ORGANIZATION MODE SUPPORT MECHANISMS

• US 20150286343A1
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Published: 10/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Welicki, Leon Ezequiel, Scrosati, Christopher, Owens, Kristofer John, Harris, Jon, Sterling, Jonah Bush, Supino, Dina-Marie Ledonna, Joshi, Vishal R., Francisco, Jesse David, Danton, Stephen Michael, Wang, Mo
• Granted Patent: US 10,078,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

An organization mode in a user interface that displays multiple user interface elements. The multiple user interface elements fit over a grid positions that are at least conceptually imposed over a canvas. In organization mode, the grid positions are displayed, allowing the user to more easily see where user interface elements may be placed. As the user moves and/or resizes a user interface element, one or more corresponding grid positions are highlighted to show where the user interface element would be placed if the move or resize operation were to conclude at that moment. The organization mode may also provide a contextual actions menu with respect to a particular user interface element. The contextual actions menu includes multiple organization mode commands, including one or more that may be directed selected from the contextual actions menu to invoke the command.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for supporting an organization mode in which a plurality of user interface elements may be organized within a user interface, the method comprising:

an act of displaying a plurality of user interface elements on a user interface so as to conform to a grid pattern having a plurality of grid positions on a canvas, each of the plurality of user interface elements occupying one or more of the grid positions of the plurality of grid positions and having boundaries corresponding to boundaries between grid positions;

an act of detecting a user instruction representing an intent to organize one or more of the plurality of user interface elements on the canvas; and

an act of causing at least some of the plurality of grid positions to be displayed in response to the act of detecting the user instruction.

2. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, the act of detecting a user instruction comprising:

an act of detecting a user instruction to enter an organization mode in the user interface.

3. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, the act of detecting a user instruction comprising:

an act of detecting a user instruction to move the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements on the canvas.

4. The computer program product in accordance with claim 3, the method further comprising:

an act of detecting that a user is moving the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements; and

for each of a plurality of instances during the user'"'"'s detected moving of the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements, an act of highlighting one or more of the plurality of grid positions so that the highlighted one or more grid positions represents where the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements would be placed on the canvas if the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements were to be dropped at the corresponding instance of the plurality of instances.

5. The computer program product in accordance with claim 4, the highlighted one or more grid positions being underneath the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements for each of at least a majority of the plurality of instances.

6. The computer program product in accordance with claim 4, the highlighted one or more grid positions being adjacent another of the plurality of user interface elements, but not underneath the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements for each of at least a majority of the plurality of instances.

7. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, the act of detecting a user instruction comprising:

an act of detecting a user instruction to resize the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements on the canvas.

8. The computer program product in accordance with claim 7, the method further comprising:

an act of detecting that a user is resizing the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements; and

for each of one or more instances during the user'"'"'s detected resizing of the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements, an act of highlighting one or more of the plurality of grid positions so that the highlighted one or more grid positions represents where the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements would be placed on the canvas if the one or more of the plurality of user interface elements were to be dropped at the corresponding instance of the one or more instances.

9. The computer program product in accordance with claim 1, each of the plurality of user interface elements having one of a set of predetermined allowable shapes and sizes, each of the predetermined allowable shapes and sizes fitting over one or more grid positions.

10. A method for supporting an organization mode in which a plurality of user interface elements may be organized within a user interface, the method comprising:

an act of displaying a plurality of user interface elements on a user interface;

an act of entering an organization mode in the user interface and while displaying the plurality of user interface elements; and

an act of causing a contextual actions menu to appear with respect to a particular user interface element of the plurality of user interface elements, the contextual actions menu comprising a plurality of organization mode commands, including at least a particular organization mode command that may be directly selected from the contextual actions menu to invoke the command.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10, the particular organization mode command being more frequently used by a plurality of users that each of the other of the plurality of organization mode commands.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10, the particular organization mode command being a pin command to pin the user interface element to a portion of the user interface.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10, the particular organization mode command being an unpin command to unpin the user interface element from a portion of the user interface.

14. A method in accordance with claim 10, the particular organization mode command being a resize command to resize the user interface element to be a predetermined size.

15. A method in accordance with claim 10, the plurality of organization mode commands including a plurality of resize commands, each for resizing the user interface element to a different combination of shape and size.

16. A method in accordance with claim 10, the plurality of organization mode commands including a copy command for copying the particular user interface element.

17. A method in accordance with claim 10, the plurality of organization mode commands being at least partially different than a plurality of normal mode commands that appear in a normal mode contextual actions menu that corresponds to the particular user interface element when the user interface is outside of the organization mode.

18. A method in accordance with claim 10, each of the plurality of user interface elements having one of a set of predetermined allowable shapes and sizes, each of the predetermined allowable shapes and sizes fitting over one or more grid positions.

19. A method for supporting an organization mode in which a plurality of user interface elements may be organized within a user interface, the method comprising:

an act of displaying a plurality of user interface elements on a user interface so as to conform to a grid pattern having a plurality of grid positions on a canvas, each of the plurality of user interface elements fitting over one or more of the grid positions of the plurality of grid positions;

an act of entering organization mode in which the plurality of user interface elements may be organized on the canvas in a manner not permitted outside of organization mode; and

an act of causing at least some of the plurality of grid positions to be displayed on the canvas while in organization mode.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein grid positions are not displayed on the canvas while not in organization mode.

21. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors of a computing system which includes a memory containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the computer-implemented method, which permits visualizing an organization mode in which a plurality of user interface elements may be organized within a user interface, the computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying a plurality of user interface elements on a user interface, wherein the interface elements conform to a grid pattern having a plurality of grid positions on a canvas, each individual interface element occupying one or more of the grid positions and having boundaries corresponding to the boundaries of the one or more grid positions occupied by the individual interface element;

the one or more processors detecting at the interface an input representing an intent to organize one or more of the interface elements on the canvas; and

in response to detecting said input representing an intent to organize one or more of the interface elements on the canvas, the one or more processors initiating an organization mode at the interface, wherein unoccupied grid positions of the canvas are displayed to permit visualization of where interface elements can be moved, added, enlarged or reduced in size, in order to facilitate visualizing organization of one or more interface elements on the interface.