Service gallery user interface presentation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9785320-B2
Application number	US-201414320246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2014
Priority date	Apr 2, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A gallery user interface element that includes multiple selectable service user interface elements. Each of the selectable service user interface elements, when selected, initiates a corresponding predetermined action. Thus, the gallery may be used to initiate any number of predetermined actions by selecting appropriate service user interface elements. The predetermined actions may be performed by a number of user interface elements that are collectively offered by a variety of different applications, application extensions, or the system itself. The predetermined actions may include at least one predetermined action that extends an extendible canvas with one or more additional user interface elements. The gallery may include multiple pinnable elements and have different versions depending on a context in which the gallery was opened.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors of a computing system which includes a memory containing computer-executable instructions which cause the one or more processors to perform the computer-implemented method, and wherein the computer-implemented method is used to control display of a plurality of selectable service elements on an extendible canvas of an interface display, the computer-implemented method comprising:
initiating at an interface display an extendible canvas which can be scrolled to display one or more selected portions of the extendible canvas at the interface display;
initiating a category presentation segment in a first area of the extendible canvas containing a plurality of selectable service user interface elements that are collectively offered by a variety of different applications, application extensions, or a computing system's operating system, wherein
the selectable service user interface elements are operable for selection without requiring a user to leave the extendible canvas for an environment different than that of the extendible canvas,
at least one of the plurality of selectable service user interface elements presented by the category presentation segment contains a trigger location for a user input that is context-specific, so that when activated, a different version of a selected service user interface element is opened, the different version being context-specific,
wherein the user input that is context-specific is within a particular state of a workflow in which less than all of the multiple service controls of a selected service user interface element are needed, the different version that is opened excluding those service controls that are not needed given the particular state of the workflow, and
wherein each of the plurality of selectable service user interface elements corresponds to a predetermined action that is performed in response to selection of the corresponding service user interface element; and
initiating a selected category presentation segment that presents multiple service controls of a selected service user interface element in a second area of the display portion of the extendible canvas.

2. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each of the selectable service user interface elements are presented, when selected, in the second area of the extendible canvas in a manner that provides a consistent appearance including size, icon placement, and name position.

3. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
selecting one of the multiple service controls of a selected service user interface element in the second area of the display portion of the extendible canvas; and
initiating a service description segment for the selected multiple service control, the service description segment describing the service provided by the selected multiple service control; and
the service description segment being presented in a third area of the display portion of the extendible canvas.

4. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the service description segment is provided with a control that permits the service description segment to be selectively pinned or unpinned to the third area of the display portion of the extendible canvas.

5. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the multiple service controls of a selected service user interface element that are presented in the second area of the display portion of the extendible canvas are assigned different priorities, and wherein a multiple service control having a high priority is presented in a large format as compared to other multiple service controls of the selected service user interface element presented in the second area of the display portion of the extendible canvas.

6. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of service user interface elements have a consistent appearance as to at least size, icon placement, and name position.

7. The computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of service user interface element, when selected from the category presentation segment, includes display of a provisioning process for the selected service user interface element.

8. A computer-program product comprised of a computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed, cause one or more processors of a computing system to perform a computer-implemented method, wherein the computer-implemented method is used to control display of a plurality of selectable service elements on an extendible canvas of an interface display, and wherein the computer-implemented method comprises:
initiating at an interface display an extendible canvas which can be scrolled to display one or more selected portions of the extendible canvas at the interface display;
initiating a category presentation segment in a first area of the extendible canvas containing a plurality of selectable service user interface elements that are collectively offered by a variety of different applications, application extensions, or a computing system's operating system, wherein:
the selectable service user interface elements are operable for selection without requiring a user to leave the extendible canvas for an environment different than that of the extendible canvas,
at least one of the plurality of selectable service user interface elements presented by the category presentation segment contains a trigger location for a user input that is context-specific, so that when activated, a different version of a selected service user interface element is opened, the different version being context-specific,
wherein the user input that is context-specific is within a particular state of a workflow in which less than all of the multiple service controls of a selected service user interface element are needed, the different version that is opened excluding those service controls that are not needed given the particular state of the workflow, and
wherein each of the plurality of selectable service user interface elements corresponds to a predetermined action that is performed in response to selection of the corresponding service user interface element;
initiating a selected category presentation segment that presents multiple service controls of a selected service user interface element in a second area of the display portion of the extendible canvas; and
wherein the category presentation segment and the selected category presentation segment are provided with a control that permits the category presentation segment and the selected category presentation segment to be selectively pinned or unpinned to the first area and second area, respectively, of the display portion of the extendible canvas.

9. The computer-program product in accordance with claim 8 , wherein each of the selectable service user interface elements are presented, when selected, in the second area of the extendible canvas in a manner that provides a consistent appearance including size, icon placement, and name position.

10. The computer-program product in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
selecting one of the multiple service controls of a selected service user interface element in the second area of the display portion of the extendible canvas; and
initiating a service description segment for the selected multiple service control, the service description segment describing the service provided by the selected multiple service control; and
the service description s

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Totten Nathan J
• Francisco Jesse David
• Shaker Alaa
• Airy Guruprasad M
• Joshi Vishal R
• Welicki Leon Ezequiel
• Harris Jon
• Sterling Jonah Bush
• Vaishnav Sunay
• Baumgardt Jamey
• Mcbride Timothy Michael
• Dias Alvaro Rahul
• Staples William J
• Anand Karandeep Singh
• Abdelhamed Adam Mohamed
• Danton Stephen Michael
• Ahmed Syed Nadir
• Olenick Brad

Classifications

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• G06F16/958 Primary

  Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking · CPC title

• G06F3/04842 Primary

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F17/3089

  Physics · mapped topic