Expandable history tab in interactive graphical user interface systems and methods

• US 8,316,320 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Relyea, Don, Roberts, Brian, Stallings, Heath
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIENER, ERIC A
• Application Number:
  US11/752,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,008 Days
• Field of Search: 715/712, 715/713, 715775-777, 715817-820, 715/828, 715841-843, 725/46
• US Class Current: 715/817
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

In one of many possible examples, a system includes a media content processing subsystem configured to successively display a plurality of history tabs configured to graphically represent and facilitate access to a corresponding plurality of hierarchical representations within a browsing thread. The media content processing subsystem is further configured to collapse at least two of the history tabs into an expandable history tab after a pre-determined number of the history tabs are displayed. The expandable history tab is configured to graphically represent and facilitate access to a plurality of the hierarchical representations within the browsing thread.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a media content processing subsystem comprising a graphics engine and a processor configured to successively display within a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) a first history tab graphically representing a first directory in response to a selection by a user of a second directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI, a second history tab graphically representing the second directory in response to a selection by the user of a third directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI, and a third history tab graphically representing the third directory in response to a selection by the user of a fourth directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI;

automatically collapse, in response to the user selecting a fifth directory, the second and third history tabs into an expandable history tab configured to graphically represent and facilitate access to the second and third directories; and

concurrently display within the GUI the first history tab, the expandable history tab, and a fourth history tab graphically representing the fourth directory in response to the user selecting the fifth directory;

wherein each of the directories is representative of a particular group of content accessible by way of the media content processing subsystem.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said GUI has at least a first viewing pane and a second viewing pane, and wherein said media content processing subsystem is further configured to:

display a list of said directories represented by said expandable history tab within said first viewing pane when said expandable history tab is selected.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

said media content processing subsystem is further configured to display a stationary magnified area within said first viewing pane;

wherein a name of a particular directory included in said directories represented by said expandable history tab is configured to be selectively located within said magnified area; and

wherein, when said name is located within said magnified area, said media content processing subsystem is further configured to display a list of entries corresponding to said particular directory within said second viewing pane.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein when said name is selected, said media content processing subsystem is further configured to transfer said display of said list of entries to said first viewing pane and display additional content within said second viewing pane, said additional content being related to one of said list of entries that is located within said magnified area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said media content processing subsystem is further configured to display a list of said directories represented by said expandable history tab within a pop-up window when said expandable history tab is selected.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said media content processing subsystem is configured to expand the expandable history tab into the first and second history tabs and display the first and second history tabs in place of the expandable history tab in response to the user selecting the expandable history tab.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first history tab comprises a root history tab configured to represent a root directory within a browsing thread created by the user as the user successively selects the second through fifth directories.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user input device comprising at least one navigational button, said user input device communicatively coupled to said media content processing subsystem and configured to control said media content processing subsystem;

wherein said at least one navigational button is configured to select said expandable history tab.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second directory comprises a subdirectory of the first directory;

the third directory comprises a subdirectory of the second directory;

the fourth directory comprises a subdirectory of the third directory; and

the fifth directory comprises a subdirectory of the fourth directory.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the media content processing subsystem is further configured to:

automatically collapse the fourth history tab into the expandable history tab to create an updated expandable history tab in response to the user selecting a sixth directory; and

concurrently display the first history tab, the updated expandable history tab, and a fifth history tab graphically representing the fifth directory in response to the user selecting the sixth directory.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the content accessible by way of the media content processing subsystem comprises media content accessible by way of a subscriber television network.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a graphics engine configured to display one or more graphics on a display device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to said graphics engine, said processor configured to cause said graphics engine to

successively display within a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) a first history tab graphically representing a first directory in response to a selection by a user of a second directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI, a second history tab graphically representing the second directory in response to a selection by the user of a third directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI, and a third history tab graphically representing the third directory in response to a selection by the user of a fourth directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI;

automatically collapse, in response to the user selecting a fifth directory, the second and third history tabs into an expandable history tab configured to graphically represent and facilitate access to the second and third directories; and

concurrently display within the GUI the first history tab, the expandable history tab, and a fourth history tab graphically representing the fourth directory in response to the user selecting the fifth directory;

wherein each of the directories is representative of a particular group of content accessible by way of the media content processing subsystem.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said GUI has at least a first viewing pane and a second viewing pane, and wherein said processor is further configured to cause said graphics engine to:

display a list of said directories represented by said expandable history tab within said first viewing pane when said expandable history tab is selected.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

said processor is further configured to cause said graphics engine to display a stationary magnified area within said first viewing pane;

wherein a name of a particular directory included in said directories represented by said expandable history tab is configured to be selectively located within said magnified area; and

wherein, when said name is located within said magnified area, said media content processing subsystem is further configured to display a list of entries corresponding to said particular directory within said second viewing pane.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein when said name is selected, said media content processing subsystem is further configured to transfer said display of said list of entries to said first viewing pane and display additional content within said second viewing pane, said additional content being related to one of said list of entries that is located within said magnified area.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said magnified area comprises a fixed focus state with at least one distinguishing feature.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said processor is further configured to cause said graphics engine to display a list of said directories that are represented by said expandable history tab within a pop-up window when said expandable history tab is selected.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said expandable history tab is configured to expand into the first and second history tabs and display the first and second history tabs in place of the expandable history tab in response to the user selecting the expandable history tab.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first history tab comprises a root history tab configured to represent a root directory within a browsing thread created by the user as the user successively selects the second through fifth directories.

17. A method comprising:

successively displaying within a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

), by a media content processing subsystem, a first history tab graphically representing a first directory in response to a selection by a user of a second directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI, a second history tab graphically representing the second directory in response to a selection by the user of a third directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI, and a third history tab graphically representing the third directory in response to a selection by the user of a fourth directory that does not already have a corresponding history tab displayed within the GUI;

automatically collapsing, by the media content processing subsystem in response to the user selecting a fifth directory, the second and third history tabs into an expandable history tab configured to graphically represent and facilitate access to the second and third directories;

concurrently displaying within the GUI, by the media content processing subsystem, the first history tab, the expandable history tab, and a fourth history tab graphically representing the fourth directory in response to the user selecting the fifth directory;

wherein each of the directories is representative of a particular group of content accessible by way of the media content processing subsystem.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said GUI has at least a first viewing pane and a second viewing pane, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying, by the media content processing subsystem in response to a selection by the user of the expandable history tab, a list of said directories represented by said expandable history tab within said first viewing pane.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying, by the media content processing subsystem, a stationary magnified area within said first viewing pane; and

wherein a name of a particular directory included in said directories represented by said expandable history tab is configured to be selectively located within said magnified area; and

wherein, when said name is located within said magnified area, said method further comprises displaying, by the media content processing subsystem, a list of entries corresponding to said particular directory within said second viewing pane.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying, by the media content processing subsystem in response to a selection by the user of the expandable history tab, a list of said directories represented by said expandable history tab within a pop-up window.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

expanding, by the media content processing subsystem in response to a selection by the user of the expandable history tab, said expandable history tab into the first and second history tabs and display the first and second history tabs in place of the expandable history tab.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the second directory comprises a subdirectory of the first directory;

the third directory comprises a subdirectory of the second directory;

the fourth directory comprises a subdirectory of the third directory; and

the fifth directory comprises a subdirectory of the fourth directory.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

automatically collapsing, by the media content processing subsystem, the fourth history tab into the expandable history tab to create an updated expandable history tab in response to the user selecting a sixth directory; and

concurrently displaying, by the media content processing subsystem, the first history tab, the updated expandable history tab, and a fifth history tab graphically representing the fifth directory in response to the user selecting the sixth directory.