Apparatus and method for displaying selectable icons in a toolbar for a user interface

• US 8,091,042 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Mingte, Annadata, Anil Kumar, Huang, Kuang-Yang, Bedi, Rohit, Jay, Henry Dana
• Primary Examiner(s): BONSHOCK, DENNIS G
• Application Number:
  US10/001,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,701 Days
• Field of Search: 345/817, 345/818, 345/828, 345/837, 345/843, 715/837, 715/843, 715/828, 715/817, 715/818, 715/783, 715/806, 715/727, 715/805, 715/826
• US Class Current: 715/826
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A user interface display provides selectable icons and a control symbol in a toolbar. The control symbol can be selected by a user to display additional selectable icons within the toolbar. The additional icons can be inserted adjacent the control symbol or in another location on the toolbar. A user can associate a set of one or more selectable icons with a control symbol. In one implementation, reselecting the control symbol removes the additional icons from the toolbar. In another implementation, the additional icons are removed when one of the additional icons is selected. If the icons are positioned adjacent to their corresponding control symbol, the display position of other icons on the toolbar is adjusted to allow room for the additional icons. When a set of the additional icons is removed from the display, the position of the other icons on the toolbar is re-adjusted.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium, coupled to the processor and having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the processor to

display a user interface comprising a toolbar, wherein

the toolbar comprises

a plurality of selectable icons,

an initiate button, and

a control symbol, and

the plurality of selectable icons and the control symbol are contained within fixed boundaries of a frame containing the toolbar,

display additional selectable icons within the fixed boundaries of the frame in response to a user selection of the control symbol,

display a scroll control button, wherein

the scroll control button is configured to enable scrolling of the toolbar within the fixed boundaries of the frame,

the scroll control button is displayed only if the additional selectable icons, when added to the toolbar, would cause the toolbar to extend beyond the fixed boundaries of the frame, and

the additional selectable icons, when displayed, do not obscure any portion of the user interface outside of the fixed boundaries of the frame,

determine a context of the toolbar, wherein

the context of the toolbar is based at least in part on a current activity of a user of the computer display device,

a context-sensitivity of the toolbar is configurable by an administrator, and

the context-sensitivity of the toolbar is based at least in part on commands associated with each of a plurality of buttons within the toolbar, and

modify an operation of the initiate button, wherein

the operation of the initiate button is based at least in part on the context of the toolbar.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions is executable by the processor to:

insert the additional selectable icons adjacent the control symbol when the control symbol is selected.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the set of instructions is executable by the processor to:

remove the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when the control symbol is de-selected.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions is executable by the processor to:

adjust a position of at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to insert the additional selectable icons adjacent the control symbol when the control symbol is selected.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the set of instructions is executable by the processor to:

remove the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when the control symbol is de-selected, and

readjust the position of the at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to be adjacent the control symbol.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the set of instructions is executable by the processor to:

remove the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when one of the additional selectable icons is selected.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the set of instructions is executable by the processor to:

remove the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when one of the additional selectable icons is selected, and

readjust the position of the at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to be adjacent the control symbol.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context of the toolbar is based at least in part on textual data being entered by a user into the toolbar.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions is executable by the processor to:

associate the additional selectable icons with the control symbol.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the current activity of the user comprises a current telephone activity of the user.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context-sensitivity of the toolbar is based at least in part on a volume of received data requests.

12. A method comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising a toolbar, wherein

the toolbar comprises

a plurality of selectable icons,

an initiate button, and

a control symbol, and

the plurality of selectable icons and the control symbol are contained within fixed boundaries of a frame containing the toolbar;

displaying additional selectable icons within the fixed boundaries of the frame in response to a user selection of the control symbol;

displaying a scroll control button, wherein

the scroll control button is configured to enable scrolling of the toolbar within the fixed boundaries of the frame,

the scroll control button is displayed only if the additional selectable icons, when added to the toolbar, would cause the toolbar to extend beyond the fixed boundaries of the frame, and

the additional selectable icons, when displayed, do not obscure any portion of the user interface outside of the fixed boundaries of the frame;

determining a context of the toolbar, wherein

the context of the toolbar is based at least in part on a current activity of a user of the computer display device,

a context-sensitivity of the toolbar is configurable by an administrator, and

the context-sensitivity of the toolbar is based at least in part on commands associated with each of a plurality of buttons within the toolbar; and

modifying an operation of the initiate button, wherein

the operation of the initiate button is based at least in part on the context of the toolbar.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

inserting the additional selectable icons adjacent the control symbol when the control symbol is selected.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

removing the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when the control symbol is de-selected.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the context of the toolbar is based at least in part on textual data being entered by a user into the toolbar.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising:

removing the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when the control symbol is de-selected; and

readjusting a position of the at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to be adjacent the control symbol.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising:

removing the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when one of the additional selectable icons is selected.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising:

removing the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when one of the additional selectable icons is selected; and

readjusting a position of the at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to be adjacent the control symbol.

