WO2007129813A1

WO2007129813A1 - Method for providing menu graphic user interface and computer readable medium storing the method

Info

Publication number: WO2007129813A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/001730
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yun Kyu Lee
Original assignee: Kicom Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2006-05-04
Filing date: 2007-04-10
Publication date: 2007-11-15
Also published as: KR20070107848A

Abstract

A method of providing a menu graphical user interface of a user application program including a plurality of unit programs is provided. The method includes the operations of: displaying an information list of the plurality of unit programs using the user application program; registering information about at least one of the unit programs that is selected by a user in a fast menu, using the user application program; and displaying the registered information about the at least one unit program on a fast menu window using the user application program when a user requests the fast menu to be open.

Description

METHOD FOR PROVIDING MENU GRAPHIC USER

INTERFACE AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM

STORING THE METHOD

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a method of providing a graphical user interface, and more particularly, to a method of providing a graphical user interface, by which programs or functions that are frequently used by users are fast and conveniently executed in a user application program including a plurality of unit programs, and a computer readable medium storing the method. Background Art

[2] With a recent trend toward improvements of the functions of computers, a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying graphic images (e.g., icons) corresponding to functions and/or programs that are to be executed has been generalized.

[3] A GUI allows a user to point out a desired icon using a pointing device such as a mouse so as to select and execute a desired program. Accordingly, the user does not need to memorize a command to execute a program, and even users who are unfamiliar with computers can easily operate computers. Most computers Operating systems (OSs) being recently in use employ a Windows environment because they are suitable to use a GUI.

[4] A Windows OS provides a function of generating shortcut icons for documents or programs that a user frequently uses or desires and linking the locations of the documents or programs to the shortcut icons in order to allow the user to conveniently use the documents or programs. Alternatively, the Windows OS provides a function of registering a program desired by a user in the form of a pop-up menu and allowing the user to use the registered program.

[5] However, such shortcut icons are simply arranged on a background screen or displayed in the form of folders, and thus they do not quickly come into user's view. In addition, when shortcut icons are grouped using folders, users can find the shortcut icons after passing through several stages. Accordingly, the meaning of the use of shortcut icons decreases. Moreover, in application programs other than OSs, these functions are extremely restricted.

[6] In most user application programs under the Windows environment, functions and/ or programs desired to be executed are selected or executed using a GUI. In other words, the desired functions and/or programs may be selected using menus or using an icon-based toolbar. When the menus are selected or the icons of the toolbar are selected, corresponding functions and/or programs are executed.

[7] However, most user application programs have a plurality of functions and/or programs installed therein. Most of the installed functions and/or programs are very rarely used by users, so that these user application programs are inefficient to select functions and/or programs that users usually use.

[8] Recently, in order to overcome this problem, user application programs can add icons to or delete icons from a toolbar. In addition, user application programs provide a function of automatically registering the titles of recently used documents in a menu screen so as to select a recently used document and open it.

[9] However, in case of toolbars, icons are small to be displayed and large in number, and users can add or delete only toolbars that user application programs supports. Thus, toolbars fail to satisfy all of the needs of users. In addition, toolbars provide icons corresponding to the functions and/or programs of user application programs, and thus, even when the functions and/or programs are executed using the toolbars, objects of the functions and/or programs should be indicated.

[10] For example, when a frequently used document is to be open, an open icon in a toolbar is clicked, and a desired document is then selected from a displayed document list. In addition, a menu provides only some functions, such as, a function of opening a recently used document, and thus it is insufficient to allow users to conveniently and rapidly select desired functions. In particular, application programs that support a plurality of functions and/or programs, such as, an accounting management program or a database management tool, increase the inconvenience of users. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[11] The present invention provides a method for directly editing in a menu programs or functions that a user frequently uses or desires in an application program and quickly executing desired functions and programs by using the edited menu.

Advantageous Effects

[12] In a menu graphic user interface providing method according to the present invention, an application program having a plurality of unit programs can rapidly and conveniently select and execute unit programs that a user frequently uses or pre-sets.

[13] In addition, the unit programs are displayed on a fast menu window instead of being displayed to be small on a part of a user window like a toolbar, a pull-down menu, or a pop-up menu that an existing application program basically supports. Thus, the unit programs are easily noticed by a user and easily selected by an input device such as a mouse or a keyboard. Since the unit programs are not only displayed in the form of icons like a toolbar but also in the form of characters, the user does not need to be aware of which functions icons have.

[14] Moreover, a user does not need to undergo several processes in order to select a desired unit program like a menu of an existing application program. Therefore, the user can more rapidly execute the desired unit program. Brief Description of the Drawings

[15] FIG. 1 illustrates a user interface when a fast menu window has not yet been set, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[16] FIG. 2 illustrates a user interface while a fast menu is being set, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[17] FIG. 3 illustrates a user interface when a unit program is executed using a fast menu, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[18] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a menu graphical user interface of a user application program including a plurality of unit programs, the method including the operations of: displaying an information list of the plurality of unit programs using the user application program; regi stering information about at least one of the unit programs that is selected by a user in a fast menu, using the user application program; and displaying the registered information about the at least one unit program on a fast menu window using the user application program when a user requests the fast menu to be open.

[19] When the user selects the information about the at least one unit program displayed on the fast menu window and requests the program corresponding to the selected information to be executed, the method may further include the operation of executing the program requested to be executed. The fast menu may include a category menu for categorizing at least one of the plurality of unit programs.

[20] The category menu may be displayed in the form of a tap, and when the tap is selected, information about unit programs registered in the category menu may be displayed. The fast menu window may be displayed when the user application program starts.

