Patent Application
20050188314
This invention relates to a user interface start page.
When a computing device is turned-on, or logged-off of by another user, a user of the computing device is presented with a user interface display to logon to the computing device. When the user selects an account to initiate a computing session and provides a password if necessary, the user interface logon display disappears (e.g., is no longer displayed) and, after a delay, the user is presented with a user interface desktop that may include various icons, and selectable commands, files, controls, and/or links by which the user may begin the computing session.
However, when a user initiates the computing session from the user interface logon display, there is no continuity from the user interface logon display to the user interface desktop. The display may appear to change suddenly from the logon display to the desktop display, or a blank display may appear for a duration after the logon display and before the desktop display. This sudden change or blank delay detracts from the overall user experience when interfacing with the computing system.
User interface start page is described herein.
In an implementation, a user interface start page includes a user-identifiable indicator associated with a user of a computing system to indicate that the user is logged-on to the computing system. The user interface start page also includes user-selectable controls from one or more regions of a user interface desktop page which is displayed after a transition from the user interface start page to the desktop page. Each of the user-selectable controls on the user interface start page initiate a display of information associated with the user when selected.
The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components. The design, structure, and functional configurations of the user interfaces illustrated in the drawings are merely exemplary to illustrate various features and aspects of user interface start page. Any number of different user interface designs, structures, and functions may be implemented in varying configurations to implement embodiments of user interface start page.
A user interface transition is described in which a user interface logon page is displayed from which a user can log onto a computing system. The user interface logon page includes selectable logon controls that each have a corresponding user-identifiable indicator, such as a user name and/or an image associated with a particular user. A first transition from the user interface logon page to a user interface start page is initiated in response to a selectable logon control being selected, and the user-identifiable indicator(s) corresponding to the selectable logon control are displayed uninterrupted throughout the transition.
The user interface start page is displayed with the user-identifiable indicator(s) (e.g., the user name, image, or associated information) corresponding to the selectable logon control. A second transition from the user interface start page to a user interface desktop page is initiated in response to a user-selectable control being selected on the user interface start page. The user-identifiable indicator(s) corresponding to the selectable logon control are displayed uninterrupted throughout the continued transition. The user interface desktop page is displayed with the user-identifiable indicator(s) from the user interface logon page.
The user interface start page includes the user-identifiable indicator associated with the user of the computing system to indicate that the user is logged-on to the computing system. The user interface start page also includes user-selectable controls, information, and/or resources from one or more regions of the user interface desktop page. The user-selectable controls, information, and resources are displayed on the user interface start page because they are likely of interest to, and/or associated with, the particular user logged onto the computing system. The user interface start page represents a tailored and optionally-configurable representation of a computing session displayed as a desktop page after the transition from the user interface start page. This continuous, seamless, and uninterrupted transition from the user interface logon page to the user interface start page, and from the start page to the user interface desktop page enhances the overall user experience of a computing session.
Further, the user can initiate multiple applications from the user interface start page or from the user interface desktop page. In an implementation, a user interface start page or desktop page includes a user-selectable control to initiate that multiple applications start together at approximately a same time. The user interface includes user-selectable configurations to designate a multiple application start-up configuration. For example, a user can select groups of application programs to start together such as application programs that were executing when a previous computing session was discontinued, application programs often selected for use by the user, application programs recently selected for use by the user, and/or application programs most used by the user.
The following discussion is directed to systems and methods for user interface start page. While features of the described systems and methods can be implemented in any number of different computing environments, they are described in the context of the following exemplary implementations.
The computing system 100 can be implemented with one or more memory components, such as any form of storage media 110 (e.g., any of RAM, ROM, and the like), which maintains operating system 108. The computing system 100 may be implemented with any number and combination of differing components as further described below with reference to the exemplary computing systems, devices, and components shown in
In this example, display device 104 displays a user interface logon page 112 that includes any number of selectable logon controls 114(1-N) each corresponding to a user of the computing system 100. Typically, when computing device 102 is turned-on, or logged-off of by another user, the operating system 108 initiates a display of the user interface logon page 112 so that any user of the computing system 100 can logon to the computing device 102.
