Docking and undocking dynamic navigation bar for expanded communication service
First Claim
1. A method executed at least in part in a computing device for providing a dynamic navigation bar with preview docking and undocking capability within an expanded communication application, the method comprising:
- displaying the navigation bar comprising a plurality of items representing individual modules of the communication application within a user interface of the communication application;
in response to detecting a hover action on a navigation bar item;
determining whether a preview pane associated with a module represented by the navigation bar item is active based on a context of a current view of the user interface, wherein the preview pane is active when another module represented by another navigation bar item is displayed in the current view of the user interface;
in response to a determination that the preview pane is active, temporarily displaying the preview pane presenting content associated with the module simultaneously with the current view of the user interface presenting content associated with the other module, wherein a format of the preview pane and the current view are distinct; and
enabling interaction with the presented content associated with the module through the temporarily displayed preview pane, wherein the presented content associated with the module comprises one or more items, and the interaction includes one of opening, marking, and deleting the one or more items, and creating new items;
in response to receiving a docking request, docking the pre view pane to one of a predefined and dynamically determined location on the user interface for permanent display; and
automatically undock the preview pane from the user interface in response to a detection that the module is displayed in the current view of the user interface.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A navigation bar is provided for switching between modules within an expanded communication service such as email, calendar, contacts, tasks, etc. and for providing preview peeks associated with each module to a user. A temporary preview of a module may be provided upon a hover action over predefined navigation bar locations such as icons and/or textual identifiers without actually needing to switch to a module. One or more preview panes may be docked or pinned to a dynamically selected or user defined location on the main user interface so that they are permanently displayed within the main user interface. Users may be enabled to undock one or more of the docked preview panes through a user interface control. New or interesting activity within each module may be highlighted by displaying an information badge next to a module name, for example.
16 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method executed at least in part in a computing device for providing a dynamic navigation bar with preview docking and undocking capability within an expanded communication application, the method comprising:
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displaying the navigation bar comprising a plurality of items representing individual modules of the communication application within a user interface of the communication application; in response to detecting a hover action on a navigation bar item; determining whether a preview pane associated with a module represented by the navigation bar item is active based on a context of a current view of the user interface, wherein the preview pane is active when another module represented by another navigation bar item is displayed in the current view of the user interface; in response to a determination that the preview pane is active, temporarily displaying the preview pane presenting content associated with the module simultaneously with the current view of the user interface presenting content associated with the other module, wherein a format of the preview pane and the current view are distinct; and enabling interaction with the presented content associated with the module through the temporarily displayed preview pane, wherein the presented content associated with the module comprises one or more items, and the interaction includes one of opening, marking, and deleting the one or more items, and creating new items; in response to receiving a docking request, docking the pre view pane to one of a predefined and dynamically determined location on the user interface for permanent display; and automatically undock the preview pane from the user interface in response to a detection that the module is displayed in the current view of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computing device for providing an expanded communication application with a dynamic navigation bar capable of docking and undocking preview panes, the computing device comprising:
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an input device; a memory; at least one processor coupled to the memory and the input device, the at least, one processor executing the communication application and causing a user interface associated with the communication application to be displayed on a screen, wherein the at least one processor is configured to; display the navigation bar comprising a plurality of items representing individual modules of the communication application within the user interface of the communication application, wherein the modules are associated with at least one from a set of;
email exchange, scheduling, text messaging, contact management, and task management;in response to detecting a hover action on a navigation bar item; determine whether a preview pane associated with a module represented by the navigation bar item is active based on a context, of a current view of the user interface, wherein the preview pane is active when another module represented by another navigation bar item is displayed in the current view of the user interface; and in response to a determination that the preview pane is active, temporarily display the preview pane presenting content associated with the module simultaneously with a current view of the user interface presenting content associated with the other module; in response to receiving a docking request, dock the preview pane to one of a predefined and dynamically determined location on the user interface for permanent display; and automatically undock the preview pane from the user interface in response to a detection that the module is displayed in the current view of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon for providing a dynamic navigation bar with preview docking and undocking capability within an expanded communication application, the instructions containing:
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displaying the navigation bar comprising a plurality of items representing individual modules of the communication application within a user interface of the communication application, wherein the items in the navigation bar include one or more of;
text, graphics, images, and a combination of text and graphics;in response to detecting a hover action on a navigation bar item; determining whether a preview pane associated with a module represented by the navigation bar item is active based on a context of a current view of the user interface, wherein the preview pane is active when another module represented by another navigation bar item is displayed in the current view of the user interface; in response to a determination that the preview pane is active, temporarily displaying the preview pane presenting content associated with the module simultaneously with the current view of the user interface presenting content associated with the other module, wherein a format of the preview pane and the current view are distinct; and enabling interaction with the presented content associated with the module through the temporarily displayed preview pane, wherein the presented content associated with the module comprises one or more and the interaction includes one of opening, marking, and deleting the one or more Items, and creating new Items; in response to receiving a docking request docking the preview pane to one of a predefined and dynamically determined location on the user interface for permanent display; automatically undocking the preview pane from the user interface in response to a detection that the module is displayed in the current view of the user interface; and in response to detecting selection of the navigation bar item, modifying the user interface to display the module represented by the navigation bar item in the current view of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification