Automatic assigning of shortcut keys

• US 7,134,094 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Matthews, David A., Stabb, Charles W., Schrock, Sarah E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Alan S.
• Application Number:
  US11/034,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8, 710/63, 710/73, 715/700, 715/810, 715/825, 715/827, 715/847
• US Class Current: 715/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

Automatic assignment of shortcut keys for launching applications or for providing other commands is provided based on the position of corresponding application listings or shortcuts in a menu. The menu may include an applications menu, such as a start menu. The menu may also include an application launch bar listing applications that may be launched therefrom by selecting the respective application, or by entering shortcut keys that are automatically assigned based on the position of the application listing on the launch bar. Methods are provided for assigning application launch shortcut keys, for identifying assigned shortcut keys, for modifying shortcut keys, and for using shortcut keys for instantiating or switching applications.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for instructing a computing device to perform steps comprising:

adding a first item to a first location of a plurality of locations on a menu, each location being pre-assigned by the computing device to one or more corresponding shortcut keys, one or more first shortcut keys being pre-assigned by the computing device to the first location, the first item corresponding to execution of a first application; and

in response to the step of adding the first item to the first location, the computing device automatically assigning the one or more first shortcut keys to the first item based on the first item being positioned at the first location.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 for performing further steps comprising:

sensing user input of the one or more first shortcut keys; and

in response to the step of sensing, executing the first application.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 for performing further steps comprising:

adding a second item to a second location on the menu; and

in response to the step of adding the second item, automatically assigning one or more second shortcut keys to the second item, the one or more second shortcut keys being pre-determined for the second location.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the second item corresponds to execution of a second application, the computer-readable medium for performing further steps comprising:

sensing user input of the one or more second shortcut keys after executing the first application; and

in response to the step of sensing user input of the one or more second shortcut keys, performing an action corresponding to the second item.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the second item corresponds to an item selected from the group consisting of a file, a folder and a task.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the step of performing an action includes executing a second application associated with the second item and, without receiving user input to switch the graphical user interface display, automatically switching a graphical user interface display from a first display substantially displaying the first application to a second display substantially displaying the second application.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the menu includes a start menu and the step of adding the first item to the menu includes adding the first item to a pinned region of the start menu.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the menu includes one of a launch bar and an overflow menu for a launch bar.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more shortcut keys include one or more keyboard shortcuts.

10. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface input device, a method for assigning shortcut keys to items on a menu of the display, the method comprising:

adding a first item to a first location of a plurality of locations on the menu, each location being pre-assigned one or more corresponding shortcut keys, one or more first shortcut keys being pre-assigned to the first location, the first item corresponding to execution of a first application;

in response to adding the first item to the first location, automatically assigning the one or more first shortcut keys to the first item based on the first item being positioned at the first location;

receiving from the user interface input device an indication that the one or more first shortcut keys were selected; and

in response to the step of receiving, executing the first application.

11. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the menu is selected from a group consisting of a start menu, a launch bar, and an overflow menu for a launch bar.

12. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

adding a second item to a second location on the menu; and

in response to the step of adding the second item, automatically assigning one or more second shortcut keys to the second item, the one or more second shortcut keys being pre-determined for the second location.

13. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the second item corresponds to execution of a second application, the method further comprising:

sensing user input of the one or more second shortcut keys after executing the first application; and

in response to the step of sensing user input of the one or more second shortcut keys, performing an action corresponding to the second item.

14. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein the second item corresponds to execution of a second application, and the step of performing an action corresponding to the second item includes, without receiving user input to switch the graphical user interface display, automatically switching the display from a first display substantially displaying the first application to a second display substantially displaying the second application.

15. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving a request includes receiving user inputs indicating that a graphical user interface indicator is hovering over the first item on display.

16. The computer system having a graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein, for the step of automatically assigning one or more first shortcut keys, the one or more shortcut keys include one or more keyboard shortcuts.

17. A method for automatically assigning, by a computing device, one or more shortcut keys to application shortcuts located in an application menu, the method comprising:

positioning a first application shortcut at a first location of a plurality of locations on the menu, each location being pre-assigned one or more corresponding shortcut keys, one or more first shortcut keys being pre-assigned to the first location;

in response to positioning the first application shortcut at the first location, the computing device automatically assigning one or more first pre-determined shortcut keys corresponding with the first location to the first application shortcut;

positioning a second application shortcut at a second location on the menu;

in response to positioning the second application shortcut at the second location, the computing device automatically assigning one or more second pre-determined shortcut keys corresponding with the second location to the second application shortcut;

sensing user-selection of the one or more first shortcut keys;

in response to sensing user-selection of the one or more first shortcut keys, launching a first application corresponding to the first application shortcut;

sensing user-selection of the one or more second shortcut keys; and

in response to sensing user-selection of the one or more second shortcut keys, launching a second application corresponding to the second application shortcut.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

re-positioning the first application shortcut at a third location on the menu; and

in response to re-positioning the first application shortcut at the third location, the computing device automatically re-assigning third pre-determined one or more shortcut keys corresponding with the third location to the first application shortcut.