User interface menu with hovering icons
First Claim
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1. A computer system having processor, memory, and data storage subsystems, and a computer generated graphical user interface (GUI) for accepting user input commands, the computer generated GUI comprising:
- a first area containing a compact listing of menu items, the first area further comprising;
an operating system (OS) specific function section which provides access only to OS specific functions, and comprises a first OS subsection consisting of commonly accessed OS specific menu items of the computer generated GUI; and
an application program (AP) specific function section which provides access only to AP specific functions, and comprises a first AP subsection consisting of commonly accessed AP specific menu items of the computer generated GUI and a completely separate second AP subsection that expands to provide access to all AP specific menu items,wherein the OS specific function section is grouped completely separately from the AP specific function section; and
a second area separated from the first area, the second area including an icon selected from a set of icons based on a location of a pointer relative to an associated OS specific menu item, wherein a subsequent selected icon will replace the selected icon upon a subsequent location of the pointer relative to a subsequent associated OS specific menu item;
wherein the GUI is part of an operating system shell.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A graphical user interface is provided that has two distinct sections. A first area has an array of menu items. When a menu item is hovered over by a pointer, an icon such as a contextually-related animated icon is displayed on a second area and changes its appearance in such a way as to indicate to the user the location of the pointer and/or the consequence of selecting that menu item.
24 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A computer system having processor, memory, and data storage subsystems, and a computer generated graphical user interface (GUI) for accepting user input commands, the computer generated GUI comprising:
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a first area containing a compact listing of menu items, the first area further comprising; an operating system (OS) specific function section which provides access only to OS specific functions, and comprises a first OS subsection consisting of commonly accessed OS specific menu items of the computer generated GUI; and an application program (AP) specific function section which provides access only to AP specific functions, and comprises a first AP subsection consisting of commonly accessed AP specific menu items of the computer generated GUI and a completely separate second AP subsection that expands to provide access to all AP specific menu items, wherein the OS specific function section is grouped completely separately from the AP specific function section; and a second area separated from the first area, the second area including an icon selected from a set of icons based on a location of a pointer relative to an associated OS specific menu item, wherein a subsequent selected icon will replace the selected icon upon a subsequent location of the pointer relative to a subsequent associated OS specific menu item; wherein the GUI is part of an operating system shell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer-implemented method using processor, memory, and data storage subsystems for providing visual feedback in a graphical user interface (GUI) having a menu comprising a compact listing of displayed menu items, each menu item being associated with an icon different in appearance from the associated menu item, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first user input that causes a pointer to be located over an operating system (OS) section, the OS section providing access only to OS specific functions, the OS section consisting of commonly accessed OS specific menu items of the GUI and a single OS menu item expanding access only to all OS specific menu items; in response to the first user input, displaying in a first distinct area of the GUI an icon associated with that OS specific menu item located by the first user input, wherein movement of the icon associated with that OS specific menu item is generated in real time in response to movement of the pointer; receiving a second user input that causes the pointer to be located over an application program (AP) section, the AP section providing access only to AP specific functions, the AP section consisting of commonly accessed AP specific menu items of the GUI and a single AP menu item expanding access only to all AP specific menu items; and in response to the second user input, displaying in a second distinct area of the GUI an icon associated with that AP specific menu item located by the second user input; wherein; movement of the icon associated with that AP specific menu item is generated in real time in response to movement of the pointer; the first distinct area and the second distinct area do not overlap the OS or AP menu item located by the first or second user input, respectively; the GUI is part of an operating system shell organized into a tree-structural hierarchy; the associated icon provides an indication of an action that will occur if the displayed OS or AP menu item is selected; and the OS section is grouped completely separately from the AP section. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer readable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method of providing visual feedback in a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:
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providing a menu, comprising a compact listing of displayed menu items, wherein each of the displayed menu items is associated with an icon located apart from the associated displayed menu item, the menu further comprising; an operating system (OS) section which provides access only to OS specific functions, the OS section comprising a first OS subsection consisting of commonly accessed OS specific menu items of the GUI and a second OS subsection that expands access only to all OS specific menu items; and an application program (AP) section which provides access only to AP specific functions, the AP section comprising a first AP subsection consisting of commonly accessed AP specific menu items of the GUI and a second AP subsection that expands access only to all AP specific menu items, wherein the OS section is grouped completely separately from the AP section; receiving user input that causes a pointer to be located over one of the displayed menu items; and in response to the user input, displaying the icon associated with the pointer-located displayed menu item in a distinct area of the GUI; wherein the distinct area does not overlap the pointer-located displayed menu item; and wherein the GUI is part of an operating system shell. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. One or more computer readable storage media containing computer readable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, provide as part of an operating system shell, a computer generated graphical user interface (GUI) for accepting user input commands, said GUI comprising:
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a pointer for selecting menu items and icons; a start menu divided into a compact listing of discrete sections, a first discrete operating system (OS) specific function section that provides access only to OS specific functions consisting of commonly accessed OS specific menu items of the GUI and a single OS menu item expanding access only to all OS specific menu items, the first discrete OS specific function section grouped separately from a second discrete application program (AP) specific function section consisting of commonly accessed AP specific menu items of the GUI and a single AP menu item expanding access only to all AP specific menu items; and an animated three-dimensional appearing icon that moves side-to-side so that a user can see the edges rotating, and the animated three-dimensional appearing icon changes appearance based on the OS menu item or the AP menu item over which the pointer is located, wherein the animated three-dimensional appearing icon is displayed in a different, non-overlapping discrete section from the corresponding OS menu item or the AP menu item; wherein the animated three-dimensional appearing icon provides an animated indication of a first action that will occur if a first OS or AP menu item is selected, and further morphs into a second appearance when the pointer moves over a second OS or AP menu item to provide an animated indication of a second action that will occur if the second OS or AP menu item is selected. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification