Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080222547 | Save Preview Representation of Files Being Created - In a graphical user interface environment, a request to save a file may result in a display of a location or view in which the file is to be saved, and may include a preview indicia representing the to-be-saved file. The user may interact with the preview indicia to edit the new file's metadata by repositioning the indicia in a different view, and/or the system may automatically update the preview indicia's location in response to the user editing displayed metadata properties for the new file. The preview indicia may have a distinct appearance, and may persist to show the user how the new file can be located after the save process is performed. | 09-11-2008 |
20080288531 | METADATA EDITING CONTROL - A metadata management architecture. The architecture includes a property component that lists one or more properties related to a file, and a viewing component that present files having one or more of the related properties. A synchronization component provides immediate synchronization between property editing fields of the property component and a view in the property-based browser component, providing both instantaneous feedback on property changes and an ability to manipulate properties graphically. Thus, a change in the property pane is immediately reflected in the view component, and a change in the view component is immediately reflected in the property pane. | 11-20-2008 |
20080307346 | METADATA EDITING CONTROL - A metadata management architecture. The architecture includes a property component that lists one or more properties related to a file, and a viewing component that present files having one or more of the related properties. A synchronization component provides immediate synchronization between property editing fields of the property component and a view in the property-based browser component, providing both instantaneous feedback on property changes and an ability to manipulate properties graphically. Thus, a change in the property pane is immediately reflected in the view component, and a change in the view component is immediately reflected in the property pane. | 12-11-2008 |
20090055428 | METADATA EDITING CONTROL - A metadata management architecture. The architecture includes a property component that lists one or more properties related to a file, and a viewing component that present files having one or more of the related properties. A synchronization component provides immediate synchronization between property editing fields of the property component and a view in the property-based browser component, providing both instantaneous feedback on property changes and an ability to manipulate properties graphically. Thus, a change in the property pane is immediately reflected in the view component, and a change in the view component is immediately reflected in the property pane. | 02-26-2009 |
20090199122 | DESTINATION LIST ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPLICATION LAUNCHER - A computer application launcher can be displayed. In response to receiving a first user input associated with the launcher while a computer application indicated by the launcher is not running, a destination list can be displayed. The destination list can include one or more destinations indicating one or more items that can be performed by a computer application. In response to a second user input associated with the destination list and indicating selection of a destination on the destination list, the application can be launched and instructed to perform an item indicated by the selected destination. | 08-06-2009 |
20090199133 | GENERATING A DESTINATION LIST UTILIZING USAGE DATA - Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and computer systems for generating a destination list from usage data captured at a data store and for rending destinations within a submenu area upon detecting a request from a user. Generating the destination list may involve selecting items from a listing of frequently used items, a listing of recently used items, or any other listing of items compiled internal to an operating system or provided by a target application. Typically, the items are selected according to configuration settings of the destination list. Rendering destinations within the submenu area may involve accessing the destination list by selecting a split button proximate to a presentation of an application launcher. Typically, the destination list references items managed by an application invoked by the application launcher. Destinations retrieved from the destination list are populated into the submenu area based on size characteristics thereof. | 08-06-2009 |
20090288044 | ACCESSING A MENU UTILIZING A DRAG-OPERATION - Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and computer systems for intuitively invoking a presentation action (e.g., rendering a menu) by applying a drag-operation at a top-level control button rendered at a touchscreen display are provided. Initially, aspects of a user-initiated input applied at the top-level control button are detected. These aspects may include an actuation location and a distance of a drag-movement therefrom. If a distance of the drag-movement at the touchscreen display is greater than a threshold distance in a particular radial direction from the actuation location, the user-initiated input is considered a drag-operation. Typically, a set of trigger boundaries are constructed based on system metrics to assist in disambiguating the drag-operation from a tap-type operation. If a drag-operation is identified, the presentation action is invoked; otherwise, a principle action associated with the top-level control button (e.g., manipulating content of an application) may be invoked. | 11-19-2009 |
20090295788 | VISUALLY EMPHASIZING PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF A USER INTERFACE - Methods and computer-readable media for visually emphasizing small and typically unnoticed portions of a user interface are provided. A user indicates a desire to modify or customize certain settings for a particular portion of a user interface by, for example, opening a control panel window. Portions that can be modified or customized include a toolbar, taskbar, or system tray. The portion may be magnified or highlighted to draw the user's attention to that area, and any modifications that the user makes to that portion may be immediately displayed on the emphasized portion, which establishes a clear visual association between a set of configuration options for the portion of the user interface, and the portion itself. The portion may be emphasized at different times, such as when the configuration settings are displayed, when the user makes a change, or after the changes have been made. | 12-03-2009 |
