Format object task pane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10248439-B2
Application number	US-201113293999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2011
Priority date	Nov 10, 2011
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A format object task pane is provided that presents contextual formatting controls for formatting objects. The format object task pane may be docked to an edge of an application window and may be modeless, allowing a user to interact with application functionalities while the task pane is open. Formatting controls may behave contextually and display controls specific to a currently selected object. The presented formatting controls may be organized by categories and by sections within the categories. Text formatting and object formatting controls may be provided in a same task pane.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for providing formatting controls in a format object task pane in an application, the method comprising:
receiving a request for a formatting functionality;
in response to receiving the request, presenting a format object task pane, wherein the format object task pane is mode less to thereby enable performance of formatting tasks on multiple objects without having to dismiss and relaunch the format object task pane and the format object task pane is presented within an application window such that the format object task pane does not obstruct a document workspace;
receiving a selection of a first object displayed in the document workspace of the application, wherein the first object is of a first object type and in response to the selection of the first object,
displaying in the format object task pane a first set of formatting controls that are applicable to the first object type;
receiving a selection of a second object displayed in the document workspace of the application, wherein the second object is different from the first object and is of a second object type, and in response to the selection of the second object, displaying in the format object task pane a second set of formatting controls that are applicable to the second object type; and
receiving a selection of a third object displayed in the document workspace of the application, wherein the third object is different from the first object and the second object, and wherein the third object comprises both the first object type and the second object type, and in response to a selection of the third object, initially displaying in the format object task pane the first set of formatting controls and an options toggle that is operable to replace display of the first set of formatting controls with display of the second set of formatting controls in the format object task pane upon selection.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first object type and the second object type are selected from two distinct types of object types including a picture, chart, shape, line, text, or text associated with an object, chart, or shape.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of formatting controls comprises object formatting controls and the second set of formatting controls comprises text formatting controls.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising organizing one or more of the first set of formatting controls and the second set of formatting controls into categories.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request for the formatting functionality includes receiving an indication of a selection of a formatting entry point.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising presenting the format object task pane after receiving the request for the formatting entry point mapping to a particular section within a pane.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising presenting the format object task pane opened to the particular section in the pane.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the format object task pane includes presenting the format object task pane docked along an edge of the application window.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the format object task pane is presented comprising one or more formatting controls associated with a selected chart, and further comprising providing a chart element selector trigger for providing a selection of individual chart elements on the selected chart.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of formatting controls or the second set of formatting controls that is currently displayed in the format object task pane continues to be displayed within the format object task pane in response to receiving a selection associated with a fourth object.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the options toggle is hidden from the format object task pane when a single object type is selected.

12. A system for providing formatting controls in a format object task pane, comprising:
a processing unit; and
a memory including an application operative to:
receive a selection of a first object displayed in a document workspace of the application;
determine an object type of the first object from a first object type and a second object type;
receive a request for a formatting functionality associated with the first object;
in response to receiving the request, present a format object task pane, wherein the format object task pane is non-modal to thereby enable performance of formatting tasks on multiple objects without having to dismiss and relaunch the format object task pane, wherein the format object task pane is presented within the application such that the format object task pane does not obstruct the document workspace;
wherein when it is determined that the first object is of the first object type:
display in the format object task pane a first set of formatting controls;

wherein when it is determined that the first object is of the second object type:
display in the format object task pane a second set of formatting controls;

wherein when it is determined that the first object is of the first object type and the second object type:
display in the format object task pane the first set of formatting controls and a second toggle that is operable to replace display of the second set of formatting controls with display of the first set of formatting controls;
receive a selection of the second toggle; and
in response to receiving the selection of the second toggle, display in the format object task pane the second set of formatting controls and a first toggle that is operable to replace display of the second set of formatting controls with display of the first set of formatting controls.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second toggle further comprising an options toggle for toggling between a presentation of object formatting controls and text formatting controls.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the application is further operable to:
receive a selection of a second object;
in response to receiving the selection of the second object, determine an object type of the second object from the first object type and the second object type; and
automatically update the format object task pane to display the first set of formatting controls or the second set of formatting controls based on the object type.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first set of formatting controls and the second set of formatting controls include different contextual formatting controls associated with a picture, a chart, a shape, a line, text, or text associated with an object, chart, or shape.

16. A computer readable storage device that is not a signal and contains computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing formatting controls in a format object task pane, the method comprising:
presenting a document within an application window;
receiving a selection of a first object in the document, the first object including a picture, a chart, a shape, a line, document text, or text associated with another object;
determining an object type of the first object between a first object type and a second object type;
receiving a request for a formatting functionality associated with the first object;
in response to receiving the request, presenting format object task pane initially displaying either a first set of contextual formatting controls when it is determined that the first object is of the first object type or a second set of contextual formatting controls when it is determined that the first object is of the

Assignees

• Doan Christopher
• Bates Megan Ann
• Kimball Diana Gail
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Doan Christopher
• Bates Megan Ann
• Kimball Diana Gail

Classifications

• G06F9/451 Primary

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F9/44

  Arrangements for executing specific programs · CPC title