Displaying data base information as a document metaphor
First Claim
1. A system for use in presenting at least one record of information, including a plurality of fields of data, as a textual document that can be displayed and edited, said system comprising:
- a data display device;
at least one data entry device;
an information store containing at least one data record; and
a data handler, coupled to said information store and to said data display device, for accessing said data base and for retrieving at least a portion of said at least one data record, said data handler for creating a document metaphor containing said at least a portion of said at least one retrieved data record for display on said data display device, said document metaphor allowing sequential viewing, on said data display device, of at least a portion of said retrieved data record as a text document.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A data handler system which serves as an interface between a data display device and information store, such as a data base, retrieves information and displays it to the user in a form of a document metaphor. The document metaphor contains all of the information in a particular information record that a user desires to see. The user may scroll through the document metaphor, and may edit, save, print, and e-mail the document metaphor much the same as any other standard document. The document metaphor includes at least one expandable text box that grows and contracts, at least in one dimension, in accordance with the amount of text in the box. The document metaphor includes standard tool bars such as a menu bar, command bar, and navigation bar.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for use in presenting at least one record of information, including a plurality of fields of data, as a textual document that can be displayed and edited, said system comprising:
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a data display device;
at least one data entry device;
an information store containing at least one data record; and
a data handler, coupled to said information store and to said data display device, for accessing said data base and for retrieving at least a portion of said at least one data record, said data handler for creating a document metaphor containing said at least a portion of said at least one retrieved data record for display on said data display device, said document metaphor allowing sequential viewing, on said data display device, of at least a portion of said retrieved data record as a text document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer program, residing in a storage medium, for use in presenting at least one record of information including a plurality of field of data as a textual document which can be displayed and edited, the program comprising executable instructions which enable a computer system to:
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allow a user to select a record from an information store to be viewed;
retrieve at least a portion of the selected record;
present, on a data display device, at least a portion of the retrieved record as a document metaphor allowing sequentially viewing of the displayed portion of the record; and
allowing the user to switch the view of the document metaphor between a data entry view mode and a data display view mode. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for presenting at least one record of information including a plurality of fields of data as a textual document which can be displayed and edited, said method comprising the acts of:
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providing a data handler, responsive, in use, to at least one information store containing at least one data record;
responsive, in use, to a user request for access to at least a portion of at least one record, accessing said information store and retrieving at least a portion of said at least one data record; and
responsive to said accessing and retrieving, creating a document metaphor allowing sew viewing of at least a portion of said retrieved data record on said data display device as a textual document.
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Specification