Flexible, dynamic menu-based web-page architecture

• US 20060242557A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Forbes Holten Iii Nortis
• Original Assignee: Forbes Holten Iii Nortis
• Inventors: Nortis, Forbes Holten III
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines

Abstract

A method of displaying and navigating information using a hierarchical, spring loaded DHTML menu system that adjusts to fit the boundaries of a resizable, container (FIG. 1). A set of standard HTML table row elements, having a hierachical dependency (11), is consistently displayed as a web-page, under reasonable resizing. This is done using a strut row that produces the largest width requirement when the table structure is resizing to occupy a small width. Only the current row elements and the strut element are required in calculating table resizing to ensure that whichever data elements are displayed when a web-page resizing occurs, the browser auto-layout algorithm calculations will result in a resize attributes that enables all other row elements of that menu to be accommodated by the newly determined table width. As the row elements may themselves be table structures, nested menus of information may be displayed and navigated (12).

Claims

1. A method of displaying and navigating information in a web browser, comprising the steps of:

providing a first plurality of row elements;

selecting a strut row from said row elements, said strut row being representative of a resize attribute of a table structure;

placing a first subset of said row elements in a first table structure;

displaying said first subset of row elements in a web-page using said first table structure;

selecting a second subset of said row elements, said selection being responsive to a user action;

placing said second subset of said row elements in said first table structure;

calculating a resize attribute using a display resize requirement and said strut row; and

displaying said second subset of row elements in said web-page using said first table structure using said resize attribute.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said step of calculating said resize attribute further comprises the steps of placing said strut row as a non-displayed element in said table structure;

and using a hypertext mark up language table auto-layout algorithm.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said step of selecting said strut row further comprises the step of determining which of said plurality of row elements produces a largest table width requirement when placed in said table structure.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said resize attribute is a column width.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of row elements is a second table structure.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said row elements comprise a menu having a hierarchical dependency.

8. The method recited in claim 1, where in said step of selecting a strut row is processed by a first computational thread, and said step of displaying said second subset of row elements is processed by a second computational thread.

9. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing a containment block, said containment block being an absolutely positioned element within said web page;

and wherein said steps of displaying further comprise using said containment block to hold said first table structure.

10. The method recited in claim 9, further comprising providing a padding block, said padding block being a part of the document flow of said web page, and wherein said padding block is set equal in size to said containment block and is placed in said web page at the same position as a start of said containment block, thereby creating a vertical space in said web page positioned to lie underneath said containment block.

11. The method recited in claim 10, further comprising the steps of detecting a resize required width of said containment block;

and wherein said step of calculating said resize attribute results in said second subset of rows being displayed within said containment block.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of obtaining a target width for said displayed second subset of row elements;

and selecting a font size for said row elements, thereby fitting said second subset of row elements to said target width.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a quad toggle menu having a row selection region capable of determining a next row element in response to detecting a cursor over said row selection region;

and wherein said step of displaying said second subset of row elements results in said cursor position coinciding with said displayed, selected next row element.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said row elements comprise a hierarchical menu and wherein said next row element is related to said displayed first subset of row elements by said hierarchical menu.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a magnification block, said magnification block being an element of said web-page, and wherein detecting a cursor over a displayed row element causes said row element to be displayed in said magnification block.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a second plurality of row elements;

placing a third subset of row elements, chosen from said second plurality of row elements, in a second table structure;

moving one of said displayed first subset of row element to said second table structure; and

displaying said third subset of row elements and said moved row element in said web-page.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein said containment block simulates the effect of a narrow column.

2. (canceled)