User interface for database display

• US 20060069694A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rossi, Robert, Swanson, Trent
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

A computer system may include a display and a user interface selection device. The computer system may display a first set of data associated with a first index of a data store in a first frame, and may receive a first selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device selecting a first item of the first set of data. In response to the first selection signal, the computer system may retrieve a second set of data from the data store associated with a second index of the data store, the second set of data being associated with the first item. The computer system may display the second set of data in a second frame distinct from the first frame.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a graphical user interface, a display, and a user interface selection device, a method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a first set of data associated with a first index of a data store in a first frame;

(b) receiving a first selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device selecting a first item of the first set of data;

(c) in response to the first selection signal, retrieving a second set of data from the data store associated with a second index of the data store, the second set of data being associated with the first item; and

(d) displaying the second set of data in a second frame distinct from the first frame.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first selection signal indicates a point and click of the user interface selection device proximate the first item.

3. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising associating the first frame with the second frame.

4. The computer system of claim 3, further comprising displaying the second frame as a stackable container associated with the first frame.

5. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device selecting a second item of the second set of data.

6. The computer system of claim 5, further comprising receiving a third selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device relatively moving the second frame before the first frame, and in response to the third selection signal, retrieving a fourth set of data associated with the second item and the first index, and displaying the fourth set of data in the first frame.

7. The computer system of claim 6, further comprising in response to the third selection signal, increasing a primacy associated with the second frame and decreasing a primacy associated with the first frame.

8. The computer system of claim 5, further comprising in response to the second selection signal, retrieving a third set of data from the data store associated with the second item and with a third index of the data store, and displaying the third set of data in a third frame distinct from the first and second frames.

9. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising receiving a fifth selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device selecting a third item of the third set of data, receiving a sixth selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device relatively moving the third frame before the second frame, and in response to the sixth selection signal, retrieving a fifth set of data associated with the third item and the second index, and displaying the fifth set of data in the second frame.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the sixth selection signal is indicative of the user interface selection device relatively moving the third frame before the first frame, and in response to the sixth selection signal, retrieving a sixth set of data associated with the third item and the first index, and displaying the sixth set of data in the first frame.

11. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising receiving an eighth selection signal indicative of the user interface device selecting an action to be taken with reference to the third item.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising in response to the eighth selection signal, initiating an external application to perform the selected action.

13. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising detecting an event and automatically selecting an item in the second frame.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising automatically relatively moving the second frame before the first frame.

15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein a title bar of the first frame includes an index label of the first index.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising receiving a seventh selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device selecting a frame minimizer selector of the first frame, and in response to the seventh selection signal, decreasing a size of the first frame to exclude display of unselected items of the first set of data.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein decreasing the size includes decreasing a vertical size of the first frame and maintaining a horizontal size of the first frame.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein decreasing the size includes displaying the title bar of the first frame and excludes display of items of the first set of data.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein decreasing the size includes replacing the first frame with a first frame icon at a relative position of the first frame.

20. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first frame and the second frame are display frames compatible with Windows®

graphical user interface software.

21. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the data store includes a hierarchical database, and the first index indicates a first tier of the hierarchical database, and the second index indicates a second tier of the hierarchical database lower than the first tier.

22. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising in response to the first selection signal, decreasing a size of the first frame.

23. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the data store includes a multidimensional database, and the first index indicates a first dimension of the multidimensional database and the second index indicates a second dimension of the multidimensional database.

24. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising associating a first primacy with a position of the first frame and associating a second primacy with the second frame, the second primacy being less than the first primacy.

25. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

(a) displaying in a first frame a first list of items associated with a first index of a multidimensional data store;

(b) receiving a first indication of a selection of a first item in the first list of items;

(c) in response to the first indication, displaying in a second frame a second list of items associated with a second index of the multidimensional data store and associated with the first item.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the second index is predetermined.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the second index is hierarchically at a lower level than the first index.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the second index is selected by a user.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising displaying the second frame as a stackable container associated with the first frame.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 25, further comprising receiving a second indication of a selection of a second item of the second set of data.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30, further comprising receiving a third indication of relative movement of the second frame before the first frame, and in response to the third indication, retrieving a fourth set of data associated with the second item and the first index, and displaying the fourth set of data in the first frame.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, further comprising in response to the third indication, increasing a primacy associated with the second frame, and decreasing a primacy associated with the first frame.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 30, further comprising in response to the second indication, retrieving a third set of data from the multidimensional data store associated with the second item and with a third index of the data store, and displaying the third set of data in a third frame distinct from the first and second frames.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, further comprising receiving a fifth indication of a selection of a third item of the third set of data, receiving a sixth indication of relative movement of the third frame before the second frame, and in response to the sixth indication, retrieving a fifth set of data associated with the third item and the second index, and displaying the fifth set of data in the second frame.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the sixth selection signal indication indicates relative movement of the third frame before the first frame, and in response to the sixth indication, retrieving a sixth set of data associated with the third item and the first index, and displaying the sixth set of data in the first frame.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 34, further comprising receiving an eighth indication of an action to be taken with reference to the third item.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the first frame and the second frame are display frames compatible with Windows®

graphical user interface software.

38. A computer readable medium having computer executable components comprising:

(a) a database component for storing a multidimensional data store including at least a first index and a second index;

(b) a query engine component for retrieving a data set associated with at least one of the first index and the second index of the multidimensional data store;

(c) a display component for displaying each retrieved data set in a distinct container, each container having a display position indicating a primacy of the retrieved data set; and

(d) a user component for receiving an indication of a selected item in a container having a first primacy.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein each container is a frame including a title bar including a frame minimizer selector, and a scroll bar indicator.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein each frame is a display frame compatible with Windows®

graphical user interface software.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein in response to the indication of a selected item, the user component modifies the data set in each container having a lesser primacy to be associated with the selected item and at least one of the first index and the second index.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein each container is a stackable container.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the user component is constructed to receive an indication of a change of primacy of a selected container.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein the indication of a change of primacy includes an indication of the selected container being relatively moved before a container having a higher primacy.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein in response to the indication of a change of primacy, the user component modifies the data set in the selected container.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 45, wherein in response to the indication of a change of primacy, the user component decreases the primacy of each container positioned after the selected container.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein in response to the indication of a change of primacy, the user component modifies the data set in each container having a decreased primacy.

48. A display device having rendered thereon a query result for a query to a multidimensional database, the query result comprising:

(a) a first query result contained in a first frame, the first query result comprising at least a portion of a first dimension of the multidimensional database;

(b) a second query result in a second frame distinct from the first frame, the second query result comprising at least a portion of a second dimension of the multidimensional database.

49. The display device of claim 48, wherein a position of the first frame indicates a first primacy associated with the first query result, and a position of the second frame indicates a second primacy lower than the first primacy and associated with the second query result.

50. The display device of claim 48, wherein each item of the second query result satisfies a query parameter.

51. The display device of claim 50, wherein the query parameter is an item indicated in the first query result.

52. The display device of claim 50, wherein the query parameter is a constraint on items associated with the second dimension.

53. The display device of claim of claim 48, wherein each frame is compatible with Windows®

graphical user interface software.

54. The display device of claim 48, wherein each fame is a stackable container.

55. The display device of claim 48, wherein in response to a relative movement of the second frame before the first frame, the second query result if modified to remove any constraints indicated in the first frame.

56. The display device of claim 55, wherein response to the relative movement of the second frame, the first query result is modified to add any constraints indicated in the second frame.

