Method and apparatus for displaying a menu for accessing hierarchical content data including caching multiple menu states

• US 8,667,419 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Gorczowski, Robert E., Klawitter, Paul T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin, Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ell, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/207,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,002 Days
• Field of Search: 715/817, 715/818, 715/819, 715/820, 715/841, 715/853
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A system and method for displaying a set of hierarchical menu items is disclosed. Each menu item may be associated with at least one sub-item and/or with content data. Each sub-item may be associated with content data for display upon selection of the sub-item. The system simultaneously displays each menu item in a list format. Upon selection of one of the menu items, the system displays each sub-item associated with the selected menu item. For any selected sub-item, the system displays the display data associated with the selected sub-item and stores data indicating that the selected sub-item is the most recently-selected sub-item associated with the selected menu item. When any menu item is selected, the system determines the most recently-selected sub-item (if any) associated with the selected menu item and displays the display data associated with the most recently-selected sub-item.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a navigation control, the method comprising:

displaying a first top-level menu item, a second top-level menu item, and a third top-level menu item, wherein the first top-level menu item is associated with at least two sub-menu items, wherein the second top-level menu item is associated with at least two sub-menu items, and wherein each of the sub-menu items is associated with content data;

enabling an operator to input a first indication of the first top-level menu item;

displaying the sub-menu items associated with the first top-level menu item;

enabling the operator to input a second indication of a first desired sub-menu item associated with the first top-level menu item;

displaying first desired content data associated with the first desired sub-menu item;

enabling the operator to input a third indication of the second top-level menu item;

displaying the sub-menu items associated with the second top-level menu item;

enabling the operator to input a fourth indication of a second desired sub-menu item associated with the second top-level menu item;

displaying second desired content data associated with the second desired sub-menu item;

enabling the operator to input a fifth indication of the third top-level menu item; and

enabling the operator to input a sixth indication of either the first top-level menu item or the second top-level menu item, wherein;

in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the first top-level menu item, displaying (i) the first desired sub-menu item associated with the first top-level menu item as visually highlighted, (ii) the first desired content data associated with the first desired sub-menu item, and (iii) a first status message indicating that the first desired content data associated with the first desired sub-menu item is displayed based on the second indication of the first desired sub-menu item as a most recently viewed sub-menu item of the first top-level menu item indicated by the sixth indication, and

in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the second top-level menu item, displaying (i) the second desired sub-menu item associated with the second top-level menu item as visually highlighted, (ii) the second desired content data associated with the second desired sub-menu item, and (iii) a second status message indicating that the second desired content data associated with the second desired sub-menu item is displayed based on the fourth indication of the second desired sub-menu item as a most recently viewed sub-menu item of the second top-level menu item indicated by the sixth indication.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes, upon receiving the first indication, displaying the first top-level menu item as a selected top-level menu item, upon receiving the third indication, displaying the second top-level menu item as the selected top-level menu item, and upon receiving the fifth indication, displaying the third top-level menu item as the selected top-level menu item.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes storing content data in association with the at least one of the sub-menu items.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content data includes data stored in a database of insurance information.

5. The method of claim 3, which includes, for any displayed content data, enabling the operator to modify the content data and which also includes storing the modification in a database of insurance information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of top-level menu items is displayed in a vertical menu bar.

7. The method of claim 1, which includes hiding the sub-menu items when a top-level menu item not associated with the sub-menu items is selected.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the first top-level menu item, the first desired sub-menu item is visually highlighted with at least one of a different background color and a different text color, and in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the second top-level menu item, the second desired sub-menu item is visually highlighted with at least one of the different background color and the different text color.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the first top-level menu item, the first desired sub-menu item is visually highlighted with at least one of a same font and a same font size as a different sub-menu item, and in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the second top-level menu item, the second desired sub-menu item is visually highlighted with at least one of the same font and the same font size as the different sub-menu item.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the first top-level menu item, the first desired sub-menu item is visually highlighted with at least one of a darker shade and a lighter shade in comparison to a shade of another sub-level menu item, and in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the second top-level menu item, the second desired sub-menu item is visually highlighted with at least one of the darker shade and the lighter shade.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the first top-level menu item, the first desired sub-menu item is visually highlighted with a dashed border, and in response to the operator inputting the sixth indication of the second top-level menu item, the second desired sub-menu item is visually highlighted with the dashed border.

8. A method of displaying a navigation control, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of menu items and data representing a plurality of hierarchical relationships between the menu items;

determining a plurality of top-level menu items based on the data representing the hierarchical relationships, at least one of the top-level menu items including at least one associated lower-level menu item;

enabling an operator to input a first indication of a first one of the top-level menu items associated with at least one lower-level menu item;

displaying the at least one lower-level menu item associated with the indicated top-level menu item;

enabling the operator to input a second indication of one of the lower level-menu items associated with the indicated top-level menu item;

displaying content data associated with the second indication;

storing data in association with the first one of the top-level menu items representing the indicated lower-level menu item;

enabling the operator to input a third indication of a second one of the top-level menu items;

enabling the operator to input a fourth indication of a third one of the top-level menu items; and

for a fifth indication of the first one of the top-level menu items, displaying (i) the lower-level menu item represented by the stored data as visually highlighted, (ii) the content data associated with the second indication, and (iii) a status message indicating that the content data associated with the second indication is displayed based on the second indication of the lower level-menu item as a most recently viewed lower-level menu item of the first one of the top-level menu item indicated by the fifth indication.