The user interface logon page 112 also includes user-identifiable indicators that correspond to, or are implemented as, the selectable logon controls 114(1-N). For example, a selectable logon control 114 can be displayed as a user name to identify a user of the computing system 100. Alternatively and/or in addition, a corresponding user-identifiable indicator can be displayed as an image that is recognizable and optionally configurable by a user, such as images 116(1-N) that each correspond to a respective selectable logon control 114(1-N). A user-identifiable image 116 may also be implemented as a selectable logon control 114 on a user interface logon page 112.
The user interface logon page 112 may also include user information 118(1-N) that corresponds to the selectable logon controls 114(1-N) and/or user-identifiable indicators (e.g., images) 116(1-N). In this example, User-1114(1) corresponding user information 118(1) indicates that User-1 has twelve new e-mail messages, and User-2114(2) corresponding user information 118(2) indicates that User-2 currently has five friends on-line. User information 118 corresponding to a selectable logon control 114 can include any type or form of information, to include text, a graphic, an image, and/or any combination thereof.
During the transition 200, a user-identifiable indicator corresponding to a selectable logon control is displayed uninterrupted throughout the transition. For example, in an event that a user of the computing system 100 selects the selectable logon control 114(1), the user's name, User-1, and/or the corresponding image 116(1) is displayed throughout the transition 200(A-B) on the transition page(s) 204 and on the user interface start page 202. Additionally, User-1 corresponding user information 118(1) may also be displayed throughout the transition 200(A-B) on the transition page(s) 204 and on the user interface start page 202.
The transition page(s) 204 can be visually animated to convey the transition 200 to a user. For example, while the user-identifiable indicators corresponding to the selected logon control for User-1114(1) are continually displayed throughout the transition, the indicators and information corresponding to User-2114(2) and User-N 114(N) are eliminated from the display. For example, User-2114(2) is shown to slide right 206 and off of the display page during the transition page(s) 204. User-N 114(N) is shown to fade away 208 from view on the transition page(s) 204. The indicators and information corresponding to the selectable logon controls that are not selected can be eliminated from the display utilizing any number of methods and techniques to visually animate the transition 200.
The exemplary user interface start page 202 can be displayed with any number of selectable controls 210, information, and application program selectable start controls 212 that, when selected, initiate a display of information and/or an application program associated with the particular user logged-on to the computing system 100. The user interface start page 202 includes (optionally user-definable) information and selectable controls that are more likely of interest and/or associated with the particular user, such as when the user starts the computing device 102 or returns to a computing session. For example, a user interface start page may include any one or combination of application programs, documents, Web links, personal contacts, e-mail, and any other form of information and images such as live data feeds of news, sports, weather, and the like.
The user interface start page 300 includes a start control 306 that is user-selectable to initiate that multiple application programs start together at approximately a same time (e.g., the applications start together after a single user input). The start control 306 may be configurable, or a selectable configuration control 308 may be implemented, such that a user can select to initiate different groups 310 of application programs. In this example, the groups of application programs that can be selected to start together include application programs that were executing when a previous computing session was discontinued, application programs often selected for use by the user, application programs recently selected for use by the user, and/or application programs most used by the user (e.g., application programs executing for at least a minimum duration).
In this example, a user may also select any number of application programs from a list of application programs 312 to initiate that the multiple selected application programs start together at approximately a same time. For example, a user of computing system 100 can individually select various applications, such as an e-mail application, a Web browser, and a word processor from the list of application programs 312, and then initiate that the various selected application programs start together. To initiate starting the selected application programs, a user may simply mouse-click in a region 314 of the user interface start page 300 that is outside of the region containing the information and selectable controls. Alternatively, a user may initiate the selected various applications with a designated user-selectable control, with a keystroke combination input from a keyboard, or with any number of other user-input techniques and/or combinations of sequenced inputs. Further, although initiating multiple application programs is described and illustrated with reference to the user interface start page 300, multiple application programs can also be started together from any user interface desktop page, such as desktop page 402.
The user interface start page 300 includes a desktop selection control 316 that may be configurable, or a selectable configuration control 318 may be implemented, such that a user can select from various desktop pages 320 as a beginning of a computing session. In this example, the various desktop pages 320 include a work environment desktop, a home environment desktop, a weekend activities desktop, and a weekday activities desktop.
A user can select any such desktop environment or page to coincide with a user's “persona” for a particular computing session. For example, a work environment desktop may include information corresponding to a place of business and selectable controls corresponding to work-related application programs. A home environment desktop may include information corresponding to a user's home life, such as the local weather, a TV guide, a movie listing for local movie show times, a personal e-mail account, personal Web links, a personal desktop background image, and/or any combination of these and other information and resources. Similarly, a weekend activities desktop may include some or all of the information and resources included in a home environment desktop, and a weekday activities desktop may include some combination of the information and resources included in the work environment desktop and the home environment desktop. The various desktop environments are configurable for efficiency and ease-of-use corresponding to a particular environment, or persona, that a user selects for a computing session.
The list of application programs 312 may include application programs recently accessed by the user (e.g., in previous computing sessions) and/or application programs designated for user-selection from the user interface start page 300. The user interface start page 300 also includes a list of documents 322 recently accessed by the user and/or documents designated for user-selection from the user interface start page, and a list of directory locations 324 in computing system 100 recently accessed by the user and/or designated for user-selection from the user interface start page. The start page 300 may also include other user-associated information and resources such as a list of e-mail notifications 326 that each correspond to an e-mail received after a previous computing session was discontinued, and a list of on-line users 328 (e.g., friends or buddies that are interconnected on-line). A user can select the friends or on-line users for display notification on the user interface start page 300 when the a designated user is on-line.
The user interface start page 300 can also include any form of a time-based and/or a date-based display of information which may correspond to an environment of the user. For example, a weather report 330 is displayed to advise of impending weather in an area where the user lives, and, after 4:30 p.m. on a weekday, a traffic report 332 may be displayed to advise the user of the traffic conditions for a commute after work. As shown in the user interface start page 300, the time-based and date-based display of information may be text, a graphic, an image, and/or any other form of indication. An example of a date-based user-selectable control 334 is displayed for a financial application program associated with a user that regularly accesses a checkbook on the 20th of every month. These are only some examples of the many possible time-based and/or date-based information and application programs that can be displayed on a user interface start page.
The user interface start page 300 can also include various other user-selectable controls and information, such as a switch user control 336 (e.g., a “back” button) to initiate a transition back to the user interface logon page 112 (
The user interface start page 300 may also include a user-configurable on-line selectable control 344 with which a user can designate an on-line status before transitioning onto a desktop environment. Typically, when a user logs-on to a computing system, other users may be configured for display notification that the user is now on-line. However, with the on-line selectable control 344, the user can choose to transition to a desktop environment without other users being notified of a change in the user's on-line status.
During the transition 400, a user-identifiable indicator corresponding to a selectable logon control (e.g., selected from the logon page 112) is displayed uninterrupted throughout the transition. For example, in an event that a user of the computing system 100 selects the selectable logon control 114(1), the user's name, User-1, and/or the corresponding image 116(1) is displayed throughout the transition 400(A-B) on the transition page(s) 404 and on the user interface desktop page 402. Additionally, the corresponding image 116(1) (or a portion of the image) may transform 406 to a full-size page display 408 of the image while being displayed throughout the transition 400(A-B) on the transition page(s) 404 and on the user interface desktop page 402. Further, the transition page(s) 404 can be visually animated to convey the transition 400 to a user utilizing any number of methods and techniques to visually animate the transition 400.
The exemplary user interface desktop page 402 can be displayed with any number of selectable controls, information, resources, and application program selectable start controls 410 that, when selected, initiate a display of information and/or an application program associated with the particular user logged-on to the computing system 100. The user interface desktop page 402 includes (optionally user-definable) various regions in which the user information and resources are displayed.
