Patent ID: 7735022

Claim:
A method of entering data in a data processing system comprising: displaying a first linear sequence of top-level icons, wherein each icon corresponds to a data entry task; displaying, in response to activating a selected one of the top-level icons, an associated sub-task icon corresponding to a sub-task of the data entry task, wherein the associated sub-task icon is displayed concurrently with the first linear sequence of top-level icons on a same screen; displaying a second linear sequence of second-level icons and removing the associated sub-task icon in response to selecting the associated sub-task icon, wherein a leading icon of the second linear sequence is vertically aligned with the selected one of the top-level icons of the first linear sequence, and the second linear sequence of second-level icons is displayed concurrently with the first linear sequence of top-level icons on the same screen; and displaying at least one data entry field for a selected one of the second-level icons, wherein the at least one data entry field is displayed concurrently with the second linear sequence of second-level icons on the same screen; displaying at least first and second selection icons for the selected one of the top-level icons of the first linear sequence, each one of the at least first and second selection icons having an assigned second linear sequence of second-level icons, and further comprising displaying of one of the second linear sequences being assigned to a selected one of the selection icons, the position of a leading icon of the selected second linear sequence being aligned with the selected one of the top-level icon; a navigation icon for selecting a consecutive portion of top-level icons of the first linear sequence for display; and wherein a consecutive contiguous icon from the sequence of second-level icons is selected in response to completing data entry into the data entry field of a preceding icon of the second linear sequence.