Method and system for automatic alteration of display of menu options

• US 5,420,975 A
• Filed: 12/28/1992
• Issued: 05/30/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kiel, Harvey G., Blades, Jerry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, BA
• Application Number:
  US07/997,418
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 395/144-149, 395/155, 395/156, 395/157-161
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method and system for the automatic alteration of a display of multiple user selectable menu options. A counter is associated with each user selectable menu option. The counter associated with a user selectable menu option is then incremented in response to each selection by a user of the user selectable menu option. The display of the user selectable menu option is automatically altered in response to a state of the associated counter.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options, said method comprising the data processing implemented steps of:

associating a counter with each of said plurality of user selectable menu options;

incrementing said counter in response to each selection by a user of one of said plurality of user selectable menu options; and

automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options in response to a state of said counter associated with each of said plurality of user selectable menu options by deleting at least one of said plurality of user selectable menu options.

2. The method in a data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 1 wherein said step of automatically altering a display further includes the step of automatically altering a display color of each of said plurality of user selectable menu options in response to a state of said counter associated with each of said plurality of user selectable menu options.

3. The method in a data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 1 wherein said step of automatically altering a display further includes the step of automatically dimming the display intensity of each of said plurality of user selectable menu options in response to a state of said counter associated with each of said plurality of user selectable menu options.

4. The method in a data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 1 further comprising the step of restoring said altered display of each of said plurality of user selectable menu options to an original display of each of said plurality of user selectable menu options in response to a user selection.

5. The method in a data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 1 further comprising the step of decrementing said counter in response to each deselection by a user of said one of said plurality of user selectable menu options immediately following said selection of said one of said plurality of user selectable menu options.

6. The method in a data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

associating a second counter with each displayed menu; and

incrementing said second counter in response to each selection by a user of said each displayed menu.

7. A data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options, comprising:

means for associating a counter with each of said plurality of user selectable menu options;

means for incrementing said counter in response to each selection by a user of one of said plurality of user selectable menu options; and

means for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options in response to a state of said counter associated with each of said plurality of user selectable menu options by deleting at least one of said plurality of user selectable menu option.

8. The data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 7 wherein said means for automatically altering a display further includes means for automatically altering a display color of each of said plurality of user selectable menu options in response to a state of said counter associated with each of said plurality of user selectable menu options.

9. The data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 7 wherein said means for automatically altering a display further includes means for automatically dimming the display intensity of each of said plurality of user selectable menu options in response to a state of said counter associated with each of said plurality of user selectable menu options.

10. The data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 7 further comprising means for restoring said altered display of each of said plurality of user selectable menu options to an original display of each of said plurality of user selectable menu options in response to a user selection.

11. The data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 7 further comprising means for decrementing said counter in response to each deselection by a user of said one of said plurality of user selectable menu options immediately following said selection of said one of said plurality of user selectable menu options.

12. The data processing system having a plurality of displayed menus, each of said plurality of displayed menus including a plurality of user selectable menu options for automatically altering a display of said plurality of user selectable menu options according to claim 7 further comprising:

means for associating a second counter with each displayed menu; and

means for incrementing said second counter in response to each selection by a user of said each displayed menu.