Computer user interface architecture wherein users interact with both content and user interface by activating links

• US 7,185,274 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cluts, Jonathan C., Rubin, Darryl E., Woolf, Susan D., Beezer, John L., Baird, Andrew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US09/456,249
• Time in Patent Office: 2,639 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/513, 345/156, 345/157, 345/705, 345/764, 345/810
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

A user interface architecture wherein user content and user interface are composed of documents with links. Links have properties that indicate how links should be displayed. Link display may depend upon characteristics of the linked-to frame. Commands are implemented as links that link to command code. The display format of a document page depends upon the path a user navigated in order to get to the displayed page. User content documents and user interface documents are both displayed in a single viewing frame. A non-linear navigation history is maintained such that a user can navigate along a first path, back up using a previous link, navigate along a second path, back up along the second path using the previous link, and re-navigate along the first path again using a next link. Every document page to which a user navigates is saved in the user'"'"'s navigation history. Users can query their navigation histories and view their navigation histories in various ways. A flexible selection model is supported allowing users to select the object of a command either before or after the command itself is selected. A Guide Book includes command descriptions and active instances of the described commands, implemented as links. Users can access, annotate, and customize the user interface in the same manner in which users access, annotate, and modify user content documents.

Claims

1. A computer user interface for displaying user content documents having links, the user interface comprising:

a plurality of user interface documents having links;

at least one of the links, of the user content documents linking, to command code such that when one of the links linking to the command code is activated, the command code linked to the activated link is executed; and

a unified navigational context for allowing a user to interact with both the user interface documents and the user content documents in a one space model by activating the user interface document links and the user content document links,

wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface document pages is configured to be manipulated,

wherein the at least one of the links linking to command code is based upon a heuristic,

wherein the heuristic is based upon analysis of current context of at least one document page.

2. A computer user interface comprising:

a plurality of user interface document pages;

a plurality of user content document pages;

a unified navigational context for allowing a user to interface with both the user interface document pages and the user content document pages in a one space model;

at least one of the document pages including at least one link;

at least one of the links linking to command code such that when one of the links linking to the command code is activated, the command code linked to the activated link is executed; and

a selection model for allowing a user to select an object of a command after the user selects the command,

wherein the at least one of the links linking to command code is based upon a heuristic,

wherein the heuristic is based upon analysis of current context of at least one document page.

3. The computer user interface of claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface document pages is configured to be manipulated.

4. A computer readable medium storing computer-executable commands for execution on a computer, the computer-executable commands for performing steps of:

providing a computer user interface wherein a user,

accesses user content documents,

accesses user interface help information,

executes a command by activating a link on a document page, and

selects an object of the command in response to executing the command,

wherein user content documents and user interface documents are presented in a one space model,

wherein the link is based upon a heuristic,

wherein the heuristic are based upon analysis of current context of at least one document page.

5. A computer user interface comprising:

a plurality of user interface document pages;

a plurality of user content document pages;

a unified navigational context for allowing a user to interface with both the user interface document pages and the user content document pages in a one space model;

at least one of the document pages including at least one link; and

at least one of the links linking to command code such that when one of the links linking to the command code is activated, the command code linked to the activated link is executed,

wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface document pages is configured to be manipulated,

wherein the at least one of the links linking to command code is based upon a heuristic,

wherein the heuristic is based upon analysis of current context of the at least one document page.

6. The computer user interface of claim 5, further comprising:

a Guide Book including a plurality of command descriptions and a plurality of links that are active command instances, the active command instances being invokable within the Guide Book.

7. The computer user interface of claim 6, wherein at least one link of the plurality of links of the Guide Book is configured to display frequently used command codes.

8. The computer user interface of claim 6, wherein at least one link of the plurality of links of the Guide Book is configured to display related command codes.

9. The computer user interface of claim 6, wherein at least one link of the plurality of links of the Guide Book is configured to display command codes used as part of a scenario.

10. The computer user interface of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the plurality of user interface document pages is configured to be manipulated by one of:

annotating the at least one user interface document page and editing the at least one user interface document page.

11. The computer user interface of claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of user interface document pages is configured to permit modifications of at least one property of the at least one link.

12. The computer user interface of claim 5, wherein the at least one property is one of:

an appearance and a behavior.