MULTIPLE MENUS FOR USE WITH A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20070250794A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Britt Miura, Scott Morrison
• Original Assignee: Britt Miura, Scott Morrison
• Inventors: Morrison, Scott, MIURA, BRITT
• Granted Patent: US 9,081,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

An approach for using multiple menus with a graphical user interface is disclosed. A multiple menu comprises a menu panel with two or more selection regions, each of which is associated with a base menu. A user requests the menu panel without selecting a menu object displayed on a display unit, such as by right-clicking. The menu panel is displayed along with one base menu, and other base menus are displayed by the user moving the cursor to another selection region. The user selects a menu item from a base menu to cause the application to execute the function associated with the menu item. The selection regions of the menu panel do not include information describing the content of the associated base menus. By arranging the base menus around the menu panel, cursor movement is minimized to improve user efficiency in using the application.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user to select a particular menu item, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving a request from the user for a menu, wherein the menu includes a plurality of menu items;

displaying the menu to the user, wherein one menu item from among the plurality of menu items is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items;

receiving input from the user, wherein the input indicates that the user wants to select the one menu item, and wherein the input from the user is not received in response to the user selecting the menu item that is highlighted in the display of the menu; and

causing the one menu item to be executed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one menu item was selected when the user last selected the one menu item from among the plurality of menu items from the menu prior to the request for the menu.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one menu item is specified as a default menu item for the menu.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input from the user is received in response to the user selecting a menu title that is displayed in association with the menu.

5. A method for generating menus for display on a display unit with a graphical user interface, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

creating and storing first data that describes a first plurality of menu items;

receiving, from a first user, second data that specifies a second plurality of menu items from among the first plurality of menu items;

storing the second data;

in response to a request for a menu from a second user, generating the menu by;

retrieving the first data and the second data, and

selecting a third plurality of menu items from the first plurality of menu items based on the first data and the second data; and

displaying the menu on the display unit, wherein the menu includes the third plurality of menu items.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second plurality of menu items and the third plurality of menu items are the same plurality of menu items.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second plurality of menu items and the third plurality of menu items are different pluralities of menu items.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second data defines a display filter that determines which of the first plurality of menu items are to be included in the menu.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the second data defines a display filter that determines which of the first plurality of menu items are not to be included in the menu.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the second data specifies an organization for displaying the second plurality of menu items in the menu.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving, from a third user, third data that specifies a fourth plurality of menu items from among the first plurality of menu items;

storing the third data;

in response to another request for the menu from a fourth user, generating a revised menu by;

retrieving the first data and the third data, and

selecting a fifth plurality of menu items from the first plurality of menu items based on the first data and the third data; and

displaying the revised menu on the display unit, wherein the menu includes the fifth plurality of menu items.

12. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for allowing a user to select a particular menu item, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a request from the user for a menu, wherein the menu includes a plurality of menu items;

displaying the menu to the user, wherein one menu item from among the plurality of menu items is highlighted to differentiate the one menu item from the other menu items of the plurality of menu items;

receiving input from the user, wherein the input indicates that the user wants to select the one menu item, and wherein the input from the user is not received in response to the user selecting the menu item that is highlighted in the display of the menu; and

causing the one menu item to be executed.

13. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for rating menus for display on a display unit with a graphical user interface, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

creating and storing first data that describes a first plurality of menu items;

receiving, from a first user, second data that specifies a second plurality of menu items from among the first plurality of menu items;

storing the second data;

in response to a request for a menu from a second user, generating the menu by;

retrieving the first data and the second data, and

selecting a third plurality of menu items from the first plurality of menu items based on the first data and the second data; and

displaying the menu on the display unit, wherein the menu includes the third plurality of menu items.