Method and system for managing user activities and information using a customized computer interface

• US 20020097277A1
• Filed: 01/19/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C-SAM Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Satyan G. Pitroda
• Inventors: Pitroda, Satyan G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods and systems for managing user information using a customized computer interface which is user centric and geared toward creating and managing a personal information portal. In one aspect, the invention provides computerized methods for organizing a representation of user activities and information and navigating through an information management system that utilizes the representation.

Claims

1. A computerized method for organizing user activities and information, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a plurality of spheres corresponding to the activities and information;

identifying activities and information for each sphere;

creating universes corresponding to a subset of the activities and information, wherein each universe is related to at least one sphere;

creating personalities corresponding to an individual associated with the user and the user'"'"'s activities and information, wherein each personality corresponds to at least one sphere; and

establishing parent, child, and jump relationships among the spheres, universes and personalities.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of associating a notebook with each universe wherein the notebook organizes a plurality of characteristics corresponding to the universe.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the notebook comprises general, communication, management, and document activities and information and access to communication, management, and document creating applications.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each universe comprises related information, and transactions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the spheres comprise objects relating to business activities and information, personal activities and information, people information, and tools.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the communication, management, and document creating applications may be compatible third party applications.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of consolidating all information from associated notebooks into one global notebook.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of performing operations on the universes and personalities to perform functions comprising communication, documentation, management, and navigation.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein operations are performed by associating software applications to perform communication, documentation, management, and navigation.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of tracking user operations and storing the user operations in a database.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of representing spheres, universes, personalities, and the relationships in a graphical user interface.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of sending the graphical user interface to a networked computer for remote access.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of displaying a notebook associated with the desired universe, the notebook comprising activities and information and access to applications.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of passing a navigational device over at least one icon to temporarily display relationships relating to spheres and universes.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of passing a navigational device over at least one icon to temporarily display an explanatory message in a status bar on the display.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of selecting an icon comprises using a navigational device to click on the desired icon, using a navigational device to double-click on the desired icon, speaking the name of the desired icon, and entering a keyboard sequence.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the navigational device comprises a mouse, keyboard, light pen, touch screen, and voice command.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of selecting a desired universe comprises using a navigational device to click on the desired icon, using a navigational device to double-click on the desired icon, speaking the name of the desired icon, and entering a keyboard sequence.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the navigational device comprises a mouse, keyboard, light pen, touch screen, and voice command.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of displaying a tool bar, the tool bar comprising icons, each icon allowing for access to application tools.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of displaying a status bar to allow for display of system messages and text or voice based input of user commands.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the steps of receiving electronic messages for the privileged user, sending electronic messages for the privileged user and filing electronic messages for the privileged user.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the graphical user interface comprises:

a software portion for displaying icons representing spheres corresponding to activities and information;

a software portion for selecting an icon, whereby the selected icon and icons representing the universes, comprising child and jump, corresponding to the selected icon are displayed;

a software portion for traversing through related universes, whereby selection of an icon representing a universe displays icons representing child and jump universes; and

a software portion for selecting a desired universe from the displayed icons representing child and jump universes.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising a software portion for displaying a notebook associated with the desired universe, the notebook comprising activities and information and access to applications.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the software portions reside on top of an existing operating system and interacts with the existing operating system.

29. The system of claim 26 such that the system is embodied in an existing operating system.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein the software portions reside in computer systems comprising a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a networked computer, a computer server, and a stand alone computer.

31. The system of claim 26 further comprising a software portion for providing a relational database to process information and relationships between the spheres, universes, personalities and notebooks.

32. The system of claim 26 further comprising a software portion for transparently incorporating compatible third party applications into the system.

33. The system of claim 26 further comprising a software portion for synchronizing information with third party information management systems.

34. The system of claim 26 further comprising a set of preconfigured spheres, universes, and relationships between spheres and universes.

35. The system of claim 26 further comprising a remote server for providing remote access to the representation of user activities and information.

37. The computer program product of claim 36 further comprising computer readable program code means for a set of preconfigured spheres and universes.

38. The computer program product of claim 36 further comprising computer readable program code means for an expert system to predict user activities and information.

13. A method for navigating activities and information, the method comprising:

displaying icons representing spheres corresponding to activities and information;

selecting an icon, whereby the selected icon and icons representing universes, comprising child and jump, corresponding to the selected icon are displayed;

traversing through related universes, whereby selection of an icon representing a universe displays icons representing child and jump universes; and

selecting a desired universe from the displayed icons representing child and jump universes.

23. A computerized method for creating a personal portal of activities and information on a networked computer comprising the steps of:

receiving a representation of activities and information from an external source;

storing the representation on the networked computer;

displaying the representation on a web page in response to a request by a privileged user;

offering at least one networked based application tools t process the representation of activities and information; and

synchronizing the representation of the networked computer with a different representation of activities and information on the local computer of the privileged user.

25. A computer system for organizing user activities and information , the system comprising:

a visual display for representing the user activities and information;

a storage medium for storing and retrieving information related to the user activities and information;

a computer processor coupled to the visual display and to the storage medium for accessing and processing information stored in the storage medium to provide a graphical user interface of user activities and information;

an input means coupled to the computer processor for entering information related to the representation of user activities and information;

a software portion for creating a plurality of spheres corresponding to the activities and information;

a software portion for identifying activities and information for each sphere;

a software portion for creating universes corresponding to a subset of the activities and information wherein each universe corresponds to at least one sphere;

a software portion for creating personalities corresponding to an individual associated with the user and the user'"'"'s activities and information, wherein each personality corresponds to at least one sphere;

a software portion for establishing parent, child, and jump relationships among the spheres, universes and personalities; and

a software portion for providing navigation of the spheres, universes, and personalities.

36. A computer program product for organizing user activities and information comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for a representation of user activities and information;

computer readable program code means to construct spheres, each sphere comprising universes, wherein each universe corresponds to particular user activities and information;

computer readable program code means to construct a hierarchy of universes corresponding to an associated sphere;

computer readable program code means to construct a notebook related to a universe, wherein the notebook organizes the user activities and information corresponding to the related universe;

computer readable program code means to establish relationships between spheres, universes, and personalities; and

a computer readable program code means to provide a graphical user interface to navigate through the user activities and information.