Switchably translucent and opaque graphical user interface elements

• US 6,633,310 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gjerstad, Kevin B., Suzue, Yutaka, Andrew, Felix G. T. I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/583,438
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 345/728, 345/768, 345/803, 345/856, 345/804, 345/805
• US Class Current: 715/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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

Abstract

Elements of a graphical user interface that are switchably translucent and opaque are disclosed. In one embodiment, such an element is initially set to a default, first mode in which the element is translucent when the pointer is not positioned over the element. When the pointer has been moved such that it is positioned over the element, the element becomes opaque. Various heuristics are also disclosed that are applicable to the opaque-to-translucent and the translucent-to-opaque transformations. For example, when the pointer is moved over the element, there may be a delay prior to the element becoming opaque. As another example, when the pointer remains over the element for a predetermined amount of time, the element may revert back to translucency from opacity.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

setting a graphical user interface element to a default, first mode in which the element appears translucent, a pointer not initially positioned over the element;

detecting whether the pointer has been moved such that it is now positioned over the element; and

upon detecting that the pointer is now positioned over the element, setting the element to a second mode in which the element appears opaque and in which the appearance of the element is altered such that the dimension or presented features in said second mode is different than said first mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface element comprises a toolbar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the element appears translucent in the first mode by setting an alpha value of the element to a first predetermined percentage.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the element appears opaque in the second mode by setting the alpha value to a second predetermined percentage greater than the first predetermined percentage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the element to the second mode initially comprises waiting for a predetermined amount of time prior to setting the element to the second mode.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising allowing mouse clicks to register through to a second graphical user interface element under the first graphical user interface element while waiting for the predetermined amount of time prior to setting the second graphical user interface element to the second mode.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the element back to the first mode upon detecting no pointer movement for a predetermined amount of time.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising allowing mouse clicks to register through to a second graphical user interface element under the element after the element has been set back to the first mode.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising setting the element to the second mode upon detecting pointer movement and such that the pointer is still positioned over the element.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting whether the pointer has been further moved such that it is no longer positioned over the element; and

,

upon detecting that the pointer is no longer positioned over the element, setting the element back to the first mode in which the element appears translucent.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the element to the second mode in which the element appears opaque via voice activation.

12. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor of a computer to perform a method comprising:

detecting whether a pointer has moved from over a graphical user interface element to not over the element;

upon detecting that the pointer has moved from over the element to not over the element, rendering the element translucent;

detecting whether the pointer has moved from not over the element to over the element; and

,

upon detecting that the pointer has moved from not over the element to over the element, rendering the element opaque and altering the appearance of the opaque element such that the dimension or presented features is different than the translucent element.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein upon detecting that the pointer has moved from not over the element to over the element, initially waiting for a predetermined amount of time prior to rendering the element opaque.

14. The medium of claim 13, further comprising allowing mouse clicks to register through to a second graphical user interface element under the element while waiting for the predetermined amount of time prior to rendering the element opaque.

15. The medium of claim 12, further comprising rendering the element translucent upon detecting no pointer movement for a predetermined amount of time.

16. The medium of claim 15, further comprising allowing mouse clicks to register through to a second graphical user interface element under the element after the element has been rendered translucent and the pointer is still positioned over the element.

17. The medium of claim 15, further comprising rendering the element opaque upon detecting pointer movement and such that the pointer is still positioned over the element.

18. The medium of claim 12, the method further comprises rendering the element opaque via voice activation.

19. A graphical user interface for a computerized system comprising:

a user-movable pointer; and

,

a graphical user interface element having a first mode in which the element is translucent when the pointer is not positioned thereover, and a second mode in which the element is opaque when the pointer is positioned thereover;

wherein the appearance of said graphical user interface element is altered such that the dimension or presented features in said second mode is different than in said first mode.

20. The user interface of claim 19, wherein when the pointer is positioned over the graphical user interface element, the element waits for a predetermined amount of time prior to entering the second mode.

21. The user interface of claim 19, further comprising a second graphical user interface element under the element that receives mouse clicks while the element waits for the predetermined amount of time prior to entering the second mode.

22. The user interface of claim 19, wherein when the pointer has been positioned over the graphical user element for a predetermined amount of time with no movement, the element re-enters the first mode.

23. The user interface of claim 22, further comprising a second graphical user interface element under the element that receives mouse clicks when the element re-enters the first mode.

24. The user interface of claim 22, wherein the element again enters the second mode when the pointer is moved but is still positioned over the element.

25. The user interface of claim 22, wherein the element enters the second mode further via voice activation.