Task-Sensitive Methods and Systems for Displaying Command Sets
First Claim
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1. A computer-readable storage medium providing non-volatile storage of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause a computer system to:
- display a user interface of a software application program, the user interface comprising;
a document area displaying a document, anda container area proximate the document area, the container area not obscuring the document area; and
in response to selection of a given object within the document area;
determine whether a first context block is relevant to a task that a user is able to accomplish on the document, the first context block comprising a first plurality of user-selectable commands;
in response to determining that the first context block is relevant to the task and is not displayed in the container area, display the first context block within the container area; and
in response to determining that a second context block is displayed in the container area and that the second context block is not relevant to any task in the set of tasks, hide the second context block.
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Abstract
Methods and systems present commands to a user within a software application program by determining the user'"'"'s context within the application program and automatically presenting in a user interface commands that pertain to the user'"'"'s current context. When the user'"'"'s context changes, the context-sensitive commands are automatically removed from the user interface. In one implementation context blocks and context panes are employed to present the commands.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-readable storage medium providing non-volatile storage of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processing units, cause a computer system to:
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display a user interface of a software application program, the user interface comprising; a document area displaying a document, and a container area proximate the document area, the container area not obscuring the document area; and in response to selection of a given object within the document area; determine whether a first context block is relevant to a task that a user is able to accomplish on the document, the first context block comprising a first plurality of user-selectable commands; in response to determining that the first context block is relevant to the task and is not displayed in the container area, display the first context block within the container area; and in response to determining that a second context block is displayed in the container area and that the second context block is not relevant to any task in the set of tasks, hide the second context block. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computing system comprising:
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one or more processing units; and one or more computer-readable media that provides nonvolatile storage of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing units, cause the computing system to; display a user interface of a software application program, the user interface comprising; a document area displaying a document; a container area, the container area not obscuring the document area; in response to selection of a given object within the document area; determine whether a first context block is relevant in a task that a user is able to accomplish on the document, the first context block comprising a plurality of user-selectable commands; determine whether a second context block is relevant to the task, the second context block comprising a second plurality of user-selectable commands, the plurality of user-selectable commands in the first context block being different than the second plurality of user-selectable commands in the second context block; display the first context block within the container area when the first context block is not displayed in the container area prior to the selection of the given object and the first context block is relevant to the task; and hide the second context block when the second context block is displayed in the container area and the second context block is not relevant to the task. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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displaying a user interface of a software application program, the user interface comprising; a document area displaying a document; a container area proximate the document area, the container area not obscuring the document area; in response to a user selecting an object within the document area, performing the following actions; determining, by a computing system, whether a first context block is relevant to a task that the user is able to perform on the object, the first context block comprising a plurality of user-selectable commands; in response to determining the first context block is relevant to the task, making the first context block visible within the container area. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification