System for data entry and navigation in a user interface

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, wherein: said step of displaying a first plurality of pop-up symbols does not completely erase said selection items.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1, wherein: said step of displaying a plurality of selection items displays said selection items in a first screen without displaying any of said first plurality of pop-up symbols; and said step of displaying a plurality of pop-up symbols displays said pop-up symbols in said first screen.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of: removing said pop-up symbols from said first screen if said user does not invoke any input items corresponding to said pop-up symbols during a predetermined period of time after said step of displaying said first plurality of pop-up symbols.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, wherein: said pop-up symbols are numbers.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 1, wherein: said input device is a remote control, said input items include numerical keys; and said activation input item is a zero key.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 1, wherein: said selection items are selected from the group consisting of pop-up menus, input areas, text fields, lists, buttons, titles or alphanumeric character.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: displaying help information on said display for one or more pop-up symbols in response to said user invoking said activation input item.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: displaying help information on said display for one or more pop-up symbols in response to said user invoking a help input item.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: acting on a particular selection item in response to said user invoking a particular input item associated with said particular selection item.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 10, wherein: said step of acting on a particular selection item includes presenting a menu of choices; removing said first plurality of pop-up symbols from said display, and displaying a second plurality of pop-up symbols on said display, each of said second plurality of pop-up symbols corresponding to a choice.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 11, wherein: said second plurality is a subset of said first plurality.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of: hiding said first set of two or more pop-up symbols in response to said user invoking said first input item on said input device. said second plurality is a subset of said first plurality.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of: acting on a chosen selection item in response to a user invoking a second input item, said chosen selection item is in said first group and corresponds to said second input item.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of: hiding one or more of said groups in response to said user invoking said first input item.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of: removing said pop-up symbols from said display if said user does not invoke any input items corresponding to said first set of pop-up symbols during a predetermined period of time after said step of displaying a first set of two or more pop-up symbols.

Claim 24

A method according to claim 19, further including the steps of: displaying a plurality of super-group identifiers on said display, each of said plurality of super-group identifiers corresponding to a super-group, each super-group includes a set of groups; displaying a second set of two or more symbols on said display, each of said second set of symbols correspond to one of said input items and at least one of said super-group identifiers; and receiving a user selection of one of said super-group identifiers, said one of said super-group identifiers corresponding to a first super group, said first super group including said first set of groups, said step of displaying a second set of two or more symbols being performed before said step of receiving, said step of displaying a first set of two or more symbols being performed after said step of receiving.

Claim 25

A method according to claim 19, further including the steps of: accessing a list of selection items; and dividing said list into a plurality of groups, said plurality of groups including said first set of groups.

Claim 26

A method according to claim 19, further including the steps of receiving a user selection of one of said group identifiers, said one of said group identifiers corresponding to a first group, said first group including a first set of selection items; displaying a list of said first set of selection items; and receiving a user selection of one of said first set of selection items.

Claim 27

A processor readable storage medium, comprising: processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for interacting with a user interface using an input device, said input device including a plurality of input items, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of selection items on a display; and displaying a first plurality of pop-up symbols on said display in response to a user invoking an activation input item on said input device after said step of displaying a plurality of selection items, each of said pop-up symbols corresponding to an input item and a selection item.

Claim 28

A processor readable storage medium, comprising: processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for interacting with a user interface using an input device, said input device including a plurality of input items, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of selection items on a display; and displaying a first plurality of pop-up symbols on said display in response to a user invoking an activation input item on said input device after said step of displaying a plurality of selection items, each of said pop-up symbols corresponding to an input item and a selection item.

Claim 29

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein: said step of displaying a plurality of selection items displays said selection items in a first screen without displaying any pop-up symbols; and said step of displaying a plurality of said first plurality pop-up symbols displays said pop-up symbols in said first screen.

Claim 30

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein: said method further comprising the step of removing said pop-up symbols from said first screen if said user does not invoke any input items corresponding to said pop-up symbols during a predetermined period of time after said step of displaying said first plurality of pop-up symbols.

Claim 31

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein: said method further comprising the step of displaying help information on said display for one or more pop-up symbols.

Claim 32

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 23, wherein: said method further comprising the step of acting on a particular selection item in response to user invoking a particular input item associated with said particular selection item.

Claim 33

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 27, wherein: said step of acting on a particular selection item includes presenting a menu of choices; removing said first plurality of pop-up symbols from said display, and displaying a second plurality of pop-up symbols on said display, each of said pop-up symbols corresponding to a choice.

Claim 34

A processor readable storage medium, comprising: processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for interacting with a user interface using an input device, said input device including a plurality of input items, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a first plurality of selection items on a display, said selection items being divided into a plurality of groups of selection items, said step of displaying a first plurality of selection items includes concurrently displaying each member of each group; displaying a first set of two or more pop-up symbols on said display each of said first set of pop-up symbols correspond to one of said input items and one of said groups; and displaying a second set of two or more pop-up symbols on said display in response to a user involdng a first input item on said input device, said first input item corresponds to a first group of said plurality of groups, each of said second set of pop-up symbols corresponds to one of said input items and at least one selection item from said first group.

Claim 35

A processor readable storage medium, comprising: processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for interacting with a user interface using an input device, said input device including a plurality of input items, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a first plurality of selection items on a display, said selection items being divided into a plurality of groups of selection items, said step of displaying a first plurality of selection items includes concurrently displaying each member of each group; displaying a first set of two or more pop-up symbols on said display each of said first set of pop-up symbols correspond to one of said input items and one of said groups; and displaying a second set of two or more pop-up symbols on said display in response to a user involdng a first input item on said input device, said first input item corresponds to a first group of said plurality of groups, each of said second set of pop-up symbols corresponds to one of said input items and at least one selection item from said first group.

