Sprocket Shaped User Interface for Navigating a Dynamic Collection of Information

Abstract

The sprocket shaped menu accepts except selections of information from the menu, where selecting an item in the menu causes other parts of the look of the menu to change. In one embodiment, this can cause a break in the menu which shows a preview. In another embodiment, touching an item on the menu can cause an automatic update of the other items unless those other items have been automatically updated within a predetermined time before, such as within 15 minutes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer system comprising:
 a display screen;   a memory storing information;   a processor, operating according to a stored program that is stored in said memory, to display a menu on said display screen,   said menu comprising a rotatable menu part, with a plurality of separate sections within the rotatable menu part, where the menu is rotated to different positions by a user, and each of a plurality of the different positions represents a selection of one of said sections within the rotatable menu part,   each of the sections within the rotatable menu part representing a different item to be selected for operation on the computer;   wherein said processor also produces an additional output on the same screen as said output of said menu part, said output being adjacent to said menu part and displaying information indicative of said selection of said section of said menu part,   wherein said screen only shows a portion of said menu at any one time, said menu in the shape of a circle, and said screen showing only a portion of said circle at any one time,   and where the menu controls selecting between the different items that are available for selection on the computer including at least all of news, video, social networks, games, communications, and interests,   and where selection of any of said items causes different portions to be displayed on the display screen as said additional output,   and where said additional output displayed on the display screen includes items that are stored in the memory of the computer, where the memory of the computer is synchronized to the Internet dynamically.   
     
     
         2 . The computer system as in  claim 1 , wherein the synchronization occurs each time that an item on the menu is selected. 
     
     
         3 . The computer system as in  claim 1 , wherein the menu is in the shape of the circle, and each of said sections comprises a section of the circle, and where only a portion of the circle is shown at any one time, and where all of the items shown by rotating the menu is collectively more than could fit into a normal circle. 
     
     
         4 . The computer system as in  claim 3 , wherein half the circle is shown at any one time. 
     
     
         5 . The computer system as in  claim 4 , wherein the menu includes four pages of half circles that comprise all of the selections of the menu. 
     
     
         6 . The computer system as in  claim 1 , wherein said additional output includes a video that was selected from said menu. 
     
     
         7 . The computer system as in  claim 1 , wherein said additional output includes all of a video, a news section and an entertainment section all associated with the selection from the menu. 
     
     
         8 . The computer system as in  claim 1 , wherein said display screen is a touchscreen, and said items are selected based on a touch on the touch screen. 
     
     
         9 . The computer system as in  claim 1 , wherein said menu is in the form of concentric rings, and selecting an item on one of said rings changes information on another of said rings. 
     
     
         10 . The computer system as in  claim 1 , wherein said items on the menu include a channel guide, wherein said channel guide when shown on a mobile phone screen includes only channels that can be seen on a mobile phone screen, and where said channel guide shown on another screen includes other channels that can be seen on said another screen but cannot be seen on said mobile phone screen, and where said processor determines which channels to show based on said synchronizing to the Internet dynamically. 
     
     
         11 . A computer system comprising:
 a display screen;   a memory storing information;   a processor, operating according to a stored program that is stored in said memory, to display a menu on said display screen,   said menu comprising a rotatable menu part, with a plurality of separate sections within the rotatable menu part, where the menu is rotated to different positions by a user, and each of a plurality of the different positions represents a selection of one of said sections within the rotatable menu part,   each of the sections within the rotatable menu part representing a different item to be selected for operation on the computer;   wherein the menu is in the shape of a circle, and each of said sections comprises a section of the circle, and where only a portion of the circle is shown at any one time, and where all of the items shown by rotating the menu is collectively more than could fit into a circle.   
     
     
         12 . The computer system as in  claim 11 , wherein said processor also produces an additional output on the same screen as said output of said menu part, said output being adjacent to said menu part and displaying information indicative of said selection of said section of said menu part,
 where selection of any of said items causes different portions to be displayed on the display screen as said additional output,   and where said additional output displayed on the display screen includes items that are stored in the memory of the computer, where the memory of the computer is synchronized to the Internet dynamically.   
     
     
         13 . The computer system as in  claim 12 , wherein the synchronization occurs each time that an item on the menu is selected. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system as in  claim 11 , wherein half the circle is shown at any one time as said portion of the circle. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system as in  claim 14 , wherein the menu includes four pages of half circles that comprise all of the selections of the menu. 
     
     
         16 . The computer system as in  claim 11 , wherein said additional output includes a video that was selected from said menu. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system as in  claim 12 , wherein said items on the menu include a channel guide, wherein said channel guide when shown on a mobile phone screen includes only channels that can be seen on a mobile phone screen, and where said channel guide shown on another screen includes other channels that can be seen on said another screen but cannot be seen on said mobile phone screen, and where said processor determines which channels to show based on said synchronizing to the Internet dynamically. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 displaying a menu on a display screen of a portable computer;   said menu comprising a rotatable menu part, with a plurality of separate sections within the rotatable menu part;   rotating the menu is rotated to different positions by a user action on a user interface, where each of a plurality of the different positions represents a selection of one of said sections within the rotatable menu part,   allowing selection of any of the sections within the rotatable menu part, each of the sections representing a different item to be selected for operation on the portable computer;   also producing an additional output on the same screen as said output of said menu part, said output being adjacent to said menu part and displaying information indicative of said selection of said section of said menu part,   wherein said screen only shows a portion of said menu at any one time, said menu in the shape of a circle, and said screen showing only a portion of said circle at any one time,   and where the menu controls selecting between the different items that are available for selection on the method including at least all of news, video, social networks, games, communications, and interests,   and where selection of any of said items causes different portions to be displayed on the display screen as said additional output,   storing said additional output displayed on the display; and   synchronizing information about the additional output to the Internet dynamically.   
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 18 , wherein the synchronization occurs each time that an item on the menu is selected. 
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 18 , wherein the menu is in the shape of the circle, and each of said sections comprises a section of the circle, and where only a portion of the circle is shown at any one time, and where all of the items shown by rotating the menu is collectively more than could fit into a normal circle. 
     
     
         21 . The method as in  claim 20 , wherein half the circle is shown at any one time. 
     
     
         22 . The method as in  claim 21 , wherein the menu includes four pages of half circles that comprise all of the selections of the menu.