Menu emulation for content browser clients

• US 7,216,303 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Aggarwal, Radhika, Styles, David B., Schreiber, Elizabeth A., Krebs, William H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US10/041,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20030122868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 345/526, 345/440, 345/810, 345/853, 345/169, 345/808, 345/823, 345/840, 435/440.1, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/10, 707/200, 715/803, 715/800, 715/843, 715/810, 715/825
• US Class Current: 715/825
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines

Abstract

A network distributable emulated menu. The menu can include one or more composite images, each image including menu text and a graphical icon, the icon denoting a selectable menu; one or more selectable form-based input elements, each element encapsulating one of the composite images; and a graphical image of a menu structure, the graphical image including at least one form-based input element encapsulating a reference to a composite image of menu text and a graphical icon, the icon denoting at least one of a menu action and a selectable menu. Additionally, the emulated menu can include one or more table cells, each cell containing one of the selectable form-based input elements. Finally, the menu structure can include at least one of a textual menu action, a graphically selectable menu action, and a nested menu structure.

Claims

1. A menu emulation method comprising:

encoding a form-submit element with a menu-item description and an associated graphical icon denoting a selectable menu;

disposing said encoded form-submit element in network distributable markup and distributing said markup to a content browser; and

,

responsive to a selection of one of said menu-item description and said graphical icon, further distributing over said network to said content browser a graphical menu-structure encoded in at least one additional form-submit element.

2. The menu emulation method of claim 1, wherein said encoding step comprises:

embedding in a markup representation of said form-submit element, a network reference to a server configured to produce enhanced graphical menu images, said network reference comprising a textual menu-item description and a menu type.

3. The menu emulation method of claim 1, wherein said disposing step comprises:

embedding said encoded form-submit element in network distributable markup defining a table cell in a table;

formatting said table cell with a background color matching the background colors of other table cells in said table; and

,

distributing said markup, upon request, to a content browser.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of further distributing a graphical menu-structure comprises:

responsive to a selection of said encoded form-submit element embedded in said table cell, assembling a graphical menu-structure encoded in at least one additional form-submit element;

replacing said encoded form-submit element embedded in said table cell with said graphical menu-structure; and

,

formatting said table cell with a background color which differs from the background colors of other table cells in said table.

5. The menu emulation method of claim 1, wherein said disposing step comprises:

embedding said encoded form-submit element in network distributable markup defining a table cell in a table row in a table;

further embedding other encoded form-submit elements in other table cells in said table row; and

,

formatting each said table cell with a first background color.

6. The menu emulation method of claim 5, wherein said further distributing step comprises:

detecting a selection of one of said encoded form-submit elements in said row;

responsive to said detection, assembling a graphical menu-structure encoded in at least one additional form-submit element;

replacing said one of said encoded form-submit elements with said graphical menu-structure; and

,

formatting a table cell containing said graphical menu-structure with a background color which differs from the background colors of said other table cells in said table row.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said assembling step comprises generating a graphical display of a menu-structure, said display comprising at least one of a textual menu action, a graphically selectable menu action, and a nested menu structure.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

preserving state information for each encoded form-submit element; and

,

upon detecting a selection of one of said encoded form-submit elements, identifying graphical menu-structures in said markup from said state information, and removing said graphical menu-structures from said markup except for a graphical menu-structure assembled for said selected encoded form-submit element.

9. A menu emulation method comprising:

serving markup to a plurality of content browsers, said markup comprising at least one form-based input element encapsulating a reference to a composite image of menu text and a graphical icon, said icon denoting a selectable menu;

receiving an indication from at least one of said content browsers that said form-based input element has been selected; and

,

responsive to said receipt of said indication, further serving to said at least content browser a graphical image of a menu structure, said graphical image comprising at least one form-based input element encapsulating a reference to a composite image of menu text and a graphical icon, said icon denoting at least one of a menu action and a selectable menu.

10. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for performing menu emulation, said computer program comprising a routine set of instructions for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

serving markup to a plurality of content browsers, said markup comprising at least one form-based input element encapsulating a reference to a composite image of menu text and a graphical icon, said icon denoting a selectable menu;

receiving an indication from at least one of said content browsers that said form-based input element has been selected; and

,

responsive to said receipt of said indication, further serving to said at least content browser a graphical image of a menu structure, said graphical image comprising at least one form-based input element encapsulating a reference to a composite image of menu text and a graphical icon, said icon denoting at least one of a menu action and a selectable menu.