Extensible and Application-Adaptable Toolbar for Web Services

• US 20090271735A1
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sandoval, Jackie, Anderson, Christine, Kikin-Gil, Erez, Chan, Wendy, Stovicek, Thomas Jan, Yang, Sara Liu, Schnoebelen, Tyler, Hirsh, Sandra, Bell, Nancy Jane
• Granted Patent: US 9,841,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/815
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Providing a user interface (UI) on a web page. A toolbar section is defined on the web page. The web page includes a content section being different and separate from the toolbar section, and the content section displays additional content of the web page. One or more groups are specified to include one or more action controls associated therewith. Each of the specified groups has a group identifier associated therewith. The one or more action controls are displayed according to the specified groups in the toolbar section of the web page. Each of the one or more displayed action controls includes properties associated therewith, and the included properties define at least one of the following: a name of the action control, a link of the action control, the group identifier of the action control, and a classification identifier of the action control.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having a data structure stored thereon for providing a user interface (UI) on a web page, said web page having a toolbar section and a content section, said data structure comprising:

a frame data field storing data for a display dimension for displaying the toolbar section;

action data fields storing data for one or more action controls, each of said action data fields storing properties of the one of the action controls; and

group data fields storing data for one or more action groups to be displayed, each of said group data fields storing data identifying the one or more action controls to be included in the one of the action groups for displaying in the toolbar section, said each of the group data fields further storing data representing priorities of the one or more action controls in the action groups, wherein the web page is rendered with the toolbar section having action controls grouped according to the priorities of the one or more action controls indicated by the group data fields and having the display dimension specified by the frame data field.

2. The medium of claim 1, further comprising a classification data field storing data for action classifications, each of the action classifications identifying the one or more action groups to be included therein.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the data for the display dimension of the toolbar section is modifiable in response to a user input, and wherein the one or more action controls in the group data fields are selectively displayed based on the priorities of the one or more action controls as the data for the modifiable display dimension increases or decreases.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the frame data field stores data for one row of icons with a first size or three rows of icons with a second size, each of said icons representing one of the action controls, said first size being greater than the second size.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the properties of the action controls in the action data fields comprise at least one of the following:

a name of the action control, a link of the action control, a group identifier of the action control, and a classification identifier of the action control.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the properties of the action controls in the action data fields comprise a portion of the properties enabling content changes in the content section.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the properties of the action controls in the action data fields and the stored data in the group data fields comprise a portion of the properties responsive to user interactions without producing reactions in the content section.

8. A method for providing a user interface (UI) on a web page, said method comprising:

defining a toolbar section on the web page, wherein the web page includes a content section being different and separate from the toolbar section, said content section displaying additional content of the web page;

specifying one or more groups including one or more action controls associated therewith, each of said specified groups having a group identifier associated therewith; and

displaying the one or more action controls according to the specified groups in the toolbar section of the web page, each of the one or more displayed action controls including properties associated therewith, said included properties defining at least one of the following;

a name of the action control, a link of the action control, the group identifier of the action control, and a classification identifier of the action control.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising defining a classification section in the toolbar section, said classification section defining the classification identifier of each of the one or more action controls in groups, and wherein said displaying comprises displaying the one or more action controls according to the classification identifier in the classification section of the toolbar.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein defining comprises defining the toolbar section according to a display dimension of the toolbar section, said display dimension corresponding to a display dimension of the web page.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying comprises displaying the one or more action controls according to the specified groups based on the group identifier of the action controls, said group identifier of the action controls defining a priority of the action controls in the specified groups.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving user input for modifying the display dimension of the toolbar section.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying comprises displaying the one or more action controls as a function of at least one of the following:

the priority of the action controls in the specified groups, the classification identifier of the action controls in the groups, and the modified display dimension of the toolbar section.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying comprises displaying the one or more action controls with each of the one or more displayed action controls including the properties having at least one of the following:

a portion of the properties enabling content changes in the content section and a portion of the properties responsive to user interactions without producing reactions in the content section.

15. A system for providing a user interface (UI) on a web page, said system comprising:

a processor configured for executing computer-executable instructions for;

defining a toolbar section on the web page, wherein the web page includes a content section being different and separate from the toolbar section, said content section displaying additional content of the web page;

specifying one or more groups including one or more action controls associated therewith, each of said specified groups having a group identifier associated therewith; and

an interface for displaying the one or more action controls according to the specified groups in the toolbar section of the web page, each of the one or more displayed action controls including properties associated therewith, wherein the interface displays the one or more action controls according to at least one of the following;

one row of icons with a first size in the toolbar section and three rows of icons with a second size in the toolbar section, each of said icons representing one of the action controls, said first size being greater than the second size.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to further defining a classification section in the toolbar section, said classification section defining the classification identifier of the one or more action controls in the groups, and wherein the interface displays the one or more action controls according to the classification identifier in the classification section of the toolbar.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor defines the toolbar section according to a display dimension of the toolbar section, said display dimension corresponding to a display dimension of the web page.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the included properties having at least one of the following:

a portion of the properties enabling content changes in the content section and a portion of the properties responsive to user interactions without producing reactions in the content section, and wherein the properties define at least one of the following;

a name of the action control, a link of the action control, the group identifier of the action control, and the classification identifier of the action control.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the interface further receives user input for modifying the display dimension of the toolbar section, and wherein the interface displays the one or more action controls as a function of at least one of the following:

the priority of the action controls in the specified groups, the classification identifier of the action controls in the groups, and the modified display dimension of the toolbar section.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the interface displays the one or more action controls according to the specified groups based on the group identifier of each of the action controls, said group identifier of each of the action controls defining a priority of the action controls in the specified groups.