Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090007003 | Accessing an out-space user interface for a document editor program - An out-space actuator is selected to access an out-space user interface for a document editor program. An out-space actuator is associated with an in-space user interface having a displayed document. When the out-space actuator is selected, an out-space user interface is displayed that includes an expanded feature selection surface. | 01-01-2009 |
20090007012 | MENUS WITH TRANSLUCENCY AND LIVE PREVIEW - A region menu is used to easily access menu items. Generally, the region menu includes a number of regions with associated menus that are located close to an initial mouse position from where the region menu is evoked. Hovering over any of the regions of the region menu displays the menu item that is associated with the region. Additionally, hovering over a menu item within one of the regions of the displayed region menu may activate a live preview showing a projected result of what would occur should that menu item be selected. During a live preview, a portion of the region menu becomes translucent such that content beneath the menu becomes visible. | 01-01-2009 |
20090083656 | Exposing Non-Authoring Features Through Document Status Information In An Out-Space User Interface - An out-space actuator is selected to access an out-space user interface for a document editor program. An out-space actuator is associated with an in-space user interface having a displayed document. When the out-space actuator is selected, an out-space user interface is displayed that includes an expanded feature selection surface. The out-space user interface may be used to display one or more status panes for providing status information about a document being edited in the in-space user interface. Application features for affecting changes to a given document's status may be exposed in the out-space interface in proximity to associated status information. An out-space communication user interface (UI) component may be temporarily displayed in the document in-space user interface to communicate document status information that is presently available in the out-space user interface. A message bar may be displayed in the in-space user interface for communicating information from the out-space user interface. | 03-26-2009 |
20090217192 | Command User Interface For Displaying Multiple Sections of Software Functionality Controls - To increase command-access efficiency and to optimize a user's available user interface work space, an improved user interface is provided for displaying logical groupings of selectable software functionality controls that are associated with one or more selected top-level functionalities. Upon selection of a top-level functionality tab, selectable functionalities associated with the top-level functionality tab are divided into logical groupings and are presented in a customizable functionality control section below the tab. Upon selection of a different top-level functionality tab, selectable functionalities associated with the subsequently selected top-level functionality tab may either replace the first functionality control section or may be displayed in a separate functionality control section adjacent to the first functionality control section if real estate is available in the user interface. | 08-27-2009 |
20090222763 | COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A DOCUMENT EDITOR IN-SPACE USER INTERFACE AND A DOCUMENT EDITOR OUT-SPACE USER INTERFACE - An out-space actuator is selected to access an out-space user interface for a document editor program. An out-space actuator is associated with an in-space user interface having a displayed document. When the out-space actuator is selected, an out-space user interface is displayed that includes an expanded feature selection surface. The out-space user interface may be used to display one or more status panes for providing status information about a document being edited in the in-space user interface. Application features for affecting changes to a given document's status may be exposed in the out-space interface in proximity to associated status information. An out-space communication user interface (UI) component may be temporarily displayed in the document in-space user interface to communicate document status information that is presently available in the out-space user interface. A message bar may be displayed in the in-space user interface for communicating information from the out-space user interface. | 09-03-2009 |
20090235196 | CUSTOMIZABLE CONTROLS PROVIDED BY A MESSAGING APPLICATION FOR PERFORMING SELECTED ACTIONS - Technologies are described herein for providing users of a messaging application with controls that perform one or more selected actions with a message. Any number of default custom action controls may be displayed in a gallery. The selection of a custom action control performs various actions to an active message. New custom action controls may be created and existing controls modified to provide any number of desired actions. Dialogs provide user-friendly interfaces that allow a user to assign the desired functionality to a custom action control. The custom action controls may be organized into groups and shared between messaging applications and computers. | 09-17-2009 |
20090327853 | Comparing And Selecting Form-Based Functionality - Methods, systems, and apparatuses for comparing and selecting form-based functionality may be provided. A user may select a particular functionality of an application. Various options for providing the functionality, which may be sorted by category, may be presented to a user in a single interface. The user may select each option to see more information about how the option would accomplish the desired functionality. The additional information may also preview the effect of choosing each option. If all of the options do not fit on the user's display, the options may be scaled to allow the display of more options. | 12-31-2009 |
20100131836 | USER-AUTHORED NOTES ON SHARED DOCUMENTS - User-authored notes on shared documents may be provided. A shared document may be stored and at least one note may be associated with the document. When a user displays the document, the associated not may be retrieved and a user interface element may be provided to allow the user to view the note. | 05-27-2010 |
