Interface for a computer platform

• US 9,459,837 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Karatal, Kerem B., Sheldon, Michael G., Miller, Marc M., Guzak, Chris J., McKee, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, THUY CHAN
• Application Number:
  US13/647,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A programming interface for a computer platform can include various functionality. In certain embodiments, the programming interface includes one or more of a first group of services related to re-usable user interface controls, a second group of services related to user interface dialogs and user interface wizards, a third group of services related to extending the user interface functionality, and a fourth group of services related to extending functionality of a desktop of the user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying on a user interface a dynamic tile display for presenting a plurality of dynamic tiles, a dynamic tile of the plurality of dynamic tiles describing at least one of a contact or an informational element;

determining that properties of a notification match rules defined by a user of the user interface, the notification related to the at least one of the contact or the informational element of the dynamic tile;

determining a user context of the user;

determining that the user context indicates that the user is unavailable;

delaying updating of a visual element of the dynamic tile at a first time in which the user context indicates that the user is unavailable, the updating based at least in part on the rules and the user context;

determining that the user context indicates that the user is available; and

updating the visual element of the dynamic tile at a second time in which the user context indicates that the user is available, the updating based at least in part on the rules and the user context, wherein;

the dynamic tile display is an interactive sidebar,

the plurality of dynamic tiles are presented in the interactive sidebar,

the interactive sidebar is associated with a namespace, and

the namespace defines at least one of a class, an interface, a delegate, an enumeration, or a structure.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dynamic tile provides a link to at least one service for accessing the at least one of the contact or the informational element.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dynamic tile describes the at least one of the contact or the informational element via a dynamic visual element indicating a status of the at least one of the contact or the informational element.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising tracking, for the dynamic tile, the at least one of the contact or the informational element.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface and the dynamic tile display are displayed as separate windows.

6. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including one or more modules that are executable by the one or more processors to;

display a user interface on a display of the apparatus;

display an interactive sidebar on the apparatus, the interactive sidebar including a plurality of dynamic tiles, a dynamic tile of the plurality of dynamic tiles including a pointer that points to a corresponding application of a plurality of applications;

determine a user context and user rules, the user context indicating an unavailability of a user of the user interface;

determine that the user rules match properties of a notification of the corresponding application; and

delay provision of the notification based at least on the user context indicating the unavailability of the user of the user interface, wherein;

the plurality of dynamic tiles are presented in the interactive sidebar,

the interactive sidebar is associated with a namespace, and

the namespace defines at least one of a class, an interface, a delegate, an enumeration, or a structure.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, further configured to provide the user a status of the corresponding application.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the dynamic tile is configured to provide a visual indication of a status of the corresponding application.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the dynamic tile displayed on the interactive sidebar is customizable based on a user input.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the corresponding application includes a communication application.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a display; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

display a user interface on the display, the user interface including a plurality of functions, at least one function of the plurality of functions to provide access to a customizable sidebar on a portion of the user interface, the customizable sidebar comprising a plurality of tiles, at least one tile of the plurality of tiles corresponding to, and providing a link to, a service for interacting with at least one of;

information, a source of information, or a contact;

receive a status of the service corresponding to the at least one tile of the plurality of tiles;

determine that user rules match properties of the status of the service;

determine a user context indicating that a user of the user interface is unavailable; and

delay an update to a visual indication of the at least one tile of the plurality of tiles until the user context is switched from indicating that the user of the user interface is unavailable to indicating that the user of the user interface is available, wherein;

the customizable sidebar is an interactive sidebar,

the plurality of tiles are presented in the interactive sidebar,

the interactive sidebar is associated with a namespace, and

the namespace defines at least one of a class, an interface, a delegate, an enumeration, or a structure.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one tile of the plurality of tiles provides a link to more than one service.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the service comprises a web based service.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

an input interface for receiving user selections; and

wherein the one or more computer-readable media stores instructions, that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a user selection at the input interface, the user selection corresponding to the at least one tile; and

in response, provide a notification representing the status of the service associated with the at least one tile to the display.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the service is selected from at least one of a predefined library of services or user definable library of services.

16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the at least one tile of the plurality of tiles provides multiple links to multiple respective services; and

the multiple respective services are configured to be used in combination for providing an interaction with the at least one of the information, the source of information, or the contact.

17. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the service corresponding to the at least one tile comprises an e-mail service.

18. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the service corresponding to the at least one tile is linked to by two or more of the plurality of tiles.

19. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the delayed update of the visual indication is in response to a user caused action that switches the user context.