Command user interface for displaying selectable software functionality controls

• US 8,255,828 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harris, Jensen M., Butcher, Aaron M., Morton, David A., Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Denney, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US10/955,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20060036965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,889 Days
• Field of Search: 715/841, 715/843, 715/845, 715/530, 715/711, 715/724, 715/810, 715/800, 715/802, 715/825, 715/828, 715/842
• US Class Current: 715/810
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls and for presenting logical groupings of particular functionality controls associated with a selected top-level functionality. Underneath a row of top-level functionality tabs, functionalities controls associated with a given top-level functionality tab are presented in logical groupings. Selection of a particular tab switches modes of the user interface to present controls for functionalities associated with the selected tab.

Claims

1. A method for providing functionality from a software application by displaying an improved user interface at a display device, the method comprising:

organizing a plurality of software functionalities according to tasks to be performed by the software application, the tasks being identified textually by user interface tabs;

upon receiving an indication of a selection of a first user interface tab, providing a plurality of selectable controls associated with a first task, each selectable control being presented by a graphic representation and a textual representation;

grouping the plurality of selectable controls into logical groupings of the plurality of selectable controls, wherein each of the logical groupings combine a subset of functionalities associated with the selected first user interface tab;

dynamically adjusting a layout of at least one of the logical groupings to accommodate the user interface, wherein dynamically adjusting the layout of the at least one logical grouping comprises reducing a size of the graphical representation of at least one selectable control within the logical grouping eliminating the textual representation of at least one selectable control associated with the at least one logical grouping, and preserving the graphical representation associated with the at least one selectable control associated with the at least one logical grouping;

upon receiving an indication of a selection of a second user interface tab, providing in the user interface a plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities organized under a second task associated with the second user interface tab;

after providing in the user interface the plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities organized under the second task, receiving an indication of a selection of one of the additional selectable controls organized under the second task;

applying functionality associated with the selected additional selectable control to a selected object; and

when the second user interface tab is not selected in the user interface, providing in the user interface the plurality of selectable controls organized under the first task associated with the selected first user interface tab.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon receiving an indication of a selection of one of the selectable controls, applying functionality associated with the selected one of the selectable controls to a selected document object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon receiving an indication of a selection of the second user interface tab, providing the plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities organized under the second task associated with the selected second user interface tab.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon receiving a selection of one of the logical groupings of selectable controls, providing a details tab for selectively deploying a second user interface for providing additional functionality controls associated with the selected logical grouping.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the details tab for selectively deploying the second user interface comprises providing information identifying functionality, organized under the selected logical grouping, presently applied to a selected document object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the user interface lacks sufficient space for displaying the plurality of selectable controls of the at least one logical grouping, collapsing the at least one logical grouping into a single selectable control for accessing the plurality of selectable controls grouped under the at least one logical grouping.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising upon receiving a selection of the single selectable control, providing a menu of the plurality of selectable controls grouped under the at least one logical grouping.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising when the user interface lacks sufficient space for displaying the plurality of selectable controls of a given logical grouping, reducing the display size of each of the logical groupings until each of the logical groupings is displayed in the user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising rearranging a layout of individual selectable controls grouped in the given logical grouping for reducing the display size of the logical grouping.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising amending a display of individual selectable controls grouped in the given logical grouping for reducing the display size of the logical grouping.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon receiving a selection of one of the logical groupings of selectable controls, providing a tool tips dialog for providing information about software application functionalities associated with the selected logical grouping.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically adjusting the layout of the at least one of the logical groupings to accommodate a change in a size of the user interface.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically adjusting the layout of the at least one logical grouping upon a decrease of a size of the user interface.

12. A computer readable device having a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing functionality from a software application via an improved user interface, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

organizing a plurality of software functionalities according to tasks to be performed by the software application, the tasks being identified textually by user interface tabs;

upon receiving an indication of a selection of a first user interface tab, providing a plurality of selectable controls associated with a first task, each selectable control being presented by a graphic representation and a textual representation;

grouping the plurality of selectable controls into logical groupings of the plurality of selectable controls, wherein each of the logical groupings combine a subset of functionalities associated with the selected first user interface tab;

upon detection of a variation in a display size of the user interface, rearranging a layout of the logical groupings, wherein rearranging the layout of at least one of the logical groupings comprises rearranging a layout of at least a portion of the selectable controls within the at least one logical grouping and reducing a size of at least a portion of the selectable controls within the at least one logical grouping and eliminating the textual representation associated with the at least one selectable control;

upon receiving an indication of a selection of a second user interface tab, providing in the user interface a plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities organized under a second task associated with the second user interface tab;

after providing in the user interface the plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities organized under the second task, receiving an indication of a selection of one of the additional selectable controls organized under the second task;

applying functionality associated with the selected additional selectable control to a selected object; and

when the second user interface tab is not selected in the user interface, providing in the user interface the plurality of selectable controls organized under the first task associated with the selected first user interface tab.

