Hierarchical Keyboard Navigation for UI Element Grouping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software applications face inefficiencies in navigating user interface elements using a keyboard, particularly due to slow tab chain navigation and the need for significant effort in maintaining localized hot keys across different languages.
Innovation Solution
The method involves grouping user interface elements based on the first character of their text labels, using navigation keys with modifiers to shift input focus within these groups, and generating navigation strings from sequences of key presses to efficiently navigate and activate UI elements, allowing for easy localization and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If tab chain navigation is used to navigate between UI elements, then all UI elements can be accessed, but navigation speed becomes slow when moving through many intermediate elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flat tab chain navigation into hierarchical groups based on the first character of UI element text labels. This creates nested navigation levels where users can jump to specific groups (e.g., all elements starting with 'F') rather than sequentially traversing every element, dramatically reducing navigation steps while maintaining access to all UI elements.
2Productivity
If unique hot keys are assigned to all UI elements for efficient activation, then command execution speed improves, but the complexity of maintaining localized hot keys across different languages increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the first character of UI element text labels serve dual purposes: it acts as both the group identifier for navigation and as the hot key for activating that element's command. This eliminates the need for separate hot key assignments and localization efforts, as the same character naturally appears in the localized text label regardless of language.
3Ease of operation
If navigation keys are assigned based on the first character of text labels, then navigation becomes more intuitive and localized automatically, but the system must handle case sensitivity and character matching variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies case-insensitive matching when comparing navigation key characters with UI element text label characters. This homogenizes the comparison process by converting all characters to a common case (typically uppercase) before comparison, eliminating navigation failures due to case variations while preserving the intuitive first-character navigation approach.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for navigating user interface elements of a computer program application. In one aspect, a method includes grouping user interface elements of an application into groups based on a hierarchical arrangement of the elements, detecting a navigation key press of a sibling or a parent navigation key, and if it is a sibling navigation key, shifting input focus to a next sibling group in the hierarchy, and if it is a parent navigation key, shifting input focus to a parent group in the hierarchy. In another aspect, a method for navigating editable cells of a table includes detecting a forward or a backward navigation key; if it is a forward navigation key, shifting input focus to a next editable cell of the table; and if it is a backward navigation key, shifting input focus to a previous editable cell of the table.