Method and apparatus for displaying a user interface enabling selection and instant display and access of pages

• US 7,836,406 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Kirsten, Howard S., Kirkendall, Kathy Ann, Demoro, Douglas W., Ohme, Phillip J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Takele; Meseker
• Application Number:
  US11/313,278
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 715/777, 715/786, 715/764, 715/765, 715/769, 715/821, 715/780, 705/64, 705/42, 705/34
• US Class Current: 715/777
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40

Abstract

A method for displaying a user interface that includes displaying a plurality of tabs, wherein each of the plurality of tabs is associated with a selected item, receiving a selection of a first tab of the plurality of tabs, and displaying a selected page associated with the selected item based on the selection of the first tab, wherein the selected page and the plurality of tabs are visible on a single screen in the user interface, and wherein the selected item is selected from a plurality of items listed in a page of the user interface.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a user interface for a tax preparation application comprising:

displaying a plurality of categories relevant to the tax preparation application,

wherein each of the plurality of categories is associated with a type of tax form,

wherein each of the plurality of categories comprise a list of selectable tax forms, and

wherein each tax form of the list of selectable tax forms are furnished by a tax authority for filing with the tax authority;

receiving a tax form selection from the list of selectable tax forms;

generating, automatically and in response to the tax form selection, a tab based on the tax form selection, wherein the tab is generated contemporaneously within a same window of the tax preparation application in use;

receiving a tab selection from a plurality of tabs;

displaying a page associated with the tab selection,

wherein the page and the plurality of tabs are visible on a single screen in the user interface,

wherein the page comprises a tax form comprising fillable fields, and

wherein the plurality of tabs allow for navigation between the pages associated with the tabs without returning to a central page of the user interface; and

obtaining a value to fill the fillable fields corresponding to the tax form selection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a precedent tax form from the plurality of tax forms, wherein the tax form selection is dependent on the precedent tax form; and

displaying a tab from the plurality of tabs for the precedent tax form.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a selection mechanism upon receiving the tax form selection;

receiving input into the selection mechanism; and

displaying a tab from the plurality of tabs for a selected tax form based on input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the plurality of tabs exceed a pre-defined span within the user interface; and

adding a navigational control to view each of the plurality of tabs within the user interface when the plurality of tabs exceeds the pre-defined span within the user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a selection mechanism on the user interface, wherein the selection mechanism allows the user to select multiple instantiations of a selected tax form.

6. A computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable code for displaying a user interface for a financial software application, the computer readable code comprising instructions to:

display a plurality of categories relevant to the tax preparation application,

wherein each of the plurality of categories is associated with a type of tax form,

wherein each of the plurality of categories comprise a list of selectable tax forms, and

wherein each tax form of the list of selectable tax forms are furnished by a tax authority for filing with the tax authority;

receive a tax form selection from the list of selectable tax forms;

generate, automatically and in response to the tax form selection, a tab based on the tax form selection, wherein the tab is generated contemporaneously within a same window of the tax preparation application in use;

receive a tab selection from a plurality of tabs;

display a page associated with the tab selection,

wherein the page and the plurality of tabs are visible on a single screen in the user interface,

wherein the page comprises a tax form comprising fillable fields, and

wherein the plurality of tabs allow for navigation between the pages associated with the tabs without returning to a central page of the user interface; and

obtain a value to fill the fillable fields corresponding to the tax form selection.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions to:

determine a precedent tax form from the plurality of tax forms, wherein the tax form selection is dependent on the precedent tax form; and

display a tab of the plurality of tabs for the precedent tax form.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions to:

display a selection mechanism upon receiving the tax form selection;

receive input into the selection mechanism; and

display a tab of the plurality of tabs for a selected tax form based on input.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions to:

determine whether the plurality of tabs exceed a pre-defined span within the user interface; and

add a navigational control to view each of the plurality of tabs within the user interface when the plurality of tabs exceed the pre-defined span within the user interface.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises instructions for:

displaying a selection mechanism on the user interface, wherein the selection mechanism allows the user to select multiple instantiations of a selected tax form.

11. A computer system comprising:

a processor with associated memory for displaying a user interface for a tax preparation application comprising;

displaying a plurality of categories relevant to the tax preparation application,

wherein each of the plurality of categories is associated with a type of tax form,

wherein each of the plurality of categories comprise a list of selectable tax forms, and

wherein each tax form of the list of selectable tax forms are furnished by a tax authority for filing with the tax authority;

receiving a tax form selection from the list of selectable tax forms;

generating, automatically and in response to the tax form selection, a tab based on the tax form selection, wherein the tab is generated contemporaneously within a same window of the tax preparation application in use;

receiving a tab selection from a plurality of tabs;

displaying a page associated with the tab selection,

wherein the page and the plurality of tabs are visible on a single screen in the user interface,

wherein the page comprises a tax form comprising fillable fields, and

wherein the plurality of tabs allow for navigation between the pages associated with the tabs without returning to a central page of the user interface;

obtaining a value to fill the fillable fields corresponding to the tax form selection; and

a page repository for storing the page.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a precedent tax form from the plurality of tax forms, wherein the tax form selection is dependent on the precedent tax form; and

displaying a tab of the plurality of tabs for the precedent tax form.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein creating the plurality of tabs further comprises:

displaying a selection mechanism upon receiving the tax form selection;

receiving input into the selection mechanism; and

displaying a tab of the plurality of tabs for a selected tax form based on input.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein creating the plurality of tabs further comprises:

determining whether the plurality of tabs exceed a pre-defined span within the user interface; and

adding a navigational control to view each of the plurality of tabs within the user interface when the plurality of tabs exceed the pre-defined span within the user interface.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein displaying the user interface further comprises:

displaying a selection mechanism on the user interface, wherein the selection mechanism allows the user to select multiple instantiations of a selected tax form.