20100180226 | User Interface for Displaying Selectable Software Functionality Controls that are Relevant to a Selected Object - An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are relevant to a selected object and that remain visibly available for use while the selected object is being edited. Upon selection of a particular object for editing, functionality available for editing the object is presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above the software application workspace to allow the user ready and efficient access to functionality needed for editing the selected object. The display of relevant functionality controls is persisted until the user dismisses the display, selects another top-level functionality control or selects another object for editing. | 07-15-2010 |
20100191818 | Automatic Grouping of Electronic Mail - Automatic sorting and grouping of electronic mail items in an electronic mail system is provided. An automatic mail grouping property may be selected for electronic mail received, sent or stored in a variety of storage folders. For a given mail location (e.g., received mail, sent mail, or a given mail storage folder), a selected automatic grouping property causes mail to be displayed to a user in one or more categories that make location of specific mail items easier and more efficient. Visible dividers with optional headings may be provided between mail categories to quickly draw a user's attention to a given mail category and to separate large numbers of mail into logical groupings that make location of specific mail items more manageable. | 07-29-2010 |
20100211889 | Conversation Grouping of Electronic Mail Records - Improved conversation grouping methods and systems are provided for electronic mail records. Electronic mail messages that are unread or flagged for follow-up are automatically displayed under an associated conversation grouping heading. If a conversation grouping contains only a single unread or flagged electronic mail message, the single electronic mail message is automatically displayed under the conversation grouping heading for review by a user. For a conversation grouping having no unread or flagged electronic mail messages, the latest electronic mail message in the grouping is automatically displayed under the conversation grouping heading. | 08-19-2010 |
20110138273 | Floating Command Object - A floating command object is provided for offering a set of commonly or frequently used commands in close proximity to a selected text, data or other object in a document. When a given object is selected for editing, the floating object automatically displays near the object to allow easy selection of relevant commands such as formatting property commands. The object remains displayed to allow multiple command selections until it is closed by user action. If a mouse or touchpad pointer is moved away from the displayed object, the displayed object becomes increasingly translucent to visually deemphasize the relevance of the object to the new position of the pointer. | 06-09-2011 |
20110313803 | Social Task Lists - Providing access to task lists via social communications systems is provided. A user may expose a list authoring surface and associated task lists to other users via one or more social communications systems. When another user attempts to access contents of the list authoring surface, the user attempting access may be required to provide permissions credentials, or the attempting user's social communications account may be designated as a permissioned account from which access to the contents of the list authoring surface may be obtained. Version control management may be applied to the accessed task lists to ensure accessing users receive access to most up-to-date versions of accessed task lists. Once an accessing user obtains access to a given task list, the accessing user may comment on accessed tasks, make changes to accessed tasks and/or collaborate on accessed tasks. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314375 | Personal Assistant for Task Utilization - An electronic personal assistant that uses task information to obtain task performance assistance and help content is provided. Tasks from an electronic tasks application may be utilized by the personal assistant application to search a variety of information sources for task performance functionality and help content related to the tasks. The personal assistant may provide functionality to help a user actually perform a given task. Alternatively, once help content is obtained, a new task may be generated or the related task may be modified to provide the help content or to provide a link to the help content. The personal assistant application may provide the help content in a separate user interface or cause an application from which the help content is obtained to be launched. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314402 | Flagging, Capturing and Generating Task List Items - Generation of a task or reminder in an electronic task list authoring surface from a variety of data or information locations or media without the need for launching a separate task or reminder application and without the need for moving focus away from an information location or media presently in use is provided. Generation of a task or task reminder may be accomplished from a variety of information locations or media. When an information item is flagged or captured and a task/reminder is generated, one or more pieces of metadata may be applied to the flagged information item for enhancing the subsequent use of the associated generated task or reminder. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314404 | Context-Based Task Generation - A triggering mechanism for generating task reminders based on contextual information associated with the tasks is provided. Contextual information may be extracted from a variety of sources and may be related to one or more tasks. Based on the contextual information, task reminders may be generated and may be presented in a manner that makes the task reminders more useful to an end user. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314418 | List Authoring Surface - A list authoring surface (LAS) is provided that includes a lightweight user interface component for entering, displaying, manipulating, and providing reminders for one or more tasks that takes the place of hand-written notes, scraps of paper, or “sticky” notes. The list authoring surface may be deployed across a multitude of software applications and may be readily accessed anywhere on a stationary or mobile desktop or display screen. Information may be manually or automatically entered into the list authoring surface user interface. An event timeline that uses a “fuzzy” reminder method allows for reminders to be associated with tasks where some tasks must be accomplished or must occur at hard dates/times, but where other tasks may be accomplished or may occur during soft or “fuzzy” date/time ranges. | 12-22-2011 |
