pull down menu of the user interface.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the context icon is provided in a pull up menu of the user interface.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the context icon is provided in a system tray of the user interface.

16. A management method for an icon-based user interface of a computer system, comprising:

when a first icon of the user interface is moved over a second icon by a drag and drop operation, determining whether the first icon represents an application program and,

if so, replacing the icons with a context icon, the context icon having command pathways to each of the application programs formerly represented by the icons.

17. The management method of claim 16, further comprising, in response to another drag and drop operation performed with respect to a third icon and the context icon, deleting the third icon from the user interface and adding a command pathway to the context icon that references an application program formerly represented by the third icon.

18. A management method for an icon-based user interface of a computer system, comprising:

selecting a plurality of icons from the user interface based on operator selection,

in response to an operator command, replacing the selected icons with a context icon, the context icon having command pathways to application programs formerly represented by the selected icons.

19. The management method of claim 18, further comprising, in response to a drag and drop operation performed with respect to an other icon and the context icon, deleting the other icon from the user interface and adding a command pathway to the context icon that references an application program formerly represented by the other icon.