Aggregation of PC settings

• US 8,225,231 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zielinski, Tobiasz A., Soin, Ravipal S., Tumsi Dayakar, Kamesh C., Mak, William, Barker, Guy, Cukierman, Ryan E., Hahn, Christopher M., Stallard, Jennifer R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US11/215,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,513 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/809
• US Class Current: 715/810
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling users to roam between networking environments are disclosed. In one embodiment, different machine settings may be stored in a memory for different network locations under separate network profiles. In another embodiment, these and other settings may be automatically adjusted upon entering a different location. In one such embodiment, a logical network may be employed to determine which settings are adjusted. Another aspect relates to a graphical user interface to implement the above and other methods of adapting a computing device to different network locations. In one embodiment, a graphical use interface may allow the use to modify which application and which aspects of those applications are displayed on the menu. In still yet another embodiments, a memory can update a network profile as the changes occur. In still yet further embodiments, the user may derive or otherwise create new network profiles from existing network profiles. Another aspect relates to systems and methods that allow a user to configure various settings explicitly for different network locations by means of a consolidated UI.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving a series of inputs regarding a status of user-adjustable aspects for a plurality of system settings;

receiving at least one icon location for each system setting, the icon location being configured to map to a physical location within the computer readable medium comprising at least one graphical representation, the graphical representation being configured to visually display a state of at least one user-adjustable aspect;

generating first display data for tiles in a menu configured to be displayed on a display device, each tile being configured to represent a system setting of the plurality of system settings and a status of the system setting, each tile containing at least one icon that is mapped to the icon location, a first user-selectable display element selectable to adjust the at least one user-adjustable aspect for the system setting, and a second user-selectable display element selectable to cause the menu to be displayed, at least one individual tile being presentable in multiple different user interfaces and with one or more aspects of the at least one individual tile differing among two or more of the multiple different user interfaces;

in response to selection of the first user-selectable display element, receiving executable instructions for allowing a user to adjust the at least one user-adjustable aspect for the system setting; and

in response to selection of the second user-selectable display element, causing the menu to be displayed within the tile containing the second user-selectable display element, the menu comprising additional user-adjustable aspects associated with the system setting represented by the tile containing the second user-selectable display element.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one icon location includes receiving a plurality of icon locations for at least one aspect of one system setting, wherein the at least one icon utilized for the tile depends on a state of the system setting.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one system setting comprises a plurality of system settings having at least one hardware system setting and one software system setting.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first user-selectable display element comprises a slidable scale.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first user-selectable display element comprises a button.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one icon is configured to be a user-selectable display element configured to cause execution of launching instructions for displaying the menu.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

generating application data for determining an identity of respective system settings from which the first display data is derived.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

generating aspect data for determining the identity of an aspect of the respective system settings from which the first display data is derived.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the application data is derived from at least one data category selected from the group consisting of:

a power source of the computing device, system settings presently active on the computing device, a networking environment, system settings most utilized on the computing device, a synchronization status, system settings most likely to be utilized on the computing device, system settings requiring most frequent adjustment, and combinations thereof.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the aspect data is derived from at least one data category selected from the group consisting of:

a power source of the computing device, aspects of system settings presently active on the computing device, a networking environment, aspects of system settings most utilized on the computing device, aspects of system settings most likely to be utilized on the computing device, a brightness of at least one display device operatively connected to the computing device;

an orientation of at least one display device operatively connected to the power source of the computing device, a synchronization status, an audio volume, and combinations thereof.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first and second user display elements further include a mechanism of selection that can be changed by the user.

12. A computer having a processor and a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer to implement a system comprising:

a first menu comprising a plurality of tiles, one or more of the tiles having at least one graphical representation, the at least one graphical representation configured to visually display at least one state of a user-adjustable aspect of one of a plurality of system settings available to a user, the first menu being configured to substantially fill a graphical user interface when displayed for the user, each tile further containing;

a first user-selectable display element that is configured to, when selected, adjust the user-adjustable aspect displayed on a respective tile; and

a second user-selectable display element that is configured to, when selected, cause a second menu to be displayed, the second menu comprising additional adjustable aspects associated with a system setting represented by the respective tile within which the second user-selectable display element is displayed; and

at least one tile configured to be presented to different users of the computer with one or more aspects of the at least one tile differing among two or more of the different users, the one or more differing aspects of the at least one tile including the first user-selectable display element or the second user-selectable display element.

13. The computer of claim 12, wherein the at least one graphical representation in the first menu comprises an icon.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the icon is the second user-selectable display element.

15. The computer of claim 12, wherein the computer readable medium further contains instructions for displaying an indicia representing a current status of the user-adjustable aspect of the system setting represented by the respective tile.

16. The computer of claim 12, wherein the computer readable medium further contains instructions for deriving the user-adjustable aspect from at least one data category selected from the group consisting of:

a power source of the computer, aspects of system settings presently active on the computer, a networking environment, aspects of system settings most utilized on the computer, aspects of system settings most likely to be utilized on the computer, aspects of system settings requiring most frequent adjustment, and combinations thereof.

17. The computer of claim 12, wherein the first and second user display elements further include a mechanism of selection that can be changed by the user.