Programming structure for user interfaces

Claim 1

Apparatus comprising: a memory device storing digitally encoded data retreivable by a microprocessor; and digitally encoded control program data stored in said memory devices and effective on execution by microprocessor for driving a display of a graphic user interface, said program data having at least two layered statements executed sequentially, each said statement being a selected one of a menu statement and a flow statement, said menu statement having at least a description portion for directing display to a user and selectively having an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement, said flow statement having at least an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement and selectively having a description portion for directing a display to a user, each of said menu and flow statements having common programming syntax which statement has both description and action portions also having a unique connector character disposed between said portions for identifying the distinction therebetween.

Claim 12

A method comprising the steps of: directing a display of images on a display device viewed by a human observer by executing on a microcontroller operatively connected to the display digitally encoded control program data stored in memory devices operatively connected with the microcontroller, said program data having at least two layered statements executed sequentially, each said statement being a selected one of a menu statement and a flow statement, said menu statement having at least a description portion for directing a display to a user and selectively having an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement, said flow statement having at least an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement and selectively having a description portion for directing a display to a user, each statement having common programming syntax and a unique connector character disposed between said portions for identifying the distinction therebetween; executing a menu statement which lacks an action portion therein to direct a display; executing a menu statement which has an action portion therein to both direct a display and direct program flow to a next sequential executed statement; executing a flow statement which lacks a description portion therein to direct program flow to a next sequentially executed statement; and executing a flow statement which has a description portion therein to both direct a display and direct program flow to a next sequentially executed statement.

Claim 13

A method comprising the steps of: directing a display of images on a display device viewed by a human observer by executing on a microcontroller operatively connected to the display digitally encoded control program data stored in memory devices operatively connected with the microcontroller, said program data having at least two layered statements executed sequentially, each said statement being a selected one of a menu statement and a flow statement, said menu statement having at least a description portion for directing a display to a user and selectively having an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement, said flow statement having at least an action portion for directing data structure flow to another statement and selectively having a description portion for directing a display to a user, each statement having common programming syntax and a unique connector character disposed between said portions for identifying the distinction therebetween; executing a menu statement which lacks an action portion therein to direct a display; executing a menu statement which has an action portion therein to both direct a display and direct program flow to a next sequential executed statement; executing a flow statement which lacks a description portion therein to direct program flow to a next sequentially executed statement; and executing a flow statement which has a description portion therein to both direct a display and direct program flow to a next sequentially executed statement.