Space efficient lists for thumbnails

• US 20060168542A1
• Filed: 01/25/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Selman, Julian Leonhard, Baudisch, Patrick, Fong, Jeff, Abanami, Thamer, Bentsen, Brett, Doll, Marc
• Application Number:
  US11/042,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168542A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/821
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A list of digital elements is represented by a list of graphical elements where one of the graphical elements is highlighted. The non-highlighted graphical elements are overlapped over one another based on particular overlapping heuristics.

Claims

1. In a computing device having a graphical user interface including a display and a user input mechanism, a method of displaying a list of graphical elements comprising the steps of:

receiving digital elements, where particular graphical elements are representative of particular digital elements;

applying heuristics that determine a degree of overlap of particular graphical elements over other graphical elements; and

highlighting a chosen graphical element representative of a digital element in displaying a list of graphical elements.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the chosen graphical element is larger than other graphical elements.

3. The method f claim 1 wherein the chosen graphical element is separated from the other graphical elements in displaying the list of graphical elements.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the list overlap heuristics provide for greater overlap of graphical elements in the list that precedes the chosen graphical element than succeeding graphical elements of the chosen graphical element.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the list overlap heuristics provide for text accompanying overlapped graphics elements to be made smaller than text accompanying the chosen graphical element.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the list of the graphical elements a vertical list to a user.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the list of the graphical elements a horizontal list to a user.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the list of the graphical elements a diagonal list to a user.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the list in a grid of graphical elements.

10. For use on a computing device, a storage medium having instructions that when executed on the computer, perform acts comprising:

receiving an ordered list of digital elements, where each digital element is represented by a particular graphical element;

arranging graphical elements representing the digital elements in a graphical element list presented to a user;

highlighting a particular graphical element of the graphical elements of the graphical element list; and

overlapping non-highlighted graphical elements in the list.

11. A storage medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the arranging the graphical elements is selected from one of the following lists:

a vertical list, a horizontal list, or a diagonal list.

12. A storage medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the highlighting comprises segmenting the particular graphical element from the other graphical elements of the list.

13. A storage medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the highlighting comprises displaying the particular graphical element larger than the other graphical elements of the list.

14. A storage medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the overlapping is dependent on the proximity of the non-highlighted graphical elements to the highlighted graphical element.

15. A storage medium as recited in claim 10 wherein the overlapping provides for text accompanying non-highlighted graphical elements to be smaller than text accompanying the highlighted graphical element.

16. A method comprising:

receiving an ordered list of digital elements where each digital element is represented by graphical element;

presenting the graphical elements representing the digital elements in a list displayed to a user;

selecting one of the graphical elements in response to an input by a user; and

overlapping graphical elements that are not selected.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the presenting is selected from one of the following lists:

a vertical list, a horizontal list, or a diagonal list.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the selecting comprises highlighting the one of the graphical elements.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein immediately preceding and immediately succeeding graphical elements of the selected graphical element are not overlapped.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the overlapping is dependent on the proximity of the non-selected graphical elements to the selected graphical element.