# US 10,120,529 B2 · Touch-activated and expandable visual navigation of a mobile device via a graphic selection element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,529 B2 - Document ID: US10120529B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/326,094 - Filed: 2014-07-08 - Published: 2016-01-14 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-08 - Assignees: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc. - Applicants: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc. - Inventors: Michelle Felt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120529B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A system may include a touchscreen and a computing device executing an application. The application displays on the touch screen a navigation area including a centrally disposed selection element. There is a first display area in the navigation area, wherein the first display area shows a first menu item from a list of menu items. The application changes the first display area, when a next menu select action is detected based on interactions with the touch screen, to show a second menu item from the list of menu items, where in the information on the touch screen is updated to corresponds to the second menu item. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile device comprising: a processor; a touch-activated graphical user interface, coupled to the processor; and a memory that stores an application executable by the processor; wherein said processor is configured to: execute said application to respond to at least one user touch entry via the user interface; activate said at least one user touch entry via user touch of a graphic selection element that is disposed by the processor substantially centrally on the user interface to facilitate centralized user touch access, the graphic selection element displaying at least a menu interface having a top portion including one of a menu icon or a home icon, and a bottom portion including a current menu title; in response to a user touch on at least a portion of the top portion to select a menu option associated with the current menu title displayed in the bottom portion, activating an animated process in which the top portion and the bottom portion move in opposite directions to expand a navigation area from a collapsed state to an expanded state in which the selected menu option including a list of menu items is displayed; and in response to a user touch on at least a portion of the bottom portion, activating an animated process within the graphic selection element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said processor executes the application to: display in the navigation area a menu item selected from said list of menu items. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the navigation area comprises a border between an upper area and a lower area, such border graphically bisecting said user interface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said graphic selection element is at least partially circular or elliptical in shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein said graphic selection element provides a visual, audible or vibrational alert to notify of a presence of a user message. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The mobile device of claim 5, wherein the user message comprises an advertisement or billing message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user touch on the at least a portion of the top portion includes at least one of a downward stroke and a touch on the menu icon. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the animated process within the graphic selection element includes a flip animation giving an appearance of the bottom portion flipping upward to display a next menu title in the bottom portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the animated process caused by the user touch on the at least a portion of the top portion includes the menu icon transitioning to the home icon, and at least one of a user touch on the home icon and an upward stroke anywhere on the user interface, including in the navigation area, causes the processor to automatically activate an animated process in which the top portion and the bottom portion move back together to collapse the navigation area from the expanded state to the collapsed state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The mobile device of claim 1, wherein in the collapsed state, the navigation area is collapsed into a line, and in the expanded state, the navigation area is generally rectangular. ### Claim 11 A method comprising: executing by a processor an application to respond to at least one user touch entry via a touch-activated graphical user interface of a mobile device; activating said at least one user touch entry via user touch of a graphic selection element that is disposed by the processor centrally at least in part on the user interface, the graphic selection element displaying at least a menu interface having a top portion including one of a menu icon or a home icon, and a bottom portion including a current menu title; in response to a user touch on at least a portion of the top portion to select a menu option associated with the current menu title displayed in the bottom portion, activating by the processor graphically an animated process in which the top portion and the bottom portion move in opposite directions to expand a navigation area from a collapsed state to an expanded state in which the selected menu option including a list of menu items is displayed in response to a user touch on at least a portion of the top portion; and activating by the processor graphically an animated process within the graphic selection element in response to a user touch on at least the bottom portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 further comprising: displaying by the user interface in the navigation area a menu item selected from said list of menu items. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein a border disposed in the navigation area between a first area and a second area graphically bisects said user interface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein, said graphic selection element is circular at least partially in shape. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said graphic selection element provides a visual, audible or vibrational alert to notify of a presence of a user message. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the user message comprises an advertisement or billing message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the user touch on the at least a portion of the top portion includes at least one of a downward stroke and a touch on the menu icon. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising: executing by a processor an application to respond to at least one user touch entry via a touch-activated graphical user interface of a mobile device; activating said at least one user touch entry via user touch of a graphic selection element that is at least in part centrally disposed by the processor on the user interface, the graphic selection element displaying a menu interface having a top portion including one of a menu icon or a home icon, and a bottom portion including a current menu title; in response to a user touch on at least a portion of the top portion to select a menu option associated with the current menu title displayed in the bottom portion, activating by the processor graphically an animated process in which the top portion and the bottom portion move in opposite directions to expand a navigation area from a collapsed state to an expanded state in which the selected menu option including a list of menu items is displayed in response to a user touch on at least a portion of the top portion; and activating by the processor graphically an animated process within the graphic selection element in response to a user touch on at least the bottom portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The medium of claim 18 further comprising: displaying by the user interface in the navigation area a menu item selected from said list of menu items. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The medium of claim 18, wherein a border is disposed in the navigation area between a first area and a second area, and thereby graphically bisects said user interface. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The medium of claim 18, wherein said graphic selection element is circular at least partially in shape.