METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NAVIGATION WITHIN A MULTI-LEVEL APPLICATION

• US 20120089951A1
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cricket Communications Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cassidy, Brendon P.
• Application Number:
  US13/158,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089951A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

A processor in a computing system, such as a mobile device, can be configured to execute program instructions to provide an application having levels to which a user can navigate and in which a user can make selections to change the operation of the application. A navigation prompt provided by the application is selectable to produce a navigation interface with controls corresponding to different levels in the application. In some implementations, at least some of the controls can be labeled in accordance with selections made to navigate to the current level of the application. In other implementations, one or more of the controls can be labeled in accordance with how an item viewed at a current level of the application is categorized within the application hierarchy. Selection of a control in the navigation interface produces a new interface screen at a corresponding level of the application.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a display;

an input device configured to receive user input; and

processor electronics configured perform operations comprising;

executing program instructions to provide an application having navigable levels;

generating an interface screen including a navigation prompt for presentation on the display, the interface screen corresponding to a current level of the application;

receiving input from the input device indicating a selection of the navigation prompt;

generating a navigation interface for presentation on the display, the navigation interface including one or more selectable controls, each of the one or more selectable controls corresponding to a level of the application; and

generating an interface screen for a new level in the application upon detecting a selection of a control in the navigation interface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controls on the navigation interface are labeled with selections made to navigate to the current level of the application.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the controls on the navigation interface is labeled in accordance with how an item viewed at the current level in the application is categorized according to different levels in the application.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein upon detecting the selection of the control in the navigation interface, the processor is configured to present an interface screen at the corresponding level of hierarchy, the interface screen being configured according to the label of the selected entry.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the application provides a number of functional areas, each having an associated color scheme; and

wherein the navigation interface created upon selection of the navigation prompt from within a functional area is configured to be displayed using the same color scheme as the corresponding functional area from which the navigation prompt is selected.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the navigation interface screen includes a control that removes the navigation interface screen from the display and returns a previously viewed interface screen to the display.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the navigation prompt shares a space with other icons on the display.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable media containing instructions that are executable by a processor to allow navigation within an application having a number of levels, by:

producing a current interface screen that contains a navigation prompt;

detecting if a user has selected the navigation prompt;

producing a navigation interface having a number of controls, each of which being associated with a level in the application and wherein each control is selectable to navigate to a corresponding level in the application.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, further including instructions executable by a processor to label one or more of the controls in the navigation interface to correspond with selections made to navigate to a current level of the application.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, further including instructions executable by a processor to label one or more of the controls in the navigation interface in accordance with how an item viewed at a current level in the application is categorized in one or more levels of the application.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, further including instructions executable by a processor to produce a new interface screen at a level that corresponds to a selected control in the navigation interface.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, further including instructions that are executable by a processor to configure the new interface screen in accordance with a label of the selected control.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, further including instructions that are executable by a processor to display the navigation interface using a color included in a color scheme associated with an interface screen in which a navigation prompt is selected.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising labeling one or more the controls of the navigation interface in accordance with a classification of an item viewed at the current level in the application according to one or more levels in the application.

14. A method implemented by a processor in a mobile device to allow a user to navigate an application having a number of levels, comprising:

producing a current interface screen representing a current level in the application that contains a navigation prompt;

detecting a selection of the navigation prompt; and

producing, in response to the detected selection, a navigation interface having a number of controls, each of which is associated with a level in the application and wherein each control is selectable to navigate to a corresponding level in the application.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising labeling the controls of the navigation interface in accordance selections made to navigate to the current level of the application.