This can relate to productivity applications and, more particularly, to systems, methods, and computer readable media for providing dynamic interfaces for productivity applications.
Productivity applications, such as word processing applications (e.g., Apple Inc.'s Pages™), database processing applications (e.g., Microsoft Corporation's Access™), spreadsheet applications (e.g., Microsoft Corporation's Excel™), lifestyle applications (e.g., Apple Inc.'s iTunes™, iDVD™, GrageBand™, iChat™, iWeb™, Aperture™, iPhoto™, etc.), just to list a few, are widely known and used to generate and/or interact with data. Productivity applications often have graphic user interfaces featuring icons that a user can “click” using a mouse or other interface device. These icons are often graphic representations of application features available to the user for customizing content that was generated using the productivity application.
Toolbars, which generally include groups of preloaded icons, are frequently used in productivity applications to assist the user. Users can generally customize these toolbars to have desired icons available for common situations. Similarly, palette windows having icons that appear when a user inputs an information type different from a default information type (e.g., when a user inputs an image into a word processing document) are known. However, the presence of too many icons can actually lead to decreased efficiency by cluttering the display of the graphic user interface, thereby requiring the user to spend more time searching for a desired icon. Having too many icons can also be confusing, as the user may be unable to remember the function of each of the displayed icons.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to have methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing a user interface that provides the functionality of multiple toolbars without inundating the user with scores of concurrently displayed icons (some of which are not even selectable and are “grayed-out”).
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing dynamic interfaces for productivity applications are provided. These methods, systems, and computer readable media include various ways of presenting application features to a user, as well as ways of simplifying the use of certain application features.
For example, a dynamic toolbar can be used that presents icons relevant to user inputs while hiding icons not relevant to those inputs. In some embodiments, when a user inputs information into a user interface of a productivity application document, the interface can determine the format of the information, such as a text format or an image format, and can generate data associated therewith. The productivity application can accordingly update the display of the user interface to include icons (e.g., grouped in a palette and/or toolbar) related to the format data. In other words, the icons displayed by a productivity application can include only those icons that are related to the format of the user information and can omit those icons that are not related to the format of the user information.
Furthermore, there are different ways in which the icon changes can be implemented. In some embodiments, the icon change can be triggered actively (e.g., when a user clicks a mouse button or when a user enters data). In other embodiments, the icon change can be triggered passively (e.g., when a user moves a cursor to a location in the user interface display that is proximate to data of a different format).
In one embodiment, a method of providing a dynamic interface for a productivity application includes displaying one or more first options associated with a first user action type in the dynamic interface, detecting a change in the user action type from the first user action type to a second user action type, removing the one or more first options from within the dynamic interface when the change is detected, and displaying one or more second options associated with the second user action type in the dynamic interface.
In one embodiment, a system for providing a dynamic interface for a productivity application includes a display configured to display within the dynamic interface one or more first options associated with a first user action type, and a processor coupled to the display, wherein the processor is configured to detect a change from the first user action type to a second user action type, remove the one or more first options from within the dynamic interface when the change is detected, and display within the dynamic interface one or more second options associated with the second user action type on the display.
In one embodiment, a computer readable medium for a productivity application includes computer instructions for displaying one or more first options associated with a first user action type in the dynamic interface, detecting a change in the user action type from the first user action type to a second user action type, removing the one or more first options from within the dynamic interface when the change is detected, and displaying one or more second options associated with the second user action type in the dynamic interface.
In one embodiment, a productivity application is implemented on a system. The system includes means for displaying one or more first options associated with a first user action type in the dynamic interface, means for detecting a change in the user action type from the first user action type to a second user action type, means for removing the one or more first options from within the dynamic interface when the change is detected, and means for displaying one or more second options associated with the second user action type in the dynamic interface.
The above and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:
Systems, computer readable media, and methods for providing dynamic interfaces for productivity applications are provided and described with reference to
Computer systems 100 and 200 are, in general, widely known. Productivity applications are run on computer systems and used to generate content having different types of information. Different productivity applications include, for example, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, presentation applications, visual graphic applications (e.g., chart, graph, map, drawing, and image applications), audio applications, multimedia applications (e.g., video applications), and database applications. Productivity applications often have graphic user interfaces featuring icons (e.g., icons grouped together in one or more toolbars or palettes) that a user can use to quickly access productivity application options. When too many icons are present on a display, however, reduced efficiency may result due to the graphic user interface display being cluttered by unnecessary icons.
