×

Web site navigation under a hierarchical menu structure

  • US 7,353,460 B2
  • Filed: 08/06/2002
  • Issued: 04/01/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein for enabling a user of a linked web-page system to navigate through the linked web-page system in accordance with a hierarchical menu structure, said hierarchical menu structure comprising:

  • an uppermost top-level;

    I top-level categories denoted as T(1), T(2), . . . , T(I), wherein I≧

    2, and wherein the uppermost top-level is divided into the I top level categories;

    Ji sub-level categories associated with top-level category T(i), wherein Ji is a function of i, wherein Ji

    1, and wherein the Ji sub-level categories are denoted as S(i,1), S(i,2), . . . , S(i,Ji), for i=1, 2, . . . , I; and

    Kij menu items held by sub-level category S(i,j), wherein Kij is a function of i and j, wherein Kij

    1, wherein the Kij menu items are denoted as M(i,j,1), M(i,j,2), . . . , M(i,j,Kij), and wherein the menu item M(i,j,k) is linked to a web page W(i,j,k), for i=1, 2, . . . , I and j=1, 2, . . . , Ji and k=1, 2, . . . , Kij, said computer code comprising an algorithm adapted to generate, on a display screen of a computer display device, a display of a navigational state (α





    ) of the hierarchical menu structure, said display comprising a simultaneous depiction of;

    (T(1), T(2), . . . , T(I)), (S(α



    ), (M(α





    ), γ

    =1, 2, . . . , Kα

    β

    ), β

    =1, 2, . . . , Jα

    ), and W(α

    , β



    ),wherein α

    is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and I,wherein β

    is selected fiom the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and Jα

    , andwherein γ

    selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and Kα

    β

    ,wherein the display comprises a top-level area, a sub-level area, and a web-page area,wherein the top-level area comprises the depiction of (T(1), T(2), . . . , T(I)),wherein the sub-level area comprises the depiction of (S(α



    ), (M(α





    ), γ

    =1, 2, . . . , Kα

    β

    ), β

    =1, 2, . . . , Jα

    ),wherein the web-page area comprises the depiction of W(α





    ), andwherein if the user selects a next top-level category α

    1 such that α

    1 differs from α

    but does not select a next menu item, then the algorithm is adapted to;

    select a web page W(α

    1,_, _) in accordance with navigational persistence, wherein the underscore string _,_ appearing in W(α

    1, _, _) denotes that a sub-level category and menu item have not yet been selected following selection of the next top-level category α

    1; and

    refresh the web-page area with the web page W(α

    1,_, _).

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×