In this example, user interface desktop page 402 includes a desktop region 412, a start menu region 414 (e.g., a user-selectable control), a taskbar region 416, and a sidebar region 418. The various regions of the user interface desktop page 402 may include (optionally user-definable) any one or combination of application programs, documents, Web links, personal contacts, e-mail, and any other form of information, resources, and images such as live data feeds of news, sports, weather, and the like. For example, the desktop region includes the full-size page display 408 of the image 116 corresponding to the user currently logged on to computing system 100. Further, the sidebar region 418 includes the list of e-mail notifications 326 that each correspond to an e-mail received after a previous computing session was discontinued, the list of on-line users 328, and the weather report 330. The sidebar region 418 may also include any form of an image or graphic, such as image 420 corresponding to the weather report 330.
Methods for user interface start page, such as exemplary method 500 described with reference to
At block 502, a user interface start page is displayed having a user-identifiable indicator associated with a user of a computing system to indicate that the user is logged-on to the computing system. For example, user interface start page 300 (
At block 504, user-selectable controls are displayed on the user interface start page that are included in one or more regions of a desktop page which is displayed after a transition from the user interface start page. Each of the user-selectable controls displayed on user interface start page 300 (
Additionally, a list of documents 322 can be displayed on the user interface start page 300 that each correspond to a document recently accessed by the user or that correspond to a document designated for user-selection from the start page. A list of directory locations 324 can be displayed on the user interface start page 300 that each correspond to a directory location recently selected for use by the user or that correspond to a directory location designated for user-selection from the start page. A list of application programs 312 can be displayed on the user interface start page 300 that each correspond to an application program recently selected for use by the user or that correspond to an application program designated for user-selection from the start page.
A list of on-line users 328 can be displayed on the user interface start page 300 that each correspond to a particular user selected for display notification when the particular user is on-line. Further, a list of e-mail notifications 326 can be displayed on the user interface start page 300 that each correspond to an e-mail received after a previous computing session was discontinued.
At block 506, a start control is displayed on the user interface start page, the start control being user-selectable to start multiple application programs together at approximately a same time after the transition to the desktop page. For example, the start control 306 (
At block 508, time-based and/or date-based information is displayed on the user interface start page, the time-based and/or date-based information corresponding to an environment associated with the user. For example, a weather report 330 is displayed on the user interface start page 300 to advise of impending weather in an area where the user lives, and, after 4:30 p.m. on a weekday, for example, a traffic report 332 may be displayed to advise the user of the traffic conditions for a commute after work.
At block 510, a date-based user-selectable control is displayed on the user interface start page, the date-based user-selectable control corresponding to an application program associated with the user. For example, a date-based user-selectable control 334 is displayed on the user interface start page 300 for a financial application program associated with a user that regularly accesses a checkbook on the 20th of every month. At block 512, a logoff control is displayed on the user interface start page, the logoff control being user-selectable to logoff the computing system and initiate a transition to a logon page that includes one or more selectable logon controls that each correspond to a different user of the computing system. For example, user-selectable logoff control 342 is displayed on the user interface start page 300.
At block 514, a settings change control is displayed on the user interface start page, the settings change control being user-selectable to change display settings of the user interface start page. For example, a user settings change control 338 is displayed on the user interface start page 300. At block 516, a desktop selection control is displayed on the user interface start page, the desktop selection control being user-selectable to select from one or more desktop pages each corresponding to the user and each having a unique display configuration. For example, the desktop selection control 316 is displayed on user interface start page 300 to select from desktop pages that include a work environment desktop, a home environment desktop, a weekend activities desktop, and a weekday activities desktop. Further, each of the desktop pages have a unique display configuration of any of the one or more regions of the user interface desktop page.
