USER INTERFACE FOR WORKING WITH SEARCH ENGINES AND DATABASES (VERSIONS) Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC H04M1/247 G06F3/481 

FIELD: information technology.

SUBSTANCE: user interface includes a screen with a working area on which there is a set of selectable objects in form of icons and display of the corresponding set of options in form of icons associated with the corresponding selectable objects. The interface also includes a control for moving a cursor used to select an object or option from said sets. In the interface, the working area of the screen is divided into a fixed number of background units arranged in rows one above the other to form a table in which each cell of the table is a background unit and in which each unit in one row is situated under a unit in an adjacent row to form columns. Each object and each option are in form of an icon situated on top of the background units and having a size equal to the size of one background unit or a multiple of background units in at least the horizontal or vertical direction. Icons of the set of selectable objects are arranged in one direction along rows of the table or columns thereof and include at least one icon corresponding to an option and the rest of the icons corresponding to objects. In each row, icons have a function of altering their appearance when pointed to by a cursor and a function of opening an underlying set of one or more selectable objects which, when opened, are situated in an adjacent row or column of the table on top of background units and along icons of a set opened prior. Icons of the set of selectable objects in each newly opened set are arranged in a direction which matches the direction of icons of a set opened prior, and include at least one icon corresponding to an option and the rest of icons corresponding to objects.

EFFECT: displaying the entire field of a search process by accelerating and simplifying navigation and the selection and control processes themselves.

2 cl, 5 dwg