System and method for vertical path navigation

• US 8,065,630 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings, Inc. (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Herigstad, Dale, Donoghue, Patrick J., Sweeney, Brian, McLaughlin, Edgar
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/362,144
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 715/713, 715/721, 715/736, 715/767, 715/797, 715/810, 715/830, 715/853, 715/719, 715/803, 715/818, 715/819, 715/820, 715/828, 715/829, 715/835, 715/841, 715/854, 715/855
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems are provided that display images in a manner that provides for effective space management. At least one item is horizontally displayed in a first display area. Upon selection by a user of at least one item from the first display area, an indication of the at least one item is vertically displayed in a second display area.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a hierarchical list on a graphical user interface, the method comprising:

displaying along a first direction a first list of items at a first display area of the graphical user interface;

upon selection by a user of one of the items from the first list, replacing the first list of items by displaying at the first display area and along the first direction a second list of items comprising one or more of the sub-items associated with the selected item from the first list of items; and

displaying information indicative of the selected item at a second display area along a second direction different from the first direction,

wherein letters of the second list are displayed upright and letters of the information indicative of the selected item are displayed sideways.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, upon selection by the user of one of the items in the second list, displaying a third list of items at the first display area by replacing the second list of items, the third list of items corresponding to one or more sub-items associated with the item selected from the second list of items.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising vertically displaying at the second display area information indicative of the item selected from the second list of items.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising vertically displaying the information indicative of the item selected from the first list of items adjacent to the information indicative of the item selected from the second list of items.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising, upon user selection of one of the vertically displayed selected items in the second display area, redisplaying at the first display area the list, a list of sub-items associated with the vertically displayed selected item.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising facilitating the selection of any of the previously selected items displayed in the second display area.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising vertically displaying a maximum of three previously selected items in the second display area, such that upon selection of a fourth item, the first selected item is placed in a non-visible portion of the display adjacent to the second selected item.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the items of the first list has one or more sub-items associated therewith and such sub-items are displayed in a display area other than the first display area.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information indicative of the item selected from the first list comprises the selected item.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the information indicative of the item selected from the first list comprises information descriptive of the selected item.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the item selected from the first list is displayed at the second display area immediately upon selection by the user of the item in the first list.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the item selected from the first list is displayed at the second display area after a delay upon selection by the user of the item in the first list.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the item selected from the first list is displayed at the second display area after one or more intermediate steps upon selection by the user of the item in the first list.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the item selected from the first list is the only item from the first list displayed at the second display area.

11. An information display apparatus comprising:

a memory device having computer-executable programs stored thereon for rendering a graphical user interface, the programs comprising instructions for;

displaying a first list of items along a first direction at a first display area of the graphical user interface;

upon selection by a user of the apparatus of one of the items in the first list, replacing the first list of items with a second list of items at the first display area, the second list of items comprising one or more sub-items associated with the selected item; and

causing a display of information indicating the item selected from the first list along a second direction different from the first direction at a second display area,

wherein letters of the second list are displayed upright and letters of the information indicative of the selected item are displayed sideways.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an input device for receiving input commands from the user, the commands causing a screen indicator to move to one of the items on the first list.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a processor unit for requesting user interface data for use by the instructions.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the request by the processor unit comprises an HTTP request made to a remote server.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the request by the processor unit comprises an HTTP request made to the memory device.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein letters of the first and second lists are displayed upright.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least one of the items of the first list has one or more sub-items associated therewith and such sub-items are displayed in a display area other than the first display area.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the information indicating the item selected from the first list comprises the selected item.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the information indicating the item selected from the first list comprises information descriptive of the selected item.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information indicating the item selected from the first list is displayed at the second display area immediately upon selection by the user of the item in the first list.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information indicating the item selected from the first list is displayed at the second display area after a delay upon selection by the user of the item in the first list.

22. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information indicating the item selected from the first list is displayed at the second display area after one or more intermediate steps upon selection by the user of the item in the first list.

23. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the item selected from the first list is the only item from the first list displayed at the second display area.