20120124072 | SYSTEM LEVEL SEARCH USER INTERFACE - A system level search user interface that includes both a data entry portion and an application identification portion is displayed. User data input as a search term is displayed in the data entry portion, and identifiers of each of one or more applications of multiple applications on the computing device that can be searched using the search term are displayed in the application identification portion. The search term is provided to one application of the multiple applications for that one application to generate and display search results based on the search term while the display of at least the data entry portion of the system level search user interface is maintained. | 05-17-2012 |
20120159334 | EXTENSIBLE SYSTEM ACTION FOR SHARING WHILE REMAINING IN CONTEXT - An operating system provides an extensible share action to broker content sharing between applications executing on a computing platform such as a personal computer, tablet computer, or smartphone. The share action enables a consistent user experience for content sharing to be implemented across all applications and eliminates users having to switch from the current application they are using to some other functionality in order to share content. Applications can participate with the operating system share action as source applications and/or target applications. Source applications may describe what content is shareable given the current state of their application when the user chooses to invoke the share action. Target applications can be configured to receive the shared content from the source application according to content type, and will expose a companion view of their application to the user that is specifically tailored to facilitate sharing. | 06-21-2012 |
20120159382 | MANAGING AN IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for managing an immersive environment. These techniques and/or apparatuses enable a user to select when, where, or under what conditions to present applications in this immersive environment. | 06-21-2012 |
20120167005 | CREATING AN IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT - The working area of an immersive environment is presented on a display without relying on any system chrome. Two regions are defined within the immersive environment, one of which is a larger primary region and the second of which is a smaller non-primary region. The two regions are presented so that they not overlap with one another. The content of one executing user-interactive application is presented in the primary region and, simultaneously, content of one or more other executing user-interactive applications are presented in the non-primary region. In some implementations the non-primary is docked to one side of the display. | 06-28-2012 |
20120167008 | Presenting an Application Change through a Tile - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for presenting an application change through a tile. These techniques enable a user to see content associated with content changes to an application or other information about the application, such as a new article, new email, or a software update having become available since a user last visited the application. By so doing, the techniques enable a user to forgo visiting the application or permit the user to quickly and easily decide whether or not to visit the application. | 06-28-2012 |
20120167011 | Application Reporting in an Application-Selectable User Interface - 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. | 06-28-2012 |
20120179993 | User Interface for Displaying a Gallery of Formatting Options Applicable to a Selected Object - An improved user interface is provided for displaying a gallery of images showing different formatting options combinations that may be applied to a selected object. When a particular image is selected an associated formatting options combination is automatically applied to the selected object. | 07-12-2012 |
20120215866 | Automatic Grouping of Electronic Mail - Automatic sorting and grouping of electronic mail items in an electronic mail system is provided. An automatic mail grouping property may be selected for electronic mail received, sent or stored in a variety of storage folders. For a given mail location (e.g., received mail, sent mail, or a given mail storage folder), a selected automatic grouping property causes mail to be displayed to a user in one or more categories that make location of specific mail items easier and more efficient. Visible dividers with optional headings may be provided between mail categories to quickly draw a user's attention to a given mail category and to separate large numbers of mail into logical groupings that make location of specific mail items more manageable. | 08-23-2012 |
20120221945 | ACCESSING AN OUT-SPACE USER INTERFACE FOR A DOCUMENT EDITOR PROGRAM - An out-space actuator is selected to access an out-space user interface for a document editor program. An out-space actuator is associated with an in-space user interface having a displayed document. When the out-space actuator is selected, an out-space user interface is displayed that includes an expanded feature selection surface. | 08-30-2012 |
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 |
20120304107 | Edge gesture - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling an edge gesture. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable selection of a user interface not currently exposed on a display through an edge gesture that is easy-to-use and remember. | 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 |
20120304131 | EDGE GESTURE - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling an edge gesture. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable selection of a user interface not currently exposed on a display through an edge gesture that is easy-to-use and remember. | 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 |
20120304133 | EDGE GESTURE - This document describes techniques and apparatuses enabling an edge gesture. In some embodiments, these techniques and apparatuses enable selection of a user interface not currently exposed on a display through an edge gesture that is easy-to-use and remember. | 11-29-2012 |
20120324394 | Command User Interface for Displaying Selectable Software Functionality Controls - An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls and for presenting logical groupings of particular functionality controls associated with a selected top-level functionality. Underneath a row of top-level functionality tabs, functionalities controls associated with a given top-level functionality tab are presented in logical groupings. Selection of a particular tab switches modes of the user interface to present controls for functionalities associated with the selected tab. | 12-20-2012 |
