System and method for organizing user interface for categories of recently used digital material
A system and method provides a user interface on an electronic device with a listing of the most recently used or viewed items that is organized by the category of item. A menu containing the most recently read items is separated into separate categories such as books and periodicals. The menu displays the most recently opened item in each of the categories. In this manner, one category will not dominate over the other categories on the menu.
1. A method, performed by a computer processor, for organizing and displaying digital content on a device comprising:
identifying digital content that was recently opened on the device, the identified digital content being denoted as recently opened digital content;
determining a type of the recently opened digital content, wherein the type of the recently opened digital content comprises digital books and digital periodicals;
sorting the recently opened digital content by type, the sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as type sorted recently opened digital content;
further sorting the type sorted recently opened digital content by date, the further sorted type sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as type and date sorted recently opened digital content;
displaying on the device the type and date sorted recently opened digital content, each type of recently opened digital content being displayed on a separate portion of a menu on the device by date;
sorting the type sorted recently opened digital content by sub-type, the sorted type sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as sub type sorted recently opened digital content;
further sorting the sub type sorted recently opened digital content by date, the further sorted sub type sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as sub type and date sorted recently opened digital content; and
separately displaying each sub-type of recently opened digital content on a separate portion of the menu on the device by date.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
allocating a predetermined number of positions for recently opened digital content in each separate portion of the menu.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the predetermined number of positions is three.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the act of determining the type of the recently opened digital content further comprises examining metadata associated with the recently opened digital content.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one type of digital content is periodical digital content, the method further comprising:
displaying only a single issue of a particular periodical digital content, even if several issues of the particular periodical digital content have been recently opened.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving from a user a selection of a displayed recently opened digital content; and
opening the selected digital content on the device.
7. A method, performed by a computer processor, for organizing and displaying digital content on a device comprising:
identifying digital content that was recently opened on the device, the identified digital content being denoted as recently opened digital content;
displaying a single item of digital content that was most recently opened on the device, the single item being displayed on a closed state of a menu;
determining a type of the recently opened digital content, wherein the type of the recently opened digital content comprises digital books and digital periodicals;
sorting the recently opened digital content by type, the sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as type sorted recently opened digital content;
sorting the type sorted recently opened digital content by sub-type, the sorted type sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as sub type sorted recently opened digital content;
further sorting the sub type sorted recently opened digital content by date, the further sorted sub type sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as sub type and date sorted recently opened digital content; and
displaying on the device recently opened digital content, each sub-type of recently opened digital content being displayed separately on an opened state of the menu.
8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
providing a user activated control on the closed state of the menu, the control expanding the menu from the closed state to the opened state.
9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the act of displaying further comprises displaying each type of recently opened digital content on a separate portion of the opened state of the menu.
10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the act of determining the type of the recently opened digital content further comprises examining metadata associated with the recently opened digital content.
11. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving from a user a selection of a displayed recently opened digital content; and
opening the selected digital content on the device.
12. A device for organizing and displaying periodical digital content comprising:
a display;
a memory,
the memory storing items of digital content; and
control circuitry coupled to the display and coupled to the memory, the control circuitry operated to:
identify digital content that was recently opened on the device, the identified digital content being denoted as recently opened digital content;
determine a type of the recently opened digital content, wherein the type of the recently opened digital content comprises digital books and digital periodicals;
sort the recently opened digital content by type, the sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as type sorted recently opened digital content;
further sort the type sorted recently opened digital content by date, the further sorted type sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as type and date sorted recently opened digital content;
display on the device the type and date sorted recently opened digital content, each type of recently opened digital content being displayed on a separate portion of a menu on the device by date;
sort the type sorted recently opened digital content by sub-type, the sorted type sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as sub type sorted recently opened digital content;
further sort the sub type sorted recently opened digital content by date, the further sorted sub type sorted recently opened digital content being denoted as sub type and date sorted recently opened digital content; and
separately display each sub-type of recently opened digital content on a separate portion of the menu on the device by date.