13. The computer readable device of claim 12, further comprising upon receiving an indication of a selection of one of the selectable controls, applying functionality associated with the selected one of the selectable controls to a selected document object.

14. The computer readable device of claim 12, further comprising upon receiving an indication of a selection of the second user interface tab, providing the plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities organized under the second task associated with the selected second user interface tab.

15. The computer readable device of claim 12, further comprising upon receiving a selection of one of the logical groupings of selectable controls, providing a details tab for selectively deploying a second user interface for providing additional functionality controls associated with the selected logical grouping.

16. The computer readable device of claim 15, wherein providing the details tab includes providing the details tab for selectively deploying the second user interface for providing information identifying functionality organized under the selected logical grouping presently applied to a selected document object.

17. The computer readable device of claim 12, further comprising when the user interface lacks sufficient space for displaying selectable controls of the at least one logical grouping, collapsing the at least one logical grouping into a single selectable control for accessing the selectable controls grouped under the at least one logical grouping.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising upon receiving a selection of the single selectable control, providing a menu of the selectable controls grouped under the at least one logical grouping.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising when the user interface lacks sufficient space for displaying selectable controls of the at least one logical grouping, reducing the display size of each of the logical groupings until each of the at least one logical grouping is displayable in the user interface.

20. The computer readable device of claim 19, further comprising amending a display of individual selectable controls grouped in the given logical grouping for reducing the display size of the logical grouping.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising upon receiving a selection of one of the logical groupings of selectable controls, providing a tool tips dialog for providing information about software application functionalities associated with the selected logical grouping.

31. A computer readable device of claim 12, further comprising collapsing, as a size of the user interface decreases, the logical groupings in an order that is based on at least one of the following:

a set of most used selectable controls and a set of most recently used selectable controls associated with the logical groupings.

22. A computer readable storage device having a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing functionality from a software application via an improved user interface, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

providing a user interface tab that is identified textually for each of a plurality of tasks to be performed by the software application;

upon receiving an indication of a selection of a first user interface tab, providing selectable controls for selecting functionalities associated with a first task, each selectable control being presented by a graphic representation and a textual representation;

grouping the selectable controls into logical groupings of selectable controls, wherein each of the logical groupings combine a subset of functionalities associated with the selected first user interface tab;

upon a change in a display size of the user interface, reducing a display size of at least one of the logical groupings, wherein reducing the display size of the at least one logical grouping comprises reducing a size of the graphical representation of at least one selectable control within the at least one logical grouping and eliminating the textual representation associated with the at least one selectable control;

upon receiving an indication of a selection of a second user interface tab, providing in the user interface a plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities organized under a second task associated with the second user interface tab;

after providing in the user interface the plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities organized under the second task, receiving an indication of a selection of one of the additional selectable controls organized under the second task;

applying functionality associated with the selected additional selectable control to a selected object; and

when the second user interface tab is not selected in the user interface, providing in the user interface the plurality of selectable controls organized under the first task associated with the selected first user interface tab.

23. A computer readable storage device of claim 22, further comprising upon receiving an indication of a selection of one of the selectable controls, applying functionality associated with the selected one of the selectable controls to a selected document object.

24. A computer readable storage device of claim 22, further comprising upon receiving an indication of a selection of a second user interface tab, providing in the user interface a plurality of additional selectable controls for selecting functionalities associated with a second task.

25. A computer readable storage device of claim 22, further comprising when the user interface lacks sufficient space for displaying selectable controls of the at least one logical grouping, collapsing the at least one logical grouping into a single selectable control for accessing the selectable controls grouped under the at least one logical grouping.

26. A computer readable storage device of claim 25, further comprising upon receiving a selection of the single selectable control, providing a menu of the selectable controls grouped under the at least one logical grouping.

27. A computer readable storage device of claim 22, further comprising when the user interface lacks sufficient space for displaying selectable controls of the at least one logical grouping, reducing the display size of each of the logical groupings until each of the at least one logical grouping is displayable in the user interface.

28. A computer readable storage device of claim 27, further comprising rearranging a layout of individual selectable controls grouped in the at least one logical grouping for reducing the display size of the logical grouping.

29. A computer readable storage device of claim 28, further comprising amending the display of individual selectable controls grouped in the at least one given logical grouping for reducing the display size of the at least one logical grouping.

32. A computer readable storage device of claim 22, further comprising collapsing, as a size of the user interface decreases, the logical groupings in an order that is based on at least one of the following:

a set of most used selectable controls and a set of most recently used selectable controls associated with the logical groupings.