Method and system for providing an embedded application toolbar

• US 6,686,938 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2000
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Wasko, Tim, Lindsay, Donald J., Jobs, Steven P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): DETWILER, BRIAN J
• Application Number:
  US09/477,739
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 345/739, 345/769, 345/810, 345/779, 345/826, 345/835, 345/840
• 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 method and system for providing menu tools directly from an operating system includes a computer system having a user interface including a display, a cursor, and a cursor control device, and an operating system. Menu tools are provided to one or more application windows. A menu item associated with a menu tool represents an available operating system function and an interactive icon associated with the menu item may be placed in a toolbar region in one of the application windows for access to the function. A special operating mode is activated for selecting menu items for use in the toolbar and making the function associated with the menu item available to the application by moving the menu item to the toolbar region. The menu item is represented as an interactive icon once the special operating mode is activated. The operating system function associated with the menu item is made available to the application window directly from the operating system by interaction with the icon. The menu item is further represented as an icon in regions of additional application windows which may either be active or subsequently instantiated through inheritance. The special operating mode is activated from a special key on an input device. Menu items are displayed along with menu tools corresponding to available operating system functions.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system having a user interface including a display, a cursor, and a cursor control device, and an operating system, the method for providing one or more menu tools from an operating system to one or more applications having one or more application windows, the method comprising the steps of:

representing a menu item associated with the one or more menu tools of the operating system as an interactive icon in a region in one of the one or more application windows, the region associated with a special operating mode; and

making an operating system function associated with the menu item available to the one of the one or more application windows directly from the operating system by interaction with the interactive icon, wherein the operating system function is adapted to operate on a file within the one or more application windows and is customizable for each of the one or more applications.

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

activating the special operating mode;

displaying one or more menu items and one or more corresponding ones of the one or more menu tools in an operating environment associated with the operating system;

selecting one of the one or more menu tools associated with a corresponding one of the one or more menu items;

moving the selected one of the one or more menu tools to the region of the one of the one or more application windows;

representing the selected one of the one or more menu tools as the interactive icon; and

making the operating system function associated with the interactive icon available to the one of the one or more application windows directly from the operating system by interaction with the interactive icon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of representing further includes the step of representing the menu item as the interactive icon in one or more additional regions of one or more additional ones of the one or more application windows associated with the one or more additional applications.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of making the operating system function available further includes the step of making the operating system function available to one or more additional ones of the one or more application windows associated with the one or more additional applications.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of activating a special operating mode further includes the step of:

activating an element of an input device associated with the special operating mode; and

displaying the one or more menu items with ones of the one or more menu tools associated therewith corresponding to available operating system functions.

6. A computer system comprising:

a user interface, including a display, a cursor, and cursor control device; and

a processor having an operating system for controlling the operation of the computer system including the user interface, the operating system for providing one or more menu tools to one or more applications having one or more application windows the processor configured to;

represent a menu item associated with the one or more menu tools of the operating system as an interactive icon in a region in one of the one or more application windows, the region associated with a special operating mode; and

make an operating system function associated with the menu item available to the one of the one or more application windows directly from the operating system by interaction with the interactive icon, wherein the operating system function is adapted to operate on a file within the one or more application windows and is customizable for each of the one or more applications.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

activate the special operating mode;

display one or more menu items and one or more corresponding ones of the one or more menu tools in an operating environment associated with the operating system;

select one of the one of more menu tools associated with a corresponding one of the one or more menu items;

move the selected one of the one or more menu tools to the region of the one of the one or more application windows;

represent the selected one of the one or more menu tools as the interactive icon; and

make the operating system function associated with the interactive icon available to the one of the one or more application windows directly from the operating system by interaction with the interactive icon.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the processor, in representing, is further configured to represent the menu item as the interactive icon in one or more additional regions of one or more additional ones of the one or more application windows associated with the one or more additional applications.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor, in making the operating system function available, is further configured to make the operating system function available to one or more additional ones of the one or more application windows associated with the one or more additional applications.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the processor, in activating a special operating mode, is further configured to:

activate an element of an input device associated with the special operating mode; and

display the one or more menu items with ones of the one or more menu tools associated therewith corresponding to available operating system functions.

11. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium;

one or more instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the one or more instructions readable by a computer system having a processor and an operating system for controlling the operation of the computer system including a user interface, the operating system for providing menu tools to one or more applications having one or more application windows, the one or more instructions for causing the processor to;

represent a menu item associated with the one or more menu tools of the operating system as an interactive icon in a region in one of the one or more application windows, the region associated with a special operating mode; and

make an operating system function associated with the menu item available to the one of the one or more application windows directly from the operating system by interaction with the interactive icon, wherein the operating system function is adapted to operate on a file within the one or more application windows and is customizable for each of the one or more applications.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the one or more instruction further cause the processor to:

activate the special operating mode;

display one or more menu items and one or more corresponding ones of the one or more menu tools in an operating environment associated with the operating system;

select one of the one or more menu tools associated with a corresponding one of the one or more menu items;

move the selected one of the one or more menu tools to the region of the one of the one or more application windows;

represent the selected one of the one or more menu tools as the interactive icon; and

make the operating system function associated with the interactive icon available to the one of the one or more application windows directly from the operating system by interaction with the interactive icon.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the one or more instruction further cause the processor to represent the menu item as the interactive icon in one or more additional regions of one or more additional ones of the one or more application windows associated with the one or more additional applications.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the one or more instruction further cause the processor to make the operating system function available to one or more additional ones of the one or more application windows associated with the one or more additional applications.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the one or more instruction further cause the processor to:

activate an element of an input device associated with the special operating mode; and

display the one or more menu items with ones of the one or more menu tools associated therewith corresponding to available operating system functions.