METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GROUPING AND STACKING TAB USER INTERFACE OBJECTS WITH ICON STATUS INDICATORS

• US 20080040682A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Perry, Ethan, Joslin, Andrew S., Sorenson, Michael Whitney
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/777
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A method and system for grouping and stacking tab user interface objects with icon status indicators. Tabs are grouped together, and each tab group is visually represented by a single top tab, under which all tabs in the group are stacked. The top tab of a tab group provides visual indication through one or more icons of which tab in the group is currently selected, and of at least one status of each tab in the group. The tab groups may be displayed as part of a row or rows of tabs that provide the user with control over the contents of an associated view pane. The user can select a tab group to be currently active with respect to other tabs in the tab row(s) in the user interface by clicking on the top tab for that group. When a menu indicator in the top tab for a group is clicked on by the user, a menu is generated that allows the user to indicate (e.g. click on) any tab within the group in order to cause that tab to become the currently selected tab for the group. The display items associated with the currently selected tab in a group are displayed in the associated view pane when that tab group is currently active within the tab row(s).

Claims

1. A method of providing a graphical user interface, comprising:

displaying a top tab display object, wherein said top tab display object represents a group of tab display objects; and

displaying at least one icon in said top tab display object, wherein said at least one icon visually indicates a currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of display objects, and wherein said at least one icon also visually indicates a status associated with each of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting, responsive to a user clicking on said top tab display object, said group of tab display objects as currently active in a tab display object row;

displaying, responsive to said user clicking on a menu activation portion of said top tab display object, a tab selection menu, wherein said tab selection menu includes a plurality of menu items, wherein each menu item in said tab selection menu corresponds to one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects, and wherein each of said tab display objects is represented by a corresponding one of said menu items in said tab selection menu;

setting, responsive to said user clicking on one of said of menu items in said tab selection menu, one of said tab display objects as said currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects; and

displaying at least one display object associated with said currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

wherein said at least one icon includes a plurality of icons, wherein each of said plurality of icons corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of icons visually represents whether said corresponding one of said plurality of tab display objects in said group of tab display objects is said currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each of said plurality of icons visually also represents said state of said corresponding one of said plurality of tab display objects.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one display object comprises at least one widget.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said at least one display object comprises a Web page.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying, in said top tab display object, a title of said currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

9. A system comprising a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having program code stored thereon for providing a graphical user interface, said program code comprising:

program code for displaying a top tab display object, wherein said top tab display object represents a group of tab display objects; and

program code for displaying at least one icon in said top tab display object, wherein said at least one icon visually indicates a currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of display objects, and wherein said at least one icon also visually indicates a status associated with each of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

10. The system of claim 9, said program code further comprising:

program code for setting, responsive to a user clicking on said top tab display object, said group of tab display objects as currently active in a tab display object row;

program code for displaying, responsive to said user clicking on a menu activation portion of said top tab display object, a tab selection menu, wherein said tab selection menu includes a plurality of menu items, wherein each menu item in said tab selection menu corresponds to one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects, and wherein each of said tab display objects is represented by a corresponding one of said menu items in said tab selection menu;

program code for setting, responsive to said user clicking on one of said of menu items in said tab selection menu, one of said tab display objects as said currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects; and

program code for displaying at least one display object associated with said currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

wherein said at least one icon includes a plurality of icons, wherein each of said plurality of icons corresponds to a respective one of said plurality of tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of icons visually represents whether said corresponding one of said plurality of tab display objects in said group of tab display objects is said currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of said plurality of icons visually also represents said state of said corresponding one of said plurality of tab display objects.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one display object comprises at least one widget.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one display object comprises a Web page.

16. The system of claim 13, said program code further comprising program code for displaying, in said top tab display object, a title of said currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

17. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having program code stored thereon for providing a graphical user interface, said program code comprising:

program code for displaying a top tab display object, wherein said top tab display object represents a group of tab display objects; and

program code for displaying at least one icon in said top tab display object, wherein said at least one icon visually indicates a currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of display objects, and wherein said at least one icon also visually indicates a status associated with each of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

18. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, said computer data signal have program code stored thereon for providing a graphical user interface, said program code comprising:

program code for displaying a top tab display object, wherein said top tab display object represents a group of tab display objects; and

program code for displaying at least one icon in said top tab display object, wherein said at least one icon visually indicates a currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of display objects, and wherein said at least one icon also visually indicates a status associated with each of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.

19. A system for providing a graphical user interface, said program code comprising:

means for displaying a top tab display object, wherein said top tab display object represents a group of tab display objects; and

means for displaying at least one icon in said top tab display object, wherein said at least one icon visually indicates a currently selected one of said tab display objects in said group of display objects, and wherein said at least one icon also visually indicates a status associated with each of said tab display objects in said group of tab display objects.