57. A method including:

(a) displaying a first container containing a first set of data items in accordance with a first query including a first index of a database,

(b) associating a first primacy with the first container;

(c) displaying a second container containing a second set of data items in accordance with a second query including a second index of the database;

(d) associating with the second container a second primacy less than the first primacy;

(e) receiving a first indication that the second container has moved relatively before the first container;

(f) in response to the first indication, associating with the second container a third primacy and associating with the first container a fourth primacy less than the third primacy; and

(g) in response to the first indication, pivoting the first and second sets of data about the second index.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising before receiving the first indication, receiving a second indication of a selection of an item in the second set of items.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the second indication is received from a user interface selection device selecting the item.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the second indication is received from a user component detecting a predetermined event.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein in response to the second indication, further comprising displaying a third container containing a third set of data items in accordance with a third query including a third index of the database.

62. The method of claim 58, further comprising, in response to the first indication, displaying in the first frame a fourth set of data items associated with the first index and the selected item.

63. The method of claim 58, further comprising receiving a third indication that an action is desired associated with the selected item.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising in response to the third indication, displaying an action container associated with the second frame.

65. The method of claim 64, further comprising in response to the third indication accessing an external application to provide the action.

66. The method of claim 57, further comprising generating the first query and the second query based upon a predetermined hierarchical relationship of the first index and the second index.

67. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

(a) displaying in a first container a first list of items associated with a first index of a multidimensional database;

(b) associating a first primacy with a display position of the first container;

(c) displaying in a second container a second list of items associated with a second index of the multidimensional database; and

(d) associating a second primacy with a display position of the second container, the second primacy being less than the first primacy.

68. The computer readable medium of claim 67, wherein the first index and the second index are indicated by a user.

69. The computer readable medium of claim 67, wherein the first index and the second index are predetermined.

70. The computer readable medium of claim 67, further comprising receiving a first indication that the second container has moved relatively before the first container, and in response to the first indication, associating the first primacy with the second container and associating the second primacy with the first container.

71. The computer readable medium of claim 67, wherein each container is compatible with Windows®

graphical user interface software.

72. The computer readable medium of claim 67, further comprising receiving a second indication of a selection of an item in the second container, and in response to the second indication, displaying a third list of items in a third container being associated with a third primacy lower than the second primacy.

73. The computer readable medium of claim 72, further comprising receiving a third indication that the third container has moved relatively before a container having a higher primacy, and in response to the third indication, retrieving a list of data items for display in each container positioned after the third container.

74. The computer readable medium of claim 73, further comprising, in response to the third indication, associating a fourth primacy with the third container less than the third primacy, and decreasing a primacy associated with each container positioned below the third container.

75. The computer readable medium of claim 74, further comprising expanding the list of data items in the third container to exclude constraints indicated in containers having a lower primacy than the fourth primacy.

76. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a first set of data from a database in a first container;

(b) associating a first primacy with a position of the first container on the display;

(c) receiving a first selection signal indicative of the user interface selection device selecting a first item of the first set of data;

(d) in response to the first selection signal, retrieving a second set of data from the database, the second set of data being associated with the first item;

(e) displaying the second set of data in a second container distinct from the first container; and

(f) associating a second primacy with a position of the second container on the display, the second primacy being less than the first primacy.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein each of the first and second containers is a frame including a title bar and a scroll bar indicator.

78. The method of claim 76, wherein the first set of data is associated with a first index of the database and the second set of data is associated with a second index of the database.

79. The method of claim 76, further comprising receiving a first indication that the second container has moved relatively before the first container, and in response to the first indication, associating the first primacy with the second container and associating the second primacy with the first container.

80. The method of claim 79, further comprising expanding the second set of data to remove an indicated constraint associated with the first container.

81. The method of claim 79, further comprising limiting the first set of data to include an indicated constraint associated with the second container.

82. The method of claim 76, further comprising receiving a second indication of a selection of an item in the second container, and in response to the second indication, displaying a fourth set of data in a third container being associated with a third primacy lower than the second primacy.

83. The method of claim 80, further comprising retrieving a list of data items for display in each container positioned after the third container.