Displaying a set of data elements

• US 20060250834A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chinn, Robert M., Ording, Bas, Cisler, Pavel, van Os, Marcel MWA, McClaughry, Patrick E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/63
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A set of elements, such as, for example, a path, a directory list, a playlist, and a listing of information associated with a file or a song, may be truncated so that a partial set may be generated and displayed. The truncation may be performed in an intelligent manner to produce a meaningful truncated portion. Such a partial set may be beneficial when the space allotted for display of the set is small to begin with or is reduced. In one implementation, a display size of a set is compared with a size of a display area. A data element is selected based on the comparison, and a display space size is determined for the selected data element. A truncated, yet meaningful, portion is determined for the selected data element, the portion fitting within the display space size.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a set that includes two or more data elements;

receiving information describing a size of an area in which the set is to be displayed;

determining a display size of the set;

comparing the size of the area with the display size of the set;

selecting one or more of the data elements based on a result obtained from the comparing and based on relative importance of the data elements;

determining one or more display space sizes based on the information received, each of the one or more display space sizes corresponding to one of the one or more selected data elements; and

determining a truncated portion for each of the one or more selected data elements, the one or more portions fitting within a corresponding display space size.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a part of the set to display, the part including the truncated portion of each of the one or more selected data elements; and

displaying the part of the set in the area.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the received information indicates that the area is sized such that not all of the two or more data elements can be displayed completely within the area.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative importance of the data elements is based on a relationship between the data elements.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative importance of the data elements is based on relative positions of the data elements in a display.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative importance of the data elements is based on a hierarchy among the data elements.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the relative importance of the data elements is based on categories represented by the data elements.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined display space sizes are smaller than a full size of the corresponding selected data element and smaller than an allowable display space size for the corresponding selected data element.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining one or more display space sizes comprises, for each display space size to be determined:

determining the full size of a selected data element; and

setting the corresponding display space size equal to approximately a predetermined percentage of the full size of the selected data element.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a truncated portion for the one or more selected data elements comprises, for each of the one or more selected data elements, eliminating a predetermined percentage of a textual description of the selected data element.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the predetermined percentage is the same for each of the selected data elements.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the set relates to a song from a playlist, and the data elements each include information about the song.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the set relates to a path of an object on a computing device, and the data elements each include a path element.

14. An apparatus comprising one or more computer readable media having instructions stored thereon and configured to result in at least the following:

accessing a set that includes two or more set entries;

accessing information describing a size of an area in which the set is to be displayed;

determining a display size of the set;

comparing the size of the area with the display size of the set;

selecting one or more of the set entries based on a result obtained from the comparing and based on relative importance of the data elements;

determining a size of a display area for each of the one or more selected set entries, the size being determined based on the information accessed; and

determining a truncated portion for each of the one or more selected set entries, the one or more portions fitting within a corresponding determined display area size.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a path that includes two or more path elements;

selecting a path element based on relative importance of the path elements; and

determining a truncated portion for the selected path element to display when displaying the path.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising receiving information describing a size of an area in which the path is to be displayed, the received information indicating that the area is sized such that not all of the two or more path elements can be displayed completely within the area.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising determining a display size of the path.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

determining a part of the path to display, the part including the truncated portion of each of the selected path elements; and

displaying the part of the path in the area.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein determining a truncated portion comprises reducing a textual portion of the selected data element by a predetermined percentage.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising providing an indication in the truncated portion indicating that the selected path element has been truncated.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

selecting a second path element based on relative importance of the path elements; and

determining a truncated, yet meaningful portion for the second selected path element by reducing a textual portion of the selected data element by the predetermined percentage.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the relative importance is based on a position of the path element in the path.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein selecting a path element comprises selecting an interior path element because of a relatively lower importance of the interior path element as compared to a non-interior path element.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

selecting a root path element after truncating the interior path element; and

truncating the root path element.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

selecting a parent path element after truncating the root path element; and

truncating the parent path element.

26. An apparatus comprising:

means for accessing a path that includes two or more path elements;

means for identifying a path element based on relative importance of the path elements; and

means for identifying a truncated part of the selected path element to display when displaying the path.

27. A method comprising:

accessing a set of two or more data elements;

truncating a particular data element from the set;

displaying the truncated particular data element and at least a portion of the rest of the set in an electronic display;

accepting a user input to hover over the truncated particular data element; and

expanding the truncated particular data element in the electronic display in response to accepting the user input, such that the data element is displayed.

28. A method comprising:

accessing a set of data elements generated in response to a user request for information, the set including a first data element having a text portion, and a second data element having a text portion;

truncating the text portion of the first data element to produce a truncated text portion;

displaying concurrently both the truncated text portion of the first data element and the text portion of the second data element;

receiving a user input while displaying concurrently both the truncated text portion of the first data element and the text portion of the second data element, the user input representing a request for a display of all of the text portion of the first data element; and

displaying all of the text portion of the first data element concurrently with the display of the text portion of the second data element.

29. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a particular electronic file;

determining a path for the particular electronic file back to a designated folder;

rooting the path in the designated folder; and

displaying, electronically, the path as rooted in the designated folder.

30. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a particular electronic file;

determining a path for the particular electronic file;

inserting path element separators between path elements of the determined path;

displaying the path, including the path element separators, in a path display area;

receiving a user input to reduce the path display area; and

removing the path element separators from the display of the path in response to receiving the user input.

31. A method comprising:

displaying indicators of multiple electronic files;

receiving a user selection of indicators of two of the multiple electronic files;

determining a path of a first of the two electronic files;

determining a path of a second of the two electronic files;

comparing the path of the first electronic file with the path of the second electronic file; and

displaying, based on a result obtained during comparing, an indication of whether the path of the first electronic file and the path of the second electronic file are the same.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the path of the first electronic file matches the path of the second electronic file, and displaying the indication comprises displaying a common path.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of an indicator of a third of the multiple electronic files;

determining a path of the third electronic file;

comparing the path of the third electronic file with the path of the first electronic file; and

displaying, based on a result obtained during comparing the path of the third electronic file, an indication of whether the path of the third electronic file and the path of the first electronic file are the same.

34. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a particular electronic file;

determining a path for the particular electronic file;

displaying electronically the path for the particular electronic file;

accessing, while displaying the path, an indication that the path for the particular electronic file has changed;

determining an updated path for the particular electronic file; and

displaying electronically the updated path for the particular electronic file.

35. A method comprising:

receiving a set that includes two or more data elements;

selecting a first data element from the two or more data elements, the first data element having a first size;

selecting a second data element from the two or more data elements, the second data element having a second size;

determining a truncated first size that is based on a percentage of the first size;

determining a truncated second size that is based on the percentage of the second size;

determining a truncated portion of the first data element having a size such that the truncated portion of the first data element is displayable in the truncated first size; and

determining a truncated portion of the second data element having a size such that the truncated portion of the second data element is displayable in the truncated second size.

36. A method comprising:

selecting one or more data elements based on relative importance of the data elements; and

determining a truncated portion for each of the one or more selected data elements.

37. A method comprising:

selecting one or more data elements; and

determining a truncated portion for each of the one or more selected data elements, the one or more truncated portions each having a different size.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the one or more truncated portions each fit within a corresponding display space size.