Palette-based graphical user interface

• US 7,478,338 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Webb, Mark Stephen, Yanchar, Christopher Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US10/281,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,269 Days
• Field of Search: 715/788, 715/815, 715/797, 715775-777, 715/790, 715/711
• US Class Current: 715/773
• 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

A palette-based graphical user interface for a computer-implemented system. The palettes can be customized in a number of different ways to make them more user-friendly.

Claims

1. A method for operating a graphical user interface in a computer, comprising:

displaying a plurality of palettes in the graphical user interface, wherein the palettes are arranged in a stack, each of the palettes is associated with one of a plurality of tabs displayed on the stack;

receiving user input resizing the stack;

resizing the plurality of tabs displayed on the stack, the resizing of the plurality of tabs being in proportion to the resizing of the stack; and

overflowing one or more of the tabs when a minimum size is reached, wherein the overflowed tabs are contained on a flyout menu that shows all of the plurality of tabs in the stack.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein exposed palettes in the stack are above a separator line in the flyout menu, and hidden palettes in the stack are below the separator line in the flyout menu.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the flyout menu is separate from the stack.