Application reporting in an application-selectable user interface

• US 9,870,132 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zaman, Nazia, Garside, Adrian J., Bush, Christopher T., Barcheck, Lindsey R., Leonard, Chantal M., Satterfield, Jesse Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/918,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

This document describes techniques for application reporting in an application-selectable user interface. These techniques permit a user to view reports for applications in a user interface through which these applications may be selected. By so doing, a user may quickly and easily determine which applications to select based on their respective reports and then select them or their content through the user interface.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, perform operations comprising;

presenting a first user interface having multiple selectable labels associated with multiple applications, respectively;

progressively altering an area of each of two or more of the multiple selectable labels to present a change associated with content of the application to which the selectable label is associated;

receiving a selection of one of the two or more of the multiple selectable labels through the first user interface; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the selected selectable label, presenting a second user interface, the second user interface associated with the application associated with the selected selectable label, the second user interface presenting the content associated with the change presented in the selected selectable label.

2. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the application is not executing prior to receiving the selection of the selectable label, and wherein presenting the second user interface launches the application.

3. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the selection is received to the altered area of the selectable label.

4. A computing device as described in claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise presenting a second change within the selected selectable label, the second change in an additional area within the selected selectable label.

5. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein presenting the second user interface with the content is responsive to the change associated with the content being presented when the selection of the selectable label is received.

6. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise hiding or closing the first user interface prior to, or as part of, presenting the first user interface.

7. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein presenting the second user interface presents the second user interface in a window superimposed over the first user interface.

8. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein presenting the change presents a portion of the content within the selected selectable label and presenting the second user interface presents another portion of the content.

9. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the change is a change to content of the application associated with the selected selectable label relative to a most-recent prior presentation of the application associated with the selected selectable label.

19. A computing device as described in claim 1, wherein the altering occurs at a time a user selects to view the first user interface.

10. A method comprising:

presenting a first user interface having multiple selectable labels associated with multiple applications and progressively altering an area of each of two or more of the multiple selectable labels to present a change associated with content of the application to which the selectable label is associated;

receiving a selection of one of the two or more of the multiple of the selectable labels through the first user interface; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the selected selectable label, presenting a second user interface, the second user interface associated with the application associated with the selected selectable label, the second user interface presenting the content associated with the change presented in the selected selectable label.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the application is not executing prior to receiving the selection of the selectable label, and wherein presenting the second user interface launches the application.

12. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the selection is received to the altered area of the selectable label.

13. A method as described in claim 12, further comprising presenting a second change within the selected selectable label, the second change in an additional area within the selected selectable label.

14. A method as described in claim 10, wherein presenting the second user interface with the content is responsive to the change associated with the content being presented when the selection of the selectable label is received.

15. A method as described in claim 10, further comprising hiding or closing the first user interface prior to, or as part of, presenting the first user interface.

16. A method as described in claim 10, wherein presenting the second user interface presents the second user interface in a window superimposed over the first user interface.

17. A method as described in claim 10, wherein presenting the change presents a portion of the content within the selected selectable label and presenting the second user interface presents another portion of the content.

18. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the change is a change to content of the application associated with the selected selectable label relative to a most-recent prior presentation of the application associated with the selected selectable label.

20. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the altering occurs due to a change in content being reported.