Floating command object

• US 20060036946A1
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ligameri, Mark A., Peters, Mark A., Harris, Jensen M., Menon, Deepak, Radtke, Roland, Satterfield, Jesse Clay
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/711
• 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 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A floating command object is provided for offering a set of commonly or frequently used commands in close proximity to a selected text, data or other object in a document. When a given object is selected for editing, the floating object automatically displays near the object to allow easy selection of relevant commands such as formatting property commands. The object remains displayed to allow multiple command selections until it is closed by user action. If a mouse or touchpad pointer is moved away from the displayed object, the displayed object becomes increasingly translucent to visually deemphasize the relevance of the object to the new position of the pointer.

Claims

1. A method of providing a floating command object that is contextually relevant to a selected object, comprising:

upon receiving a selection of a first object in an electronic document for editing, displaying a command object adjacent to the selected object;

displaying in the command object one or more functionality commands that are relevant to editing the selected object; and

allowing selection of one or more functionality commands from the command object for application of associated functionality to the first object without closing a display of the command object.

2. The method of claim 1, whereby displaying in the command object one or more functionality commands that are relevant to editing the selected object includes displaying one or more functionality commands that may be selected for applying a property to the selected object without requiring the display of a secondary functionality command user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the command object in a displayed position relative to the selected object until a display of the command object is closed by user action.

4. The method of claim 1, in response to receiving a selection of a second object for editing, closing a display of the command object from a first display position relative to the first object.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the command object at a second display position relative to the second object.

6. The method of claim 1, upon receiving an entry of data into a document containing the first object, closing a display of the command object.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the opacity of the displayed command object to the distance between an electronic pointer and the displayed command object, where the electronic pointer is operative to point to objects in the document for selection.

8. The method of claim 7, in response to moving the electronic pointer away from the displayed command object, causing the displayed command object to grow increasingly translucent as the distance between the electronic pointer and the displayed command object increases.

9. The method of claim 1, whereby displaying the command object adjacent to the selected object includes displaying the command object adjacent to an editing insertion point in the selected object.

10. The method of claim 9, whereby displaying the command object adjacent to an editing insertion point in the selected object includes displaying the command object adjacent to a cursor location in the selected object.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying the command object in a consistent location relative to the first selected object upon subsequent displays of the command object.

12. The method of claim 11, whereby displaying the command object in a consistent location relative to the first selected object upon subsequent displays of the command object includes displaying the command object beneath the first selected object.

13. The method of claim 11, whereby displaying the command object in a consistent location relative to the first selected object upon subsequent displays of the command object includes displaying the command object above the first selected object.

14. The method of claim 11, whereby displaying the command object in a consistent location relative to the first selected object upon subsequent displays of the command object includes displaying the command object on a right side of the first selected object.

15. The method of claim 11, whereby displaying the command object in a consistent location relative to the first selected object upon subsequent displays of the command object includes displaying the command object on a left side of the first selected object.

16. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of providing a command object that is contextually relevant to a selected object, comprising:

upon receiving a selection of a first object in an electronic document for editing, displaying a command object adjacent to the selected object;

displaying in the command object one or more functionality commands that are relevant to editing the selected object that may be selected for applying a property to the selected object without requiring the display of a secondary functionality command user interface;

allowing selection of one or more functionality commands from the command object for application of associated functionality to the first object without closing a display of the command object; and

maintaining the command object in a displayed position relative to the selected object until a display of the command object is closed by user action.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, in response to receiving a selection of a second object for editing, further comprising:

closing a display of the command object from a first display position relative to the first object; and

displaying the command object at a second display position relative to the second object.

18. An improved user interface for providing functionality from a software application that is relevant to a selected object, comprising:

a floating object having disposed therein one or more functionality commands that are relevant to editing the selected object, where each of the functionality commands may be selected for applying a property to the selected object without requiring the display of a secondary user interface;

whereby the floating object is operative to display in an electronic document adjacent to the selected object upon receiving a selection of the selected object; and

whereby the floating object is further operative to remain in the displayed position relative to the selected object until a display of the floating object is closed by user action.

19. The improved user interface of claim 18, whereby an opacity of the displayed floating object is associated with a distance between an electronic pointer in the document and the displayed floating object, where the electronic pointer is operative to point to objects in the document for selection.

20. The improved user interface of claim 19, whereby the display of the floating object is increasingly translucent as the distance between the electronic pointer and the displayed floating object increases.