Method and apparatus for displaying a multi-level menu

• US 6,842,653 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2001
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ter Horst, Herman Jan, Bastiaans, Erik Gerardus Hubertus, Weishut, Gideon Martin Reinier, Geurts, Lucas Jacobus Franciscus, Das, Duco Annardo David
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US09/804,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20010025201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700 83- 85, 345/841, 345/853, 345/843, 345/810, 345/825, 345/828, 345/854, 345/834, 345/719, 345/721, 345/855, 345/840, 348/517, 348/564, 348/569, 725/41, 725/45, 725/40, 725/39, 725/56, 725/43, 725/44
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of displaying a multi-level menu. A first menu level is displayed in a first display area, while, in response to selection of a menu item of the first menu level, a second menu level is displayed in a second display area having a fixed position relative to the first display area, irrespective of the position of the selected menu item of the first menu level. Further menu levels may be displayed in further display areas having a fixed position with respect to the other display areas. Selected items of different menu levels may be visually connected.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a multi-level menu, comprising the steps of:

displaying menu items of a first menu level in a first display area, wherein the menu items of the first menu level have a fixed position relative to a third display area;

displaying, in response to a selection of a menu item of the first menu level, menu items of a second menu level in a second display area, the second menu level being subordinate to the selected menu item of the first menu level, wherein the second display area has a fixed orthogonal position with respect to the first display area irrespective of a position of the selected menu item of the first menu level, and wherein the first and second display areas extend along different orthogonal borders of the third display area; and

upon selection of an item from the second menu level displaying a connection indicator connecting the selected menu item of the first menu level and the selected menu item of the second menu level such that the connection indicator traverses both the first display area and the second display area around the different orthogonal borders of the third display area.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the first and the second display areas are oblong and arranged substantially orthogonally relative to each other.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, characterized in that the first and the second display areas extend along adjacent borders of the third display area.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the multi-level menu constitutes a database filter for selecting data objects in accordance with selected menu items, the method further comprising a step of displaying the selected objects in the third display area.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, characterized in that the data objects are programs in an electronic program guide database, and the menu items of the first menu level correspond to main genres of the programs, and the menu items of the second menu level correspond to subgenres of a selected main genre of the first menu level.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the connection indicator comprises a first line from the selected menu item of the first menu level and a second line to the selected menu item of the second menu level, the second line connected to the first line.

7. A display device comprising multi-level menu means for:

displaying menu items of a first menu level in a first display area, wherein the menu items of the first menu level have a fixed position relative to a third display area;

displaying, in response to a selection of a menu item of the first menu level, menu items of a second menu level in a second display area, the second menu level being subordinate to the selected menu item of the first menu level, wherein the second display area has a fixed orthogonal position with respect to the first display area irrespective of a position of the selected menu item of the first menu level, and wherein the first and second display areas extend along different orthogonal borders of the third display area; and

upon selection of an item from the second menu level displaying a connection indicator connecting the selected menu item of the first menu level and the selected menu item of the second menu level such that the connection indicator traverses both the first display area and the second display area around the different orthogonal borders of the third display area.

8. A display device as defined in claim 7, characterized in that the first and the second display areas are oblong and arranged substantially orthogonally relative to each other.

9. A display device as defined in claim 8, characterized in that the first and the second display areas are positioned along adjacent borders of the third display area.

10. A display device as defined in claim 9, characterized in that the display device further comprises database means for storing a plurality of data objects, and the multi-level menu constitutes a database filter for selecting data objects in accordance with selected menu items, the database means being adapted to display the selected objects in the third display area.

11. A display device as defined in claim 10, characterized in that the display device further comprises electronic program guide means, the data objects being programs in the electronic program guide, and the menu items of the first menu level correspond to main genres of the programs, and the menu items of the second menu level correspond to subgenres of a selected main genre of the first menu level.

12. A display device as defined in claim 7, wherein the connection indicator comprises a first line from the selected menu item of the first menu level and a second line to the selected menu item of the second menu level, the second line connected to the first line.

13. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for performing, when executed on a programmable computing device, the steps of:

displaying menu items of a first menu level in a first display area, wherein the menu items of the first menu level have a fixed position relative to a third display area;

displaying, in response to a selection of a menu item of the first menu level, menu items of a second menu level in a second display area, the second menu level being subordinate to the selected menu item of the first menu level, wherein the second display area has a fixed orthogonal position with respect to the first display area irrespective of a position of the selected menu item of the first menu level, and wherein the first and second display areas extend along different orthogonal borders of the third display area; and

upon selection of an item from the second menu level displaying a connection indicator connecting the selected menu item of the first menu level and the selected menu item of the second menu level such that the connection indicator traverses both the first display area and the second display area around the different orthogonal borders of the third display area.

14. A computer program product as defined in claim 13, characterized in that the first and the second display areas are oblong and arranged substantially orthogonally relative to each other.

15. A computer program product as defined in claim 13, characterized in that the first and the second display areas extend along adjacent borders of the third display area.

16. A computer program product as defined in claim 13, characterized in that the multi-level menu constitutes a database filter for selecting data objects in accordance with selected menu items, the computer program further for performing a step of displaying the selected objects in the third display area.

17. A computer program product as defined in claim 16, characterized in that the data objects are programs in an electronic program guide database, and the menu items of the first menu level correspond to main genres of the programs, and the menu items of the second menu level correspond to subgenres of a selected main genre of the first menu level.

18. A computer program product as defined in claim 13, wherein the connection indicator comprises a first line from the selected menu item of the first menu level and a second line to the selected menu item of the second menu level, the second line connected to the first line.