Claim 36

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein: said method further comprising the step of: hiding said first set of two or more pop-up symbols in response to said user invoking said first input item on said input device.

Claim 37

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein: said method further comprising the step of acting on a chosen selection item in response to said user invoking a second input item, said chosen selection item is in said first group and corresponds to said second input item.

Claim 38

A processor readable storage medium, comprising: processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for interacting with a user interface using an input device, said input device including a plurality of input items, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a first plurality of selection items on a display, said selection items being divided into a plurality of groups; displaying a first set of two or more pop-up symbols on said display, each of said first set of pop-up symbols correspond to one of said input items and one of said groups; displaying a second set of two or more pop-up symbols on said display in response to a user invoking a first input item on said input device, said first input item corresponds to a first group of said plurality of groups, each of said second set of pop-up symbols correspond to one of said input items and at least one selection item from said first group; and acting on a chosen selection item in response to a user invoking a second input item, said chosen selection item is in said first group and corresponds to said second input item, said step of acting includes entering a character into a text field.

Claim 39

A processor readable storage medium, comprising: processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for interacting with a user interface using an input device, said input device including a plurality of input items, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a first plurality of selection items on a display, said selection items being divided into a plurality of groups; displaying a first set of two or more pop-up symbols on said display, each of said first set of pop-up symbols correspond to one of said input items and one of said groups; displaying a second set of two or more pop-up symbols on said display in response to a user invoking a first input item on said input device, said first input item corresponds to a first group of said plurality of groups, each of said second set of pop-up symbols correspond to one of said input items and at least one selection item from said first group; and acting on a chosen selection item in response to a user invoking a second input item, said chosen selection item is in said first group and corresponds to said second input item, said step of acting includes entering a character into a text field.

Claim 40

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein: said method further comprising the step of hiding one or more of said groups in response to said user invoking a first input item.

Claim 41

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 29, wherein: said method further comprising the step of removing said pop-up symbols from said display if said user does not invoke any input items corresponding to said first set of pop-up symbols during a predetermined period of time after said step of displaying a first set of two or more pop-up symbols.

Claim 42

A processor readable storage medium, comprising: processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for interacting with a user interface using an input device, said input device including a plurality of input items, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of group identifiers on a display, each of said plurality of group identifiers corresponding to one group from a first set of groups, each group including one or more selection items; displaying a first set of two or more symbols on said display, each of said first set of symbols corresponds to one of said input items and at least one of said group identifiers; and removing said symbols from said display if a user does not invoke any of said input items corresponding to said symbols during a predetermined period of time after said step of displaying a first set of two or more symbols.

Claim 43

A processor readable storage medium, comprising: processor readable program code embodied on said processor readable storage medium, said processor readable program code for programming a processor to perform a method for interacting with a user interface using an input device, said input device including a plurality of input items, the method comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of group identifiers on a display, each of said plurality of group identifiers corresponding to one group from a first set of groups, each group including one or more selection items; displaying a first set of two or more symbols on said display, each of said first set of symbols corresponds to one of said input items and at least one of said group identifiers; and removing said symbols from said display if a user does not invoke any of said input items corresponding to said symbols during a predetermined period of time after said step of displaying a first set of two or more symbols.

Claim 44

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein: said method further comprising the steps of: displaying a plurality of super-group identifiers on said display, each of said plurality of super-group identifiers corresponding to a super-group, each super-group includes a set of groups; displaying a second set of two or more symbols on said display, each of said second set of symbols correspond to one of said input items and at least one of said super-group identifiers; and receiving a user selection of one of said super-group identifiers, said one of said super-group identifiers corresponding to a first super group, said first super group including said first set of groups, said step of displaying a second set of two or more symbols being performed before said step of receiving, said step of displaying a first set of two or more symbols being performed after said step of receiving.

Claim 45

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein: said method further comprising the steps of: accessing a list of selection items; and dividing said list into a plurality of groups, said plurality of groups including said first set of groups.

Claim 46

A processor readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein: said method further comprising the steps of: receiving a user selection of one of said group identifiers, said one of said group identifiers corresponding to a first group, said first group including a first set of selection items; displaying a list of said first set of selection items; and receiving a user selection of one of said first set of selection items.

Claim 49

An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said first program code further capable of programming said processor to remove said pop-up symbols from said first screen if said user does not invoke any of said input items corresponding to said pop-up symbols during a predetermined period of time after said step of displaying said first plurality of pop-up symbols.

Claim 52

An apparatus according to claim 41, wherein said first program code further capable of programming said processor to perform the steps of: hiding said first set of two or more pop-up symbols in response to said user invoking said first input item.

Claim 55

An apparatus according to claim 43, wherein said first program code further capable of programming said processor to perform the steps of: displaying a plurality of super-group identifiers on said display, each of said plurality of super-group identifiers corresponding to a super-group, each super-group includes a set of groups; displaying a second set of two or more symbols on said display, each of said second set of symbols correspond to one of said input items and at least one of said super-group identifiers; receiving a user selection of one of said super-group identifiers, said one of said super-group identifiers corresponding to a first super group, said first super group including said first set of groups, said step of displaying a second set of two or more symbols being performed before said step of receiving, said step of displaying a first set of two or more symbols being performed after said step of receiving; receiving a user selection of one of said group identifiers, said one of said group identifiers corresponding to a first group, said first groups including a first set of selection items; displaying a list of said first set of selection items; and receiving a user selection of one of said first set of selection items.