Method and system to provide functionality access based on user approach to network and system management tasks

• US 6,175,363 B1
• Filed: 05/29/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Besaw, Lawrence M., Raymond, Robert, Hermann, Alfred, Williams, Evelyn L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thomas T.
• Application Number:
  US09/086,635
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 345/348, 345/350, 345/354, 345/331, 345/335, 345/969, 345/356, 345/357, 345/352, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 715/746
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/969 Network layout and operation interface

Abstract

The user interface of a window in a windows-based computer environment, such as an application window (50) or a launcher window (10), has controls that provide a user with an explicit mechanism for changing the user interface approach taken by the user interface in presenting functionality of network and systems management applications to the user via the user interface. The following types of user interface approaches can be obtained in network and systems management applications: an object-based approach, is a task-based approach, an information-based approach, and a tool-based approach. A change in the user interface approach via an approach control mechanism (14) is typically associated with a corresponding change in the items presented to the user and the way in which functionality will be used.

Claims

1. A user interface of a window of a windows-based computer environment that provides means for allowing a user to change the way in which functionality of network and systems management applications is presented to the user, comprising:

one or more approach controls; and

one or more functionality controls through which the user can access functionality,

wherein manipulation of an approach control of the one or more approach controls of the user interface selects a user interface approach of a plurality of user interface approaches of the user interface available to the user for presenting functionality to the user,

wherein the plurality of user interface approaches from which the user interface approach is selected comprises two or more of the following user interface approaches;

a task-based approach in which the user is assisted to complete one or more tasks, an object-based approach in which the user is assisted to manipulate objects, an information-based approach in which the user is presented with requested information, and a tools-based approach in which the user is provided with tools necessary to accomplish tool-based activities, and

wherein upon selection of the user interface approach, the one or more functionality controls correspond to the selected user interface approach and functionality of the selected user interface approach can be accessed by selecting a functionality control of the one or more functionality controls.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more approach controls are a plurality of tabs.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more approach controls are presented to the user in a scoping pane of the user interface.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more approach controls are presented to the user in a menu.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more approach controls are presented to the user in a toolbar.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the one or more functionality controls are presented to the user in a scoping pane of the user interface.

7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein the one or more functionality controls are contained in one or more folders of the scoping pane.

8. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface approach is the object-based approach of the plurality of user interface approaches.

9. The user interface of claim 8, wherein the one or more functionality controls are one or more items of a list.

10. The user interface of claim 8, wherein the one or more functionality controls are one or more items of a menu.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface approach is the task-based approach of the plurality of user interface approaches.

12. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the one or more functionality controls are tasks.

13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface approach is the information-based approach of the plurality of user interface approaches.

14. The user interface of claim 13, wherein the one or more functionality controls are reports.

15. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface approach is the tool-based approach of the plurality of user interface approaches.

16. The user interface of claim 15, wherein the one or more functionality controls are tools.

17. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the window is an application window.

18. The user interface of claim 17, wherein the user interface of the application window further comprises:

a scoping pane, wherein the selection of the functionality control causes the functionality of the user interface approach of the application window to be presented to the user in the content pane.

19. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the window is a launcher window.

20. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user interface approach of the user interface is changed by subsequent manipulation of the one or more approach controls to select a new user interface approach of the plurality of user interface approaches.

21. The user interface of claim 20, wherein changing the user interface approach to select the new user interface approach changes the one or more functionality controls that are presented to the user to correspond to the new user interface approach.

