Logical, safe, and more personal user interface for accessing data and launching programs or applications
View Patent ↗Logical, safe, personalizable, and user friendly computer user interfaces may include: (a) plural branches; (b) plural sub-branches associated with the branches; and (c) an interface control that includes: a branch locking interface, a sub-branch locking interface, a branch display control interface, and/or a sub-branch display control interface. Optionally or alternatively, user interfaces may include: (a) a first section including plural items having a first common visual characteristic; and (b) a second section including plural items having a second common visual characteristic. In this manner, the common visual characteristics may indicate an association between the items sharing the characteristic. This associative visual characteristic aspect may be applied to the branched user interface structure described above, for example, by commonly coloring at least some portions of a branch and its associated sub-branches while commonly coloring at least some portions of another branch and its associated sub-branches in a different color.
1. A display device having a user interface displayed thereon by a computer, wherein the user interface includes a computer desktop start menu from which plural computer programs or computer functions are activated, the user interface comprising:
a start interface, which either automatically upon activation of the user interface or in response to user action, activates said computer desktop start menu;
a first plurality of branches, wherein the first plurality of branches appear automatically upon activation of the computer desktop start menu, wherein a second plurality of the branches are displayed extending from one of said first plurality of branches in the computer desktop start menu in response to a hover action over or proximate to a branch location of one of said first plurality of branches in the computer desktop start menu and after the hover action is completed
a plurality of sub-branches, wherein the sub-branches are displayed, extending from one of the second plurality of branches, wherein the sub-branches appear either automatically upon appearance of their associated branch or in response to user action, and wherein the sub-branches identify and enable activation of at least some of the computer programs or computer functions; and
an interface control including a sub-branch locking interface which includes a sub-branch locking switch that controls access to or use of one sub-branch, wherein the sub-branch locking switch is located proximate to the sub-branch that it controls.
2. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 1 , wherein the interface control further includes a branch locking interface.
3. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 2 , wherein, the branch locking interface includes a branch locking switch that allows control over access to or use of all sub-branches associated with one branch.
4. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 3 , wherein the branch locking switch is located proximate to the branch that it controls.
5. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 1 , wherein the interface control further includes a branch display control interface.
6. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 5 , wherein the branch display control interface includes a branch display switch that controls whether one branch is displayed automatically upon activation of the user interface.
7. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 6 , wherein the branch display switch is located proximate to the branch that it controls.
8. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 1 , wherein the interface control further includes a sub branch display control interface.
9. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 8 , wherein the sub-branch display control interface includes a sub-branch display switch that controls whether one sub-branch is displayed automatically upon display of its associated branch.
10. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 9 , wherein the sub-branch display switch is located proximate to the sub-branch that it controls.
11. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of branches includes at least a first branch and a second branch, wherein the first branch is rendered in a different color from the second branch.
12. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 11 , wherein each sub-branch associated with the first branch is rendered in the same color as the first branch and each sub-branch associated with the second branch is rendered in the same color as the second branch.
13. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 1 , wherein the rendered user interface further includes a base member, wherein at least some of the plurality of branches extend from the base member.
14. A display device having a user interface rendered thereon according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the branches or sub-branches activates a computer program or computer function that provides access to contact information stored on or accessible through the computer.
15. A method of displaying a user interface on a display device, wherein the user interface includes a computer desktop start menu from which plural computer programs or computer functions are activated, the method comprising:
using a computer, rendering a start interface, wherein the start interface either automatically upon activation of the user interface or in response to user action., activates said computer desktop start menu;
using the computer, displaying a first plurality of branches on the display device, wherein the first plurality of branches appear automatically upon activation of the computer desktop start menu, wherein a second plurality of the branches are displayed extending from one of said first plurality of branches in the computer desktop start menu in response to a hover action over or proximate to a branch location of one of said first plurality of branches in the computer desktop start menu and after the hover action is completed, the second plurality of branches displayed as a result of the hover remain displayed and available for a desired amount of time, rather than immediately disappearing;
using the computer, displaying a plurality of sub-branches on the display device, wherein the sub-branches are displayed extending from one of the second plurality of branches, wherein the sub-branches appear either automatically upon appearance of their associated branch or in response to user action, and wherein the sub-branches identify and enable activation of at least some of the computer programs or computer functions; and
using the computer, displaying an interface control including a sub-branch locking interface which includes a sub-branch locking switch that controls access to or use of one sub-branch, wherein the sub-branch locking switch is located proximate to the sub-branch that it controls.
16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the interface control further includes a branch locking interface.
17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the branch locking interface includes a branch locking switch that controls access to or use of all sub-branches associated with one branch.
18. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the interface control further includes a branch display control interface.
19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein the branch display control interface includes a branch display switch that controls whether one branch is displayed automatically upon activation of the user interface.
20. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the interface control further includes a sub-branch display control interface.
21. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the sub-branch display control interface includes a sub-branch display switch that controls whether one sub-branch is displayed automatically upon display of its associated branch.
22. A method according to claim 15 , wherein at least some of the sub-branches are rendered in the user interface in response to a hover action over or proximate to the sub-branch location in the user interface.
23. A method according to claim 15 , wherein at least one of the branches or sub-branches activates a computer program or computer function that provides access to contact information stored on or accessible through the computer.
24. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing a method of displaying a user interface on a display device, wherein the user interface includes a computer desktop start menu from which plural computer programs or computer functions can be activated, the method comprising:
using a computer, displaying a start interface, wherein the start interface either automatically upon activation of the user interface or in response to user action, activates said computer desktop start menu;
using the computer, displaying a first plurality of branches on the display device, wherein the first plurality of branches appear automatically upon activation of the computer desktop start menu, wherein a second plurality of the branches are displayed extending from one of said first plurality of branches in the computer desktop start menu in response to a hover action over or proximate to a branch location of one of said first plurality of branches in the computer desktop start menu and after the hover action is completed, the second plurality of branches displayed as a result of the hover remain displayed and available for a desired amount of time, rather than immediately disappearing;
using the computer, displaying a plurality of sub-branches on the display device, wherein the sub-branches are displayed extending from one of the second plurality of branches, wherein the sub-branches appear either automatically upon appearance of their associated branch or in response to user action, and wherein the sub-branches identify and enable activation of at least some of the computer programs or computer functions; and
using the computer, displaying an interface control including a sub-branch locking interface which includes a sub-branch locking switch that controls access to or use of one sub-branch, wherein the sub-branch locking switch is located proximate to the sub-branch that it controls, a branch display control interface, and a sub branch display control interface.
25. A computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the interface control further includes a branch locking interface.
26. A computer-readable medium according to claim 25 , wherein the branch locking interface controls access to or use of all sub-branches associated with one branch.
27. A computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the interface control further includes a branch display control interface.
28. A computer-readable medium according to claim 27 , wherein the branch display control interface includes a branch display switch that controls whether one branch is displayed automatically upon activation of the user interface.
29. A computer-readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the interface control further includes a sub-branch display control interface.
30. A computer-readable medium according to claim 29 , wherein the sub-branch display control interface includes a sub-branch display switch that controls whether one sub-branch is displayed automatically upon display of its associated branch.