9. The method of claim 8, which includes storing content data in association with the indicated lower-level menu item.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the content data includes at least a portion of a database, and which includes enabling the operator to input a modification to the content data.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the top-level menu items is associated with content data, which includes, for an input of the indication of one of the top-level menu items, displaying the content data associated with the indicated top-level menu item.

12. The method of claim 8, which is configured to operate over a data network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data network is an internet.

31. The method of claim 8, wherein the lower-level menu item is visually highlighted with at least one of a different background color and a different text color.

32. The method of claim 8, wherein the lower-level menu item is visually highlighted with the lower-level menu item having at least one of a same font and a same font size as another lower-level menu item.

33. The method of claim 8, wherein the lower-level menu item is visually highlighted with at least one of a darker shade and a lighter shade in comparison to a shade of another lower-level menu item.

34. The method of claim 8, wherein the lower-level menu item is visually highlighted with a dashed border.

14. A database access system comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one memory device;

at least one display device; and

at least one processor programmed to operate with the at least one input device, the at least one memory device, and the at least one display device to;

(a) store a plurality of menu items and data representing a plurality of hierarchical relationships between the menu items;

(b) determine a plurality of top-level menu items based on the data representing the hierarchical relationships, at least one of the top-level menu items including at least one associated lower-level menu item;

(c) enable an operator to input a first indication of a first one of the top-level menu items associated with at least one lower-level menu item;

(d) display the at least one lower-level menu item associated with the indicated top-level menu item;

(e) enable the operator to input a second indication of one of the lower level-menu items associated with the indicated top-level menu item;

(f) display content data associated with the second indication;

(g) store data in association with the first one of the top-level menu items representing the indicated lower-level menu item;

(h) enable the operator to input a third indication of a second one of the top-level menu items;

(i) enable the operator to input a fourth indication of a third one of the top-level menu items; and

(j) for a fifth indication of the first one of the top-level menu items, display (i) the lower-level menu item represented by the stored data as visually highlighted, (ii) the content data associated with the second indication, and (iii) a status message indicating that the content data associated with the second indication is displayed based on the second indication of the lower level-menu item as a most recently viewed lower-level menu item of the first one of the top-level menu item indicated by the fifth indication.

15. The database access system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to store content data in association with the indicated lower-level menu item.

16. The database access system of claim 15, wherein the content data includes at least a portion of a database, and wherein the at least one processor enables the operator to input a modification to the content data.

17. The database access system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the top-level menu items is associated with content data and wherein the at least one processor is programmed, for an input of the indication of one of the top-level menu items, to display the content data associated with the indicated top-level menu item.

18. The database access system of claim 14, which includes at least one network interface device, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one input device via the at least one network interface device.

19. The database access system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one network interface device to enable the operator to indicate the top-level menu items and the lower-level menu item using a data network.

20. The database access system of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.

21. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions structured to cause an apparatus to:

(a) store a plurality of menu items and data representing a plurality of hierarchical relationships between the menu items;

(b) determine a plurality of top-level menu items based on the data representing the hierarchical relationships, at least one of the top-level menu items including at least one associated lower-level menu item;

(c) enable an operator to input a first indication of a first one of the top-level menu items associated with at least one lower-level menu item;

(d) display the at least one lower-level menu item associated with the indicated top-level menu item;

(e) enable the operator to input a second indication of one of the lower level-menu items associated with the indicated top-level menu item;

(f) display content data associated with the second indication;

(g) store data in association with the first one of the top-level menu items representing the indicated lower-level menu item;

(h) enable the operator to input a third indication of a second one of the top-level menu items;

(i) enable the operator to input a fourth indication of a third one of the top-level menu items; and

(j) for a fifth indication of the first one of the top-level menu items, display (i) the lower-level menu item represented by the stored data as visually highlighted, (ii) the content data associated with the second indication, and (iii) a status message indicating that the content data associated with the second indication is displayed based on the second indication of the lower level-menu item as a most recently viewed lower-level menu item of the first one of the top-level menu item indicated by the fifth indication.

22. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are structured to cause the apparatus to store content data in association with the indicated lower-level menu item.

23. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 22, wherein the content data includes at least a portion of a database, and wherein the instructions are structured to cause the apparatus to enable the operator to input a modification to the content data.

24. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein at least one of the top-level menu items is associated with content data and wherein the instructions are structured to cause the apparatus, for an input of the indication of one of the top-level menu items, to display the content data associated with the indicated top-level menu item.

25. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are structured to cause the apparatus to enable the operator to indicate the top-level menu items and the lower-level menu item using a data network.

26. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 25, wherein the data network is an internet.