Narrow mode navigation pane

• US 7,530,029 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harris, Jensen M., Satterfield, Jesse Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): BONSHOCK, DENNIS G
• Application Number:
  US11/136,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 715/779, 715/810, 715/815, 715/828, 715/841, 715/843, 715/907, 715/743
• US Class Current: 715/779
• 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: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A narrow mode navigation pane is provided that may be selectively displayed as a replacement of a normal mode or full-size navigation pane to allow more display space for other user interface content. The narrow mode navigation pane is divided into sections, each section including selectable controls for providing data or functionality previously displayed in and selectable from the normal mode navigation pane. Selection of a “Navigation Pane” control causes the temporary display of a pop-up version of the normal mode navigation pane for allowing a user to view and/or select the full contents of the normal size navigation pane without toggling to the normal mode navigation pane. Additional sections of the narrow mode navigation pane may include selectable controls representing a subset of controls from the normal mode pane and for launching other software applications and associated user interfaces.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device, the method comprising:

displaying, on an output device, a navigation pane in a normal operating mode such that the navigation pane is positioned along an edge of a computer-generated user interface and such that the navigation pane contains;

a first plurality of software application selection controls, each of which contains a horizontally-written name of one software application in a plurality of software applications; and

a first section that includes a first set of selectable controls associated with a selected software application in the plurality of software applications, wherein each of the selectable controls in the first set of selectable controls contains a horizontally-written name of a functionality associated with the selected software application;

displaying, on the output device, a display mode toggle control for enabling a user to choose between the normal operating mode for the navigation pane and a narrow operating mode for the navigation pane;

displaying, on the output device, a preview pane for displaying data of a data type associated with the selected software application, the preview pane being displayed within the computer-generated user interface;

receiving, at the computing device, a first input that indicates that the user has used the display mode toggle control to choose the narrow operating mode for the navigation pane;

in response to receiving the first input, displaying, on the output device, the navigation pane in the narrow operating mode such that the navigation pane is positioned along the edge of the computer-generated user interface, such that the navigation pane is narrower than the navigation pane in the normal operating mode, and such that the navigation pane contains;

a second plurality of software application selection controls, each of which contains an icon associated with one software application in the plurality of software applications, wherein the second plurality of software application selection controls do not contain the names of the software applications in the plurality of software applications;

a second section that includes a subset of the first set of selectable controls associated with the selected software application, each selectable control in the subset containing a name of a functionality of the selected software application written vertically within the navigation pane; and

a navigation pane control for enabling the user to see a pop-up pane that contains the first section as presented in the navigation pane in the normal operating mode;

receiving, at the computing device, a second input that indicates that the user has selected the navigation pane control;

in response to receiving the second input, temporarily displaying the pop-up pane on the output device along with the navigation pane in the narrow operating mode;

receiving, at the computing device, a third input, the third input indicating that the user has selected a selectable control in the first set of selectable controls; and

in response to receiving the third input, displaying, on the output device, data of the data type associated with the selected software application, the data being displayed within the preview pane.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the selected software application is an electronic mail application;

wherein the data of the data type associated with the selected software application is an electronic mail message; and

wherein the preview pane is wider when the navigation pane is in the narrow operating mode than when the navigation pane is in the normal operating mode.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein a plurality of the selectable controls in the first set of selectable controls are associated with electronic mail mailboxes;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving, at the computing device, a fourth input, the fourth input indicating that the user has selected one of the selectable controls in the first set of selectable controls that is associated with one of the electronic mail mailboxes; and

in response to receiving the fourth input, displaying, on the output device within the computer-generated user interface, a list of electronic mail messages in the one of the electronic mail mailboxes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, a fifth input, the fifth input indicating that the user has selected a second software application selection control in the first plurality of software application controls, the second software application selection control being associated with a second software application, the second software application being in the plurality of software applications; and

in response to receiving the fifth input, displaying, on the output device, the navigation pane in the normal operating mode such that the navigation pane in the normal operating mode contains;

the first plurality of software application selection controls; and

a third section that includes a second set of selectable controls associated with the second software application, each selectable control in the second set of selectable controls containing a horizontally-written name of a functionality of the second software application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second software application is an electronic calendar application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the display mode toggle control comprises:

displaying, on the output device, a drop-down menu that enables the user to select various view properties; and

displaying, on the output device, a pop-out menu that includes a control associated with the narrow operating mode of the navigation pane and a control associated with the normal operating mode of the navigation pane.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the display mode toggle control comprises displaying the display mode toggle control as an icon within the navigation pane in the normal operating mode.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein displaying the navigation pane in the narrow operating mode comprises displaying the navigation pane such that the navigation pane further contains a display space expansion control;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving, at the computing device, a sixth input, the sixth input indicating that the user has selected the display space expansion control; and

