User Interface for Displaying a Gallery of Formatting Options Applicable to a Selected Object

• US 20120179993A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Himberger, Andrew M., Gauthier, Tracey M., Butcher, Aaron M., Harris, Jensen M., Satterfield, Jesse Clay
• Granted Patent: US 9,645,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/777
• 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, the method comprising:

providing a gallery of formatting controls associated with editing a document object, wherein each of the formatting controls contained in the gallery of formatting controls are associated with formatting attributes configured to be applied to the document object;

displaying, in the gallery of formatting controls, a visual representation for each of the formatting controls, the visual representation illustrating how the document object will be formatted if the formatting attributes associated with a corresponding one of the formatting controls are applied to the document object;

receiving a mouse over selection on a formatting control of the gallery of formatting controls; and

in response to receiving the mouse over selection, temporarily editing the document object with the formatting attributes associated with the formatting control.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the mouse over selection on the formatting control has ceased; and

undoing, in response to the received indication, the temporary edits to the document object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the formatting control; and

applying, in response to the received selection, the corresponding formatting attributes associated with the formatting control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a gallery of formatting controls associated with editing the document object comprises providing the formatting controls operative to cause an execution of a plurality of formatting commands associated with each one of the formatting controls.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the gallery of formatting controls comprises displaying the gallery of formatting controls in response to at least one of the following:

a user interface tab selection;

an insertion of the document object into a document; and

a user selection of the document object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the visual representation for each of the formatting controls comprises displaying a generic representation of the corresponding formatting attributes associated with the corresponding formatting control.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the visual representation for each of the formatting controls comprises displaying a dynamic representation of the document object having the corresponding the corresponding formatting attributes of the corresponding formatting control applied.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the gallery of formatting controls associated with editing the document object comprises providing the gallery of formatting controls associated with editing an image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the gallery of formatting controls associated with editing the document object comprises providing the gallery of formatting controls associated with editing text.

10. A computer readable storage medium having a set of instructions which, when executed, performs a method for providing a gallery of formatting options in an improved user interface, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

providing at least one formatting control associated with editing a document object, the at least one formatting control being operative to apply at least one formatting attribute to the document object;

displaying a visual representation for the at least one formatting control, the visual representation illustrating how the document object will be formatted when the at least one formatting attribute associated with the at least one formatting control is applied to the document object;

receiving an indication of user focus on the at least one formatting control; and

in response to receiving the user focus, temporarily editing the document object with the at least one formatting attribute associated with the at least one formatting control.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the u ser focus on at least formatting control has ceased; and

removing, in response to the received indication, the temporary edits to the document object.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the at least one formatting control; and

applying, in response to the received selection, the at least one formatting attribute associated with the at least one formatting control.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein applying the at least one formatting attribute associated with the at least one formatting control comprises causing an execution of a plurality of formatting commands associated with the at least one formatting control.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the at least one formatting control comprises displaying the gallery of formatting controls in response to at least one of the following:

a user interface tab selection;

an insertion of the document object into a document; and

a user selection of the document object.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the visual representation for the at least one formatting control comprises displaying a generic representation of the at least one formatting attribute associated with the at least one formatting control.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the visual representation for the at least one formatting control comprises displaying a dynamic representation of the document object having the at least one formatting attribute applied.

17. A system for providing a gallery of formatting options in an improved user interface, the system comprising:

a memory storage;

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, the processing unit being operative to;

receive a selection of a document object,

provide, in response to the received selection, at least one formatting control associated with editing the document object, the at least one formatting control being operative to apply at least one formatting attribute to the document object,

display a visual representation for the at least one formatting control, the visual representation illustrating how the document object will be formatted when the at least one formatting attribute associated with the at least one formatting control is applied to the document object;

receive an indication of a mouse over on the at least one formatting control; and

temporarily edit the document object, in response to the received mouse over, with the at least one formatting attribute associated with the at least one formatting control.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

receive an indication that the mouse over on the formatting control has ceased; and

remove, in response to the received indication, the temporary edits to the document object.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

receive a selection of the at least one formatting control; and

apply, in response to the received selection, the at least one formatting attribute associated with the at least one formatting control.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the visual representation comprises one of the following:

a generic representation of the at least one formatting attribute; and

a dynamic representation of the document object with the at least one formatting attribute applied to the visual representation of the document object.