Multiple Sorting of Columns in a Displayed Table in a User Interactive Computer Display Interface Through Sequential Radial Menus

• US 20080229245A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ulerich, Rhys D., Williamson, Ian A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Multi-sorting of displayed columns representative of a tabular display is carried out by displaying a table of a plurality of columns, selectively displaying a first radial menu having a plurality of sectors, each sector representative of one of the plurality of columns, enabling a user to select one of the sectors, and responsive to a user selection of a sector for displaying a second radial menu of the plurality of sectors wherein the selected one sector is disabled, e.g. eliminated. This is continued through a sequence of subsequent radial menus until the user has selected the intended set of sequential columns for the multiple sorting.

Claims

1. In a computer controlled user-interactive display system, a display interface implementation for sequential multiple sorting of displayed columns representative of a tabular database comprising:

a displayable table of a plurality of columns;

a selectively displayable first radial menu having a plurality of sectors, each representative of one of said plurality of columns;

a mechanism enabling a user to select one sector of said plurality of sectors; and

a mechanism, responsive to a user selection of one sector, for displaying a second radial menu of said plurality of sectors wherein said selected one sector is disabled.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said disabled one sector is eliminated in said second radial menu.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said disabled one sector is grayed-out in said second radial menu.

4. The system of claim 1, further including:

a mechanism for enabling a user to select another of said plurality of sectors in said second radial menu; and

a mechanism, responsive to a user selection of said another sector in said second radial menu, for displaying a subsequent radial menu of said plurality of sectors wherein said selected one and another sectors are disabled.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said first, second and subsequent radial menus are concentric.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first and second radial menus are displayed as pies with said sectors as wedges and the wedge representing said selected one sector eliminated from said second radial menu.

7. The system of claim 1 further including a mechanism enabling the user to change the size of one or more of said sectors wherein the weight of said changed sector in said sorting is changed.

8. The system of claim 1 further including a mechanism enabling the user to change the radial order of said sectors in one of said menus wherein the order of said sorting in said sector is changed.

9. In a computer controlled user-interactive display system, a method for sequential multiple sorting of displayed columns in a display interface representative of a tabular database comprising:

displaying a table of a plurality of columns;

selectively displaying a first radial menu having a plurality of sectors, each representative of one of said plurality of columns;

enabling a user to select one sector of said plurality of sectors; and

displaying a second radial menu of said plurality of sectors, responsive to a user selection of said one sector, wherein said selected one sector is disabled.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said disabled one sector is eliminated in said second radial menu.

11. The method of claim 9, further including the steps of:

enabling said user to select another of said plurality of sectors in said second radial menu; and

displaying a subsequent radial menu of said plurality of sectors, responsive to a user selection of said another sector in said second radial menu, wherein said selected one and another sectors are disabled; and

wherein the order of selection in said sequence of said first, second and subsequent radial menus determines the order of the multiple sorting.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first, second and subsequent radial menus are concentric.

13. The method of claim 9 further including the step of enabling the user to change the size of one or more of said sectors wherein the weight of said changed sector in said sorting is changed.

14. The method of claim 11 further including the step of enabling the user to change the radial order of said sectors in said menu wherein the order of said sorting is changed.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program for sequential multiple sorting of displayed columns representative of a tabular database, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

display a table of a plurality of columns;

selectively display a first radial menu having a plurality of sectors, each representative of one of said plurality of columns;

enable a user to select one of said plurality of sectors; and

display a second radial menu of said plurality of sectors, responsive to a user selection of one sector of said plurality of sectors, wherein said selected one sector is disabled.

16. The computer program of claim 15 wherein said disabled one sector is eliminated in said second radial menu.

17. The computer program of claim 15, wherein said readable program when executed, further causes the computer to:

enable a user to select another of said plurality of sectors in said second radial menu;

responsive to a user selection of said another sector in said second radial menu, display a subsequent radial menu of said plurality of sectors wherein said selected one and another sectors are disabled; and

wherein the order of selection in said sequence of said first, second and subsequent radial menus determines the order of the multiple sorting.

18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein said first, second and subsequent radial menus are concentric.

19. The computer program of claim 17, wherein said readable program when executed, further causes the computer to:

enable the user to change the size of one or more of said sectors wherein the weight of said changed sector in said sorting is changed.

20. The computer program of claim 17, wherein said readable program when executed, further causes the computer to:

enable the user to change the radial order of said sectors in one of said menus wherein the order of said sorting is changed.