in response to receiving the sixth input, displaying the navigation pane in the narrow operation mode on the output device such that space available within the navigation pane for displaying the second plurality of software application selection controls is decreased.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the software applications in the plurality of software applications is part of a multiple-functionality software application.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

display, on an output device coupled to the computing device, a computer-generated user interface of a multiple-functionality software application, the computer-generated user interface containing a navigation pane in a normal operating mode positioned along an edge of the computer-generated user interface, the navigation pane containing;

a first plurality of software application selection controls, each of which contains a horizontally-written name of one software application in a plurality of software applications associated with the multiple-functionality software application; and

a first section that includes a first set of selectable controls associated with a selected software application in the plurality of software applications, wherein each of the selectable controls in the first set of selectable controls contains a horizontally-written name of a functionality associated with the selected software application;

display, on the output device, a display mode toggle control for enabling a user choose between the normal operating mode for the navigation pane and a narrow operating mode for the navigation pane;

displaying, on the output device, a preview pane for displaying data of a data type associated with the selected software application, the preview pane being displayed within the computer-generated user interface;

receive a first input that indicates that the user has used the display mode toggle control to choose the narrow operating mode for the navigation pane;

in response to receiving the first input, display, on the output device, the navigation pane in the narrow operating mode such that the navigation pane is positioned along the edge of the computer-generated user interface, such that the navigation pane is narrower than the navigation pane in the normal operating mode, and such that navigation pane contains;

a second plurality of software application selection controls, each of which contains an icon associated with one software application in the plurality of software applications, wherein the second plurality of software application selection controls do not contain the names of the software applications in the plurality of software applications;

a second section that includes a subset of the first set of selectable controls associated with the selected software application, each selectable control in the subset containing a name of a functionality of the selected software application written vertically within the navigation pane; and

a navigation pane control for enabling the user to see a pop-up pane that contains the first section as presented in the navigation pane in the normal operating mode;

receive a second input that indicates that the user has selected the navigation pane control;

in response to receiving the second input, temporarily display the pop-up pane on the output device along with the navigation pane in the narrow operating model;

receive a third input, the third input indicating that the user has selected a selectable control in the first set of selectable controls; and

in response to receiving the third input, display, on the output device, data of the data type associated with the selected software application, the data being displayed within the preview pane.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a first software application in the plurality of software applications is an electronic mail software application and a second software application in the plurality of software applications is an electronic calendar software application.

12. A computing device comprising:

a processing unit that is capable of executing instructions;

an output device capable of displaying a graphical user interface;

an input device; and

a system memory containing a multiple-functionality software application comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to;

display, on the output device, a navigation pane in a normal operating mode such that the navigation pane is positioned along an edge of a computer-generated user interface of the multiple-functionality software application and such that the navigation pane contains;

a first plurality of software application selection controls, each of which contains a horizontally-written name of one software application in a plurality of software applications associated with the multiple-functionality software application, the plurality of software applications including an electronic mail software application and an electronic calendar software application;

a first section that includes a first set of selectable controls associated with a selected software application in the plurality of software applications, wherein each of the selectable controls in the first set of selectable controls contains a horizontally-written name of a functionality associated with the selected software application; and

a display mode toggle control that enables a user choose to between the normal operating mode for the navigation pane and a narrow operating mode for the navigation pane;

display, on the output device, within the computer-generated user interface, a preview pane for displaying data of a data type associated with the selected software application;

receive a first input from the input device, the first input indicating that the user has used the display mode toggle control to choose the narrow operating mode for the navigation pane;

in response to receiving the first input, display, on the output device, the navigation pane in the narrow operating mode such that the navigation pane is positioned along the edge of the computer-generated user interface, such that the navigation pane is narrower than the navigation pane in the normal operating mode, and such that navigation pane contains;

a second plurality of software application selection controls, each of which contains an icon associated with one software application in the plurality of software applications, wherein the second plurality of software application selection controls do not contain the names of software applications in the plurality of software applications;

a second section that includes a subset of the first set of selectable controls associated with the selected software application, each selectable control in the subset containing a name of a functionality of the selected software application written vertically within the navigation pane;

a navigation pane control for enabling the user to see a pop-up pane that contains the first section as presented in the navigation pane in the normal operating mode; and

the display mode toggle control;

receive a second input from the input device, the second input indicating that the user has selected the navigation pane control;

in response to receiving the second input, temporarily display the pop-up pane on the output device along with the navigation pane in the narrow operating mode;

receive a third input from the input device, the third input indicating that the user has selected a selectable control in the first set of selectable controls contained in the pop-up pane; and

in response to receiving the third input, displaying, on the output device within the preview pane, data of the data type associated with the selected software application,

wherein the preview pane is wider when the navigation pane is in the narrow operating mode than when the navigation pane is in the normal operating mode.