User interface for displaying a gallery of formatting options applicable to a selected object

• US 20060036950A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• 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: Harris, Jensen M., Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Butcher, Aaron M., Gauthier, Tracey M., Himberger, Andrew M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,146,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/732
• 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 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change

Abstract

An improved user interface is provided for displaying a gallery of images showing different formatting options combinations that may be applied to a selected object. When a particular image is selected an associated formatting options combination is automatically applied to the selected object.

Claims

1. A method for providing a gallery of formatting options in an improved user interface, comprising:

providing a gallery of formatting controls, whereby each of one or more formatting controls contained in the gallery of formatting controls is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to an object;

displaying in the user interface a visual representation of an object of a same type as the object for each of the one or more formatting controls illustrating how the object will be formatted if the formatting attributes associated with each of the one or more formatting controls are applied to the object;

receiving an indication of a selection of one of the one or more formatting controls; and

automatically applying the one or more formatting attributes associated with the selected formatting control to the object.

2. The method of claim 1, whereby providing a gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls within the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, whereby providing the gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls in a drop-down menu displayed underneath the user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising expanding the drop-down menu containing the gallery of formatting controls to display in the drop-down menu additional formatting controls associated with additional formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

5. The method of claim 1, whereby providing the gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls in a dialog displayed in a software application workspace.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing an additional gallery of formatting controls in a drop-down menu displayed in response to a selection of a given formatting control from the dialog.

7. The method of claim 1, whereby providing a gallery of formatting controls includes providing in the user interface a plurality of gallery controls for selecting one of a plurality of galleries of formatting controls, whereby each of the plurality of galleries of formatting controls contains one or more formatting controls associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a selection of one of the plurality of gallery controls;

and

displaying one or more formatting controls contained in a gallery of formatting controls associated with the selected gallery control.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the one or more formatting controls contained in a gallery of formatting controls associated with the selected gallery control in a drop-down menu of formatting controls.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of focusing on a given one of the one or more formatting controls; and

in response to receiving a focusing indication on a given one of the one or more formatting controls, dynamically applying formatting attributes associated with the focused on formatting control to the selected object to show how the selected object will be formatted if the one or more formatting attributes associated with the focused on formatting control are applied to the selected object.

11. The method of claim 10, upon receiving an indication of cessation of focusing on the given one of the one or more formatting controls, reversing the dynamic application of the one or more formatting attributes associated with the focused-on formatting control to the selected object such that the selected object is formatted according to formatting attributes applied to the selected object before dynamically applying the formatting attributes associated with the focused-on formatting control.

12. An improved user interface for providing a gallery of formatting options in an improved user interface, comprising:

one or more tabs disposed in an upper row of the user interface, each of said one or more tabs identifying a task that may be performed on a selected object, whereby one or more of said one or more tabs being operative upon selection to cause a display of a gallery of formatting controls, whereby each of one or more formatting controls contained in the gallery of formatting controls is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object; and

each of the one or more formatting controls including a visual representation of the selected object illustrating how the selected object will be formatted if the formatting attributes associated with each of the one or more formatting controls are applied to the selected object.

13. The user interface of claim 12, wherein said gallery of formatting controls is disposed within the user interface.

14. The user interface of claim 12, wherein said gallery of formatting controls is disposed in a drop-down menu displayed underneath the user interface.

15. The user interface of claim 12, wherein said gallery of formatting controls is disposed in an expandable drop-down menu containing additional formatting controls associated with additional formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

16. The user interface of claim 12, wherein said gallery of formatting controls is disposed within a dialog displayed in a software application workspace.

17. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing a gallery of formatting options in an improved user interface, comprising:

receiving an indication of selection of an object for formatting via a software application;

providing a gallery of formatting controls, whereby each of one or more formatting controls contained in the gallery of formatting controls is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object;

displaying in the user interface a visual representation of an object of a same type as the selected object for each of the one or more formatting controls illustrating how the selected object will be formatted if the formatting attributes associated with each of the one or more formatting controls are applied to the selected object;

receiving an indication of a selection of one of the one or more formatting controls; and