20090327961 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FILTERING AND ORGANIZING ITEMS BASED ON COMMON ELEMENTS - A system and method for filtering and organizing items in a computer system based on common elements is provided. A graphical user interface includes a plurality of display objects, each display object representing one or more items and a metadata property control corresponding to a metadata property. Selection of the metadata property control causes a list of filter terms to be presented on the display and also may cause a list of check box controls to be presented on the display, each check box control being adjacent to a respective one of the filter terms. The list of filter terms may be presented in a drop down menu. Selection of a check box control causes each item that satisfies the corresponding filter term to be presented on the display. The filters may be dynamically generated based on the properties of the separate items. | 12-31-2009 |
20100064225 | Network Map - The claimed method and system provides a graphical user interface that illustrates network topology information, including connection paths between devices on the local network and an external network such as the Internet. The claimed method and system may use a three column format for presenting the topology that is more intuitive for a user. Also, the claimed method and system may aggregate context and connection information from multiple different protocols to provide the topology display. Further, the claimed method and system may use a device registry to enable customized and extensible representations of the network devices. | 03-11-2010 |
20100205186 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FILTERING AND ORGANIZING ITEMS BASED ON COMMON ELEMENTS - A system and method for filtering and organizing items from computer memories based on common elements is provided. Filters can be provided for manipulating the items, which serve as tools for narrowing down a set of items. The filters can be dynamically generated based on the properties of the separate items. The system can utilize virtual folders. The virtual folders can expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. Quick links can be provided, which serve as a set of predefined links (e.g., located on the left side of the display) that can be clicked on to generate useful views of the sets of items. Libraries, which can provide large groups of usable types of items that can be associated together, may also be used. | 08-12-2010 |
20110083097 | ADDRESS BAR USER INTERFACE CONTROL - An address bar user interface control includes a plurality of interactive segments, each segment including one or more filters or selection criteria for selecting content from physical and/or virtual locations. A segment may include two or more filters or selection criteria which are logically combined such as by a logical “OR” operation. A user may select a child control associated with an interactive segment, i.e., a parent segment, to provide a list of selectable child filters or selection criteria. In response to selection of a child filter or selection criteria, an interactive segment representing the child filter or selection criteria is added to the address bar succeeding the parent segment and the interactive segments subsequent to the parent segment are removed. | 04-07-2011 |
20110145282 | UTILIZING VIRTUAL FOLDERS - A system and method utilizing virtual folders. The virtual folders expose regular files and folders to users in different views based on their metadata instead of the actual physical underlying file system structure on the disk. The virtual folders contain collections of items. The system includes a folder processor that obtains queries from a user and a relational database for storing information about the items. The folder processor first obtains a query from a user and passes the query to the relational database. The relational database provides results back to the folder processor, and based on the results from the relational database, the folder processor provides the results to the user as virtual folders. Users are able to work with the virtual folders through direct manipulation (e.g., clicking and dragging, copying, pasting, etc.). | 06-16-2011 |
20120159395 | APPLICATION-LAUNCHING INTERFACE FOR MULTIPLE MODES - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling an application-launching interface for multiple modes. This interface enables a user to quickly and easily select to launch applications associated with different modes. A user may avoid wading through multiple interfaces, making multiple selections, and/or a cognitive load associated with deciding on a mode with which to interact. | 06-21-2012 |
20120249579 | WINDOW MINIMIZATION TRIGGER - A method and computer-storage media for minimizing application windows based on a triggering event are provided. Embodiments of the present invention include determining that a triggering event has occurred with respect to a target window, automatically minimizing all of the minimizable application windows except the target application window, and generating an undo record that may be used to restore the minimized windows upon the determination that a second triggering event has occurred with respect to the target window. In one embodiment, the triggering event is shaking the target application window. | 10-04-2012 |
20120266099 | VIRTUAL ADDRESS BAR USER INTERFACE CONTROL - A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar comprises one or more interactive address segments and one or more conventional address segments. Each interactive address segment corresponds to a predefined filter comprising selection criteria applied to content stored on a storage device. Selection of the one or more interactive address segments navigates a user to content satisfying the predefined filters of the one or more selected interactive address segments. Each conventional address segment references content at the content's particular location on the storage device. Selection of the one or more conventional address segments navigates the user to content at the content's particular location. | 10-18-2012 |
