Highlighting related user interface controls

Abstract

Highlighting related user interface controls to selected items improves the ease of use and the intuitiveness of a graphical user interface. In preferred embodiments, user interface controls that are related to a selected object in the display are uniquely highlighted when an object is selected to show the user what user interface options are related to or available to perform some action on the selected object. The preferred embodiments of related highlighted controls can be used in conjunction with prior art highlighted controls that show what actions are available to the user for the current environment or cursor location.

1 . A computer apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor;   a memory coupled to the at least one processor;   a graphical user interface in the memory and executed by the at least one processor comprising:   a plurality of user interface controls;   at least one object on a display screen that can be selected by a user;   wherein the graphical user interface, in response to the user selecting an object, uniquely highlights a user interface control button based on the selected object and independent of other user interface controls that may be highlighted to show availability of the user interface control button to perform some action on the selected object based on the context of the graphical user interface; and   wherein the user interface control button is chosen from the following: a menu button, a drop down menu button, a toolbar button, a windows toolbar button, an input field in an internet page displayed on a browser, and a button in an internet page displayed on a browser.   
   
   
       2 . The computer apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the graphical user interface highlights the user interface control based on a single aspect of the selected object. 
   
   
       3 . The computer apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the single aspect of the selected object is a file extension corresponding to the object. 
   
   
       4 . (canceled) 
   
   
       5 . The computer apparatus of  claim 1  wherein different highlighting methods are used to emphasize different criteria for the related controls to indicated to the user different types of controls available to use for the selected object. 
   
   
       6 . The computer apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a subsetted tab feature wherein navigation through a menu by keyboard control is limited to uniquely highlighted menu controls. 
   
   
       7 . A program product comprising:
 a graphical user interface comprising:   a plurality of user interface controls;   at least one object on a display screen that can be selected by a user; and   wherein the graphical user interface, in response to the user selecting an object, uniquely highlights a user interface control button based on the selected object and independent of other user interface controls that may be highlighted to show availability of the user interface control button to perform some action on the selected object based on the context of the graphical user interface, wherein the user interface control button is chosen from the following: a menu button, a drop down menu button, a toolbar button, a windows toolbar button, an input field in an internet page displayed on a browser, and a button in an internet page displayed on a browser; and   recordable media bearing the graphical user interface.   
   
   
       8 . The program product of  claim 7  wherein the graphical user interface highlights the user interface control based on a single aspect of the selected object. 
   
   
       9 . The program product of  claim 8  wherein the single aspect of the selected object is a file extension corresponding to the object. 
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . The program product of  claim 7  wherein different highlighting methods are used to emphasize different criteria for the related controls to indicated to the user different types of controls available to use for the selected object. 
   
   
       12 . The program product of  claim 7  further comprising a subsetted tab feature wherein navigation through a menu by keyboard control is limited to uniquely highlighted menu controls. 
   
   
       13 . The program product of  claim 7  wherein a drop down menu button is highlighted when a menu option in the drop down menu that is not displayed is available to perform some action on the selected object. 
   
   
       14 . A program product comprising:
 a graphical user interface comprising:   a plurality of user interface controls in an application program;   at least one object on a display screen that can be selected by a user; and   wherein the graphical user interface, in response to the user selecting an object, uniquely highlights a user interface control button in the application program based on the selected object and independent of other user interface controls that may be highlighted to show availability of the user interface control button to perform some action on the selected object based on the context of the graphical user interface; and   recordable media bearing the graphical user interface.   
   
   
       15 . The program product of  claim 13  wherein the graphical user interface highlights the user interface control based on a single aspect of the selected object. 
   
   
       16 . The program product of  claim 14  wherein the single aspect of the selected object is a file extension corresponding to the object. 
   
   
       17 . The program product of  claim 13  wherein different highlighting methods are used to emphasize different criteria for the related controls to indicated to the user different types of controls available to use for the selected object. 
   
   
       18 . The program product of  claim 13  further comprising a subsetted tab feature wherein navigation through a menu by keyboard control is limited to uniquely highlighted menu controls. 
   
   
       19 . The program product of  claim 13  wherein a drop down menu button is highlighted when a menu option in the drop down menu that is not displayed is available to perform some action on the selected object.