Dynamic image display

• US 9,262,045 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vendio Services Incorporated (Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Vendio Services Incorporated (Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lazar, Razvan Vlad, Liu, Christina Kaing, Williams, Christian Andrew, Bucsa, Valentin, Citu, Gheorghe Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US13/753,412
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A plurality of indicia are downloaded during the rendering of a web page retrieved from a server. Each of the indicia corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of text entries in a database in communication with such server or any other server on the network. A predetermined number of the downloaded indicia are then displayed in a first region of a web page. One of the indicia currently displayed at a selected location within the first region is visually enhanced. Next, the respective one of the text entries corresponding to the indicia that has been enhanced at the selected location in the first region is downloaded and then displayed in a second region of the web page. So that all such indicia are displayed, each one of the indicia currently displayed in the first region is replaced with another one of the indicia not currently displayed in the first region.

Claims

1. An improved computerized merchandising system, the improvement comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium containing executable code that executes procedures of;

downloading from a server in network communication with a client during rendering a web page for display in a graphical user interface at said client a plurality of pictorial indicia corresponding to merchantable items, each of said indicia corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of text entries in a database in data communication with said server;

wherein each of one said plurality of text entries correlates to an end node of a category tree,

wherein each end node terminates its own branch path from a common category node of said category tree,

wherein if a count of a number of indicia is less than a predetermined number of indicia to be displayed in a first region of said web page;

said downloading further downloads from said server each of said indicia corresponding to respective one of said text entries from each end node that has a branch path to a common node in each successively higher one of a plurality of levels of said category tree,

until said count of said number of nodes at said selected one of said levels under said common category node at one of said successively higher one of said levels exceeds said predetermined number,

automatically displaying for a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input in said first region of said web page said predetermined number of said indicia in adjacent relationship to each other, said first region having a replacement-in location and a selected location for enhanced display of one of said indicia;

when one of said indicia is at said selected location, enhancing one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location within said first region by enlarging said one of said indicia;

downloading from said database to said client said respective one of said text entries corresponding to said one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location in said first region;

displaying in a second region of said web page a text entry corresponding to one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location in said first region;

automatically after a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input, replacing one of said indicia currently displayed in said first region with an adjacent one of said indicia or, if there is no adjacent indicia, with one of said plurality of indicia downloaded from said server but not currently displayed at said replacement-in location in said first region;

automatically after a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input, replacing said one of said indicia at said selected location with an adjacent one of said indicia, said replaced one of said indicia then being displayed at another position adjacent to said selected location other than the position formerly occupied by said adjacent one of said indicia and reduced in size relative to its enlarged size at said selected location;

upon selection of said enhanced one of said indicia of an item by a user, displaying additional text entries corresponding to said indicia, and

a third region grouped with said first and second regions, said third region displaying information regarding one or more categories of said merchantable items and having a portion receiving user input to selectively display further pictorial indicia corresponding to a category of said merchantable items, as directed by user input.

2. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said text entries is a description of an item including information relating to price and said corresponding one of said indicia is a pictorial icon of said item.

3. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said displaying procedure displays said predetermined number of indicia in a single-file linear array.

4. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said replacing procedure is reiterative selectively as random reiteration.

5. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said enhancing procedure, downloading said text entries procedure and said displaying in said second region procedure are performed after each iteration of said replacing procedure.

6. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said enhancing procedure displays said one of said indicia in said selected location with further enhanced visual prominence than each other of said indicia currently displayed in said first region.

7. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said indicia are disposed in a linear array within said first region and said selected location is a midpoint of said array, said predetermined number being an odd number.

8. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said enhanced visual prominence includes a highlighting of said one of said indicia.

9. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said replacing procedure includes the procedures of:

scrolling each said indicia in a queued linear array through first region; and

pausing momentarily said queued linear array upon each successive one of said indicia being scrolled into said selected location.

10. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said scrolling procedure commences automatically in response to completion of said indicia displaying procedure.

11. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 10 wherein commencement of said scrolling procedure further occurs upon expiration of a selected time duration from completion of said indicia displaying procedure.

12. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said first region further includes a pair of arrow buttons, each one of said arrow buttons being disposed on a respective end of said first region, and further wherein said replacing procedure further includes the procedure of terminating said scrolling procedure upon selection of one of said buttons.

13. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said replacing procedure further includes stepping said queued linear array such that each of said indicia is repositioned to an immediately adjacent position in said first region upon selection of one of said buttons.

14. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said queued linear array is stepped in a direction to reveal an additional one of said indicia in the pointer direction of one of said buttons.

15. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said replacing procedure further includes the procedure of terminating said scrolling procedure upon selection of one of said indicia currently displayed in said first region.

16. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said replacing procedure further includes stepping said queued linear array in a direction such that said selected one of said indicia is repositioned to said selected position in said first region in the event said selected one of said indicia is in a position other than said selected position upon selection thereof.

17. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said replacing procedure further includes initiating a request for a further web page associated with said one of said indicia at said selected location in the event said selected one of said indicia is in said selected position upon selection thereof.

18. An improved computerized merchandising system as set forth in claim 1 wherein user selection of said second region initiates a request for a further web page associated with said one of said indicia at said selected location.

19. An improved method for navigation of a database of information regarding merchantable items in a graphic user interface of a computerized merchandising system that executes steps of:

downloading from a server in network communication with a client during rendering a web page for display in a graphic using interface at said client a plurality of pictorial indicia corresponding to merchantable items, each of said indicia corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of text entries in a database in data communication with said server;

wherein each of one said plurality of text entries correlates to an end node of a category tree,

wherein each end node terminates its own branch path from a common category node of the category tree,

wherein if a count of a number of indicia is less than a predetermined number of indicia to be displayed in a first region of the web page;

said downloading further downloads from said server each of said indicia corresponding to respective one of said text entries from each end node that has a branch path to a common node in each successively higher one of a plurality of levels of said category tree,

until said count of said number of nodes at said selected one of said levels under said common category node at one of said successively higher one of said levels exceeds said predetermined number,

automatically displaying for a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input in said first region of said web page said predetermined number of said indicia in adjacent relationship to each other, said first region having a replacement-in location and a selected location for enhanced display of one of said indicia;

when one of said indicia is at said selected location, enhancing said one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location within said first region by enlarging said one of said indicia;

downloading from said database to said client said respective one of said text entries corresponding to said one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location in said first region;

displaying in a second region of said web page a text entry corresponding to one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location in said first region;

automatically after a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input, replacing one of said indicia currently displayed in said first region with an adjacent one of said indicia or, if there is no adjacent indicia, with one of said plurality of indicia downloaded from said server but not currently displayed in said first region at said replacement-in location;

automatically after a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input, replacing said one of said indicia at said selected location with an adjacent one of said indicia, said replaced one of said indicia then being displayed at another position adjacent to said selected location other than the position formerly occupied by said adjacent one of said indicia and reduced in size relative to its enlarged size at said selected location;

upon selection of said enhanced one of said indicia of an item by a user, displaying additional text entries corresponding to said indicia, and

a third region grouped with said first and second regions, said third region displaying information regarding one or more categories of said merchantable items and having a portion receiving user input to selectively display further pictorial indicia corresponding to a category of said merchantable items, as directed by user input.

20. An improved method for navigation of a database of information regarding merchantable items in a graphic user interface of a computerized merchandising system that executes steps of:

downloading from a server in network communication with a client during rendering a web page for display in a graphic using interface at said client a plurality of pictorial indicia corresponding to merchantable items, each of said indicia corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of text entries in a database in data communication with said server;

wherein each of one said plurality of text entries correlates to an end node of a category tree,

wherein each end node terminates its own branch path from a common category node of said category tree,

wherein if a count of a number of indicia is less than a predetermined number of indicia to be displayed in a first region of the web page;

said downloading further downloads from said server each of said indicia corresponding to respective one of said text entries from each end node that has a branch path to a common node in each successively higher one of a plurality of levels of said category tree,

until said count of said number of nodes at the selected one of said levels under said common category node at one of said successively higher one of said levels exceeds said predetermined number,

automatically displaying for a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input in said first region of said web page said predetermined number of said indicia in adjacent relationship to each other, said first region having a replacement-in location and a selected location for enhanced display of one of said indicia;

when one of said indicia is at said selected location, enhancing said one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location within said first region by enlarging said one of said indicia;

downloading from said database to said client said respective one of said text entries corresponding to said one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location in said first region;

displaying in a second region of said web page a text entry corresponding to one of said indicia currently displayed at said selected location in said first region;

automatically after a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input, replacing one of said indicia currently displayed in said first region with an adjacent one of said indicia or, if there is no adjacent indicia, with one of said plurality of indicia downloaded from said server but not currently displayed at said replacement-in location in said first region;

automatically after a period of time unless otherwise directed by user input, replacing said one of said indicia at said selected location with an adjacent one of said indicia, said replaced one of said indicia then being displayed at another position adjacent to said selected location other than the position formerly occupied by said adjacent one of said indicia and reduced in size relative to its enlarged size at said selected location;

upon selection of said enhanced one of said indicia of an item by a user, displaying additional text entries corresponding to said indicia;

a third region grouped with said first and second regions, said third region displaying information regarding one or more categories of said merchantable items and having a portion receiving user input to selectively display further pictorial indicia corresponding to a category of said merchantable items, as directed by user input; and

wherein said text entries are stored in said database in a hierarchical category tree.