19. The method of claim 12, comprising:

adjusting a position of at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to insert the additional selectable icons adjacent the control symbol when the control symbol is selected.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the current activity of the user comprises a current telephone activity of the user.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the context-sensitivity of the toolbar is based at least in part on a volume of received data requests.

22. The method of claim 12, comprising:

associating the additional selectable icons with the control symbol.

23. A non-transient computer-readable medium comprising a computer-readable storage medium and instructions encoded on the computer-readable storage medium, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor to:

display a user interface comprising a toolbar, wherein

the toolbar comprises

a plurality of selectable icons,

an initiate button, and

a control symbol, and

the plurality of selectable icons and the control symbol are contained within fixed boundaries of a frame containing the toolbar;

display additional selectable icons within the fixed boundaries of the frame in response to a user selection of the control symbol;

display a scroll control button, wherein

the scroll control button is configured to enable scrolling of the toolbar within the fixed boundaries of the frame,

the scroll control button is displayed only if the additional selectable icons, when added to the toolbar, would cause the toolbar to extend beyond the fixed boundaries of the frame, and

the additional selectable icons, when displayed, do not obscure any portion of the user interface outside of the fixed boundaries of the frame;

determine a context of the toolbar, wherein

the context of the toolbar is based at least in part on a current activity of a user of the computer display device,

a context-sensitivity of the toolbar is configurable by an administrator, and

the context-sensitivity of the toolbar is based at least in part on commands associated with each of a plurality of buttons within the toolbar; and

modify an operation of the initiate button, wherein

the operation of the initiate button is based at least in part on the context of the toolbar.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor to:

insert the additional selectable icons adjacent the control symbol when the control symbol is selected.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor to:

remove the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when the control symbol is de-selected.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor to:

adjust a position of at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to insert the additional selectable icons adjacent the control symbol when the control symbol is selected.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor to:

remove the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when the control symbol is de-selected, and

readjust the position of the at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to be adjacent the control symbol.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor to:

remove the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when one of the additional selectable icons is selected.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor to:

remove the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when one of the additional selectable icons is selected, and

readjust the position of the at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to be adjacent the control symbol.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the context of the toolbar is based at least in part on textual data being entered by a user into the toolbar.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the instructions are executable by a processor to:

associate the additional selectable icons with the control symbol.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the current activity of the user comprises a current telephone activity of the user.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the context-sensitivity of the toolbar is based at least in part on a volume of received data requests.

34. An apparatus comprising:

means for displaying a user interface comprising a toolbar, wherein

the toolbar comprises

a plurality of selectable icons,

an initiate button, and

a control symbol, and

the plurality of selectable icons and the control symbol are contained within fixed boundaries of a frame containing the toolbar;

means for displaying additional selectable icons within the fixed boundaries of the frame in response to a user selection of the control symbol;

means for displaying a scroll control button, wherein

the scroll control button is configured to enable scrolling of the toolbar within the fixed boundaries of the frame,

the scroll control button is displayed only if the additional selectable icons, when added to the toolbar, would cause the toolbar to extend beyond the fixed boundaries of the frame, and

the additional selectable icons, when displayed, do not obscure any portion of the user interface outside of the fixed boundaries of the frame;

means for determining a context of the toolbar, wherein

the context of the toolbar is based at least in part on a current activity of a user of the computer display device,

a context-sensitivity of the toolbar is configurable by an administrator, and

the context-sensitivity of the toolbar is based at least in part on commands associated with each of a plurality of buttons within the toolbar; and

means for modifying an operation of the initiate button, wherein

the operation of the initiate button is based at least in part on the context of the toolbar.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, comprising:

means for associating the additional selectable icons with the control symbol.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, comprising:

means for displaying the additional selectable icons adjacent the control symbol when the control symbol is selected.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, comprising:

means for removing the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when the control symbol is de-selected.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, comprising:

means for removing the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when one of the additional selectable icons is selected.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, comprising:

means for removing the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when one of the additional selectable icons is selected; and

means for readjusting a position of the at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to be adjacent the control symbol.

40. The apparatus of claim 34, comprising:

means for adjusting a position of at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to display the additional selectable icons adjacent the control symbol when the control symbol is selected.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, comprising:

means for removing the additional selectable icons from the toolbar when the control symbol is de-selected; and

means for readjusting the position of the at least one of the plurality of selectable icons to be adjacent the control symbol.

42. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the context of the toolbar is based at least in part on textual data being entered by a user into the toolbar.

43. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the current activity of the user comprises a current telephone activity of the user.

44. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the context-sensitivity of the toolbar is based at least in part on a volume of received data requests.