User-customizable context menus

• US 9,639,237 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Washington, David Earl, Wong, Lyon, Polsky, Aryeh N., Cohene, Tira L., Burg, David, Dohm, Brendan M., Christensen, Jason A., Lusch, Adam C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ulrich, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/914,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,378 Days
• Field of Search: 715764, 715810, 715825, 715826, 715840
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

Context menus are described. In one or more implementations, an option is displayed in a user interface by a computing device, the option selectable to cause a representation of an object to be added to a context menu. In response to selection of the option, the context menu is configured by the computing device to include the representation of the object such that the representation of the object is selectable to launch the object by the computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a computing device displaying a user interface representation of a command, application or file, displaying an option in a displayed user interface by the computing device, wherein the option is selectable to cause a menu item representing the command, application or file to be added to a context menu; and

in response to selection of the option in the displayed user interface, configuring the context menu by the computing device to include the menu item representing the command, application or file such that the menu item representing the command, application or file is selectable to launch the command, application or file by the computing device;

wherein the displayed user interface representation of the command, application or file is selectable via the displayed user interface via a first technique to launch the command, application or file, and the same displayed user interface representation of the command, application or file is selectable via the displayed user interface via a second technique to cause the displaying of the option in the displayed user interface to cause the menu item representing the command, application or file to be added to the context menu.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first technique is a double click operation and the second technique is a right click operation.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the user interface representation of the command, application or file is displayed in a ribbon menu.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the command, application or file is selected through positioning of a cursor in the user interface as proximal to the user interface representation of the command, application or file; and

the displaying is performed responsive to detecting initiation of a right-click operation in conjunction with the positioning of the cursor.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the command, application or file is a command.

6. A method as described in claim 5, wherein the command is a file management command.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the command, application or file is a document file, spreadsheet file, image file, or media file.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the context menu comprises menu items representing one or more predefined commands that are selectable via the context menu for initiation by the computing device.

9. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

in response to selection of the option, configuring a toolbar by the computing device to include a toolbar representation of the command, application or file.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user interface comprises a file management user interface configured for use in managing files and folders of the computing device;

the command, application or file comprises a command; and

the command is executable to support management of the files and the folders of the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the command, application or file comprises a command; and

the user interface representation of the command is included in a ribbon.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the command is part of an operating system of the computing device or is part of third-party software of the computing device.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

invoking the context menu using the second technique.

14. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

memory, coupled to the one or more processors, comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to implement;

in a displayed user interface, displaying a representation of a command, application or file that is selectable using;

a first user interface interaction technique to launch the command, application or file by a computing device; and

a second user interface interaction technique to cause output of an option by the computing device;

responsive to detection of selection of the representation of the command, application or file in the displayed user interface using the second user interface interaction technique, displaying the option to be selectable in the displayed user interface by the computing device to cause a menu item representing the command, application or file to be included in a context menu.

15. The apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein the context menu is configured to be output in the user interface responsive to a right-click.

16. The apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein the command, application or file is a document file, spreadsheet file, image file, or media file.

17. The apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein the command, application or file is a command.

18. The apparatus as described in claim 14, the instructions further executable to implement:

in response to selection of the option, configuring a toolbar by the computing device to also include a toolbar representation of the command, application or file.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

the first user interface interaction technique is a double click and the second user interface interaction technique is a right click.

20. The apparatus as described in claim 14, wherein the representation of the command, application or file is displayed in a ribbon menu.

21. A method comprising:

in a user interface of a computing device, displaying a user interface representation of a command;

responsive to receiving selection of the user interface representation of the command via a first user interface interaction technique, performing the command;

responsive to receiving selection of the user interface representation of the command via a second user interface interaction technique different from the first user interface interaction technique, displaying an option to add the command to a context menu;

in response to selection of the option to add the command, adding a first menu item representing the command to the context menu;

in the user interface of the computing device, displaying a user interface representation of a file;

responsive to receiving selection of the user interface representation of the file via the first user interface interaction technique, opening the file;

responsive to receiving selection of the user interface representation of the file via the second user interface interaction technique different from the first user interface interaction technique, displaying an option to add the file to the context menu;

in response to selection of the option to add the file, adding a second menu item representing the file to the context menu; and

responsive to invocation of the context menu, displaying the context menu in the user interface, wherein the context menu comprises the first menu item and the second menu item, and wherein selecting the first menu item performs the command, and the second menu item opens the file.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein:

further in response to selection of the option to add the command, also adding a representation of the command to a toolbar of the user interface of the computing device.