US Patent 7971155 Dropdown widget

A data processing system and method of presenting data on a graphical user interface. A dropdown widget with multiple lists is provided. According to an embodiment, items are grouped into multiple lists, and the lists are presented in an alternating or cyclic fashion in response to a user input. In a certain embodiment, a particular list may be selected for display by choosing the corresponding button on a widget. In some cases, multiple lists may be displayed at the same time. The present invention enables the user to select one or more items from mutually exclusive or hierarchically organized lists.