Providing a user interface for customizing state transitions of panes in a bounding window

• US 9,665,261 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Snyder, Benjamin, Wang, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ANIL K
• Application Number:
  US14/469,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20150121299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

Disclosed are examples of systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for providing a user interface customizable to define state transitions of panes in a bounding window. For example, a bounding window including one or more resizable panes is displayed in a user interface on a display device. Breakpoints situated at respective spatial positions in the bounding window are graphically represented in the user interface. Each breakpoint defines a transition of a pane from one state to another when the pane is resized to traverse the breakpoint. The spatial position of one or more of the breakpoints can be updated in accordance with a request indicating user customization of breakpoints.

Claims

1. A computing device configured to provide a user interface for customizing state transitions of panes in a bounding window, the device comprising:

a display;

a storage medium storing instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause;

displaying, in a user interface on the display, a bounding window comprising one or more resizable panes,

graphically representing, in the user interface, a plurality of breakpoints, each breakpoint situated at a respective spatial position in the bounding window, each breakpoint defining a transition of a pane from one of a plurality of states to another one of the states when the pane is resized to traverse the breakpoint, the plurality of breakpoints being graphically represented in the user interface as a plurality of lines configured to be moved responsive to input from a user, and

updating a spatial position of one or more of the breakpoints in accordance with a request indicating user customization of the one or more breakpoints.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each breakpoint is graphically represented as a vertical line or a horizontal line in the user interface.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each line is configured to be moved along one or both of:

a vertical axis and a horizontal axis of the user interface.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein lines are configured to be added or deleted responsive to input from the user.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the spatial positions of the breakpoints are definable by a user in one or more editable fields in a region of the user interface, the one or more editable fields indicating one or both of:

a spacing between breakpoints and a number of breakpoints in the user interface.

6. The computing device of claim 1, the one or more processors further configured to execute the instructions to cause:

determining a viewport size associated with the display, and

further updating the spatial position according to the viewport size.

7. The computing device of claim 1, the one or more processors further configured to execute the instructions to cause:

determining a user permission associated with a user submitting the request, and

granting the user access to customize spatial positions of part or all of the breakpoints based at least in part on the user permission.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the user permission associated with the user is a subset of privileges available to a system administrator.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein content of one or more panes comprises data of one or more customer relationship management (CRM) records stored in a database associated with a business organization, the CRM records comprising one or more of:

a case, an account, a task, a lead, a contact, a contract and an opportunity.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is one of:

a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet, a smartphone, a television set-top box, and a wearable device.

11. A computer-implemented method for providing a user interface customizable to define state transitions of panes in a bounding window, the method comprising:

causing to be displayed, in a user interface on a display of a device, a bounding window comprising one or more resizable panes;

causing to be graphically represented, in the user interface, a plurality of breakpoints, each breakpoint situated at a respective spatial position in the bounding window, each breakpoint defining a transition of a pane from one of a plurality of states to another one of the states when the pane is resized to traverse the breakpoint, the plurality of breakpoints being graphically represented in the user interface as a plurality of lines configured to be moved responsive to input from a user of the device;

receiving a request to change a spatial position of one or more of the breakpoints; and

causing the spatial position of the one or more breakpoints to be updated in accordance with the request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the spatial positions of the breakpoints are definable by a user in one or more editable fields in a region of the user interface, the one or more editable fields indicating one or both of:

a spacing between breakpoints and a number of breakpoints in the user interface.

13. Apparatus comprising:

a storage medium storing instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions to cause;

providing data at a user device, the user device configured to process the data to display, in a user interface, a bounding window comprising one or more resizable panes and a plurality of breakpoints, each breakpoint situated at a respective spatial position in the bounding window, each breakpoint defining a transition of a pane from one of a plurality of states to another one of the states when the pane is resized to traverse the breakpoint, at least one of the spatial positions having been customized by a user, the plurality of breakpoints being graphically represented in the user interface as a plurality of lines configured to be moved responsive to input from a user of the device, and

changing, based on information indicating that one of the panes has been resized to traverse one of the breakpoints, the presentation of the pane from one of a plurality of states to another one of the states.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a spacing between breakpoints is based at least in part on a designated formula.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the designated formula provides an increasing density of breakpoints along an axis between a first border of the bounding window and a second border of the bounding window.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each state of a pane is associated with an amount of content displayed within the pane, the amount of content being proportional to the size of the pane.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein changing the pane from one of a plurality of states to another one of the states comprises a change to one or more of a plurality of properties of the pane, the properties at least partially defining the states, the properties comprising:

a number of selections, a location of one or more selections, an amount of content, a type of at least a portion of the content, a location of the content, content fading, text wrapping, font size, a number of columns, a number of rows, column size, and row size.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions configured to cause:

providing data at a user device, the user device configured to process the data to display, in a user interface, a bounding window comprising one or more resizable panes and a plurality of breakpoints, each breakpoint situated at a respective spatial position in the bounding window, each breakpoint defining a transition of a pane from one of a plurality of states to another one of the states when the pane is resized to traverse the breakpoint, at least one of the spatial positions having been customized by a user, the plurality of breakpoints being graphically represented in the user interface as a plurality of lines configured to be moved responsive to input from a user of the device; and

changing, based on information indicating that one of the panes has been resized to traverse one of the breakpoints, the presentation of the pane from one of a plurality of states to another one of the states.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein a spacing between breakpoints is based at least in part on a designated formula.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the designated formula provides an increasing density of breakpoints along an axis between a first border of the bounding window and a second border of the bounding window.