Graphical user interface having contextual menus

Abstract

A contextual pop-up menu of frequently used commands is displayed by an application whenever a user carries out a particular action. The contextual menu appears at the location of a cursor, so that the displayed commands are spatially very close to an item on which an action is to be performed. The commands which are displayed in the contextual menu are not limited to those provided by an application associated with the selected item. Other commands, such as system level commands, for help items or other types of user assistance features, can be added to the menu before it is displayed to the user. In addition, plug-in modules can be employed to provide other commands associated with the selected item.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention is directed to graphical user interfaces that are employed in computer systems, such as personal computers, and more particularly to a graphical user interface that provides a menu of commands that are specifically related to the context of an item selected by a user.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The evolution of the computer industry is unparalleled in its rate of growth and complexity. Personal computers, for example, which began as little more than calculators having limited memory, tape-driven input capabilities and monochrome displays are now able to handle almost any data processing task with relative ease. While the ever-growing increase in computing power provides greater capabilities for application programmers and end users alike, the corresponding increase in complexity creates an ease of use problem. Consequently, computer systems designers are faced with a new challenge, namely to harness the available computing power...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]The contextual menu appears on the desktop at the location of the cursor, rather than as a pull-down menu at the periphery of the desktop. Preferably, the displayed commands are spatially close to the item on which the action is to be performed, cutting down on the amount of cursor travel that is needed to perform the action. In addition, since the menu contains those commands which are appropriate to the selection, it becomes easy for both new and experienced users to quickly determine the commands that are available for different contexts in a new application.

Problems solved by technology

The evolution of the computer industry is unparalleled in its rate of growth and complexity.

While the ever-growing increase in computing power provides greater capabilities for application programmers and end users alike, the corresponding increase in complexity creates an ease of use problem.

Consequently, computer systems designers are faced with a new challenge, namely to harness the available computing power in a form that is usable even by those with relatively little computer training, to ease the transition of users into a computer-based information paradigm.

One form of effort is number of mouse button clicks, or similar types of key actuations, that are needed.

On computer systems with large or multiple monitors, these actions can result in a rather lengthy process.

In addition, for computer systems having relatively small cursor control devices, such as portable computers which employ a small trackball, lengthy cursor movements can prove to be cumbersome.

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