Methods and systems for providing navigation within an application
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for providing navigation in an application may have a menu system that allow a user to see a menu with options for most or all of the possible navigable contexts without first displaying an intermediate context. A user may then go directly to a desired context rather than taking a circuitous route via intermediate contexts.
1. A method for providing navigation within an application, the application comprising a plurality of application contexts, each application context having a predefined set of application views capable of being displayed to a user of the application, the method comprising:
receiving a first data input from the user of the application, the first data input corresponding to a first application view selected by the user;
determining a target application context whose predefined set of application views includes the first application view selected by the user;
displaying prior to displaying the first application view selected by the user, a plurality of user-selectable elements associated with one or more application views in the target application contest;
receiving a second data input from the user, the second data input corresponding to a user-selectable element selected by the user and associated with a second application view in the target application context; and
displaying, the response to receiving the second data input, the second application view to the user without first displaying the first application view.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a first user-selectable element prior to receiving the first data input.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising associating the first data input with the first user-selectable element.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using meta-data to determine the target application context whose predefined set of application views includes the first application view selected by the user.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the meta-data is stored in a database.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the database is further configured to store at least one of formatting data for the plurality of application contexts and data to be displayed in the plurality of application contexts.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the meta-data is also used by a primary menu system associated with the application, the primary menu system organizing the application as a hierarchy of application contexts.
8. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the meta-data is also used by a primary menu system associated with the application, the primary menu system organizing the application as a hierarchy of application contexts.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of user-selectable elements are associated with fewer than all of the predefined application views in the target application context.
10. A system for providing navigation within an application, the application comprising a plurality of application contexts, each application context having a predefined set of application views capable of being displayed to a user of the application, the system comprising:
a memory storage;
a processing unit coupled to the memory storage and configured to,
receive a first data input from the user of the application, the first data input corresponding to a first application view selected by the user,
determine a target application context whose predefined set of application views includes the first application view selected by the user,
display, prior to displaying the first application view selected by the user, a plurality of user-selectable elements associated with one or more application views in the target application context,
receive a second data input from the user, the second data input corresponding to a user-selectable element selected by the user and associated with a second application view in the target application context; and
display, in response to receiving the second data input, the second application view to the user without first displaying the first application view.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to provide a first user-selectable element prior to receiving the first data input.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to associate the first data input with the first user-selectable element.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to use meta-data to determine the target application context whose predefined set of application views includes the first application view selected by the user.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the meta-data is stored in a database located in the memory storage.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the database is further configured to store at least one of formatting data for the plurality of application contexts and data to be displayed in the plurality of application contexts.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the meta-data is also used by the processor for implementing a primary menu system associated with the application, the primary menu system organizing the application as a hierarchy of application contexts.
17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of user-selectable elements are associated with fewer than all of the predefined application views in the target application context.
18. A computer-readable medium containing a set of instructions for execution by a processor, the instructions implementing a method of providing navigation within an application, the application comprising a plurality of application contexts, each application context having a predefined set of application views capable of being displayed to a user of the application, the method comprising:
receiving a first data input from the user of the application, the first data input corresponding to a first application view selected by the user;
determining a target application context whose predefined set of application views includes the first application view selected by the user;
displaying, prior to displaying the first application view selected by the a plurality of selectable elements, associated with one or more application views in the target application context;
receiving a second data input from the user, the second data input corresponding to a user-selectable element selected by the user and associated with a second application view in the target application context; and
displaying, in response to receiving the second data input, the second application view to the user without first displaying the first application view.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions for providing a first user-selectable element prior to receiving the first data input.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising instructions for associating the first data input with the first user-selectable element.
21. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions for using meta-data to determine the target application context whose predefined set of application views includes the first application view selected by the user.
22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the meta-data is stored in a database.
23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the database is further configured to store at least one of formatting data for the plurality of application contexts and data to be displayed in the plurality of application contexts.
24. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of user-selectable elements are associated with fewer than all of the predefined application views in the target application context.