Patent ID: 7559039
Filing Date: 2009-07-07
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A user interface, comprising: means for displaying a body of information for a user on a portable display device; means for said user to clarify units of information in said body of information, said clarifying being to use a CLARIFICATION process to find one or more of said units of information, said CLARIFICATION process being a group of CLARIFICATION functions for navigation through said body of information and being invoked by user designation of display elements presented to said user by said displaying means; and means for said user to memorize said units of information, said memorizing being to invoke a MEMORIZATION process upon said one or more found units of information, said MEMORIZATION process being initiated by user designation of MEMORIZATION display elements presented to said user by said displaying means, and being consummated by an action denoted by one or more of said found units of information, wherein said body of information is organized into layers, each said layer being subordinate to a unit of information in another layer and each unit of information in said body of information being part of one or more of said layers, each of one or more of said layers being a layer in each of a plurality of hierarchies, each of said plurality of hierarchies having a plurality of levels of subordination and a plurality of layers, a plurality of said plurality of layers in each hierarchy each containing a plurality of units of information, wherein said portable display device has a limited display area that includes a content area for displaying any one of said layers containing one or more of said units of information, wherein said content area is divided into a limited number (Ln) of content sub-areas as necessary for conveniently displaying said units of information on said portable display device, said limited number being specified for said limited display area on said portable display device, there being at least one of said layers wherein a total of said one or more of said units of information is a greater number than said limited number, both said limited number and said greater number being integers, and said layer having said greater number of information units is a greater layer, wherein said units of information in said greater layer (the number of said units being=Gn) are partitioned into a plurality of sections, each section containing a number of items, the number of items in each of said plurality of sections except a last section being a display number (Dn) equal to or less than the said limited number (Dn=<Ln) of content sub-areas into which said content area is divided, said display number being the same for each of said sections except said last section, the number of items in said last section being a remainder (Rn) of said units of information in said greater layer after subtraction of each of said sections except said last section, each of said sections except said last section having said display number (Dn) of said units of information, said remainder (Rn) being equal to or less than said display number (Rn=Gn−xDn=<Dn, where x=the number of said sections except said last section), there being provided means for selecting which one of said plurality of sections is displayed in said content area, said selecting means thereby enabling display in said content area of said portable display device of a selected one of said sections, and wherein said clarifying means further comprises: means for selecting one of said displayed units of information; and means for subsequently displaying in said content area a layer of said body of information which is subordinate to said selected unit of information, said subsequent display of said subordinate layer thereby replacing said display of said layer, further comprising a navigational control for subsequent redisplay in said content area of the layer most recently replaced by said clarifying means.