Visually distinguishing menu items

• US 20030011641A1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Canfield, James Andrew, Clark, Steve, Kimball, Jeffrey David, Nader, Elisa, Deaven, Keith R., Canfield, Thomas Brent, Totman, Scott V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A graphical toolbar user interface is rendered and has one or more menu items. Each menu item has one or more visual identifier to distinguish the menu item from other of the menu items. At least one menu item has one or more submenu items. The submenu item has one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding menu item to distinguish the submenu item from submenu items corresponding to other of the menu items.

Claims

1. A method for visually displaying a grouping of menu items within a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

rendering a toolbar user interface,

the toolbar user interface comprising one or more menu items,

each menu item comprising one or more visual identifiers,

at least one menu item comprising one or more submenu items comprising one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding menu item to distinguish the submenu item from submenu items corresponding to other of the menu items; and

rendering a submenu item using a visual identifier associated with a menu item to which the submenu item corresponds.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the visual identifier comprises a color.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the visual identifier comprises a shading.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the visual identifier comprises a visual texture.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the visual identifier comprises a font.

6. The method of claim 1, in which each visual identifier of each menu item differs from all other visual identifiers corresponding to all other menu items.

7. The method of claim 1, in which a visual identifier of a menu item differs from a visual identifier corresponding to an adjacent menu item to distinguish the menu item from the adjacent menu item.

8. The method of claim 1, in which a visual identifier of a menu item differs from a visual identifier corresponding to each adjacent menu item to distinguish the menu item from each adjacent menu item.

9. The method of claim 1, in which a visual identifier of a menu item is unique to the visual identifiers of other of the menu items.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering a menu item help message comprising a visual identifier in response to user input, in which the visual identifier of the help message is the same as the visual identifier of the corresponding menu item.

11. The method of claim 1, in which a submenu item comprises a customized link to an object that is configured to share the submenu item visual identifier with the submenu item.

12. The method of claim 1, in which the visual identifier is shared with a non-menu item linked to the menu item.

13. The method of claim 1, in which the visual identifiers corresponding to the menu items are established in a title bar.

14. The method of claim 1, in which the submenu item comprises a drop-down menu selection.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the submenu item comprises a glow button.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a visual identifier associated with at least one menu item.

17. The method of claim 16, in which modifying the visual identifier comprises automatically modifying the visual identifier based on a modification to a visual identifier of at least one other menu item.

18. The method of claim 16, in which modifying the visual identifier comprises periodically modifying the visual identifier based on a modification to a visual identifier of at least one other menu item.

19. The method of claim 16, in which the visual identifier is modified by a client system.

20. The method of claim 16, in which the visual identifier of a submenu item is modified based upon a modification to the visual identifier of the corresponding menu item.

21. The method of claim 20, in which the modification of the visual identifier of the submenu item is performed automatically.

22. The method of claim 20, in which the modification of the visual identifier of the submenu item is performed periodically.

23. The method of claim 16, in which the visual identifier is modified by a host system.

24. The method of claim 1 in which the submenu item further comprises one or more second level submenu items comprising one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding submenu item to distinguish the second level submenu item from second level submenu items corresponding to other of the submenu items.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising rendering a second level submenu item.

28. The computer program of claim 27 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a disc.

29. The computer program of claim 27 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a client system.

30. The computer program of claim 27 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a host device.

26. A menu item grouping apparatus, the apparatus configured to:

render a toolbar user interface having a toolbar comprising one or more menu items,

each menu item comprising one or more visual identifiers to distinguish the menu item from other of the menu items,

at least one of the menu items comprising one or more submenu items; and

render a submenu item, where the submenu item comprises one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding menu item to distinguish the submenu item from submenu items corresponding to other of the menu items.

27. A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, comprising instructions for:

rendering a toolbar user interface having a toolbar comprising one or more menu items,

each menu item comprising one or more visual identifiers to distinguish the menu item from other of the menu items,

at least one of the menu items comprising at least one submenu item; and

rendering a submenu item, where the submenu item comprises one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding menu item to distinguish the submenu item from submenu items corresponding to other of the menu items.

