Toolbar slot method and apparatus

• US 7,565,625 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Mullins, David H. II, King, Christopher M., Hunter, Steven Clay, Drukman, Maxwell O., Weber, Karon A., Archer, Katrina
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US10/841,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 715/835, 715825-827, 715/810, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method for a computer system includes displaying a toolbar region with user selectable icons on a display, positioning a cursor on the display over the toolbar region, and receiving a first command from the user while the cursor is positioned over the toolbar region, wherein the first command from the user comprises pressing and holding of a button on a user input device, displaying additional user selectable icons on the display in response to the first command, positioning the cursor on the display over one user selectable icon, and receiving a second command from the user while the cursor is positioned on the one user selectable icon, wherein the second command from the user comprises releasing the button on the user input device, wherein the one user icon and the user selectable icons are then displayed in the toolbar region in response to the second command.

Claims

1. A method for a computer system comprises:

displaying a toolbar region comprising a plurality of initially displayed user selectable icons, referred to as the first plurality of icons, on a display wherein the first plurality of icons are associated with a particular toolbar;

positioning a cursor on the display over the toolbar region, in response to user input;

receiving a first command from the user while the cursor is positioned on the display over the toolbar region, wherein the first command from the user comprises pressing a button on a user input device;

in response to the first command and without opening a dialog box, displaying a plurality of additional user selectable icons, referred to as the second plurality of icons, on the display in response to the first command wherein the second plurality of icons includes one or more icons not previously associated with the particular toolbar;

positioning the cursor on the display over one additional user selectable icon of the second plurality of icons wherein the one icon is one of the one or more icons not previously associated with the particular toolbar;

receiving a second command from the user while the cursor is positioned on the one additional user selectable icon, wherein the second command from the user comprises releasing the button on the user input device; and

displaying the one additional user selectable icon and the entire first plurality of icons in the toolbar region in response to the second command.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically removing a display of the second plurality of icons from the display in response to the second command.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first command is selected from the group:

pressing of a button on a mouse, pressing a button on a stylus, pressing a key on a keyboard, speaking a voice command.

4. The method of claim of claim 1 wherein the one additional user selectable icon comprises data selected from the group:

images, and text.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the second plurality of icons on the display in response to the first command comprises displaying the second plurality of icons on the display in a manner selected from the group:

a row, a column, rows and columns.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second plurality of icons includes user selectable icons already in the first plurality of icons.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a third command from the user while the cursor is positioned on the one additional user selectable icon in the toolbar region; and

performing an action associated with the one additional user selectable icon.

8. A graphical user interface comprises:

a first portion configured to display a first plurality of user selectable icons wherein the first plurality of user selectable icons are associated with a particular toolbar; and

a second portion configured to display a second plurality of displayable user selectable icons wherein at least one of the icons in the second plurality is not previously associated with the particular toolbar;

wherein;

when a user makes a first selection while a cursor is positioned over the first portion, the second portion is displayed without opening a dialog box;

when the user makes a second selection while the cursor is positioned over one of the second plurality of displayable user selectable icons that is not previously associated with the particular toolbar, the first portion is also configured to display the one displayable user selectable icon from the second plurality of icons while continuing to display the entire first plurality of user selectable icons that were displayed prior to the user making the first selection.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein the second portion overlaps a portion of the first portion.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein the plurality of displayable user selectable icons are positioned in the second portion in a manner selected from the group:

a row, a column, rows and columns.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein the first selection comprises one of the group:

pressing of a mouse button, pressing of a stylus button, pressing of a keyboard key, speaking a voice command.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein the second portion is automatically closed after the user makes the second selection.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein the second plurality of displayable user selectable icons includes user selectable icons also in the first plurality of user selectable icons.

