Navigation Bars

• US 20120159294A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Target Brands Inc. (Target Corporation)
• Inventors: GONSALVES, Michael F., NATIONS, Gregory M., GOURLEY, Chad R., KORTH-MCDONNELL, Patricia, STEWART, Joe, NEIDERMIRE, Troy
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A web site user interface for an e-commerce retail company allows a user to easily browse or purchase products or services offered by the company. The web site user interface can include a dual horizontal navigation bar including a main navigation bar and subordinate navigation bar. The subordinate navigation bar can be actively and passively customized. Further, the subordinate navigation bar can include product shipment information in a user specific notification pane. The web site user interface can also include a drop-down logo from the dual parent navigation bar where the web page continues to include the drop-down logo as the user scrolls down to focus on web page content. Alternatively, the web site user interface can include a main navigation bar and secondary navigation bar where the main navigation bar includes fewer subcategories of products than the secondary navigation bar.

Claims

1. A method comprising serving a web page, the web page including:

a horizontal navigation bar comprising

a main navigation region displaying product categories that can be selected to navigate to retail product areas, and

a subordinate navigation region displaying subcategories that a user can select to navigate to sub-regions within the retail product areas, wherein the subcategories displayed by the subordinate navigation region are actively customized by the user and passively customized based on the behavior of the user within a web site which comprises the web page; and

an image comprising an enterprise image, logo, or symbol, the image projecting downwardly from the horizontal navigation bar;

wherein both the horizontal navigation bar and the enterprise image, logo, or symbol are statically positioned as the user scrolls down to web page content existing below a lower boundary of a visible portion of the web page as initially displayed on a communications terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page further comprises a notification pane that includes local store information and product shipment information customized to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification pane includes a carousel that comprises information areas which present information or data customized to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the carousel includes a tile that provides at least one link to view one or more wedding registries associated with a user account corresponding to the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the wedding registries display desired products of people socially networked with the user.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the carousel includes a tile that provides at least one link to one or more desired product lists associated with a user account registered to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the product lists display desired products of people socially networked with the user.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the carousel includes a tile that provides at least one link to one or more shopping lists associated with a user account registered to the user.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the carousel includes a tile that provides information about product subcategories from which the user has previously purchased products and a link to one or more pages displaying products within the product subcategories.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the carousel includes one or more of a local store tile, a sales and coupons tile, and a weekly ad tile.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the carousel includes two or more of a local store tile, a sales and coupon tile, and a weekly ad tile.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories include a reference to a physical store location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories are displayed in a second font smaller than a first font used to display the product categories.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories are represented by icons.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page further comprises a suggestions region disposed below a search input region, the suggestions region containing two or more items selected from a group consisting of registries, buying guides, fags, and lists.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the lists display desired products of people socially networked with the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the search input region includes one or more suggested alternative searches in response to a search query, the alternative searches being based on one or more factors of industry trend behavior, the factors not including purchasing behavior at the web site.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the search input region includes product thumbnail arrays or brand specific thumbnail arrays in response to a search query that did not return results.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcategories include links to additional information about an e-commerce company.

20. A system comprising:

a graphical user interface for a retail environment, the graphical user interface including;

a main navigation bar comprising a main navigation region displaying a first array of product category links configured upon selection to navigate to corresponding web pages; and

a secondary navigation bar, spaced apart from the main navigation bar, displaying a second array of product category links configured upon selection to navigate to corresponding web pages;

wherein the first array is larger than the second array, and wherein at least the first array or the second array is dynamically customized based on behavior of a user within the retail environment.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first array of product category links includes one or more most trafficked product categories.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the secondary navigation bar is a vertical navigation bar.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the second array of product category links is displayed in a second font smaller than a first font used to display the first array of product category links.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising an image comprising a corporate image, the image projecting downwardly from the main navigation bar.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the image is statically positioned as the user scrolls down on the graphical user interface.