Exposing Non-Authoring Features Through Document Status Information In An Out-Space User Interface

• US 20090083656A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Alberts, Amy E., Guntaur, Paula, Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Dukhon, Marina
• Granted Patent: US 8,762,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

An out-space actuator is selected to access an out-space user interface for a document editor program. An out-space actuator is associated with an in-space user interface having a displayed document. When the out-space actuator is selected, an out-space user interface is displayed that includes an expanded feature selection surface. The out-space user interface may be used to display one or more status panes for providing status information about a document being edited in the in-space user interface. Application features for affecting changes to a given document'"'"'s status may be exposed in the out-space interface in proximity to associated status information. An out-space communication user interface (UI) component may be temporarily displayed in the document in-space user interface to communicate document status information that is presently available in the out-space user interface. A message bar may be displayed in the in-space user interface for communicating information from the out-space user interface.

Claims

1. A method of exposing document features in association with status information for a document, comprising:

providing an in-space user interface having an out-space actuator associated with the in-space user interface, wherein the in-space user interface includes a document display area for creating and editing a document;

receiving a status of the document;

determining a non-authoring feature that may be utilized for changing the status of the document;

receiving a selection of the out-space actuator;

in response to receiving the selection of the out-space actuator, displaying an out-space user interface;

displaying the status of the document in the out-space user interface; and

displaying information about the feature that may be utilized for changing the status of the document in the out-space user interface with the displayed status of the document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the status of the document in the out-space user interface includes displaying an explanation of how the status of the document may be changed by utilizing the determined features that may be utilized for changing the status of the document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the status of the document in the out-space user interface includes displaying the status of the document in a document status display pane that is displayed in the out-space user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying a selectable control in proximity to the displayed status of the document for accessing the feature for changing the status of the document.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying a selectable control in proximity to the displayed status of the document includes displaying the selectable control in the document status display pane.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying the status of the document in a document display pane includes applying a visual indication to the document status display pane to indicate an importance level associated with the displayed status of the document.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising dynamically updating the status of the document displayed in the document status display pane as the status of the document changes.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining a plurality of features that may be utilized for changing the status of the document.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a selectable control for each of the plurality of features that may be utilized for changing the status of the document in the document status display pane as a logical grouping of feature controls for accessing each of the plurality of features for changing the status of the document.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status of the document includes receiving information as to any restrictions on access to the document applied to the document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status of the document includes receiving information as to whether any digital signatures have been applied to the document.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a status of the document further comprises receiving information as to a status of any digital signatures applied to the document.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status of the document includes receiving information as to whether the document is being edited by more than one user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status of the document includes receiving information as to whether any previous versions of the document are available for use.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status of the document includes receiving information as to an edit mode applied to the document.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a status of the document includes receiving information as to a file format with which the document was generated.

17. A computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of exposing document features in association with status information for a document, comprising:

receiving a status of a document being edited in a computer-generated user interface;

determining a non-authoring feature that may be utilized for changing the status of the document;

launching a secondary computer-generated user interface for displaying the status of the document;

displaying the status of the document in the secondary computer-generated user interface; and

displaying information about the feature that may be utilized for changing the status of the document in the secondary computer-generated user interface with the displayed status of the document.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17,

wherein displaying the status of the document in the secondary computer-generated user interface includes displaying the status of the document in a document status display pane that is displayed in the secondary computer-generated user interface;

and

wherein displaying information about the feature that may be utilized for changing the status of the document in the secondary computer-generated user interface with the displayed status of the document includes displaying a selectable control in the document status display pane for accessing the feature for changing the status of the document.

19. A method of exposing document features in association with status information for a document, comprising:

receiving a status of a document being edited in a computer-generated user interface;

determining a non-authoring feature that may be utilized for changing the status of the document;

launching a secondary computer-generated user interface for displaying the status of the document;

displaying the status of the document in a document status display pane that is displayed in the secondary computer-generated user interface;

displaying a selectable control in the document status display pane for accessing the feature for changing the status of the document; and

monitoring the status of the document, and dynamically updating the status of the document displayed in the document status display pane as the status of the document changes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein in response to dynamically updating the status of the document displayed in the document status display pane as the status of the document changes, determining whether a different feature is available that may be utilized for changing the dynamically updated status of the document, and if a different feature is available that may be utilized for changing the dynamically updated status of the document, displaying a selectable control in the document status display pane for accessing the different feature that may be utilized for changing the dynamically updated status of the document.