Updatable Menu Items

Abstract

A menu is displayed within a graphical user interface. The menu of one exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of selectable menu items within the menu. One of the menu items includes a first region and a second region. The first region presents a static title for the menu item, and the second region includes text that is capable of scrolling. The text within the second region of the first menu item is scrolled in response to the first menu item being selected. For example, the selection may be made by hovering a pointer above the first menu item. The scrolling may then be paused when the pointer is moved away from above the first menu item.

1 . A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium storing executable instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:
 displaying a region in a graphical user interface for receiving a command to cause a menu to be displayed;   displaying, in response to receiving the command, the menu;   displaying, on a display device, the menu within the graphical user interface, the menu including a plurality of selectable menu items, including a first menu item within the menu, wherein the first menu item includes a first region and a separate second region, the first region presenting a static title for the menu item, and the second region including text that is capable of scrolling;   selecting the first menu item; and   automatically scrolling the text, in response to receiving the command to display the menu on the display device, within the second region of the first menu item, wherein the automatic scrolling of the text further includes an animation selected from one of the following: horizontal scrolling right-to-left, horizontal scrolling left-to-right, vertical scrolling, content increasing in size, content decreasing in size, content presented having three-dimensional appearance, content having shadowing, content having a change in shadowing, scrolling during an unselected state, scrolling a first sentence horizontally while a second sentence scrolls vertically, and wherein information communicated by the scrolling of the text automatically and dynamically changes as the text scrolls.   
     
     
         2 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a selection of the first menu item, wherein the scrolling occurs prior to the receiving the selection of the first menu item.   
     
     
         3 . The medium of  claim 2 , wherein the selection comprises a pointer hovering above the first menu item and wherein the method further comprises determining if a time threshold has been met with respect to receiving the selection of the first menu item, and wherein the scrolling is in response to the determining of the time threshold. 
     
     
         4 . The medium of  claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:
 pausing the scrolling of the text when the pointer is not positioned above the first menu item.   
     
     
         5 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processing unit coupled to a memory through a bus;   means for displaying a region in a graphical user interface for receiving a command to cause a menu to be displayed;   means for displaying, in response to receiving the command, the menu;   means for displaying the menu within the graphical user interface on a display device coupled to the processing unit, the menu including a plurality of selectable menu items, including a first menu item within the menu, wherein the first menu item includes a first region and a separate second region, the first region presenting a static title for the menu item, and the second region including text that is capable of automatically scrolling;   means for selecting the first menu item; and   means for scrolling the text within the second region of the first menu item in response to receiving the command to display the menu, wherein the automatic scrolling of the text includes an animation selected from one of the following: horizontal scrolling right-to-left, horizontal scrolling left-to-right, vertical scrolling, content increasing in size, content decreasing in size, content presented having three-dimensional appearance, content having shadowing, content having a change in shadowing, scrolling during an unselected state, scrolling a first sentence horizontally while a second sentence scrolls vertically, and wherein information communicated by the scrolling of the text automatically and dynamically changes as the text scrolls.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 means for receiving a selection of the first menu item, wherein the scrolling occurs prior to the receiving the selection of the first menu item.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the selection comprises a pointer hovering above the first menu item. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 means for pausing the scrolling of the text when the pointer is not positioned above the first menu item.   
     
     
         9 . A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium storing executable instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:
 displaying a region in a graphical user interface for receiving a command to cause a menu to be displayed;   displaying, in response to receiving the command, the menu;   presenting, on a display device, the menu within the graphical user interface;   receiving a selection of a menu item within the menu;   determining, through a quota, if a time threshold has been met with respect to receiving the selection of the menu item; and   in response to determining the time threshold, automatically scrolling text within the selected menu item but not other menu items in the menu; wherein the automatic scrolling of the text further includes an animation selected from one of the following: horizontal scrolling right-to-left, horizontal scrolling left-to-right, vertical scrolling, content increasing in size, content decreasing in size, content presented having three-dimensional appearance, content having shadowing, content having a change in shadowing, scrolling during an unselected state, scrolling a first sentence horizontally while a second sentence scrolls vertically, and wherein information communicated by the scrolling text automatically and dynamically changes as the text scrolls.   
     
     
         10 . The medium of  claim 9 , wherein the menu item includes a first line of text and a second line of text, the first line of text being static, and the second line of text capable of scrolling. 
     
     
         11 . The medium of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
 generating the content of the second line of text in real-time, wherein the second line of text scrolls.   
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 9 , wherein receiving the selection comprises positioning a pointer above the menu item. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processing unit coupled to a memory through a bus;   means for displaying a region in a graphical user interface for receiving a command to cause a menu to be displayed;   means for displaying, in response to receiving the command, the menu;   means for presenting the menu within the graphical user interface on a display device coupled to the processing unit;   means for receiving a selection of a menu item within the menu;   means for determining, through a quota if a time threshold has been met with respect to receiving the selection of the menu item; and   means for scrolling text automatically within the selected menu item but not other menu items in the menu in response to determining the time threshold;   
       wherein the automatic scrolling of the text includes an animation selected from one of the following: horizontal scrolling right-to-left, horizontal scrolling left-to-right, vertical scrolling upwards, vertical scrolling, content increasing in size, content decreasing in size, content presented having three-dimensional appearance, content having shadowing, content having a change in shadowing, scrolling during an unselected state, scrolling a first sentence horizontally while a second sentence scrolls vertically, and wherein information communicated by the scrolling text automatically and dynamically changes as the text scrolls. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 means for generating the content of the second line of text in real-time, wherein the second line of text scrolls.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the means for receiving the selection comprises a pointer positioned above the menu item. 
     
     
         16 . A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium storing instructions to cause a machine to perform a machine-implemented method comprising:
 displaying a region in a graphical user interface for receiving a command to cause a menu to be displayed;   displaying, in response to receiving the command, the menu;   displaying, on a display device, the menu within the graphical user interface, the menu including a plurality of selectable menu items which include a first menu item, wherein the first menu item includes a first line of text and a separate second line of text; and   automatically animating the second line of text of the first menu item but not the first line of text upon displaying the menu in response to receiving the command to display the menu, wherein the automatic animating of the second line of text includes an animation selected from one of the following: horizontal scrolling right-to-left, horizontal scrolling left-to-right, vertical scrolling, and wherein information communicated by the scrolling text automatically and dynamically changes as the text scrolls.   
     
     
         17 . A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium storing executable instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:
 displaying a region in a graphical user interface for receiving a command to cause a menu to be displayed;   displaying, in response to receiving the command, the menu;   displaying, on a display device, the menu within the graphical user interface, the menu including a plurality of selectable menu items within the menu, wherein a first menu item includes a first region and a separate second region, the first region presenting a static title for the menu item, and the second region including text that is capable of scrolling; and   automatically scrolling the text, in response to receiving the command to display the menu on the display device, within the second region of the first menu item and wherein information communicated by the scrolling of the text changes automatically and dynamically as the text scrolls.   
     
     
         18 . The medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a selection of the first menu item, wherein the scrolling occurs prior to the receiving of the selection of the first menu item.   
     
     
         19 . The medium of  claim 18 , wherein the selection comprises a pointer hovering above the first menu item and wherein the method further comprises determining if a time threshold has been met with respect to receiving the selection of the first menu item, and wherein the scrolling is in response to the determining of the time threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The medium of  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
 pausing the scrolling of the text when the pointer is not positioned above the first menu item.