Patent ID: 8136045

Claim:
A method for managing menus associated with a graphical user interface that is displayed on a display unit, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving a request from a user for a menu panel, wherein: the request is not associated with the user selecting any menu objects that are displayed on the display unit at the time of the request, the menu panel comprises two or more selection regions, each of the two or more selection regions is associated with one base menu, and at least one base menu includes one or more menu items; and in response to the request from the user: displaying on the display unit the menu panel, wherein the menu panel is displayed at a location based on a first position of a cursor when the user requests the menu panel, and displaying on the display unit a first base menu that is associated with a first selection region of the two or more selection regions, wherein the first base menu includes multiple instances of a single menu item aligned in a direction that extends from the center of the menu panel to a midpoint of the first selection region, and a function associated with the single menu item is executed in response to the cursor being moved in a direction from the menu panel towards the multiple instances of the single menu item.