automatically applying the one or more formatting attributes associated with the selected formatting control to the selected object.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, whereby providing a gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls within the user interface.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, whereby providing the gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls in a drop-down menu displayed underneath the user interface.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising expanding the drop-down menu containing the gallery of formatting controls to display in the drop-down menu additional formatting controls associated with additional formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 17, whereby providing the gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls in a dialog displayed in a software application workspace.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising providing an additional gallery of formatting controls in a drop-down menu displayed in response to a selection of a given formatting control from the dialog.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 17, whereby providing a gallery of formatting controls includes providing in the user interface a plurality of gallery controls for selecting one of a plurality of galleries of formatting controls, whereby each of the plurality of galleries of formatting controls contains one or more formatting controls associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, further comprising receiving a selection of one of the plurality of gallery controls;

and

displaying one or more formatting controls contained in a gallery of formatting controls associated with the selected gallery control.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, further comprising displaying the one or more formatting controls contained in a gallery of formatting controls associated with the selected gallery control in a drop-down menu of formatting controls.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an indication of focusing on a given one of the one or more formatting controls; and

in response to receiving a focusing indication on a given one of the one or more formatting controls, dynamically applying formatting attributes associated with the focused on formatting control to the selected object to show how the selected object will be formatted if the one or more formatting attributes associated with the focused on formatting control are applied to the selected object.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, upon receiving an indication of cessation of focusing on the given one of the one or more formatting controls, reversing the dynamic application of the one or more formatting attributes associated with the focused-on formatting control to the selected object such that the selected object is formatted according to formatting attributes applied to the selected object before dynamically applying the formatting attributes associated with the focused-on formatting control.

28. A method for providing a gallery of formatting options in an improved user interface, comprising:

providing one or more tabs in the user interface, whereby one or more of said one or more tabs identifies a formatting task that may be performed on a selected object;

providing a gallery of formatting controls associated with a selected formatting task and associated tab, whereby each of the one or more formatting controls contained in the gallery of formatting controls is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to a selected object; and

displaying on each formatting control a visual representation of the selected object illustrating how the selected object will be formatted if the formatting attributes associated with each of the one or more formatting controls are applied to the selected object.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of one of the one or more formatting controls; and

automatically applying the one or more formatting attributes associated with the selected formatting control to the selected object.

30. The method of claim 28, whereby providing a gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls within the user interface.

31. The method of claim 28, whereby providing the gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls in a drop-down menu displayed underneath the user interface.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising expanding the drop-down menu containing the gallery of formatting controls to display in the drop-down menu additional formatting controls associated with additional formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

33. The method of claim 28, whereby providing the gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls in a dialog displayed in a software application workspace.

34. The method of claim 28, whereby providing a gallery of formatting controls includes providing in the user interface a plurality of gallery controls for selecting one of a plurality of galleries of formatting controls, whereby each of the plurality of galleries of formatting controls contains one or more formatting controls associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of gallery controls; and

displaying one or more formatting controls contained in a gallery of formatting controls associated with the selected gallery control.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising displaying the one or more formatting controls contained in a gallery of formatting controls associated with the selected gallery control in a drop-down menu of formatting controls.

37. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing a gallery of formatting options in an improved user interface, comprising:

providing one or more tabs in the user interface, whereby one or more of said one or more tabs identifies a formatting task that may be performed on a selected object;

providing a gallery of formatting controls associated with a selected formatting task and associated tab, whereby each of the one or more formatting controls contained in the gallery of formatting controls is associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to a selected object; and

displaying on each formatting control a visual representation of the selected object illustrating how the selected object will be formatted if the formatting attributes associated with each of the one or more formatting controls are applied to the selected object.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of one of the one or more formatting controls; and

automatically applying the one or more formatting attributes associated with the selected formatting control to the selected object.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 37, whereby providing a gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls within the user interface.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 37, whereby providing the gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls in a drop-down menu displayed underneath the user interface.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, further comprising expanding the drop-down menu containing the gallery of formatting controls to display in the drop-down menu additional formatting controls associated with additional formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 37, whereby providing the gallery of formatting controls includes providing the gallery of formatting controls in a dialog displayed in a software application workspace.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 37, whereby providing a gallery of formatting controls includes providing in the user interface a plurality of gallery controls for selecting one of a plurality of galleries of formatting controls, whereby each of the plurality of galleries of formatting controls contains one or more formatting controls associated with one or more formatting attributes that may be applied to the selected object.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of gallery controls; and

displaying one or more formatting controls contained in a gallery of formatting controls associated with the selected gallery control.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44, further comprising displaying the one or more formatting controls contained in a gallery of formatting controls associated with the selected gallery control in a drop-down menu of formatting controls.