Sliding Tool Bar and Action Bar

Sliding Tool Bar and Action Bar

      Disclosed is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) control in which
a single base button is used to represent the choice list of an
action bar or tool bar.

      Figs. 1A-1C show three views of a graphical display of a first
version of this interface.  Fig. 1A shows this display with a tool
bar 1 expanded, while Figs. 1B and 1C show this display with an
action bar 2 expanded.  When either bar 1 or 2 is expanded, the
buttons it contains may be selected to perform specific functions.
Tool bar 1 is associated with a tool base button 3, while action bar
2 is associated with an action base button 4.  Thus, if the action
base button 4 is selected when the tool bar is expanded as shown in
Fig.  1A, the tool bar 1 is hidden, and the action bar 2 is expanded,
hiding action base button 4, as shown in Fig. 1B.  When tool bar 1 is
hidden, the tool base button 3 is exposed, so that it may be
subsequently selected to restore tool bar 1.

      Animation is preferably used to move the bars 1 and 2 in
apparent sliding motions.  Thus, tool bar 1 is exposed by appearing
to slide to the right and is hidden by appearing to slide to the
left.  Action bar 2 is exposed by appearing to slide to the left and
is hidden by appearing to slide to the right.  The base buttons 3 and
5 remain stationary, appearing to disappear from view as their
associated bars 1 and 2 slide over them.

      Tool bar 1 and action bar 2 each include a "more" button...