Method For Displaying a Representative of Data in Conditions of Limited Visual Space

• US 20100211896A1
• Filed: 02/18/2009
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Kevin Lynn
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method for displaying information in a computer system having a visual display device with available display space for displaying representations of a plurality of data items, includes receiving the plurality of data items to provide received data items, and representing the received data items with abstract visual elements on the visual display device to provide displayed abstract visual elements. An interaction with a displayed abstract visual element is received to provide a selected abstract visual element in accordance with the received interaction. A data item represented by the selected abstract visual element is displayed on the visual display device in accordance with the received interaction.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information in a computer system having a visual display device with available display space for displaying representations of a plurality of data items, comprising:

receiving the plurality of data items;

representing the received data items with abstract visual elements on the visual display device;

receiving an interaction with a displayed abstract visual element; and

displaying a data item represented by the selected abstract visual element on the visual display device in accordance with the received interaction.

2. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 1, wherein the visual display device requires a display space greater than the available display space to display the received data items in an unabstracted form, further comprising determining the displayed abstract visual elements required to fit the displayed abstract visual elements representing the received data items into the available display space.

3. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 1, further comprising displaying at least one unabstracted data item of the received data items on the available display space.

4. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 1, further comprising aggregating a plurality of the displayed abstract visual elements to provide an aggregated abstract visual element representing a plurality of the received data items.

5. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 4, further comprising selecting a level of aggregation of the aggregated abstract visual elements according to the quantity of the received data items.

6. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 4, further comprising selecting a level of aggregation of the aggregated abstract visual elements according to the available display space.

7. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 4, further comprising providing aggregated abstract visual elements having a plurality of differing levels of aggregation.

8. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 7, further comprising interacting with an aggregated abstract visual element having a first level of aggregation to select an aggregated abstract visual element having a second level of aggregation differing from the first level of aggregation.

9. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 1, further comprising unselecting the selected abstract visual element in accordance with a further interaction.

10. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 1, further comprising displaying a further received data item represented by a displayed abstract visual element separated from the selected abstract visual element by a selected quantity of displayed abstract visual elements.

11. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 10, further comprising varying the selected quantity of displayed abstract visual elements.

12. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 1, further comprising making a further display space available on the visual display device in accordance with the received interaction.

13. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 12, wherein the further display space comprises a pop up box further comprising displaying a further displayed abstract visual element in the pop up box.

14. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 13, further comprising selecting the further displayed abstract visual element in response to a further interaction with the further displayed abstract visual element to display a data item of the received data items represented by the further displayed abstract visual element.

15. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 12, further comprising displaying an aggregated abstract visual element on the further display space.

16. The method for displaying information in a computer system of claim 15, further comprising providing a further aggregated abstract visual element having a level of aggregation differing from the level of aggregation of the aggregated abstract visual element in accordance with an interaction with the aggregated abstract visual element.

17. A computer system for displaying information having a visual display device with available display space for displaying representations of a plurality of data items, comprising

received data items of the plurality of data items;

displayed abstract visual elements representing the received data items on the visual display device;

a received interaction with a displayed abstract visual element to provide a selected abstract visual element in accordance with the received interaction; and

a displayed data item represented by the selected abstract visual element and displayed on the visual display device in accordance with the received interaction.

18. The computer system for displaying information of claim 17, further comprising at least one unabstracted data item of the received data items displayed on the visual display device.

19. The computer system for displaying information of claim 17, further comprising an aggregated abstract visual element representing a plurality of the received data items.

20. The computer system for displaying information of claim 18, wherein the aggregated abstract visual element has a level of aggregation selected in accordance with the quantity of the received data items.

21. The computer system for displaying information of claim 17, wherein the selected abstract visual element is unselected in accordance with a further interaction.

22. The computer system for displaying information of claim 17, further comprising further display space available on the visual display device in accordance with the received interaction.

23. The computer system for displaying information of claim 22, wherein the further display space comprises a pop up box.

24. The computer system for displaying information of claim 22, further comprising a further displayed abstract visual element displayed upon the further display space.

25. The computer system for displaying information of claim 24, wherein the further displayed abstract visual element further comprises an aggregated display element.