System and method for creating and customizing a deskbar

• US 6,072,486 A
• Filed: 01/13/1998
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stoakley, Richard Wales, Sheldon, Michael G., Chew, Chee H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US09/006,345
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 345/145, 345/333-335, 345/339-340, 345/348-349, 345/351, 345/354, 709/300, 709/302
• US Class Current: 715/835
• 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 creating and customizing an architectural component, namely a deskbar. The deskbar may simultaneously contain toolbars and toolbar components from multiple application programs, and may exist in an application window or on the desktop. This allows a user to select toolbar components or entire toolbars from one or more application programs and house these toolbars or toolbar components in a single deskbar. Users may also create new deskbars and populate them with selected toolbars and toolbar components. The user is then able to use these tool bar components and toolbars to perform their standard functions at any time without being required to directly access the specific application program that is associated with the toolbar component or toolbar. The user is also able to resize, move, and delete deskbars as desired by direct manipulation. Furthermore, a deskbar is operable throughout deskbar-aware environments, such as an operating system or various application programs and their associated application windows.

Claims

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

displaying a first existing deskbar having a deskband in a predetermined area;

receiving from the input device an indication that the deskband has been moved out of the predetermined area;

in response to the indication that the deskband has been moved out of the predetermined area, determining whether the deskband has been moved to a second existing deskbar; and

in response to the deskband not being moved to the second existing deskbar, creating a new deskbar containing the deskband.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying, in response to the deskband being moved to a second existing deskbar, the deskband in the second existing deskbar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first existing deskbar is associated with an application window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the deskband is selected from a group including an icon, a toolbar, and a status bar.

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

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

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

6. A method for manipulating and using band objects between applications windows associated with their respective application programs and a desktop associated with a host operating system, comprising the steps of:

moving a band object from a first application window associated with a first application program to the desktop;

in response to moving the band object;

creating a deskbar on the desktop for hosting the band object;

accessing a second application program; and

using the band object in connection with the second application program without accessing the first application program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the band object provides access to a function associated with the first application program.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the deskbar manages the display screen real-estate for the band object by negotiating space with the host operating system.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of accessing a third application program and moving an associated band object to the desktop so that the associated band object can be used in the context of any application program without having to access or execute the third application program.

10. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for creating a new deskbar and customizing an existing deskbar, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

displaying a first existing deskbar having a deskband in a predetermined area;

receiving an indication that the deskband has been moved out of the predetermined area;

in response to the indication that the deskband has been moved out of the predetermined area, determining whether the deskband has been moved to a second existing deskbar;

in response to the deskband not being moved to the second existing deskbar, creating a new deskbar containing the deskband; and

in response to the deskband being moved to the second existing deskbar, displaying the deskband in the second existing deskbar.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first existing deskbar is associated with an application window.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of removing the deskband from the first existing deskbar.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the deskband is copied from the first existing deskbar so that the deskbar is displayed in both the first existing deskbar and the new deskbar or second existing deskbar.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the deskband is selected from a group including an icon, a toolbar, and a status bar.