Computer directory display with enhanced navigational and/or visual attributes

• US 20070143712A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Baran, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US11/312,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143712A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A user customizable display of a quantity of elements arranged in a hierarchy having at least an upper level and a lower level comprises an interface allowing the user to specify properties of the display such as the quantity of elements displayed at a prescribed level of the hierarchy and visual attributes associated with the elements. In one detailed embodiment, the elements have a default order and the interface is capable of sorting the elements into a different order according to at least one of the visual attributes. The elements may be icons in a display of folder icons associated with a computer memory.

Claims

1. A user customizable display of a quantity of elements arranged in a hierarchy having at least a higher level and a lower level, the display comprising an interface allowing the user to specify properties of the display, the specifiable properties including at least one of:

a) the quantity of elements displayed at a prescribed level of the hierarchy; and

b) visual attributes associated with the elements.

2. The display of claim 1 wherein the elements are folder icons for conveying an impression of information organization to a human user of a computer.

3. The display of claim 2 wherein a folder icon at the higher level is associated with a first quantity of folder icons at the lower level and the interface is capable of suppressing visibility of at least some of the first quantity of icons.

4. The display of claim 3 wherein the interface is capable of suppressing the visibility of nonadjacent icons.

5. The display of claim 3 wherein an indicator reveals that icons that have been suppressed are nevertheless present.

6. The display of claim 5 wherein the indicator is an ellipsis.

7. The display of claim 1 wherein the visual attributes include element color, element size, element shading, and properties of text associated with the elements.

8. The display of claim 7 wherein the text properties include font size and font format, the font format comprising font color, font italicization and font boldfacing.

9. The display of claim 1 wherein the elements have a default order and the interface is capable of sorting the elements into a different order according to at least one of the visual attributes.