Dynamic extension view with multiple levels of expansion

• US 9,256,445 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Claux, David, Henderson, Jason Todd, Ouliankine, Oleg, Faoro, Michael Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, RAYEEZ R
• Application Number:
  US13/361,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Application extension management may be provided. A plurality of related documents may be scanned to determine whether an activation trigger associated with an application extension has been triggered. In response to determining that the activation trigger associated with the application extension has been triggered, the application extension may be triggered and a user interface element associated with the application extension may be displayed according to a display rule.

Claims

1. A method for providing application extension management, the method comprising:

determining that an activation trigger associated with one or more application extensions has been triggered by identifying content within at least one of a plurality of documents that satisfies the activation trigger; and

in response to determining that the activation trigger associated with the one or more application extensions has been triggered;

activating the one or more application extensions, wherein the one or more application extensions are configured to provide at least one of the following;

information regarding where an application associated with each application extension is located, information regarding a count of application extensions, functionality to launch each of the one or more applications associated with each of the one or more application extensions;

displaying a selectable user interface element associated with the one or more application extensions according to a display rule, wherein the display rule comprises displaying a selectable command text within the at least one document; and

in response to receiving a selection of the selectable command text, displaying a tabular interface pane comprising a tab for each of the one or more application extensions, wherein the tabular interface pane displays content of a first application associated with a first application extension, and

wherein switching from a first tab to a second tab switches display to a second application associated with a second application extension.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation trigger is triggered by a document opened in a software application associated with at least one of the one or more application extensions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display rule is associated with the software application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the display rule is associated with a meta-data element of the document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display rule is associated with a user preference.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a modification to the display of the selectable user interface element associated with the one or more application extensions; and

updating the user preference according to the modification.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a user interface element associated with the at least one document in a listing of the plurality of documents, wherein the user interface element comprises an indicator that the one or more application extensions are available in the at least one document.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the indicator comprises a text element.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the indicator comprises an icon.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the indicator; and

displaying the tabular interface pane associated with the one or more application extensions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a second selection of the selectable command text;

hiding the tabular interface pane associated with the one or more application extensions.

12. A system for providing application extension management, the system comprising:

a memory storage including computer-executable instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein upon executing the computer-executable instructions the processing unit is operable to;

display a list of a plurality of related documents in a user interface pane;

determine that content of at least one document of the plurality of related documents satisfies an activation trigger associated with one or more application extensions;

in response to determining that the at least one document satisfies the activation trigger associated with the one or more application extensions, display an indicator on the list of the plurality of related documents that the at least one document satisfies the activation trigger associated with the one or more application extensions;

in response to receiving a selection of the at least one document, display;

at least a portion of the selected at least one document; and

a selectable user interface element associated with the one or more application extensions, wherein a count of the one or more application extensions associated with the selected at least one document determines a display of the selectable user interface element, wherein the display comprises a command text; and

in response to receiving a selection of the command text, display a tabular interface pane comprising a tab for each of the one or more application extensions associated with the selected at least one document, wherein the tabular interface pane displays content of a first application associated with a first application extension, and wherein switching from a first tab to a second tab switches display to a second application associated with a second application extension.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the selectable user interface element comprises a name for each of the one or more application extensions associated with the selected at least one document.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the selectable user interface element comprises a list of one or more application extensions associated with the selected at least one document.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

receive a selection of the selectable user interface element associated with the one or more application extensions; and

display data associated with the one or more application extensions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the data is displayed inline in the at least one document.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the data is displayed in a new user interface window.

18. A computer-readable storage device storing a set of instructions which when executed causes a computing system to perform a method for providing application extension management, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

displaying a list of a plurality of related documents in a user interface pane, wherein the plurality of related documents comprise at least one of the following;

a plurality of email messages, a plurality of web pages, a plurality of documents each associated with a common project, a plurality of word processing documents, a plurality of spreadsheet documents, a plurality of presentation documents, and a plurality of documents of differing types;

determining that content of at least one document of the plurality of related documents satisfies an activation trigger associated with one or more application extensions;

in response to determining that the at least one document satisfies the activation trigger associated with the one or more application extensions, displaying an indicator on the list of the plurality of related documents that the at least one document satisfies the activation trigger associated with the one or more application extensions;

receiving a selection of the at least one of the plurality of related documents;

displaying at least a portion of the selected at least one document in a second user interface pane;

displaying a selectable user interface element proximate to the second user interface pane, wherein a count of the one or more application extensions determines a display of the selectable user interfaces element; and

displaying a tabular interface pane comprising a tab for each of the one or more application extensions associated with the selected at least one document, wherein a first tab of the tabular interface pane displays content of a first application associated with a first application extension;

receiving a selection of a second tab in the tabular interface pane; and

switching to display of a second application associated with a second application extension.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the selectable user interface element comprises a list of the one or more application extensions associated with the selected at least one document.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the indicator comprises an icon.