Method and apparatus for retrieving information from an information source
First Claim
1. Apparatus for displaying information from an information source, the information being indexed by a hierarchical directory structure, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one display for displaying information and user selectable menu items, each menu item corresponding to a directory of said directory structure or to information in the information source;
a user input device for receiving user selections of displayed menu items; and
a display controller for controlling said at least one display to provide a first display area for a first set of menu items and a second display area for a second set of menu items, to allow a user to navigate through at least part of the directory structure by selection of menu items to obtain information from the information source, and the display controller being configured such that during said navigation, in response to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, a sub-set of menu items corresponding to directories and/or information at the level of the hierarchy below said selected menu item is displayed in the other of the second or first display areas.
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Abstract
Apparatus for displaying information from at least one information source, the information being arranged, labelled or indexed to define a hierarchical information structure, the apparatus comprising: a display controller for displaying information and user selectable menu items on at least one display, each menu item corresponding to a node of the information hierarchy or to information in the at least one information source. The display controller is configured such that during said navigation, in response to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, a sub-set of menu items corresponding to sub-nodes and/or information in the information hierarchy at the level of the hierarchy below said selected menu item is displayed in the other of the second or first display areas.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. Apparatus for displaying information from an information source, the information being indexed by a hierarchical directory structure, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one display for displaying information and user selectable menu items, each menu item corresponding to a directory of said directory structure or to information in the information source;
a user input device for receiving user selections of displayed menu items; and
a display controller for controlling said at least one display to provide a first display area for a first set of menu items and a second display area for a second set of menu items, to allow a user to navigate through at least part of the directory structure by selection of menu items to obtain information from the information source, and the display controller being configured such that during said navigation, in response to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, a sub-set of menu items corresponding to directories and/or information at the level of the hierarchy below said selected menu item is displayed in the other of the second or first display areas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of displaying information from an information source, the information being indexed by a hierarchical directory structure, the method comprising:
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displaying information and user selectable menu items on at least one display, each menu item corresponding to a directory of said directory structure or to information from the information source;
receiving user selections of displayed menu items using a user input device; and
controlling said at least one display to provide a first display area for a first set of menu items and a second display area for a second set of menu items, to allow a user to navigate through at least part of the directory structure by selection of menu items to obtain information from the information source, and during said navigation, to respond to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, to display a sub-set of menu items corresponding to directories and/or information at the level of the hierarchy below said selected menu item, in the other of said second or first display areas. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17)
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16. A method of displaying information to a user, comprising:
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in a first display area, displaying a first level menu comprising a list of menu items corresponding to directories in a hierarchical directory structure;
after user selection of a directory, in a second display area displaying a second level menu with menu items corresponding to sub directories of the selected directory;
after user selection of a sub-directory from the second display area, in the first display area displaying a third level menu with menu items corresponding to sub directories of the selected sub-directory.
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18. A display controller for displaying menu items on a display, comprising input means for accepting a user selection of a menu item, and output means for outputting control signals to said display, the display controller being configured to control the display to display two sets of menu items, and upon user selection of a menu item from the first set of menu items, to control the display to overwrite the other set of menu items.
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19. Apparatus for displaying information from at least one information source, the information being arranged, labelled or indexed to define a hierarchical information structure, the apparatus comprising:
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a display controller for displaying information and user selectable menu items on at least one display, each menu item corresponding to a node of the information hierarchy or to information in the at least one information source; and
a user input device for receiving user selections of displayed menu items;
wherein the display controller is configured to control said at least one display to provide a first display area for a first set of menu items and a second display area for a second set of menu items, to allow a user to navigate through at least part of the information hierarchy by selection of menu items to obtain information from the information source, and the display controller is configured such that during said navigation, in response to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, a sub-set of menu items corresponding to sub-nodes and/or information in the information hierarchy at the level of the hierarchy below said selected menu item is displayed in the other of the second or first display areas. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Apparatus for displaying information from at least one information source, the information being arranged, labelled or indexed to define a hierarchical information structure, the apparatus comprising:
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display control means for controlling at least one display to display information and user selectable menu items, each menu item corresponding to a node of the information hierarchy or to information in the at least one information source; and
user input means for receiving user selections of displayed menu items;
wherein the display control means is configured to control said at least one display to provide a first display area for a first set of menu items and a second display area for a second set of menu items, to allow a user to navigate through at least part of the information hierarchy by selection of menu items to obtain information from the information source, and the display controller is configured such that during said navigation, in response to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, a sub-set of menu items corresponding to sub-nodes of the selected node in the information hierarchy and/or information at the level of the hierarchy below said selected menu item is displayed in the other of the second or first display areas.
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27. Apparatus for displaying information from at least one information source, the apparatus comprising:
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a display controller for displaying information and user selectable menu items on at least one display, each menu item corresponding to information in the at least one information source;
a user input device for receiving user selections of displayed menu items; and
a display controller for controlling said at least one display to provide a first display area for a first set of menu items and a second display area for a second set of menu items, to allow a user to navigate through at least part of the directory structure by selection of menu items to obtain information from the at least one information source, and the display controller being configured such that during said navigation, in response to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, a sub-set of menu items each corresponding to further information associated with the selected information is displayed in the other of the second or first display areas.
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28. A display controller for displaying menu items on a display, comprising input means for accepting a user selection of a menu item, and output means for outputting control signals to said display, the display controller being configured to control the display to display two sets of menu items, and upon user selection of a menu item from either one of the sets of menu items, to control the display to overwrite the other set of menu items with a new sub-menu of menu items, a preview of the selected menu item, or a default image.
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29. A method of displaying information from at least one information source, the information being arranged, labelled or indexed to define a hierarchical information structure, the method comprising:
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displaying information and user selectable menu items on at least one display, each menu item corresponding to a node of the information hierarchy or to information from the at least one information source;
receiving user selections of displayed menu items using a user input device; and
controlling said at least one display to provide a first display area for a first set of menu items and a second display area for a second set of menu items, to allow a user to navigate through at least part of the information hierarchy by selection of menu items to obtain information from the information source, and during said navigation, to respond to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, to display a sub-set of menu items corresponding to sub-nodes of the selected node in the information hierarchy and/or information at the level of the hierarchy below said selected menu item, in the other of said second or first display areas.
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30. A method of displaying information from at least one information source, the method comprising:
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displaying information and user selectable menu items on at least one display, each menu item corresponding to information from the at least one information source;
receiving user selections of displayed menu items using a user input device; and
controlling said at least one display to provide a first display area for a first set of menu items and a second display area for a second set of menu items, to allow a user to navigate through at least part of the information hierarchy by selection of menu items to obtain information from the at least one information source, and during said navigation, to respond to a user selection of a menu item from either one of the first or second display areas, to display a sub-set of menu items corresponding to further information associated with the selected information, in the other of said second or first display areas.
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Specification