Method and apparatus for navigating through a task on a computer

• US 20040104939A1
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Enterasys Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Breck, Gail M., Playdon, Paul, Tran, Kiet H., White, Kevin Allen, Fitzpatrick, Ronald S. Jr., Brousseau, David Alexander, Locke, Brian Stanley
• Granted Patent: US 9,632,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work

Abstract

Assisting a user to navigate through a performance of a task, the task including a plurality of sub-tasks. Two or more of the sub-tasks are serially presented on a graphical user interface. Each of the two or more sub-tasks is displayed in a respective area of the graphical user interface. For each of the two or more sub-tasks, the user is enabled to perform the sub-task by entering information into the respective area of the sub-task as the sub-task is presented. While the two or more sub-tasks are being presented, a sub-task list of items is displayed to the user on the graphical user interface. Each item represents a respective one of the plurality of sub-tasks. Displaying the sub-task list includes displaying, within at least one of the items, information corresponding to the sub-task represented by the at least one item.

Claims

1. A system for assisting a user in navigating through a performance of a task, the task including a plurality of sub-tasks, the system comprising:

a sub-task performance component to control the serial presentation of two or more of the sub-tasks on a graphical user interface, each of the two or more sub-tasks displayed in a respective panel of the graphical user interface, and to enable the user, for each of the two or more sub-tasks, to perform the sub-task by entering information into the respective panel of the sub-task as the sub-task is presented; and

a sub-task list component to control the display of a sub-task list of items to the user on a graphical user interface while the two or more sub-tasks are being presented, each item representing a respective one of the plurality of sub-tasks and including a sub-task identifier identifying the respective one of the sub-tasks, including displaying, within at least one of the items, information corresponding to the sub-task represented by the at least one item.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sub-task list component is operable, for each of the at least one items, to control the display in the item of information entered by the user in the panel of the sub-task represented by the item.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sub-task list component is operable, for each of the at least one item, to control the change of the information displayed within the item based on information entered by the user in the panel of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sub-task list component is operable to enable the user to perform the two or more of the sub-tasks in a temporal order in which the user selects the two or more items representing the two or more sub-tasks, respectively, from the sub-task list.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the sub-task list component is operable to enable the user to perform the two or more sub-tasks in a temporal order that is independent of a positional order in which the two or more sub-tasks items representing the two or more sub-tasks, respectively, are listed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sub-task presentation component is operable to determine one or more of the sub-tasks required to perform the task based on information entered by the user in the respective panels of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sub-task presentation component is operable to determine one or more of the items to include in the sub-task list based on information entered by the user in the respective panels of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

8. The system of claim 7, the sub-task presentation component is operable, in the event that information already has been entered by the user for a first sub-task, to determine that an item representing the first sub-task is no longer to be included in the sub-task list and to control notifying the user that confirming an acceptance of the information entered in the first panel will result in the information entered for the second sub-task being discarded.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is operable to perform the task of creating one or more rules of an access control sub-task list for a network device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sub-task list component is operative to vertically orient the sub-task list on the graphical user interface.

11. A computer-implemented method of assisting a user in navigating through a performance of a task, the task including a plurality of sub-tasks, the method comprising acts of:

(A) serially presenting two or more of the sub-tasks on a graphical user interface, each of the two or more sub-tasks displayed in a respective panel of the graphical user interface;

(B) for each of the two or more sub-tasks, enabling the user to perform the sub-task by entering information into the respective panel of the sub-task as the sub-task is presented; and

(C) while the two or more sub-tasks are being presented, displaying a sub-task list of items to the user on the graphical user interface, each item representing a respective one of the plurality of sub-tasks and including a sub-task identifier identifying the respective one of the sub-tasks,

wherein act (C) includes, for at least one of the items, displaying information corresponding to the sub-task represented by the at least one item.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein act (C) includes, for each of the at least one items, displaying in the item information entered by the user in the panel of the sub-task represented by the item.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(D) for each of the at least one item, changing the information displayed within the item based on information entered by the user in the panel of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(D) enabling the user to perform the two or more of the sub-tasks in a temporal order in which the user selects the two or more items representing the two or more sub-tasks, respectively, from the sub-task list.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein act (D) includes enabling the user to perform the two or more sub-tasks in a temporal order that is independent of a positional order in which the two or more sub-tasks items representing the two or more sub-tasks, respectively, are listed.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(D) determining one or more of the sub-tasks required to perform the task based on information entered by the user in the respective panels of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(D) determining one or more of the items to include in the sub-task list based on information entered by the user in the respective panels of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein information already has been entered by the user for a first sub-task and act (D) includes determining that an item representing the first sub-task is no longer to be included in the sub-task list, the method further comprising an act of:

(E) notifying the user that confirming an acceptance of the information entered in the first panel will result in the information entered for the second sub-task being discarded.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the task includes creating one or more rules of an access control sub-task list for a network device.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein act (C) includes vertically-orienting the sub-task list on the graphical user interface.

21. A system for assisting a user in navigating through a performance of a task, the task including a plurality of sub-tasks, the system comprising:

a sub-task performance component to control the serial presentation of two or more of the sub-tasks on a graphical user interface, each of the two or more sub-tasks displayed in a respective panel of the graphical user interface, and to enable the user, for each of the two or more sub-tasks, to perform the sub-task by entering information into the respective panel of the sub-task as the sub-task is presented; and

a sub-task list component to control the display of a sub-task list of items to the user on a graphical user interface while the two or more sub-tasks are being presented, each item representing a respective one of the plurality of sub-tasks and including a sub-task identifier identifying the respective one of the sub-tasks; and

means for displaying, within at least one of the items, information corresponding to the sub-task represented by the at least one item.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable signals stored thereon that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a computer, control the computer to perform a method of assisting a user in navigating through performance a task, the task including a plurality of sub-tasks, the method comprising acts of:

(A) serially presenting two or more of the sub-tasks on a graphical user interface, each of the two or more sub-tasks displayed in a respective panel of the graphical user interface;

(B) for each of the two or more sub-tasks, enabling the user to perform the sub-task by entering information into the respective panel of the sub-task as the sub-task is presented; and

(C) while the two or more sub-tasks are being presented, displaying a sub-task list of items to the user on the graphical user interface, each item representing a respective one of the plurality of sub-tasks and including a sub-task identifier identifying the respective one of the sub-tasks,

wherein act (C) includes displaying, within at least one of the items, information corresponding to the sub-task represented by the at least one item.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein act (C) includes, for each of the at least one items, displaying in the item information entered by the user in the panel of the sub-task represented by the item.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

(D) for each of the at least one item, changing the information displayed within the item based on information entered by the user in the panel of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

(D) enabling the user to perform the two or more of the sub-tasks in a temporal order in which the user selects the two or more items representing the two or more sub-tasks, respectively, from the sub-task list.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein act (D) includes enabling the user to perform the two or more sub-tasks in a temporal order that is independent of a positional order in which the two or more sub-tasks items representing the two or more sub-tasks, respectively, are listed.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

(D) determining one or more of the sub-tasks required to perform the task based on information entered by the user in the respective panels of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

(D) determining one or more of the items to include in the sub-task list based on information entered by the user in the respective panels of at least one of the two or more sub-tasks.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein information already has been entered by the user for a first sub-task and act (D) includes determining that an item representing the first sub-task is no longer to be included in the sub-task list, the method further comprising an act of:

(E) notifying the user that confirming an acceptance of the information entered in the first panel will result in the information entered for the second sub-task being discarded.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein performing the task includes creating one or more rules of an access control sub-task list for a network device.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein act (C) includes vertically-orienting the sub-task list on the graphical user interface.