20130014048 | User Interface for Displaying Selectable Software Functionality Controls that are Relevant to a Selected Object - An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are relevant to a selected object and that remain visibly available for use while the selected object is being edited. Upon selection of a particular object for editing, functionality available for editing the object is presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above the software application workspace to allow the user ready and efficient access to functionality needed for editing the selected object. The display of relevant functionality controls is persisted until the user dismisses the display, selects another top-level functionality control or selects another object for editing. | 01-10-2013 |
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 |
20130042206 | Presenting an Application Change through a Tile - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for presenting an application change through a tile. These techniques enable a user to see content associated with content changes to an application or other information about the application, such as a new article, new email, or a software update having become available since a user last visited the application. By so doing, the techniques enable a user to forgo visiting the application or permit the user to quickly and easily decide whether or not to visit the application. | 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 |
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 |
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 |
20130067414 | SELECTING AND EXECUTING OBJECTS WITH A SINGLE ACTIVATION - Techniques of handling input from a pointing device within a computing system. The method includes, under control of one or more processors configured with executable instructions, receiving from the pointing device a first signal while the pointing device is pointing at an object related to an executable application. The origin of the first signal is determined and if the first signal originated based upon a single activation of a first user input on the pointing device, the object is selected. If the first signal originated based upon a single activation of a second user input on the pointing device, the object is executed. | 03-14-2013 |
20130097490 | Application of Multiple Content Items and Functionality to an Electronic Content Item - Application of content and associated functionality from multiple content sources to an electronic content item is provided. Content from a first document may be displayed over a second document via a user interface component. If desired, such content may be inserted into the second document, and application functionality associated with the inserted content may be retained after it is inserted into the second document. One or more navigation means may be provided for conveniently navigating inside a content item (e.g., a document) for adding new content or for reviewing or editing existing content. In addition, a number of content views and content mappings may be provided. | 04-18-2013 |
20130113703 | SHARED EDGE FOR A DISPLAY ENVIRONMENT - A shared edge for a display environment is described. In one or more implementations, a display environment of a computing device that is implemented using a plurality of display devices is configured to include a shared edge defined through a described arrangement of at least two of the display devices in relation to each other. Responsive to an input that describes movement of a cursor across at least a portion of the shared edge, an element is displayed in the display environment. | 05-09-2013 |
20130167058 | CLOSING APPLICATIONS - Application closing techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a computing device recognizes an input as involving selection of an application displayed in a display environment by the computing device and subsequent movement of a point of the selection toward an edge of the display environment. Responsive to the recognizing of the input, the selected application is closed by the computing device. | 06-27-2013 |
20130176212 | REPOSITIONING GESTURES FOR CHROMELESS REGIONS - In graphical computing environments, applications are often presented as windows and other regions with visual controls that enable standardized region management functions, including repositioning the regions. However, in some scenarios (particularly devices with small displays), such user interface “chrome” may undesirable diminish the size of the region devoted to the output of the application, and removing such visual controls without eliminating repositioning functionality may be advantageous. Presented herein are repositioning gestures that may be invoked to request repositioning of a selected region by “hovering” a pointer near an edge of the display that is near the selected region; optionally by activating the pointer; and by moving the pointer away from the edge of the display (e.g., “dragging” the pointer while depressing a mouse button). This gesture may easily and unambiguously invoke a region repositioning mode for the selected region, despite the absence of visual repositioning controls confluent with the region. | 07-11-2013 |
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 |
20130198220 | System Level Search User Interface - A system level search user interface that includes both a data entry portion and an application identification portion is displayed. User data input as a search term is displayed in the data entry portion, and identifiers of each of one or more applications of multiple applications on the computing device that can be searched using the search term are displayed in the application identification portion. The search term is provided to one application of the multiple applications for that one application to generate and display search results based on the search term while the display of at least the data entry portion of the system level search user interface is maintained. | 08-01-2013 |
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 |
20130283207 | COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A DOCUMENT EDITOR IN-SPACE USER INTERFACE AND A DOCUMENT EDITOR OUT-SPACE USER INTERFACE - An out-space actuator is selected to access an out-space user interface for a document editor program. An out-space actuator is associated with an in-space user interface having a displayed document. When the out-space actuator is selected, an out-space user interface is displayed that includes an expanded feature selection surface. The out-space user interface may be used to display one or more status panes for providing status information about a document being edited in the in-space user interface. Application features for affecting changes to a given document's status may be exposed in the out-space interface in proximity to associated status information. An out-space communication user interface (UI) component may be temporarily displayed in the document in-space user interface to communicate document status information that is presently available in the out-space user interface. A message bar may be displayed in the in-space user interface for communicating information from the out-space user interface. | 10-24-2013 |
