Right click for task bar content

• US 6,590,596 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway 2000, Inc. (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rector, Dusty Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/316,325
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 345/762, 345/765, 345/808, 345/835, 345/810, 345/841, 345/840, 345/763
• US Class Current: 715/810
• 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

The present invention teaches a method, user interface and system configured to present task bar content to a user in a menu activated through the use of a single right mouse click.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

displaying a cursor on at least a portion of a display; and

displaying a menu on at least a portion of the display;

wherein the position of the menu on the display is dependent on the location of the cursor displayed on the display; and

wherein the menu is comprised of at least one item indicative of at least one open application.

2. The method, as defined in claim 1, wherein the display of the menu is activated by a right mouse button click.

3. The method, as defined in claim 1, further comprising identifying an active application.

4. The method, as defined in claim 3, further comprising identifying at least one option available from said active application.

5. The method, as defined in claim 4, wherein the menu further comprises at least one entry indicative of the at least one active application option.

6. The method, as defined in claim 1, wherein the menu comprises task bar content.

7. The method, as defined in claim 1, wherein the menu is comprised of at least two items indicative of at least two open applications obtained from an identification of open applications.

8. A user interface configured to:

display a cursor on at least a portion of a display; and

display a menu on at least a portion of said display;

wherein the position of said menu on said display is dependent on the location of the cursor displayed on said display; and

wherein

said menu is comprised of at least one item indicative of at least one open application.

9. The user interface, as defined in claim 8, wherein said display of said menu is activated by a right mouse button click.

10. The user interface, as defined in claim 8, further configured to identify an active application.

11. The user interface, as defined in claim 10, further configured to identify at least one option available from said active application.

12. The user interface, as defined in claim 11, wherein said menu further comprises at least one entry indicative of said at least one active application option.

13. The user interface, as defined in claim 8, wherein said menu comprises task bar content.

14. The user interface, as defined in claim 8, wherein the menu is comprised of at least two items indicative of at least two open applications obtained from an identification of open applications.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

memory operably associated with said processor; and

a user interface configured to;

display a cursor on at least a portion of a display; and

display a menu on at least a portion of said display;

wherein the position of said menu on said display is dependent on the location of the cursor displayed on said display; and

wherein

said menu is comprised of at least one item indicative of at least one open application.

16. The system, as defined in claim 15, wherein said display of said menu is activated by a right mouse button click.

17. The system, as defined in claim 15, wherein said user interface is further configured to identify an active application.

18. The system, as defined in claim 17, wherein said user interface is further configured to identify at least one option available from said active application.

19. The system, as defined in claim 18, wherein said menu further comprises at least one entry indicative of said at least one active application option.

20. The system, as defined in claim 15, wherein said menu comprises task bar content.