22. A method for allowing a user to change the way in which functionality of network and systems management applications is presented to the user of a window of a windows-based computer environment for network and systems management applications, comprising:

choosing a user interface approach of a plurality of user interface approaches available for presenting functionality to the user in a user interface of the window, wherein the plurality of user interface approaches comprises two or more of the following user interface approaches;

a task-based approach in which the user is assisted to complete one or more tasks, an object-based approach in which the user is assisted to manipulate objects, an information-based approach in which the user is presented with requested information, and a tools-based approach in which the user is provided with tools necessary to accomplish tool-based activities;

selecting the user interface approach of the user interface for presenting functionality to the user by manipulating an approach control of one or more approach controls of the user interface;

upon selecting the user interface approach, causing one or more functionality controls of the user interface through which the user can access functionality and which correspond to the selected user interface approach to be presented to the user in the user interface;

choosing a functionality control of the one or more functionality controls of the user interface approach; and

accessing the functionality of the selected user interface approach by selecting the functionality control of the one or more functionality controls of the user interface approach.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein selecting the functionality control in order to access the functionality of the selected user interface approach is accomplished by locating a folder of one or more folders of a scoping pane of the user interface that contains the functionality control.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein selecting the functionality control of the user interface approach causes the functionality of the selected user interface approach to be presented to the user in the content pane of an application window.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

choosing a new user interface approach of the plurality of user interface approaches that is different from the user interface approach; and

selecting the new user interface approach by manipulating a new approach control of one or more approach controls that is different from the approach control previously selected and that corresponds to the new user interface approach.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein selecting the new user interface approach causes the one or more functionality controls that are presented to the user to change to correspond to the selected new user interface approach.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

choosing a new functionality control of the one or more functionality controls corresponding to a new functionality of the user interface approach; and

accessing the new functionality of the user interface approach by selecting the new functionality control of the user interface approach.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein accessing the new functionality is accomplished by locating a folder of one or more folders of a scoping pane of the user interface that contains the new functionality control.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein selecting the new functionality control of the user interface approach causes the new functionality of the selected new user interface approach to be presented to the user in the content pane of an application window.

30. A computer-readable medium having a computer program for allowing a user to change the way in which functionality of network and systems management applications is presented to the user of a window of a windows-based computer environment, comprising:

in response to the user manipulating an approach control of one or more approach controls that correspond to a plurality of user interface approaches in a user interface of the window, instructions for selecting a user interface approach of a plurality of user interface approaches of the user interface available for presenting functionality to the user in the user interface of the window that corresponds to the manipulated approach control, wherein the plurality of user interface approaches comprises two or more of the following user interface approaches;

a task-based approach in which the user is assisted to complete one or more tasks, an object-based approach in which the user is assisted to manipulate objects, an information-based approach in which the user is presented with requested information, and a tools-based approach in which the user is provided with tools necessary to accomplish tool-based activities; and

instructions for causing one or more functionality controls of the user interface through which the user can access functionality and which correspond to the selected user interface approach to be presented to the user in the user interface;

in response to the user selecting a functionality control of the one or more functionality controls that correspond to the selected user interface approach, instructions for accessing and displaying the functionality of the selected user interface approach corresponding to the selected functionality control.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions for accessing the functionality of the selected user interface approach is accomplished by instructions for locating a folder of one or more folders of a scoping pane of the user interface that contains the functionality control.

32. The medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions for accessing and presenting the functionality of the selected user interface approach causes the functionality of the selected user interface approach to be presented to the user in the content pane of an application window.

33. The medium of claim 30, further comprising:

in response to the user manipulating a new approach control of the one or more approach controls that is different from the approach control previously selected, instructions for selecting a new user interface approach of the plurality of user interface approaches that is different from the user interface approach and corresponds to the new approach control manipulated by the user.

34. The medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions for selecting the new user interface approach causes the one or more functionality controls that are presented to the user to change to correspond to the selected new user interface approach.

35. The medium of claim 30, further comprising:

in response to the user selecting a new functionality control of the one or more functionality controls corresponding to a new functionality of the user interface approach, instructions for accessing and displaying the new functionality of the user interface approach to the user in the user interface.

36. The medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions for accessing and displaying the new functionality are accomplished by locating a folder of one or more folders of a scoping pane of the user interface that contains the new functionality control.

37. The medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions for accessing and displaying the new functionality of the user interface approach causes the new functionality to be presented to the user in the content pane of an application window.