Method and system for navigating through a plurality of features

• US 20060107233A1
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deel, Darrick, Deel, Laura M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,559,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus are provided for navigating through a plurality of features in a user interface. A user may choose from a plurality of features made available by the user interface. The features are divided into to one or more sets. A feature may be selected by triggering a button or by using a touch screen. When a button is triggered, the associated feature is selected. The user may navigate through the features by triggering a ‘more’ button, which is associated with a ‘more’ feature. The user interface displays a first set of features. When the ‘more’ button is triggered, the user interface displays all the features and activates a second set of features. If the user does not trigger any button for a predefined time period, the first set is activated and is the only set that is displayed.

Claims

1. A method for navigating through a plurality of features in a user interface, the features being grouped in at least one set, the method comprising:

displaying a first set of features;

activating a new set for displaying in response to a user input; and

displaying the activated new set along with the first set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sets are stacked in the order in which they are activated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed sets are in a vertical stack.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed sets are in a horizontal stack.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises deactivating the displayed set if there is no user input for the activated set for a predefined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is given using a context sensitive button.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is given using a pointing device.

22. The method of claim 7 wherein said pointing device comprises a touch screen.

8. A method for navigating through a plurality of features in a user interface, the features being grouped in at least one set, the method comprising:

displaying a first set of features;

activating a new set of features for displaying in response to a user input;

displaying the activated new set along with the first set; and

deactivating the activated new set if there is no user input for the activated set for a predefined time period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sets are stacked in the order in which they are activated.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the displayed sets are in a vertical stack.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the displayed sets are in a horizontal stack.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the user input is given using a context sensitive button.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the user input is given using a pointing device.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein said pointing device comprises a touch screen.

14. A system for navigating through a plurality of features in a device, the system comprising:

means for activating at least one set of features in response to a user input; and

means for displaying one or more sets of features that have been activated.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system further comprises means for deactivating one or more set of features if there is no user input for a predefined time period.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the user input is given using a context sensitive button.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the user input is given using a touch screen.

18. A user interface for navigating through a plurality of features in a device, the user interface comprising:

an activator for activating at least one set of features in response to a user input; and

a display unit for displaying one or more sets of features that have been activated.

19. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the user interface further comprises a deactivator for deactivating or more set of features if there is no user input for a predefined time period.

20. An apparatus for navigating through a plurality of features in a device, the apparatus comprising:

a processing system including a processor coupled to a display and user input device;

a machine-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor comprising;

one or more instructions for displaying a first set of features;

one or more instructions for activating a new set of features for displaying in response to a user input; and

one or more instructions for displaying the activated new set along with the first set.

21. A machine-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor comprising:

one or more instructions for displaying a first set of features;

one or more instructions for activating a new set of features for displaying in response to a user input; and

one or more instructions for displaying the activated new set along with the first set.