System and method for resizing and rearranging a composite toolbar by direct manipulation

• US 6,057,836 A
• Filed: 04/01/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kavalam, Jude Jacob, Sandeno, Shawna Rae, Bogdan, Jeffrey L., Brown, Christopher R., Blume, Arthur E.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/840,444
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 345/334, 345/342, 345/326-336, 345/338, 345/337, 345/339-341, 345/343-351, 345/352-354, 345/355-356, 345/135
• US Class Current: 715/779
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A system and method for customizing a composite toolbar via direct on-screen manipulation by resizing the composite toolbar and by rearranging sections within a composite toolbar. A composite toolbar is displayed in an initial configuration state having a resizing area and a plurality of sections displayed on a number n rows. When the resizing area has been dragged in a first direction, the size of the composite toolbar is increased by changing to a larger configuration state having n+1 rows. When the resizing area has been dragged in a second direction, the size of the composite toolbar is decreased by changing to a smaller configuration state having n-1 rows. In another aspect of the present invention, when the one of the sections has been dragged in a first direction, the dragged section is expanded so that it overlaps an adjacent section. When one of the sections has been dragged in a second direction, the dragged section is collapsed so that it reveals an adjacent section.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a display device and an input device and employing a graphical user interface (GUI), a method for rearranging a composite toolbar, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a composite toolbar in an initial configuration state, the composite toolbar having a plurality of sections displayed on a number n rows;

(b) receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a first direction;

(c) in response to one of the sections being moved in a first direction, expanding the moved section so that it overlaps an adjacent section;

(d) receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a second direction;

(e) in response to one of the sections being moved in a second direction, collapsing the section so that it reveals an adjacent section;

(f) receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a third direction;

(g) in response to one of the sections being moved in a third direction, moving the section to a new row and displaying it in an expanded state;

(h) receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a fourth direction; and

(i) in response to one of the sections being moved in a fourth direction, moving the section to an existing adjacent row, displaying the section in an expanded state, and displaying the section previously on the existing adjacent row in a compressed state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in the first or second direction past an adjacent section; and

in response to one of the sections being moved in the first or second direction past the adjacent section, repositioning the section so that it is positioned to the opposite side of the adjacent section.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

in response to moving the section to the existing adjacent row, determining whether one of the n rows is empty; and

in response to one of the n rows being empty, deleting the empty row so that the composite toolbar has n-1 rows, and the plurality of sections are arranged on the n-1 rows.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the input device an indication that the a pointer has been positioned over one of the sections; and

in response to the pointer being positioned over one of the sections, changing the pointer to a predetermined icon indicating that the section can be moved.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the section to a new row results in the composite toolbar having n+1 rows, and the plurality of sections are arranged on the n+1 rows.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been selected; and

in response to one of the sections being selected, displaying the selected section in an expanded state if it is in a compressed state, and displaying the adjacent section in a compressed state.

7. A computer system for rearranging a composite toolbar, comprising:

a processing unit;

an input device connected to the processing unit;

a memory storage device for storing a program module; and

a display device, coupled to the processing unit, for displaying the composite toolbar;

the processing unit, responsive to instructions from the program module running on the computer system, being operative to;

(a) display a composite toolbar in an initial configuration state, the composite toolbar having a plurality of sections displayed on a number n rows;

(b) receive from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a first direction;

(c) in response to one of the sections being moved in a first direction, expand the moved section so that it overlaps an adjacent section;

(d) receive from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a second direction;

(e) in response to one of the sections being moved in a second direction, collapse the moved section so that it reveals the adjacent section;

(f) receive from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a third direction;

(g) in response to one of the sections being moved in a third direction, move the section to a new row and displaying it in an expanded state;

(h) receive from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a fourth direction; and

(i) in Response to one of the sections being moved in a fourth direction, move the section to an existing adjacent row, display the section in an expanded state, and display the section previously on the existing adjacent row in a compressed state.

8. The computer system of claim 7, being further operative to:

receive from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in the first or second direction past an adjacent section; and

in response to one of the sections being moved in the first or second direction past the adjacent section, reposition the moved section so that it is positioned to the opposite side of the adjacent section.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of sections is a stationary section that is displayed in a predetermined position on one of the rows regardless of the number of rows in the configuration state.

10. The computer system of claim 7, being further operative to:

in response to moving the section to an existing adjacent row, determine whether one of the n rows is empty; and

in response to one of the n rows being empty, delete the empty row so that the composite toolbar has n-1 rows, and the plurality of sections are arranged on the n-1 rows.

