Taskbar with start menu
First Claim
1. In a computer system having an input device, a video display, and a first application having a first active window and a second application having a second active window where the first active window obscures the second active window, a method comprising the steps of:
- determining the applications in the computer system having an active window;
outputting a user interface element on the video display wherein the user interface element is in a mode such that the user interface element cannot be obscured by windows, said user interface element including a non-overlapping sub-element for each application having an active window so as to simultaneously indicate to the user the applications having an active window; and
displaying a context menu associated with the user interface element, the context menu having a mode for arranging the display of the windows.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A taskbar is provided that supplies visual cues, such as buttons, for each application having an active window. These visual cues inform a user of the currently active windows and may be used to display the active windows. The taskbar may also include a start menu button that enables a user to gain access to a menu for launching programs, opening documents and controlling system settings. The taskbar is resizable and may be anchored to different locations on a video display. The taskbar may operate in a mode where it is not obscurable by other windows. The taskbar may also be displayed in a mode where it is not displayed when another window is in a non-minimized state.
356 Citations
48 Claims
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1. In a computer system having an input device, a video display, and a first application having a first active window and a second application having a second active window where the first active window obscures the second active window, a method comprising the steps of:
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determining the applications in the computer system having an active window; outputting a user interface element on the video display wherein the user interface element is in a mode such that the user interface element cannot be obscured by windows, said user interface element including a non-overlapping sub-element for each application having an active window so as to simultaneously indicate to the user the applications having an active window; and displaying a context menu associated with the user interface element, the context menu having a mode for arranging the display of the windows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In a computer system having an input device, a video display, and applications for running on the computer system, a method comprising the steps of:
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outputting a taskbar user interface element on the video display; displaying visual indicators on the taskbar user interface element for each of the applications that has an active window; displaying a context menu associated with the taskbar user interface element, the context menu having a mode for arranging the display of the windows; automatically sizing and arranging the visual indicators, independent of any display characteristic of the active windows, so they do not overlap each other and they simultaneously indicate to a user each of the applications having an active window; and a previously closed application having an active window in response to the launching of the previously closed application. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer system comprising:
a video display;
a processor for running applications, and a windowing system resource within a windowing system environment for displaying a taskbar user interface element for displaying a non-overlapping sub-element for each associated application having an active window so as to simultaneously indicate which applications having a window are running within the windowing system environment, and for displaying a context menu associated with the user interface element, the context menu having a mode for arranging the display of the windows; and
an input device for manipulating one of the non-overlapping sub-elements to display the window for the associated application of the sub-element in a non-minimized fashion.- View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. In a computer system having a video display, an input device for receiving user input, and a cursor displayed on the video display and positioned in response to the input device, a method comprising the steps of:
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providing a taskbar user interface element that is anchored to a location on the video display, said taskbar user interface element including visual elements that identify each application that has an active window and that may be used to make visible non-minimized windows for the applications; and providing a means for moving the taskbar user interface element in response to the user using the input device so that the taskbar user interface element is anchored to another location on the video display; using the means for moving the taskbar user interface element to anchor the taskbar user interface element to a new location on the video display; hiding the taskbar user interface element from displayed on the video display when the window of the application is in a visible non-minimized state; and unhiding the user interface element in response to the cursor being positioned in a predefined area of the video display; wherein the taskbar user interface element preempts the area of the video display available for the display of the active window of each application.
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41. In a computer system having an input device for receiving user input, a video display for displaying video output and a processor running an operating system, a method comprising the steps of:
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displaying with the operating system a taskbar user interface element on the video display that includes a visual element for accessing a start menu and an indicator of currently active tasks; displaying the start menu in response to a user using the input device to manipulate the visual element for accessing the start menu, said start menu including a documents option; in response to a user selecting the documents option with the input device, displaying a list of most recently opened documents, which the user may access via the list; and automatically updating the list of most recently opened documents.
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42. In a computer system having an input device for receiving user input, a video display for displaying video output and a processor running an operating system, a method comprising the steps of:
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displaying with the operating system a taskbar user interface element that includes a visual element for accessing a start menu and an indicator of currently active tasks; displaying an icon corresponding to an application; providing means for configuring the start menu to enable a user to add items to the start menu; using the means for configuring the start menu to add a new item to the start menu at a request of the user; and displaying the start menu with the new item, said start menu also including items for a user to access programs and documents; wherein the means for configuring the start menu includes dragging-and-dropping, in response to the input device, the icon corresponding to the application onto the start menu.
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43. In a computer system having an in input device for receiving user input and a video display for displaying video output, a method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a taskbar user interface element on the video display, said taskbar user interface element including visual indicators of currently active tasks each with an associated window; providing a means for displaying a context menu for the taskbar user interface element, said context menu including items for setting a display mode for how the windows are displayed relative to each other and an item for undoing a last choice of the display mode for how the windows are displayed relative to each other; setting a first display mode for how windows are displayed relative to each other and displaying the windows in accordance with the first display mode; using the means for displaying the context menu to display the context menu; setting a second display mode in response to the user choosing one of the items from the context menu and displaying the windows in accordance with the second display mode; and setting the first display mode in response to the user choosing the item for undoing a last choice of the display mode and displaying the windows in accordance with the first display mode.
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44. In a computer system having a mouse for receiving user input and a video display for displaying video output, a method comprising the steps of:
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displaying an object on the video display; displaying a taskbar user interface element on the video display, said taskbar user interface element including a visual indicator for each application having an active window; dragging the object to be positioned over a selected one of the visual indicators on the taskbar user interface element in response to the user using the mouse and remaining positioned over the selected visual indicator for a non-zero threshold period of time; and in response to the object being positioned over the selected visual indicator for the threshold period of time, opening the window for the application of the selected visual indicator. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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46. In a computer system having an input device, a video display and a cursor displayed on the video display and positioned in response to the input device, a method comprising the steps of:
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displaying a user interface element on the video display when no windows f or application programs are currently in a non-minimized state, said user interface element including a visual indicator for each application that has an active window to identify the associated application and for placing the windows of the associated applications in a visible non-minimized state; hiding the user interface element from being displayed on the video display when a window of the applications is in a visible non-minimized state; and unhiding the user interface element in response to the cursor being positioned in a predefined area of the video display. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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Specification