Portrayal of navigation objects

• US 20050066286A1
• Filed: 09/24/2003
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 3, LLC
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Makela, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, a device, a computer program product, a browser and a network element for improved portrayal of navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6), wherein at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are combined into one combined navigation object (4), wherein said combined navigation object (4) is presented, and wherein said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are presented, if said combined navigation object (4) is selected.

Claims

1. A method for improved portrayal of navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6), comprising:

combining at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) into one combined navigation object (4),

presenting said combined navigation object (4), and

presenting said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6), if said combined navigation object (4) is selected.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least two navigation objects are graphical objects.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least two navigation objects are voice objects.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least two navigation objects are text objects.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said combined navigation object (4) is presented in a first display mode, and wherein said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are displayed in a second display mode, if said combined navigation object (4) is selected.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) is associated with one respective target object that is displayed or executed upon selection of said respective navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said combined navigation object (4) is presented in a first display mode, wherein said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are displayed in a second display mode, if said combined navigation object (4) is selected, and wherein said respective target object that is displayed or executed upon selection of said respective navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) is displayed or executed in said first display mode.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are defined according to a markup language, in particular the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) or derivatives thereof, and are interpreted by a browser.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are hyperlinks.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first display mode is a scaled format display mode, and wherein said second display mode is an unscaled format display mode.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step of combining said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) into one combined navigation object (4) comprises the step of jointly scaling said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6).

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein in said first display mode, a first display window is used, and wherein in said second display mode, a second display window (8) is used.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein both said first and second display mode are used in the same display window.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein in said second display mode, at least one of a horizontal and a vertical scroll bar (7) is provided.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) have to be combined into one combined navigation object (4) or not.

16. The method of claim 1,

wherein said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are image hyperlinks within an image map (1) contained in a web page, wherein said combined navigation object (4) is represented by a selectable scaled graphical representation of said image map (1), and wherein said image hyperlinks (1-1 . . . 1-6) within said image map (1) are displayed in unscaled format, if said selectable graphical representation (4) is selected.

21. A computer program product directly loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer, comprising software code portions for performing the method steps of claim 1 when said product is run on a computer.

22. The computer program of claim 21, comprising a browser.

17. A device (9) for improved portrayal of navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6), comprising:

means (13, 15) for combining at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) into one combined navigation object (4), means (3, 10, 13, 14, 15) for presenting said combined navigation object (4), and

means (3, 10, 13, 14, 15) for presenting said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6), if said combined navigation object (4) is selected.

18. The device according to claim 17, further comprising means (3, 10, 13, 14, 15) for presenting said combined navigation object (4) in a first display mode, and means (3, 10, 13, 14, 15) for presenting said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) in a second display mode, if said combined navigation object (4) is selected.

19. The device (9) according to claim 17, further comprising means (15) for determining whether said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) have to be combined into one combined navigation object (4) or not.

20. The device (9) of claim 17, wherein said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are image hyperlinks within an image map (1) contained in a web page, wherein said combined navigation object (4) is represented by a selectable scaled graphical representation of said image map (1), and wherein said image hyperlinks (1-1 . . . 1-6) within said image map (1) are displayed in unscaled format, if said selectable graphical representation (4) is selected.

23. A network element for improved portrayal of navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6), comprising means for combining at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) into one combined navigation object (4), wherein said combined navigation object (4) is presented by a browser, and wherein said at least two navigation objects (1-1 . . . 1-6) are presented by said browser, if said combined navigation object (4) is selected.