User interface for toolbar navigation

• US 9,477,381 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Harvey, Keith D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/155,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 715/765, 715/738, 715/777, 715/779, 715/733, 715/760, 715/711, 715/786
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A system and method for navigating a collection of toolbar items that are displayed on an electronic display screen. The toolbar items, such as buttons, are organized into an ordered set of toolbar pages. Each toolbar page contains a fixed number of toolbar items. One toolbar page from the set is displayed at a time in a fixed display area, e.g., a tile, on the display screen. User input causes the currently displayed toolbar page to be replaced by another toolbar page in the ordered set. The user input, such as a continuous swipe gesture across the toolbar display tile, determines the direction of navigation through pages in the ordered set and the speed of the page navigation. The toolbar display area can show the position of the currently displayed toolbar in the ordered set and animated transitions between toolbar items may be displayed to signal toolbar page replacements. A user input, such as a tap of a finger, can select the replacement toolbar.

Claims

1. A method for displaying toolbar pages in a toolbar tile on an electronic display screen comprising:

a. providing an ordered set of toolbar pages, each toolbar page comprising at least one display item;

b. displaying a given toolbar page from the ordered set in the toolbar tile and displaying an indicator of the position within the ordered set of the currently displayed page;

c. receiving a user input requesting replacement of the currently displayed toolbar page with a requested page, the user input indicating a direction for the requested page from the currently displayed page in the ordered set;

d. replacing the given toolbar page with a second toolbar page from the ordered set, the replacement toolbar page determined by the user input; and

e. updating the indicator of the position within the ordered set of the currently displayed toolbar page.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the user input requesting toolbar replacement identifies the distance in pages of the requested toolbar from the currently displayed toolbar.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the user input requesting toolbar replacement includes swiping the toolbar tile with the user'"'"'s finger.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the user input requesting toolbar replacement includes moving a pointing device pointer across the toolbar tile.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the toolbar items are animated when the toolbar page is replaced.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the toolbar animation includes flipping over a given toolbar item when the toolbar page is replaced.

7. The method as in claim 5, wherein the toolbar animation includes sliding in replacement toolbar items from the side of the toolbar when the toolbar page is replaced.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the indicator of the position of the currently displayed page within the ordered set is a column of illuminated discs.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the indicator of the position of the currently displayed page within the ordered set is a progress bar.

10. A method for displaying a hierarchical toolbar page in a toolbar tile on an electronic screen comprising:

a. displaying a given toolbar page, the toolbar page including a first hierarchical toolbar item;

b. receiving a user input requesting display of a submenu page, the submenu page associated with the first hierarchical toolbar item;

c. replacing the given toolbar page in the toolbar tile with the submenu page;

d. receiving a user input selecting a second hierarchical toolbar item from the submenu page; and

e. redisplaying the given toolbar page in the toolbar tile with the second hierarchical toolbar item replacing the first hierarchical toolbar item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first hierarchical toolbar item includes a hierarchical indicator.

12. The method of claim 11, where the hierarchical indicator is an arrow glyph.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving a user input requesting display of a submenu page comprises receiving a tap and hold of the first hierarchical toolbar item from a touch screen; and

receiving a user input selecting a second hierarchical toolbar item from the submenu page comprises tapping or dragging the second hierarchical toolbar item from the submenu page via the touch screen.

22. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving a user input requesting display of a submenu page comprises receiving a mouse click on the first hierarchical toolbar item; and

receiving a user input selecting a second hierarchical toolbar item from the submenu page comprises receiving a mouse click on the second hierarchical toolbar item from the submenu page.

13. A system for displaying toolbar pages in a toolbar tile on an electronic display comprising a processor, a memory, and the electronic display, the memory containing instructions that cause the processor to:

a. display a given toolbar page from an ordered set of toolbar pages in the toolbar tile, each toolbar page comprising at least one display item, and display an indicator of the position within the ordered set of the currently displayed page;

b. receive a user input requesting replacement of the currently displayed toolbar page with a requested page, the user input indicating a direction for the requested page from the currently displayed page in the ordered set;

c. replace the given toolbar page with a second toolbar page from the ordered set, the replacement toolbar page determined by the user input; and

d. update the indicator of the position within the ordered set of the currently displayed toolbar page.

14. The system as in claim 13, wherein the user input requesting toolbar replacement identifies the distance in pages of the requested toolbar from the currently displayed toolbar.

15. The system as in claim 13, wherein the user input requesting toolbar replacement includes swiping the toolbar tile with the user'"'"'s finger.

16. The system as in claim 13, wherein the user input requesting toolbar replacement includes moving a pointing device pointer across the toolbar tile.

17. The system as in claim 13, wherein the toolbar items are animated when the toolbar page is replaced.

18. A system for displaying toolbar pages in a toolbar tile on an electronic display comprising a processor, a memory, and the electronic display, the memory containing instructions that cause the processor to:

a. display a given toolbar page, the toolbar page including a first hierarchical toolbar item;

b. receive a user input requesting display of a submenu page, the submenu page associated with the first hierarchical toolbar item;

c. replace the given toolbar page in the toolbar tile with the submenu page;

d. receive a user input selecting a second hierarchical toolbar item from the submenu page; and

e. redisplay the given toolbar page in the toolbar tile with the second hierarchical toolbar item replacing the first hierarchical toolbar item.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein the first hierarchical toolbar item includes a hierarchical indicator.

20. The system as in claim 18, where the hierarchical indicator is an arrow glyph.