Graphic user interface for a digital content delivery system using circular menus

Claim 1

In a graphic user interface for a system for delivering multiple categories of digital contents to a plurality of users, a method for interactively presenting a plurality of content selections to the users on a display device, comprising the steps of: identifying at least a first user and a second user of the plurality of users to determine the first and second users' access to the digital contents, the access to the digital contents of the first user being different than the access to the digital contents of the second user; displaying a first menu ring having a plurality of first icons arranged along a first circle, each first icon representing a category of contents, each of the first icons being simultaneously visible to the users, the first menu ring being at a first setting; subsequently rendering, in response to a first input by one of the users indicating a selection of a first icon, an animated appearance of the first menu ring rotating about an axis substantially parallel to a line of sight into the display; and subsequently displaying the first menu ring at a second setting wherein the selected first icon is at a predetermined location along the first circle; displaying, in response to the first input by one of the users, a second menu ring comprising a plurality of second icons arranged along a second circle concentric with the first circle, each second icon representing a subcategory of contents associated with the category of contents represented by the selected first icon; and determining at the time of display the categories and subcategories associated with the first and second icons displayed in the first and second menu rings based on the contents accessible to the user.