The computer and network architectures in computing environment 600 can be implemented with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, client devices, hand-held or laptop devices, microprocessor-based systems, multiprocessor systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, gaming consoles, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
The computing environment 600 includes a general-purpose computing system in the form of a computing device 602. The components of computing device 602 can include, but are not limited to, one or more processors 604 (e.g., any of microprocessors, controllers, and the like), a system memory 606, and a system bus 608 that couples the various system components. The one or more processors 604 process various computer executable instructions to control the operation of computing device 602 and to communicate with other electronic and computing devices. The system bus 608 represents any number of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.
Computing environment 600 includes a variety of computer readable media which can be any media that is accessible by computing device 602 and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. The system memory 606 includes computer-readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 610, and/or non-volatile memory, such as read only memory (ROM) 612. A basic input/output system (BIOS) 614 maintains the basic routines that facilitate information transfer between components within computing device 602, such as during start-up, and is stored in ROM 612. RAM 610 typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently operated on by one or more of the processors 604.
Computing device 602 may include other removable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer storage media. By way of example, a hard disk drive 616 reads from and writes to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media (not shown), a magnetic disk drive 618 reads from and writes to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk 620 (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical disk drive 622 reads from and/or writes to a removable, non-volatile optical disk 624 such as a CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD), or any other type of optical media. In this example, the hard disk drive 616, magnetic disk drive 618, and optical disk drive 622 are each connected to the system bus 608 by one or more data media interfaces 626. The disk drives and associated computer readable media provide non-volatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for computing device 602.
Any number of program modules can be stored on the hard disk 616, magnetic disk 620, optical disk 624, ROM 612, and/or RAM 610, including by way of example, an operating system 626, one or more application programs 628, other program modules 630, and program data 632. Each of such operating system 626, application programs 628, other program modules 630, and program data 632 (or some combination thereof) may include an embodiment of the systems and methods described herein.
Computing device 602 can include a variety of computer readable media identified as communication media. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” refers to a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, other wireless media, and any combination thereof.
A user can interface with computing device 602 via any number of different input devices such as a keyboard 634 and pointing device 636 (e.g., a “mouse”). Other input devices 638 (not shown specifically) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, controller, satellite dish, serial port, scanner, and/or the like. These and other input devices are connected to the processors 604 via input/output interfaces 640 that are coupled to the system bus 608, but may be connected by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game port, and/or a universal serial bus (USB).
A monitor 642 or other type of display device can be connected to the system bus 608 via an interface, such as a video adapter 644. In addition to the monitor 642, other output peripheral devices can include components such as speakers (not shown) and a printer 646 which can be connected to computing device 602 via the input/output interfaces 640.
Computing device 602 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computing device 648. By way of example, the remote computing device 648 can be a personal computer, portable computer, a server, a router, a network computer, a peer device or other common network node, and the like. The remote computing device 648 is illustrated as a portable computer that can include many or all of the elements and features described herein relative to computing device 602.
Logical connections between computing device 602 and the remote computing device 648 are depicted as a local area network (LAN) 650 and a general wide area network (WAN) 652. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, and the Internet. When implemented in a LAN networking environment, the computing device 602 is connected to a local network 650 via a network interface or adapter 654. When implemented in a WAN networking environment, the computing device 602 typically includes a modem 656 or other means for establishing communications over the wide area network 652. The modem 656, which can be internal or external to computing device 602, can be connected to the system bus 608 via the input/output interfaces 640 or other appropriate mechanisms. The illustrated network connections are exemplary and other means of establishing communication link(s) between the computing devices 602 and 648 can be utilized.
In a networked environment, such as that illustrated with computing environment 600, program modules depicted relative to the computing device 602, or portions thereof, may be stored in a remote memory storage device. By way of example, remote application programs 658 are maintained with a memory device of remote computing device 648. For purposes of illustration, application programs and other executable program components, such as the operating system 626, are illustrated herein as discrete blocks, although it is recognized that such programs and components reside at various times in different storage components of the computing device 602, and are executed by the processors 604 of the computing device.
Although embodiments of user interface start page have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the subject of the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are enclosed as exemplary implementations of user interface start page.