11. The computer system of claim 7, being further operative to:

receive from the input device an indication that the a pointer has been positioned over one of the sections; and

in response to the pointer being positioned over one of the sections, change the pointer to a predetermined icon indicating that the section can be moved.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein moving the section to a new row results in the composite toolbar having n+1 rows, and the plurality of sections are arranged on the n+1 rows.

13. The computer system of claim 7, being further operative to:

receive from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been selected;

in response to one of the sections being selected, display the selected section in the expanded state if it is in the compressed state, and display the adjacent section in the compressed state.

14. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for rearranging a composite toolbar, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

(a) displaying a composite toolbar in an initial configuration state, the composite toolbar having a plurality of sections displayed on a number n rows;

(b) receiving an indication that the a pointer has been positioned over one of the sections;

(c) in response to the pointer being positioned over one of the sections, changing the pointer to a predetermined icon indicating that the section can be moved;

(d) receiving an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a first direction;

(e) in response to one of the sections being moved in a first direction, expanding the moved section so that it overlaps an adjacent section;

(f) receiving an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a second direction;

(g) in response to one of the sections being moved in a second direction, collapsing the moved section so that it reveals an adjacent section;

(h) receiving an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a third direction;

(i) in response to one of the sections being moved in a third direction, moving the section to a new row and displaying it in an expanded state;

(j) receiving an indication that one of the sections has been moved in a fourth direction;

(k) in response to one of the sections being moved in a fourth direction, moving the section to an existing adjacent row, displaying the section in an expanded state, and displaying the section previously on the existing adjacent row in a compressed state;

(l) in response to moving the section to an existing adjacent row, determining whether one of the n rows is empty; and

(m) in response to one of the n rows being empty, deleting the empty row.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further performing the steps of:

receiving an indication that one of the sections has been moved in the first or second direction past an adjacent section; and

in response to one of the sections being moved in the first or second direction past the adjacent section, repositioning the section so that it is positioned to the opposite side of the adjacent section.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein one of the plurality of sections is a stationary section that is displayed in a predetermined position on one of the rows regardless of the number of rows in the configuration state.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein deleting the empty row results in the composite toolbar having n-1 rows, and the plurality of sections are arranged on the n-1 rows.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein moving the section to a new row results in the composite toolbar having n+1 rows, and the plurality of sections are arranged on the n+1 rows.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further performing the steps of:

receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been selected;

in response to one of the sections being selected, displaying the selected section in the expanded state if it is in the compressed state, and displaying the adjacent section in the compressed state.

20. In a computer system including a display device and an input device and employing a graphical user interface (GUI), a method for rearranging a composite toolbar having a height and a width, comprising the steps of:

displaying a composite toolbar in an initial configuration state, the composite toolbar having a rearranging area and a plurality of sections displayed on a number n rows;

receiving from the input device an indication that the rearranging area has been moved in a first or second direction;

in response to the rearranging area being moved in the first direction, increasing the height of the composite toolbar by changing to a larger configuration state having n+1 rows, while holding the width of the composite toolbar constant, regardless of the size of any of the sections;

in response to the rearranging area being moved in the second direction, decreasing the height of the composite toolbar by changing to a smaller configuration state having n-1 rows, while holding the width of the composite toolbar constant, regardless of the size of any of the sections;

receiving from the input device an indication that a section has been moved in a first, second, third, or fourth direction;

in response to a section being moved in the first direction, moving the section to a new row and displaying it in an expanded state;

in response to a section being moved in the second direction, moving the section to an existing adjacent row, displaying the section in an expanded state, and displaying the section previously on the existing adjacent row in a compressed state;

in response to a section being moved in the third direction, expanding the section so that it overlaps an adjacent section; and

in response to a section being moved in the fourth direction, collapsing the section so that it reveals an adjacent section.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been moved in the third or fourth direction past the adjacent section; and

in response to one of the sections being moved in the third or fourth direction past the adjacent section, repositioning the moved section so that it is positioned to the opposite side of the adjacent section.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein, in the larger configuration state, the plurality of sections are arranged on the n+1 rows.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein, in the smaller configuration state, the plurality of sections are arranged on the n-1 rows.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

in response to moving the section to an existing adjacent row, determining whether one of the n rows is empty; and

in response to one of the n rows being empty, deleting the empty row so that the composite toolbar has n-1 rows, and the plurality of sections are arranged on the n-1 rows.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein moving the section to a new row results in the composite toolbar having n+1 rows, and the plurality of sections are arranged on the n+1 rows.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

receiving from the input device an indication that one of the sections has been selected;

in response to one of the sections being selected, displaying the selected section in the expanded state if it is in the compressed state, and displaying the adjacent section in the compressed state.