Patent ID: 7693912

Claim:
A method comprising the steps of: presenting to a user at least a portion of an ordered collection, wherein the portion comprises a set of entries that correspond to items in the ordered collection; identifying a current location of a focus, wherein the current location of the focus corresponds to a subset of the set of entries; selecting a level of detail, from a set of at least three distinct levels of detail, for each entry in the set of entries based on (a) the current location of the focus and (b) a current location of each entry, wherein the at least three distinct levels of detail include a first level of detail, a second level of detail that is more detailed than the first level of detail, and a third level of detail that is more detailed than the second level of detail; displaying, for each entry, a set of semantic details that is based on the level of detail that was selected for each entry; and wherein each level of detail from the set of at least three distinct levels of detail is used to display at least one entry in said portion; wherein any entry of the set of entries that coincides with the current location of the focus is displayed at a highest level of detail of the set of at least three distinct levels of detail; and receiving user input that shifts the focus in a particular direction, wherein the shifting of the focus (a) moves the focus away from at least a first entry of the set of entries and a second entry of the set of entries, and (b) moves the focus toward at least a third entry of the set of entries and a fourth entry of the set of entries; wherein the second entry is between the first entry and the third entry; wherein the third entry is between the second entry and the fourth entry; in response to receiving the user input, automatically: collapsing the detail with which the first entry is displayed from the second level of detail to the first level of detail; collapsing the detail with which the second entry is displayed from the third level of detail to the second level of detail; expanding the detail with which the third entry is displayed from the second level of detail to the third level of detail; expanding the detail with which the fourth entry is displayed from the first level of detail to the second level of detail; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices programmed to be special purpose machines pursuant to program instructions.