20120299968 | MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE INTERFACE IN A MULTI-APPLICATION IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive interface in a multi-application immersive environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user to alter sizes and/or a layout of multiple immersive interfaces with as little as one selection. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304092 | MULTI-APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a multi-application environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable multi-application environments having combinations of immersive interfaces, windows-based interfaces, and a desktop treated as an immersive interface. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304102 | Navigation of Immersive and Desktop Shells - Desktop as an immersive application techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an immersive environment module is configured to provide an immersive shell through which a user may interact with applications of a computing device. The immersive environment module is further configured to provide a desktop shell within the immersive shell to support additional techniques for interaction with the application of the computing device. The desktop shell, for instance, may be configured for accessibility similar to that provided to applications in the immersive shell. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304103 | Display of Immersive and Desktop Shells - Desktop as an immersive application techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an immersive environment module is configured to provide an immersive shell through which a user may interact with applications of a computing device. The immersive environment module is further configured to provide a desktop shell within the immersive shell to support additional techniques for interaction with the application of the computing device. The desktop shell, for instance, may be configured for accessibility similar to that provided to applications in the immersive shell. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304106 | Desktop as Immersive Application - Desktop as an immersive application techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an immersive environment module is configured to provide an immersive shell through which a user may interact with applications of a computing device. The immersive environment module is further configured to provide a desktop shell within the immersive shell to support additional techniques for interaction with the application of the computing device. The desktop shell, for instance, may be configured for accessibility similar to that provided to applications in the immersive shell. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304108 | MULTI-APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a multi-application environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable multi-application environments having combinations of immersive interfaces, windows-based interfaces, and a desktop treated as an immersive interface. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304114 | MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE INTERFACE IN A MULTI-APPLICATION IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive interface in a multi-application immersive environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user to alter sizes and/or a layout of multiple immersive interfaces with as little as one selection. | 11-29-2012 |
20120304132 | SWITCHING BACK TO A PREVIOUSLY-INTERACTED-WITH APPLICATION - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for switching back to a previously-interacted-with application. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable selection of a user interface not currently exposed on a display through a simple gesture that is both easy-to-use and remember. | 11-29-2012 |
20130042203 | MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE INTERFACE IN A MULTI-APPLICATION IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive interface in a multi-application immersive environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user to alter sizes and/or a layout of multiple immersive interfaces with as little as one selection. | 02-14-2013 |
20130042207 | ACCESSING A MENU UTILIZING A DRAG-OPERATION - Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and computer systems for intuitively invoking a presentation action (e.g., rendering a menu) by applying a drag-operation at a top-level control button rendered at a touchscreen display are provided. Initially, aspects of a user-initiated input applied at the top-level control button are detected. These aspects may include an actuation location and a distance of a drag-movement therefrom. If a distance of the drag-movement at the touchscreen display is greater than a threshold distance in a particular radial direction from the actuation location, the user-initiated input is considered a drag-operation. Typically, a set of trigger boundaries are constructed based on system metrics to assist in disambiguating the drag-operation from a tap-type operation. If a drag-operation is identified, the presentation action is invoked; otherwise, a principle action associated with the top-level control button (e.g., manipulating content of an application) may be invoked. | 02-14-2013 |
20130047105 | MULTI-APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling a multi-application environment. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable multi-application environments having combinations of immersive interfaces, windows-based interfaces, and a desktop treated as an immersive interface. | 02-21-2013 |
20130047117 | APPLICATION-LAUNCHING INTERFACE FOR MULTIPLE MODES - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling an application-launching interface for multiple modes. This interface enables a user to quickly and easily select to launch applications associated with different modes. A user may avoid wading through multiple interfaces, making multiple selections, and/or a cognitive load associated with deciding on a mode with which to interact. | 02-21-2013 |
20130047126 | SWITCHING BACK TO A PREVIOUSLY-INTERACTED-WITH APPLICATION - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for switching back to a previously-interacted-with application. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable selection of a user interface not currently exposed on a display through a simple gesture that is both easy-to-use and remember. | 02-21-2013 |