14. A computer program product residing on a computer-readable tangible media for a computer system includes:

code that directs the processor to display a first plurality of icons on a toolbar region in a display;

code that directs the processor to receive an indication from a user to add at least one icon on the toolbar region, wherein the indication comprises a first event;

code that directs the processor to determine a second plurality of icons that includes at least one icon that is determined in response to data currently being displayed on a display, wherein (a) the data currently being displayed includes data of a given type, (b) the at least one icon is suitable for operating on at least a portion of the data of the given type that is currently being displayed, and (c) the at least one icon is not suitable for operating on data of at least one other type that is different from the given type;

code that directs the processor to display the second plurality of icons on the display;

code that directs the processor to receive a selection from the user of one icon from the second plurality of icons on the display, wherein the selection from the user comprises a second event; and

code that directs the processor to display the one icon while continuing to display the first plurality of icons on the toolbar region.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the code that directs the processor to display the one icon on the toolbar region comprises code that directs the processor to display the one icon and the entire first plurality of icons on the toolbar region.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the first event comprises one of the following:

pressing a mouse button, pressing a stylus button, pressing a stylus tip button, pressing a key on a keyboard, making a voice command.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the second event comprises one of the following:

releasing a mouse button, releasing a stylus button, releasing a stylus tip button, releasing a key on a keyboard, pressing another key on the keyboard, making a voice command.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising:

code that directs the processor to receive a first selection from the user of one icon from the first plurality of icons on the toolbar region; and

code that directs the processor to enter a pre-determined mode in response to the first selection.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

code that directs the processor to receive a second selection from the user of the one icon from the first plurality of icons on the toolbar region;

code that directs the processor to determine a pre-determined third plurality of icons associated with the one icon;

code that directs the processor to display the third plurality of icons associated with the one icon;

code that directs the processor to receive a selection from the user of one icon from the third plurality of icons on the display; and

code that directs the processor to display a modified plurality of icons on the toolbar region, wherein the one icon from the third plurality of icons replaces the one icon from the first plurality of icons on the toolbar region;

wherein the third plurality of icons are a subset of the second plurality of icons.

20. The computer program product of claim 18

wherein a third plurality of icons can be displayed on the display;

and

wherein the third plurality of icons includes icons not within the second plurality of icons.

21. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein:

the first plurality of icons are associated with a toolbar; and

the second plurality of icons are not pre-associated with the toolbar.

22. A method for a computer system wherein data and tools are displayed, and a user interacts with the data through the use of the tools and a displayed cursor, the method comprising:

displaying a first plurality of icons representing tools on a toolbar region on a display;

responding to a first cursor event in the toolbar region as an indication from the user to add at least one icon to the toolbar region;

in response to the first cursor event and to the displayed data, determining a set of tools including at least one tool that reflects the currently displayed data, wherein (a) the currently displayed data includes data of a given type, (b) the at least one tool is suitable for operating on at least a portion of the currently displayed data of the given type, and (c) the at least one tool is not suitable for operating on data of at least one other type that is different from the given type;

displaying a second plurality of icons including icons corresponding to the set of tools;

responding to a second cursor event as a selection from the user of one icon from the second plurality of icons on the display; and

displaying the one icon while continuing to display at least some of the first plurality of icons on the toolbar region.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the given type of data is data representing objects having unique modes; and

determining the set of tools includes;

determining whether the currently displayed data includes any objects having unique modes; and

if yes, for at least some of the objects having unique modes, including in the set tools corresponding to the unique modes.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the given type of data is data representing a selected light model; and

determining the set of tools includes;

determining whether the displayed data includes the selected light model; and

if yes, including in the set at least one light control tool specific to the light model.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the given type of data is data representing multiple objects; and

determining the set of tools includes;

determining whether the displayed data includes multiple objects; and

if yes, including in the set at least one tool relating to changing the relative positions of the objects.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the first type of data is data representing multiple objects having multiple unique modes; and

determining the set of tools includes;

determining whether the displayed data includes multiple objects having unique modes; and

if yes, including in the set tools corresponding to the multiple unique modes.