Patent ID: 8365094
Filing Date: 2013-01-29
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A hierarchical structure display device comprising: a hierarchical structure storing unit that stores information about a hierarchical structure of menus where each item contained in a menu is linked to a directly beneath level menu; a display unit that has a display screen extending in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; a designating unit that designates an item contained in each of the menus; and a display control unit that controls the display unit to display at least one menu in the display screen based on the information stored in the hierarchical structure storing unit and to preserve at least a first region in the display screen for displaying titles of items contained in a menu of interest, wherein the titles of items contained in a menu are arranged one after another in the second direction with each title extending in the first direction, and the first region has a first length in the first direction long enough to entirely visibly indicate the titles of items, wherein the first length is an entire length of the first region in the first direction, wherein, when the designating unit designates items in succession while advancing to a deeper level of the menus, the display control unit controls the display unit to preserve in the display screen the first region and a second region that has a second length in the first direction and to display at least a part of the menus in the second region, wherein the second length is an entire length of the second region in the first direction, wherein the second length is less than the first length, and wherein the second region comprises a first end line and a second end line, each of which is displayed on the display unit, such that both the first end line and the second end line extend beyond the second region in the second direction, and the titles of items displayed in the second region are arranged one after another in the second direction between the first end line and the second end line, wherein the display control unit controls the display unit to display a title of the designated item in the second region, such that the title of the designated item extends beyond the second end line, the title of the designated item is entirely displayed in the display screen while the control unit controls the display unit to display at least a portion of a title of each item other than the designated item in the second region, and the title of each item other than the designated item in the second region does not extend beyond the second end line when the designating unit designates items in succession while advancing to a deeper level of the menus, the designated item designated by the designating unit is displayed in the second region adjacent to the first region, wherein the second length is not long enough to entirely display the title of the designated item.