Graphical chronological path presentation

• US 20060156255A1
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bedingfield, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,802,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The life history of a person or entity can be presented in a graphical representation of a highway. Life events may be represented by simple data strings, or by files such as photographs, dissertations, job offers, and love-letters, among others. For ease in viewing, the information representing the life history is categorized according to type (medical, educational, photographic, etc.) and placed in lanes corresponding to the type of information. The information is also organized by date, being placed between mile corresponding to temporal periods, for instance, years. Other graphical arrangements of stored information are also included.

Claims

1. A method of presenting information comprising:

saving information with a corresponding time stamp and category; and

presenting the information in a visual medium,

wherein the visual medium includes a path with a plurality of partitions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is presented between markers corresponding to temporal periods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the category of the information is marked with a meta-tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is related to a person'"'"'s or an entity'"'"'s life history.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is presented in the visual medium by at least one icon.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the icon is located in a lane on the path corresponding to the category of the information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the icon is located between markers corresponding to the time stamp of the information.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the meta-tag is written in XML.

9. A system for presenting information comprising:

a data storage device for storing information;

a display device for displaying a representation of the information;

a user interface device for interaction between a user and the display device; and

a processor for selectively displaying the representation of the stored information on the display device;

wherein the processor displays the information chronologically on a graphically implemented path.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information is represented by at least one icon on the path.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the information is organized according to a corresponding date of the information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the information is categorized according to type.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the categories are represented as a corresponding partitions on the path.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the icon is located between markers representing temporal periods and the location corresponds to the date of the information represented by the icon.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the information is related to a person'"'"'s or an entity'"'"'s life history.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the category of the information is marked with a meta-tag.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the meta-tag is written in XML.

18. A computer readable medium having a program for presenting information, the program comprising:

logic for saving information with a corresponding time stamp and category; and

logic for presenting the information in a visual medium,

wherein the presentation includes a path with a plurality of partitions.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the information is presented between markers corresponding to temporal periods.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the information is presented in the visual medium by at least one icon located in a partition on the highway, the partition corresponding to the category of the information, and the at least one icon located between markers corresponding to the time stamp of the information.