Patent ID: 7747969

Claim:
A method of automatically customizing presentation of a drop down list box to a user based on the user's data in a storage, wherein the drop down list box selectively displays therein visual components respectively corresponding to a drop down list, a filter box, identifiers, and hierarchical structures based on data representing associations with corresponding databases, comprising: responsive to a single user activation of an icon representing the drop down list box, performing steps (a)-(e) to display the drop down list box: (a) (i) searching a user's history record for data that represents an association with the drop down list box and that includes an identification of data previously selected by the user from a display of the drop down list in the drop down list box, and (ii) if the data representing the association with the drop down list is found, displaying a modified version of the drop down list that is modified in accordance with the user's history record, (b) (i) searching a filter box database for data that represents an association of the filter box with the drop down list box, and (ii) if the data that represents the association of the filter box with the drop down list box is found, displaying the filter box in the drop down list box, (c) (i) searching an identifier database for data that represents an association of unique identifiers with each choice in the drop down list box, and (ii) if the data that represents the association of unique identifiers with the drop down list box is found, displaying the identifiers in the drop down list box, and (d) (i) searching a hierarchical structure database for data that represents an association of the hierarchical structure with the drop down list box, the hierarchical structure containing more detailed information about choices in the drop down list, and (ii) if the data that presents the association of the hierarchical structure with the drop down list box is found, displaying the hierarchical structure in the drop down list box; (e) if there is no data representing any of the visual components with the drop down list box, displaying the drop down list.