Single window navigation methods and systems

• US 7,818,677 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Satoshi, Hopcroft, Michael J., Erickson, Paul R., Ruthfield, Scott L., Wolf, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US10/916,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760, 715/748, 715/749, 715/854, 715/802, 715/804, 715/805, 715/806, 715/807, 715/745, 715/747, 715/765, 715/771, 715762-763, 715/752, 715/758, 715840-841
• US Class Current: 715/749
• 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 user interface (UI) in the form of a single navigable window enables a user to navigate to and between multiple different functionalities that are provided by a single application program. Novel use is made of a navigation model that manages the user'"'"'s navigation activities to and between the different functionalities. Navigation instrumentalities enable the user to navigate among the different functionalities and include links to each of the different functionalities as well as browser-like navigation buttons. Context-sensitive command sets can also be provided along with the single navigable window. The context sensitive command sets include commands that automatically change as the user'"'"'s computing context changes, e.g. as the user moves from functionality to functionality. The single application can be defined as a software platform that is extensible to receive and incorporate different functionalities. The functionalities can be provided as software modules that can be sent over a network such as the Internet. The extensible software platform provides a basis to offer a subscriber or fee-based service where different subscribers can, for a fee, access different functionalities via a network such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

means for storing application programs;

single application program means on the means for storing, said single application program means providing;

single navigable window means;

multiple different functionalities internal to the single application program to which the single navigable window means can be navigated by a user, the multiple different functionalities including two or more of the following;

a web-browser functionality, a planner functionality, an email functionality, a contacts functionality, or a word processing functionality;

navigation means for managing the user'"'"'s navigation activities within the single application program;

user-clickable means for allowing the user to navigate the single window means inside individual functionalities and to the different functionalities; and

at least one context-sensitive command area displayed adjacent to a display of the single navigable window means and associated with the single navigable window means, the at least one context-sensitive command area including at least one specific command for each of the multiple different functionalities and at least one global command, the single application program means automatically changing the at least one specific command but maintaining the at least one global command that are presented to the user within the command area as the user navigates to different functionalities.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the navigation means comprises a navigation stack.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the navigation stack comprises a back-and-truncate stack.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the user-clickable means comprises link means associated with each of the multiple different functionalities to which the single navigable window means can be navigated.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the user-clickable means comprises browser-like navigation buttons.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-clickable means comprise:

link means associated with each of the multiple different functionalities to which the single navigable window means can be navigated; and

browser-like navigation buttons.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the multiple different functionalities comprise document-centric functionalities.

8. A system comprising:

means readable by a computer;

software platform means, embodied on the readable means, for providing a single application program that provides;

a single navigable window means;

means for navigating the single navigable window to different functionalities internal to the single application program that can enable a user to accomplish different tasks, the different functionalities including two or more of the following;

a web-browser functionality, a planner functionality, an email functionality, a contacts functionality, or a word processing functionality;

means for managing navigation activities of the user;

context-sensitive command set means for presenting command sets as a user'"'"'s context changes in accordance with the user'"'"'s navigation activities, the content-sensitive command set means displayed adjacent to a display of the single navigable window means, the context-sensitive command set means configured to display at least one specific command for each of the different functionalities and at least one global command, and the context-sensitive command set means configured to change the at least one specific command but maintain the at least one global command as the user navigates to different functionalities; and

means for receiving and incorporating into the single application program individual software components that comprise individual different functionalities.

9. A computing system embodying the system of claim 8.

10. A computing method comprising:

displaying a user interface that comprises;

a single navigable window that can be navigated between multiple different document-centric functionalities that are provided by a single application program, the multiple different document-centric functionalities including two or more of the following;

a web-browser functionality, a planner functionality, an email functionality, a contacts functionality, or a word processing functionality;

at least one context-sensitive command area displayed adjacent to a display of the single navigable window and associated with the single navigable window;

receiving user input that indicates selection of a particular functionality;

navigating the single navigable window to the particular selected functionality;

displaying in said window indicia of said functionality that can enable a user to access the particular selected functionality; and

displaying in said at least one context-sensitive command area at least one specific command corresponding to the particular selected functionality and at least one global command, wherein the at least one specific command changes as the user navigates to different document-centric functionalities, and wherein the at least one global command is maintained as the user navigates to different document-centric functionalities.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said displaying the user interface comprises displaying proximate the single navigable window, navigation instrumentalities that are configured to enable to user to input selection of a particular functionality.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the navigation instrumentalities comprises links associated with each of the multiple different functionalities.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein one of the navigation instrumentalities comprises browser-like navigation buttons that can be used by a user to navigate the single navigable window between the different functionalities.