20130057587 | ARRANGING TILES - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for arranging tiles. These techniques and apparatuses enable users to quickly and easily arrange tiles within an interface, such as an application-launching interface. In some cases, users may arrange tiles in an interface with as little as one continuous gesture. | 03-07-2013 |
20130057588 | ARRANGING TILES - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for arranging tiles. These techniques and apparatuses enable users to quickly and easily arrange tiles within an interface, such as an application-launching interface. In some cases, users may arrange tiles in an interface with as little as one continuous gesture. | 03-07-2013 |
20130067394 | POINTER INVOCABLE NAVIGATIONAL USER INTERFACE - Systems and methods for use with a pointer invocable navigational user interface are provided. The system may include a navigational module configured to provide a navigational user interface having a hidden invocation region positioned along a logical left edge of a display. Application program graphical user interfaces (GUIs) may be ordered in an application order. The navigational module may be configured to detect an invocation pointer input in the hidden invocation region. Upon detecting the invocation pointer input, the navigational module may be to configured display a visible GUI selector element of the navigational user interface including a preview of a most recently used application program GUI not currently in focus. While the preview is displayed, a focus switching input from the pointer device may be received. In response to the focus switching input, focus may be switched to the application program GUI for which the preview is displayed. | 03-14-2013 |
20130067412 | GROUPING SELECTABLE TILES - This document describes techniques for grouping selectable tiles. These techniques enable a user to create and manage flexibly-sized groups rather than constrain the user to groups of a particular size. Further, these techniques enable users to view selectable tiles in multiple groups simultaneously, which can help user quickly and easily find and select a desired tile. | 03-14-2013 |
20130104075 | ARRANGING DISPLAY AREAS UTILIZING ENHANCED WINDOW STATES - Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and user interfaces (UIs) for manipulating display areas on a GUI workspace by transitioning the display areas from an original state to one of a set of enhanced window states are provided. Initially, an indication to resize a display area is received at an operating system, which consequently invokes an appropriate window state. The indication may include capturing an edge of the display area and vertically dragging the edge to a dock-target region, thereby invoking a vertically-maximized state. Accordingly, configuration settings of the vertically-maximized state are applied such that the display area is stretched to approximately the screen height. In another instance, the indication may include capturing the display area and dragging a display area into a dock-target region, thereby invoking a semi-maximized state. Configuration settings of the semi-maximized state are applied, thus, extending the display area to approximately cover a predefined GUI workspace region. | 04-25-2013 |
20130179781 | EDGE-BASED HOOKING GESTURES FOR INVOKING USER INTERFACES - Presented herein are techniques for invoking user interfaces in graphical computing environments involving “hooking” gestures applicable to an edge of a display. These gestures involve positioning a pointer near an edge of the display depicting the environment, and then moving the cursor to a second location that is distanced from but near the first location (e.g., moving the pointer into a corner of the display, and then toward the center of the display, or to a midpoint of an adjacent edge of the display), resulting in the presentation of the user interface under the pointer at the second location. Variations include presenting a preview of the user interface (e.g., a subset of a user interface menu) at the second location while the pointer is in the first location, and refraining from presenting the user interface upon failing to complete the gesture or receiving extraneous input before completing the gesture. | 07-11-2013 |
20130219343 | THUMBNAIL-IMAGE SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling thumbnail-image selection of applications. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable a user interface having selectable thumbnail images for applications not currently exposed on a display. The techniques and apparatuses may enable selection of this user interface through a simple gesture that is both easy-to-use and remember. Further, selection of applications not currently exposed on the display may be selected through thumbnail images representing each application's application interface as it will appear on selection. | 08-22-2013 |
20130263060 | VIRTUAL ADDRESS BAR USER INTERFACE CONTROL - A virtual address bar user interface control is presented. The virtual address bar comprises an interactive address segment and a conventional address segment. The interactive address segment corresponds to a predefined filter comprising selection criteria applied to content stored on a storage device. Selection of the interactive address segment causes content satisfying the predefined filter to be displayed. The conventional address segment references content at the content's particular location within a hierarchical file system structure on the storage device. Selection of the conventional address segment causes the content stored at the particular location to be displayed. | 10-03-2013 |
20130298075 | ADDRESS BAR USER INTERFACE CONTROL - An address bar user interface control includes one or more interactive segments. A segment may include one or more filters or selection criteria for selecting content from physical and/or virtual locations. In some instances, a segment may include two or more filters or selection criteria which are logically combined for selecting content. | 11-07-2013 |
20150058763 | Arranging Tiles - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for arranging tiles. These techniques and apparatuses enable users to quickly and easily arrange tiles within an interface, such as an application-launching interface. In some cases, users may arrange tiles in an interface with as little as one continuous gesture. | 02-26-2015 |