20140019896 | USER INTERFACE FOR DISPLAYING SELECTABLE SOFTWARE FUNCTIONALITY CONTROLS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO A SELECTED OBJECT - An improved user interface is provided for displaying selectable software functionality controls that are relevant to a selected object and that remain visibly available for use while the selected object is being edited. Upon selection of a particular object for editing, functionality available for editing the object is presented in a ribbon-shaped user interface above the software application workspace to allow the user ready and efficient access to functionality needed for editing the selected object. The display of relevant functionality controls is persisted until the user dismisses the display, selects another top-level functionality control or selects another object for editing. | 01-16-2014 |
20140020085 | Background Application Management - The techniques and systems disclosed herein generally pertain to managing permissions for applications to allow the applications to run in a background state by an operating system. In some embodiments, user interfaces may be used to allow users to manage application permissions without requiring the user to understand specifics of background applications, but rather by providing a predetermined threshold number of permissions that the user can assign to applications. When the predetermined threshold number of permissions has been allocated and a subsequent application requests a permission, the user may replace or swap out an application that currently has a permission by giving the permission to the requesting application. | 01-16-2014 |
20140082552 | Presenting an Application Change through a Tile - This document describes techniques and apparatuses for presenting an application change through a tile. These techniques enable a user to see content associated with content changes to an application or other information about the application, such as a new article, new email, or a software update having become available since a user last visited the application. By so doing, the techniques enable a user to forgo visiting the application or permit the user to quickly and easily decide whether or not to visit the application. | 03-20-2014 |
20140109008 | Application Reporting in an Application-Selectable User Interface - 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. | 04-17-2014 |
20140143699 | MENUS WITH TRANSLUCENCY AND LIVE PREVIEW - A region menu is used to easily access menu items. Generally, the region menu includes a number of regions with associated menus that are located close to an initial mouse position from where the region menu is evoked. Hovering over any of the regions of the region menu displays the menu item that is associated with the region. Additionally, hovering over a menu item within one of the regions of the displayed region menu may activate a live preview showing a projected result of what would occur should that menu item be selected. During a live preview, a portion of the region menu becomes translucent such that content beneath the menu becomes visible. | 05-22-2014 |
20140310642 | DEFERRED PLACEMENT PROMPT - A deferred placement prompt is provided in a user interface when an application window is launched. Responsive to the presentation of the deferred placement prompt, the user can provide a directional placement instruction (e.g., a “drag” of the prompt, a selection of a screen region, a keyboard input) to indicate the user's preference for placement of the launched window. The user interface can give cooperative feedback to the user during the deferred placement prompt operation, such as highlighting an application window to be replaced, responsive to a directional placement instruction, animating the deferred placement prompt, etc. | 10-16-2014 |
20140310646 | Application Window Divider Control for Window Layout Management - An application window divider control is shared by a first application window and a second application window in a user interface. Based on a received directional instruction that moves the application window divider control along an axis of the user interface, placement of the first application window and the second application window may be positioned across a range of consistently spaced points along an axis of the user interface. Placement adjustment can also impact other application windows in the user interface. The application window divider control may also snap to provide “magnetic” points along the axis when certain conditions are satisfied. | 10-16-2014 |
20140310728 | APPLICATION-TO-APPLICATION LAUNCH WINDOWING - A window management system manages the placement of a window of a target application within a user interface. A source application launches the target application. The window management system arbitrates placement of a window of a target application within the user interface based on a target application placement preference parameter and a source application placement preference parameter. The window management system displays the window of the target application within the user interface according to the arbitrated placement. The window management system can also display a window of the source application within the user interface according to the arbitrated placement. | 10-16-2014 |
20140325430 | CONTENT-BASED DIRECTIONAL PLACEMENT APPLICATION LAUNCH - A user can select content on an interface screen and provide an associated directional placement instruction to launch a new application window that displays the selected content or information associated with the selected content. The directional placement instruction may indicate an area of the screen where the user prefers to display the new application window. Responsive to the initiation of the directional placement instruction, a conversion module converts the selected content into a placeable representation of the new application. Responsive to receipt of the directional placement instruction, a window management system presents the new application window in the user interface in a location based on the directional placement instruction. | 10-30-2014 |