31. A graphical toolbar user interface comprising:

one or more menu items, each menu item comprising one or more visual identifiers to distinguish the menu item from other of the menu items; and

at least one of the menu items comprising at least one submenu item, the submenu item comprising one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding menu item to distinguish the submenu item from submenu items corresponding to other of the menu items.

32. The graphical toolbar user interface of claim 31, in which the visual identifier comprises a color.

33. The graphical toolbar user interface of claim 31, in which the visual identifier comprises a shading.

34. The graphical toolbar user interface of claim 31, in which the visual identifier comprises a visual texture.

35. The graphical toolbar user interface of claim 31, in which the visual identifier comprises a font.

36. The graphical toolbar user interface of claim 31, in which the submenu item comprises a drop-down menu selection.

37. The graphical toolbar user interface of claim 31, in which the submenu item comprises a glow button.

39. The computer program of claim 38, in which a visual identifier of a menu item differs from a visual identifier corresponding to an adjacent menu item to distinguish the menu item from the adjacent menu item.

40. The computer program of claim 38, in which a visual identifier of a menu item is unique to the visual identifiers of other of the menu items.

41. The computer program of claim 38, further comprising a module to render a menu item help message comprising a visual identifier in response to user input, in which the visual identifier of the help message is the same as the visual identifier of the corresponding menu item.

42. The computer program of claim 38, further comprising a module to modify a visual identifier associated with at least one menu item.

43. The computer program of claim 42, in which the module to modify the visual identifier comprises a module to automatically modify the visual identifier based on a modification to a visual identifier of at least one other menu item.

44. The computer program of claim 42, in which the module to modify the visual identifier comprises a module to periodically modify the visual identifier based on a modification to a visual identifier of at least one other menu item.

45. The computer program of claim 42, in which the visual identifier is modified by a client system.

46. The computer program of claim 42, in which the visual identifier of a submenu item is modified based upon a modification to the visual identifier of the corresponding menu item.

47. The computer program of claim 46, in which the modification of the visual identifier of the submenu item is performed automatically.

48. The computer program of claim 42, in which the visual identifier is modified by a host system.

49. The computer program of claim 38 in which the submenu item further comprises one or more second level submenu items comprising one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding submenu item to distinguish the second level submenu item from second level submenu items corresponding to other of the submenu items.

38. A computer program for visually displaying a grouping of menu items within a graphical user interface, the computer program comprising:

a module to render a toolbar user interface,

the toolbar user interface comprising one or more menu items,

each menu item comprising one or more visual identifiers,

at least one menu item comprising one or more submenu items comprising one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding menu item to distinguish the submenu item from submenu items corresponding to other of the menu items; and

a module to render a submenu item.

50. A computer program for visually displaying a grouping of menu items within a graphical user interface, the computer program comprising:

a means for rendering a toolbar user interface,

the toolbar user interface comprising one or more menu items,

each menu item comprising one or more visual identifiers,

at least one menu item comprising one or more submenu items comprising one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding menu item to distinguish the submenu item from submenu items corresponding to other of the menu items; and

a means for rendering a submenu item.

51. The computer program of claim 50, in which each visual identifier of each menu item differs from all other visual identifiers corresponding to all other menu items.

52. The computer program of claim 50, in which a visual identifier of a menu item differs from a visual identifier corresponding to an adjacent menu item to distinguish the menu item from the adjacent menu item.

53. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising a means for rendering a menu item help message comprising a visual identifier in response to user input, in which the visual identifier of the help message is the same as the visual identifier of the corresponding menu item.

54. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising a means for modifying a visual identifier associated with at least one menu item.

55. The computer program of claim 54, in which the means for modifying the visual identifier comprises a means for automatically modifying the visual identifier based on a modification to a visual identifier of at least one other menu item.

56. The computer program of claim 54, in which the visual identifier is modified by a client system.

57. The computer program of claim 54, in which the visual identifier of a submenu item is modified based upon a modification to the visual identifier of the corresponding menu item.

58. The computer program of claim 57, in which the modification of the visual identifier of the submenu item is performed automatically.

59. The computer program of claim 54, in which the visual identifier is modified by a host system.

60. The computer program of claim 54 in which the submenu item further comprises one or more second level submenu items comprising one or more visual identifiers of the corresponding submenu item to distinguish the second level submenu item from second level submenu items corresponding to other of the submenu items.