System and method for selecting a view mode using a control including a graphical depiction of the view mode

• US 7,577,923 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2004
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Anthony, Colin R., Sierra, Giampiero M., Cummins, Charles, Tubbs, Kenneth M., Beam, Tyler K., De Vorchik, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US10/922,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/786, 715/837, 715/810, 715/835, 715/833, 715/840, 715/854
• US Class Current: 715/840
• 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: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting a view mode and a preferred setting within that view mode for displaying one or more items in a screen display. A single user input indicates the selected view mode. The input mechanism can be a hardware device, such as a keyboard or mouse, or a software control presented in a graphical user interface. The software control includes a graphical depiction of the current view mode. A preferred setting for each available view mode may be stored and activated by the software control.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for selecting a file view mode from a plurality of available file view modes for one or more items in a screen display, the method comprising:

providing a graphical depiction of a current file view mode on a button control in the screen display;

storing a preferred setting for each one of the plurality of available file view modes;

obtaining a single user input indicative of a selection of an available file view mode selected from one of the plurality of available file view modes, the single user input occurs on a portion of the button control;

mapping the single user input to the selected file view mode;

mapping the single user input to the stored preferred setting for the selected file view mode; and

providing a graphical depiction of the selected file view mode on the button control,

wherein the selected file view mode defines a presentation scheme in the screen display for the one or more items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining includes receiving the single user input from a pointing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the single user input is mapped to the selected file view mode and to the preferred setting substantially simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1 where the button control is a single button control.

5. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-useable instructions stored thereon for performing a method for selecting a file view mode from a plurality of available file view modes for one or more items in a screen display, the method comprising:

providing a graphical depiction of a current file view mode on a button control in the screen display;

storing a preferred setting for each one of the plurality of available file view modes;

obtaining a single user input indicative of selection of an available file view mode selected from one of the plurality of available file view modes, the single user input occurs on a portion of the button control;

mapping the single user input to the selected file view mode;

mapping the single user input to the stored preferred setting for the selected file view mode; and

providing a graphical depiction of the selected file view mode on the button control,

wherein the selected file view mode defines a presentation scheme in the screen display for the one or more items.

6. A graphical user interface embodied on one or more computer-readable storage media and executable on a computer, said graphical user interface comprising:

a screen display for displaying one or more items in one of a plurality of available file view modes; and

a button control presented in the screen display, the button control having a graphical representation of the current file view mode depicted thereon and being operable to obtain a single user input indicative of both a selected file view mode and a selected setting within the selected file view mode, the selected setting being stored as a preferred setting for the selected file view mode,

wherein the button control provides for user selection of an available file view mode and a setting from the plurality of available file view modes and settings by cycling through the available file view modes and settings in response to user input, and

wherein the graphical representation of the current file view mode on the button control changes in response to a selection of one of the available file view modes.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 6, wherein the one or more items are represented in the screen display by one or more icons and the selected setting determines the icon size.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 7, wherein metadata corresponding to the one or more items is displayed in the screen display and the selected setting determines the amount of metadata to display as a function of the icon size.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 6, wherein the graphical representation of the current file view mode changes in response to the user input.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 6, wherein the face of the button control graphically depicts the selected file view mode.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 8, wherein the plurality of available file view modes includes at least one of the following file view modes:

list, details, properties, preview, thumbnails, tiles and icons.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 6, wherein the selected setting arranges the one or more displayed items by property.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 6, wherein the selected setting is one of a plurality of size options for the one or more displayed items.

14. A view control in a graphical user interface embodied on one or more computer readable storage media for user selection of a file view mode from a plurality of available file view modes and a setting within that file view mode, the view control comprising:

a user selection component operable to receive a single user selection on a button control indicative of one of the available file view modes and of one setting associated with the selected file view mode, the setting being stored as a preferred setting for the selected file view mode;

a display component for providing a graphical representation of the currently selected file view mode, wherein the display component includes the button control having the graphical representation of the currently selected file view mode on the button control and which presents a graphical representation of the selected file view mode in response to the user selection component receiving the single user selection.

15. The view control of claim 14, wherein the view control is presented in an operating system.

16. The view control of claim 14, wherein the view control is presented in an application program.

17. The view control of claim 14, wherein the view control is presented in a web interface.