Method and system for navigating through a plurality of features

• US 7,559,035 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deel, Darrick, Deel, Laura M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORR, HENRY W
• Application Number:
  US10/991,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20060107233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 715/844, 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus are provided for navigating through a plurality of features in a user interface. A user may choose from a plurality of features made available by the user interface. The features are divided into to one or more sets. A feature may be selected by triggering a button or by using a touch screen. When a button is triggered, the associated feature is selected. The user may navigate through the features by triggering a ‘more’ button, which is associated with a ‘more’ feature. The user interface displays a first set of features. When the ‘more’ button is triggered, the user interface displays all the features and activates a second set of features. If the user does not trigger any button for a predefined time period, the first set is activated and is the only set that is displayed.

Claims

1. A method for navigating through a plurality of features in a user interface, the method comprising:

grouping the plurality of features into first and second sets of features, wherein each of the first and second sets of features comprises more than one feature from the plurality of features;

displaying the first set of features in a plurality of first locations designated to allow for feature activation and selection on the user interface;

activating the second set of features in response to a first user input selection;

deactivating the first set of features in response to the first user input selection;

displaying the activated second set of features in the plurality of first locations previously occupied by the first set of features in response to the first user input selection; and

displaying the deactivated first set of features in a plurality of second locations designated to disallow feature activation and selection on the user interface, the displaying the deactivated first set of features being in response to the first user input selection, wherein each of the plurality of features in the first and second sets of features is unobstructed and simultaneously visible on the user interface in response to the first user input selection, and each feature in the activated second set of features is selectable by a second user input selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of features are stacked in an order of activation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the ordered stack comprises a vertical stack.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the ordered stack comprises a horizontal stack.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises deactivating the activated second set of features when there is no second user input selection for the activated second set of features for a predefined time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user input selection is given using a context-sensitive button.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising changing an association of the context-sensitive button from the deactivated first set of features to the activated second set of features in response to the first user input selection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user input selection is given using a pointing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the pointing device comprises a touch screen.

10. method of claim 1, wherein the deactivated first set of features is not selectable by the second user input selection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of features are not displayed prior to the activating of the second set of features in response to the first user input selection.

12. An apparatus configured for navigating through a plurality of features via a user interface, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors, and when executed operable to;

group the plurality of features into first and second sets of features, wherein each of the first and second sets of features comprises more than one feature from the plurality of features;

display the first set of features in a plurality of first locations designated to allow for feature activation and selection on the user interface;

activate the second set of features in response to a first user input selection;

deactivate the first set of features in response to the first user input selection;

display the activated second set of features in the plurality of first locations previously occupied by the first set of features in response to the first user input selection;

display the deactivated first set of features in a plurality of second locations designated to disallow feature activation and selection on the user interface, the display of the deactivated first set of features being in response to the first user input selection, wherein each of the plurality of features in the first and second sets of features is unobstructed and simultaneously visible on the user interface in response to the first user input selection, and each feature in the activated second set of features is selectable by a second user input selection; and

deactivate the activated second set of features when there is no second user input selection for the activated second set of features for a predefined time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and second sets of features are stacked in an order of activation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ordered stack comprises a vertical stack.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the ordered stack comprises a horizontal stack.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second user input selection is given using a context-sensitive button.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second user input selection is given using a pointing device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the pointing device comprises a touch screen.

19. A system for feature navigation, the system comprising:

a device having a display unit for displaying a plurality of features;

means for grouping the plurality of features into first and second sets of features, wherein each of the first and second sets of features comprises more than one feature from the plurality of features;

means for displaying the first set of features in a plurality of first locations designated to allow for feature activation and selection on the display unit of the device, the first set of features being a default set of features;

means for activating the second set of features in response to a first user input selection;

means for deactivating the first set of features in response to the first user input selection;

means for displaying on the display unit the deactivated first set of features in a plurality of second locations designated to disallow feature activation and selection, the displaying of the deactivated first set of features being in response to the first user input selection; and

means for displaying on the display unit the activated second set of features in the plurality of first locations previously occupied by the first set of features in response to the first user input selection, such that each of the plurality of features in the deactivated first set of features and the activated second set of features is unobstructed and simultaneously visible on the display unit in response to the first user input selection, and each feature in the activated second set of features is selectable by a second user input selection.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for deactivating at least one of the activated one or more sets of features when there is no second user input selection for a predefined time period.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the second user input selection is given using a context-sensitive button.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the second user input selection is given using a touch screen.

23. A user interface for navigating through a plurality of features in a device, the user interface comprising:

an embedded circuit having an activator and a deactivator, the activator being for activating a first set of features in response to a first user input selection, the deactivator being for deactivating a second set of features in response to the first user input selection, wherein the plurality of features are grouped into the first and second sets of features, wherein each of the first and second sets of features comprises more than one feature from the plurality of features; and

a display unit on the device for displaying the deactivated second set of features in a plurality of first locations designated to disallow feature activation and selection, and the activated first set of features in a plurality of second locations designated for feature activation and selection, such that each of the plurality of features in the deactivated second set of features and the activated first set of features is unobstructed and simultaneously visible on the display unit, and each feature in the activated first set of features is selectable by a second user input selection, the displaying of the second set of features and the displaying of the activated first set of features both being in response to the first user input selection.

24. The user interface of claim 23, wherein the deactivator is further for deactivating at least one of the activated one or more sets of features when there is no second user input selection for a predefined time period.

25. An apparatus for navigating through a plurality of features in a device, the apparatus comprising:

a processing system including a processor coupled to a display unit and a user input device;

a computer-readable storage device including instructions executable by the processor comprising;

one or more instructions for grouping the plurality of features into first and second sets of features, wherein each of the first and second sets of features comprises more than one feature from the plurality of features;

one or more instructions for displaying the first set of features in a plurality of first locations designated to allow for feature activation and selection on the display unit;

one or more instructions for activating the second set of features in response to a first user input selection;

one or more instructions for deactivating the first set of features in response to the first user input selection;

one or more instructions for displaying the activated second set of features in the plurality of first locations previously occupied by the first set of features in response to the first user input selection; and

one or more instructions for displaying the deactivated first set of features in a plurality of second locations designated to disallow feature activation and selection on the display unit, the displaying the deactivated first set of features being in response to the first user input selection, wherein each of the plurality of features in the first and second sets of features is unobstructed and simultaneously visible on the display unit in response to the first user input selection, and each feature in the activated second set of features is selectable by a second user input selection.

26. A computer-readable storage device including instructions executable by a processor, the storage device comprising:

one or more instructions for grouping a plurality of features into first and second sets of features, wherein each of the first and second sets of features comprises more than one feature from the plurality of features;

one or more instructions for displaying the first set of features in a plurality of first locations designated to allow for feature activation and selection on a user interface;

one or more instructions for activating the second set of features in response to a first user input selection;

one or more instructions for deactivating the first set of features in response to the first user input selection;

one or more instructions for displaying the activated second set of features in the plurality of first locations previously occupied by the first set of features in response to the first user input selection; and

one or more instructions for displaying the deactivated first set of features in a plurality of second locations designated to disallow feature activation and selection on the user interface, the displaying the deactivated first set of features being in response to the first user input selection, wherein each of the plurality of features in the first and second sets of features is unobstructed and simultaneously visible on the user interface in response to the first user input selection, and each feature in the activated second set of features is selectable by a second user input selection.