Menu entries for drop-down menus of graphic user interfaces

• US 8,347,226 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2005
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Windl, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Takele, Meseker
• Application Number:
  US11/301,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20060161864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,576 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/843, 715/853, 715/863, 715/845
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the input and display of information, data and/or input elements in drop-down menus of graphical user interfaces, the drop-down menus or layered menu levels having a number of menu items of any type, the number of menu items comprising at least a number of menu items which may be selected and deselected in any combination in the form of a check box list and/or mutually exclusive and thus merely switchable menu items in the form of a radio button list, the menu item in the form of a check box list and the menu item in the form of a radio button list respectively comprising its own significant status recognition describing the character of the menu item in the drop-down menu and in the layered menu.

Claims

1. A device for setting and displaying information, data and/or input elements on a graphical user interface, comprising:

a menu element selected from the group consisting of a first menu element comprising;

at least one menu bar comprising a plurality of menu items; and

at least one drop-down menu assigned to at least one of the menu items, the at least one drop-down menu arranged to encompass a designated area of the user interface, the drop-down menu configured to include a plurality of layered first menu levels, and a second menu element comprising;

at least one context-sensitive drop-down menu, the context-sensitive drop-down menu configured to include a plurality of layered second menu levels, wherein the first respectively second menu element comprises a plurality of first menu items included in the drop-down menu respectively the context-sensitive drop-down menu or a plurality of second menu items included in the layered first respectively second menu levels, wherein at least part of the first respectively second menu items included in the drop-down menu respectively the context-sensitive drop-down menu or in at least one of the layered first respectively second menu levels are configured to be selected and deselected by a user by way of a graphical pointer of a respective input element, wherein at least part of the first respectively second menu items configured to be selected and deselected by the user are mutually exclusive from one another such that the user can only switch between such menu items; and

a designating unit configured to assign to each first respectively second menu item individual status change and status description markers included in the respective drop-down menu respectively the context-sensitive drop-down menu and in the respective layered first respectively second menu level, the individual status change and status description markers representing a nature of the first respectively second menu items, wherein the designating unit comprises a display for indicating the individual status change and status description markers as graphical symbols wherein first respectively second menu items configured to be selected and deselected are further configured to be selected and deselected in any combination by the user, and a graphical symbol for representing each of said menu items consists of a first empty geometrical representation for indicating a deselected state and further consists of said first geometrical representation having a check mark for indicating a selected state, wherein a graphical symbol for representing each of the mutually exclusive menu items consists of a second empty geometrical representation for indicating a deselected state and further consists of said second geometrical representation being at least filled in part for indicating a selected state, and further wherein a graphical symbol for indicating a link between any two layered menu levels consists of a third geometrical representation, wherein the first geometrical representation, the second geometrical representation, and the third geometrical representation are graphically different from one another to convey to the user graphically distinguishing information, wherein the designating unit is configured to close the drop-down menu upon lapse of a delay time after selecting or deselecting the respective menu item by way of the graphical pointer of the respective input element, wherein the delay time is not activated to run so long as the graphical pointer is placed within the designated area of the drop-down menu, and further wherein, when the delay time has been activated to run by placing the graphical pointer outside the designated area of the drop-down menu, the delay time being resettable by placing again the graphical pointer within the designated area of the drop-down menu.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the designating unit is configured to assign the individual status change and status description markers immediately upon selecting or deselecting the respective menu items by the user.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the designating unit is configured to keep the drop-down menu respectively context-sensitive drop-down menu open upon selecting or deselecting the respective menu items by the user.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the designating unit is configured to close the drop-down menu respectively context-sensitive drop-down menu only upon an acknowledgement input by the user.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the drop-down menu respectively context-sensitive drop-down menu is kept open if a selection indicator used for selecting and deselecting the respective menu items is positioned within the drop-down menu respectively context-sensitive drop-down menu after the selecting respectively deselecting.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the delay time is adjustable.

7. A method for setting and displaying information, data and/or input elements via drop-down menus of graphical user interfaces, the drop-down menu or layered menu levels of the drop-down menu having a plurality of menu items, the drop-down menu arranged to encompass a designated area of the user interface, the menu items comprising at least one menu element selected from the group consisting of first menu items configured to be selected and deselected by a user in any combination and second menu items configured to be mutually exclusive such that the user can only switch between those menu items, the method comprising:

assigning to each first respectively second menu item individual status change and status description markers included in the drop-down menu respectively in the layered menu level, the individual status change and status description markers representing a nature of the first respectively second menu items, the method further comprising;

indicating the individual status change and status description markers as graphical symbols, wherein menu items configured to be selected and deselected in any combination by the user have a graphical symbol consisting of a first empty geometrical representation for indicating a deselected state and further consisting of said first geometrical representation having a check mark for indicating a selected state, wherein mutually exclusive menu items have a graphical symbol consisting of a second empty geometrical representation for indicating a deselected state and further consisting of said second geometrical representation being at least filled in part for indicating a selected state, and further wherein a graphical symbol for indicating a link between any two layered menu levels consists of a third geometrical representation, wherein the first geometrical representation, the second geometrical representation, and the third geometrical representation are graphically different from one another to convey to the user graphically distinguishing information,

closing the drop-down menu upon lapse of a delay time after selecting or deselecting the respective menu item by way of a graphical pointer of a respective input element, wherein the delay time is not activated to run so long as the graphical pointer is placed within the designated area of the drop-down menu, and further wherein, when the delay time has been activated to run by placing the graphical pointer outside the designated area of the drop-down menu, the delay time being resettable by placing again the graphical pointer within the designated area of the drop-down menu.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the drop-down menu is kept open upon selecting or deselecting the respective menu items by the user.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising closing the drop-down menu only upon an acknowledgement input by the user.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the drop-down menu is kept open if a selection indicator used for selecting and deselecting the respective menu item is positioned within the drop-down menu after the selecting respectively deselecting.