System and method for creation of an object within an object hierarchy structure

• US 20040205711A1
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stallo, Giovanni, Ishimitsu, Michael Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,272,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method relating to creation of object(s) in an object hierarchy structure is provided. An object generator that in response to a command to expand a node/object provides a initiator node that facilitates generation of a new object within the object hierarchy upon expansion of the node. A display component concurrently displays the initiator node with the expanded node. The initiator node used for creating objects placed (e.g., in-line) within an object hierarchy structure. To create a new object, an instruction (e.g., user input) to expand a node having a initiator node is received. By selecting the initiator node and entering a name, an object of type defined by the initiator node is created. For example, once the object is created the user can enter information defining parameter(s) of the object. Information can be entered through a user interface box (e.g., text box) that is displayed upon the creation of the object. Also, a grid can overlay the object hierarchy structure allowing information to be entered directly into grid cell(s). The grid can further be employed to display defined parameter(s).

Claims

1. An object hierarchy structure system comprising:

an object generator that in response to a command to expand a node provides a initiator node that facilitates generation of a new object within the object hierarchy upon expansion of the node; and

a display component that concurrently displays the initiator node with the expanded node.

2. The system of claim 1, the generated object associated with at least one of a message, a port, a variable, a correlation and a role link.

3. The system of claim 1, the object generator receiving input information comprising a name of the generated object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the object generator further receives information associated with a parameter of the generated object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a grid overlays at least a portion of the object hierarchy structure.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the grid defines cells that receive information associated with a parameter of the generated object.

7. The system of claim 5, the display component further displaying a drop-down combo-box providing help text regarding information being entered into the grid.

8. The system of claim 1, the display component further displaying help information associated with the initiator node.

9. The system of claim 1, the object generator providing simple visual indicator if at least some of the input information is at least one of invalid and insufficient.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein specific help information is displayed upon hovering a pointer device over the simple visual indicator.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated object is represented in the same node of the object hierarchy structure as the initiator node.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated object is represented in a different node of the object hierarchy structure than the initiator node.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the display component further displays a user interface box facilitating receipt of information associated with a parameter of the generated object.

14. The system of claim 13,wherein a drop-down combo-box having help text regarding the information being entered into the user interface box is displayed by the display component.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein artificial intelligence techniques are employed to facilitate implicit training of the system, therein allowing the system to determine a type of initiator node to be associated with the expanded node.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising a classifier, the classifier being at least one of a support vector machine, expert system, neural network, Bayesian belief network, and Hidden Markov Model.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein a user defines the type of initiator nodes to be associated with a given expanded node.

18. The system of claim 1 embodied in a computer readable medium.

19. An object hierarchy structure system comprising:

an object generator that in response to a command to expand a node provides a initiator node that generates at least one functionality that can be employed with an object within the object hierarchy upon expansion of the node; and

a display component that concurrently displays the initiator node and the at least one functionality with the expanded node.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising an implicitly trained classifier that infers a type of functionality to be associated with the initiator node.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein a user defines the type of functionality to be associated with a given initiator node.

23. A method that facilitates creation of a new object in an object hierarchy comprising:

receiving an instruction to expand an object folder; and

,

concurrently displaying contents of the folder and an option related to creation of a new object associated with at least one of the contents.

24. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 23.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

generating the new object; and

,

receiving information from a user, the information associated with at least one of a name of the new object and a parameter of the new object.

26. A method that facilitates creation of new objects in an object hierarchy comprising:

receiving an instruction to expand an object folder; and

,

concurrently displaying contents of the folder and an option related to manipulation of at least one of the contents.

27. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 26.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

generating a new object based, at least in part, upon the option; and

receiving information from a user, the information associated with at least one of a name of the new object and a parameter of the new object.

29. A method that facilitates creation of new objects in an object hierarchy comprising:

displaying an object hierarchy structure having an expandable node;

receiving an input associated with expansion of the expandable node; and

,

concurrently displaying contents of the expandable node and information associated with creation of a new object associated with at least one of the contents.

20. The system of claim 29 embodied in a computer readable medium.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

generating the new object; and

,

receiving information from a user, the information associated with at least one of a name of the new object and a parameter of the new object.

31. A method that facilitates the availability of a particular functionality of an object within an object hierarchy comprising:

displaying an object hierarchy structure having an expandable node;

receiving an input associated with expansion of the expandable node; and

concurrently displaying contents of the expandable node and information associated with a particular functionality of an object associated with at least one of the contents.

32. A data packet transmitted between two or more computer processes that facilitates an object hierarchy structure, the data packet comprising:

an object generated by a initiator node displayed as part of the object hierarchy structure upon expansion of an expandable node.

33. A computer readable medium storing computer executable components of an object hierarchy structure system comprising:

a display component that displays an object hierarchy structure having an expandable node;

an input component that facilitates expansion of the expandable node and receipt of input information; and

,

a object generator that provides a initiator node to the object hierarchy structure upon expansion of the expandable node and generates an object of the object hierarchy structure based, at least in part, upon the initiator node and the input information.

34. An object hierarchy structure system comprising:

means for displaying an object hierarchy structure having an expandable node;

means for receiving input facilitating expansion of the expandable node and receipt of input information; and

,

means for generating an object based on a initiator node provided to the object hierarchy structure upon expansion of the expandable node, the object being generated based, at least in part, upon the initiator node and the input information.

35. A system that facilitates creation of a new object in an object hierarchy comprising:

means for receiving an instruction to expand an object folder; and

,

means for concurrently displaying contents of the folder and an option related to creation of a new object associated with at least one of the contents.

36. An object hierarchy structure user interface comprising:

an object hierarchy structure region that displays an object hierarchy structure having an expandable node; and

,

an initiator node region that displays an initiator node upon expansion of the expandable node.

37. A user interface facilitating an in-line modeless wizard comprising:

an object hierarchy structure region that displays an object hierarchy structure having an expandable node;

an initiator node region that displays an initiator node upon expansion of the expandable node;

a parameter region that facilitates receipt of information associated with a parameter upon initiation of an operation associated with the initiator node;

a drop-down combo box region that provides an option to a user associated with the parameter; and

,

a visual cue region that provides a visual cue to a user regarding status of the operation associated with the initiator node.

38. A system employing the user interface of claim 37, wherein a state of the operation is persisted.

39. A system employing the user interface of claim 37, wherein an action external to the initiator node can at a later time alter a state of the wizard and update the visual cue region associated with the initiator node.