At step 302, a productivity application may be initialized and, at step 304, the productivity application may be run. When the productivity application is initialized, it can have an interface comprising a default set of options or icons directed towards a common use of the application. For example, a word processing application (e.g., Apple Inc.'s Pages™ or Microsoft Corporation's Word™) can have a toolbar with a default set of icons directed towards editing text. In other embodiments, the interface may not display any icons until the application determines what options are most relevant to the user based on the user's interaction(s) with the application (e.g., a user's selecting a blank document to enter text, inserting a chart into a blank document, etc.).
A first user input may be received at step 306. For example, a word processing application can receive a user input in the form of text information. A user input can include inputting information, which can take one of many forms, including, but not limited to, text information, visual graphic information (e.g., chart, graph, map, drawing, or image information), audio information, multimedia information (e.g., video information), XML (Extensible Markup Language) information, HTML (Hyper Text Mark-Up Language) information, XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) information, CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) information, and database information. A user input can also include changing a document's format settings, such as the page setup. A user input can also include selecting previously entered data of a different type, and changing the position of a pointer such that it is located proximate to previously entered data of a different format.
At step 308, the productivity application may determine if the first user input included a request to close the productivity application. If a request to close is detected, then step 322 may be executed and the productivity application may be shut down.
If a request to close is not detected, the productivity application may determine the options related to the first user input at step 310, and may display these options in a portion of a screen of the user interface at step 312. For example, if the user input is image information, icons can be provided giving the user access to commands for changing color, drawing lines, and making erasures. The options can be predetermined by the designer of the user interface, or can be a custom set of icons preselected by the user.
After the options related to the first user input are displayed, the options may remain on the screen until another user input is received at step 314. The user input can take any of the forms described above. The productivity application may then determine if the user input included a request to close the productivity application at step 316. If a request to close is detected, then step 322 may be executed and the productivity application may be shut down.
If a request to close is not detected, the productivity application may determine the options related to the user input from step 314 at step 318. At step 318, the productivity application may further determine whether or not the options related to the user input from step 314 differ from the options displayed at step 312. If the options related to the user input from step 314 do not differ from the options displayed at step 312, then productivity application may execute step 314 and the options displayed at step 312 may remain on the screen until another user input is received at step 314.
For example, in a word processing document containing only text information, a toolbar containing icons related to text information (e.g., icons for color, style, and typeface) could be displayed. If the user input at step 314 comprised inputting text information, the toolbar containing icons related to text information could remain on the screen.
If the options related to the user input from step 314 differ from the options displayed at step 312, then the productivity application may execute step 312, and the options related to the user input from step 314 can be displayed in the same portion of the screen as the options related to the first user input. The options related to the first user input may accordingly be removed. By replacing options automatically (e.g., without direction by the user) in a common screen space, the dynamic interface can improve user efficiency as described above.
For example, in a word processing document containing only text information, a toolbar containing icons related to text information (e.g., icons for color, style, and typeface) could be displayed. If the user input at step 314 comprised inputting image information, the word processing application could erase the icons related to the text information and could cause icons related to image information to be displayed in the same screen space that the icons related to text information had previously occupied. Because the icons related to text information would generally not be used in connection with image information, removing the icons related to text information can improve efficiency by reducing the number of items on the screen.
Although the above discussion deals with a dynamic user interface, in some embodiments there can be a set of fixed icons on the interface that are not responsive to a user's input type. Therefore, for example, icons related to general application functions, such as opening saved documents or saving the open document, can be displayed to the user at all times.
The location of pointer 414 (e.g., provided by a keyboard/mouse, such as mouse 208) on a display of a graphic user interface, in an area proximate to text 412, may indicate that a user is currently working in the text of the document. Pointer 414 can be a user input to the productivity application either actively (e.g., when used to click on text 412), or passively (e.g., when positioned proximate to text 412).
In response to being selected, each of these icons can cause the productivity application to display a new window and/or adjust an item that is or will be displayed. The location of pointer 414 in an area proximate to image 426 may indicate that a user is currently working in image 426. If, for example, a user moves pointer 414 to an area proximate to text 412, a passive user input could be detected, and icons 404, 406, 408, and 410 could appear and replace icons 422 and 424 on toolbar 402.
In response to being selected, each of these icons can cause the productivity application to display a new window and/or adjust an item that is or will be displayed. The location of pointer 414 in an area proximate to chart 438 can indicate that a user is currently working in chart 438. If, for example, a user moves pointer 414 to an area proximate to text 412, a passive user input could be detected, and icons 404, 406, 408, and 410 could appear and replace icons 432, 434, and 436 on toolbar 402. Likewise, if a user moves pointer 414 to an area proximate to image 426, a passive user input could be detected, and icons 422 and 424 could appear and replace icons 432, 434, and 436 on toolbar 402.
While preferred illustrative embodiments of the invention are described above, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention. The appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/963,812, filed Aug. 6, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60963812 | Aug 2007 | US |