[21] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a menu graphical user interface, the method including the operations of: displaying an information list of a plurality of unit programs of an external application program that can be connected to a user application program, using the user application program; registering information about at least one of the unit programs that is selected by a user in a fast menu, using the user application program; and displaying the registered information about the at least one unit program on a fast menu window using the user application program when a user requests the fast menu to be open. [22] The information about the at least one unit program may include at least one of the titles of the at least one unit program, the icons of the at least one unit program, and buttons that represent the at least one unit program. Mode for the Invention

[23] The attached drawings for illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention are referred to in order to gain a sufficient understanding of the present invention, the merits thereof, and the objectives accomplished by the implementation of the present invention. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by explaining preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements.

[24] FIG. 1 is a user interface when a fast menu window has not yet been set, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a fast menu window 120 is displayed on an application program window 100. The fast menu window 120 may be displayed as a start-up when an application program starts, and may include a interface 150 for displaying the fast menu window 120.

[25] The fast menu window 120 may include a plurality of category menus 131 through

133. The category menus 131 through 133 may be displayed in the form of taps as illustrated in FIG. 1, but are not limited thereto. When one of the tap-shaped category menus 131 through 133 is selected, unit program data 141 through 149 registered in the selected category menu is displayed.

[26] Although the unit program data 141 through 149 displayed in the form of buttons are illustrated in FIG. 1, they are not limited thereto. For example, the unit program data 141 through 149 may be displayed in the form of character strings that can represent the unit programs, for example, the titles of the unit programs, or in the form of icons for the unit programs.

[27] The unit programs may be documents or functions of the user application program.

For example, when the user application program is an enterprise accounting management program, the unit programs may be documents such as a prime cost specification, a statement of profit and loss, a balance sheet, etc., or may be functions such as 'slip input'or 'purchases and sales input'.

[28] The unit programs may also be unit programs of external application programs that can be connected to the user application program. For example, when an enterprise accounting management program can be connected to a Hangul word processor, functions such as an "open"function may be the unit programs.

[29] When a connection between such an application program and an external application program is a simple "open"function for a document, it may be achieved by a link of a location of the document to the open function and execution of a default execution program for the document. The simple "open"function may also be achieved by independent programming through code opening with a provider of the external application program.

[30] When a fast menu is in an unestablished state as illustrated in FIG. 1, the application program window 100 may include a fast menu setup interface 110 in order to set up the fast menu. When the fast menu setup interface 110 is selected (i.e., clicked), a fast menu setup window 200 is displayed as illustrated in FIG. 2. The fast menu setup window 200 may be displayed on an independent window or on the application program window 100 shown in FIG. 1.

[31] FIG. 2 is a user interface while a fast menu is being set, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, in a menu graphic user interface providing method according to the present invention, a user application program displays a list of information about a plurality of unit programs on an overall menu 210, and a user registers information about at least one of the unit programs in a fast menu 220.

[32] Although the overall menu 210 may be provided in the form of a Windows explorer of Microsoft Corporation as illustrated in FIG. 2, it is not limited thereto. The user may select the information about a unit program as desired by the user from the overall menu 210 by using an input device, such as a mouse or a keyboard, and register the selected information about the desired unit program in the fast menu by means of a registration interface 231 for registering information in the fast menu or a registration cancellation interface 232. A menu setup window 200a, an overall menu 210a, and a fast menu 220a that are generated after the registration are illustrated in FIG. 2.

[33] FIG. 3 is a user interface when a unit program is executed using a fast menu, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, when information 141a about a unit program is selected from a fast menu window generated after fast menu setup and a user makes a program-execution request (e.g., double clicking or enter key input), a program (e.g., general slip input in FIG. 3) corresponding to the information 141a about the unit program is executed.

[34] A method of providing a menu graphic user interface of a user application program according to the present invention can also be embodied as computer readable codes on a computer readable recording medium. The computer readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data which can be thereafter read by a computer system.

[35] Examples of the computer readable recording medium include read-only memory

(ROM), random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and carrier waves (such as data transmission through the Internet). [36] The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. Also, functional programs, codes, and code segments for accomplishing the present invention can be easily construed by programmers skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[37] While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Industrial Applicability

[38] A method of providing a menu graphical user interface according to the present invention may be used in a computer application program.

Claims

[1] A method of providing a menu graphical user interface of a user application program including a plurality of unit programs, the method comprising: displaying an information list of the plurality of unit programs using the user application program; registering information about at least one of the unit programs that is selected by a user in a fast menu, using the user application program; and displaying the registered information about the at least one unit program on a fast menu window using the user application program when a user requests the fast menu to be open.

[2] The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the user selects the information about the at least one unit program displayed on the fast menu window and requests the program corresponding to the selected information to be executed, executing the program requested to be executed.

[3] The method of claim 1, wherein the fast menu comprises a category menu for categorizing at least one of the plurality of unit programs.

[4] The method of claim 3, wherein the category menu is displayed in the form of a tap, and when the tap is selected, information about unit programs registered in the category menu is displayed.

[5] The method of claim 1, wherein when the user application program starts, the fast menu window is displayed.

[6] A method of providing a menu graphical user interface, the method comprising: displaying an information list of a plurality of unit programs of an external application program that can be connected to a user application program, using the user application program; registering information about at least one of the unit programs that is selected by a user in a fast menu, using the user application program; and displaying the registered information about the at least one unit program on a fast menu window using the user application program when a user requests the fast menu to be open.

[7] The method of one of claims 1 through 6, wherein information about the at least one unit program comprises at least one of the titles of the at least one unit program, the icons of the at least one unit program, and buttons that represent the at least one unit program.

[8] A recording medium having recorded thereon a program for the method of one of claims 1 through 7.