GRAPHICAL INTERFACE WITH DATA PRESENCE INDICATORS

• US 20110025717A1
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: WORKMAN, Daniel, SCHULZE, Chloe, GILMORE, Nina
• Granted Patent: US 8,754,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/40 Filling a planar surface by adding surface attributes, e.g. colour or texture

Abstract

A computer-readable medium, computer-implemented method, and system for generating a user interface is provided. One or more data presence indicators are generated which allows users to locate data on a graph displayed in the user interface by indicating where data is present, even when the data itself is not visible in the user interface. The system can modify the format of the data presence indicator depending on the location of the data. In one embodiment of the invention, the system can update the data presence indicators in response to a user modification of the magnification or scroll position of the user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a user interface for displaying data presence indicators, the instructions comprising:

for each data point in a graph, displaying a first data presence indicator in a first format when the data point is within a first region;

for each data point in the graph, displaying the first data presence indicator in a second format when the data point is not within the first region;

for each data point in the graph, displaying a second data presence indicator in a third format when the data point is within a second region; and

for each data point in the graph, displaying the second data presence indicator in a fourth format when the data point is not within the second region.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the instructions further comprising:

for each data point in the graph, displaying the first data presence indicator in a fifth format when one or more additional data points are present along a first line which intersects the data point, wherein the graph comprises a first axis and a second axis, and wherein the first line is parallel to the second axis of the data graph; and

for each data point in the graph, displaying the second data presence indicator in a sixth format when one or more additional data points are present along a second line which intersects the data point, wherein the second line is parallel to the first axis of the data graph.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the instructions further comprising:

for each data point in the graph, updating the first data presence indicator in response to a user modifying a view of the data graph; and

for each data point in the graph, updating the second data presence indicator in response to a user modifying the view of the data graph.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1,

wherein the first format and the third format each comprise a black line, and

wherein the second format and the fourth format each comprise a grey line.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 2,

wherein the first format and the third format each comprise a black line,

wherein the second format and the fourth format each comprise a grey line,

wherein the fifth format comprises a black line of greater length than the length of the first format and third format, and

wherein the sixth format comprises a grey line of greater length than the length of the second format and the fourth format.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1,

wherein the graph comprises a first axis and a second axis;

wherein the first region comprises a region along the second axis of the data graph which is currently being displayed, and

wherein the second region comprises a region along the first axis of the data graph which is currently being displayed.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6,

wherein the first region is represented by a first scrolling bar, and

wherein the second region is represented by a second scrolling bar.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the user modifying the view of the data graph comprises the user increasing or decreasing the magnification of the view via a zoom button.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the user modifying the view of the data graph comprises the user navigating to a different region of the data graph via a scrolling bar.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the instructions further comprising

determining a location of each data point in the graph by,

for each point of a set of points along a first axis of the data graph determining whether data is present along a first line which intersects the point, wherein the first line is parallel to a second axis of the data graph, and

for each point of a set of points along the second axis of the data graph, determining whether data is present along a second line which intersects the point, wherein the second line is parallel to the first axis of the data graph.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the location of each data point is known.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a location of each data point in the graph by,

for each point of a set of points along a first axis of the data graph determining whether data is present along a first line which intersects the point, wherein the first line is parallel to a second axis of the data graph, and

for each point of a set of points along the second axis of the data graph, determining whether data is present along a second line which intersects the point, wherein the second line is parallel to the first axis of the data graph.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the location of each data point is known.

12. A computer-implemented method for generating a user interface which displays data presence indicators, the method comprising:

for each data point in a graph, displaying a first data presence indicator in a first format when the data point is within a first region;

for each data point in the graph, displaying the first data presence indicator in a second format when the data point is not within the first region;

for each data point in the graph, displaying a second data presence indicator in a third format when the data point is within a second region; and

for each data point in the graph, displaying the second data presence indicator in a fourth format when the data point is not within the second region.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

for each data point in the graph, displaying the first data presence indicator in a fifth format when one or more additional data points are present along a first line which intersects the data point, wherein the graph comprises a first axis and a second axis, and wherein the first line is parallel to the second axis of the data graph; and

for each data point in the graph, displaying the second data presence indicator in a sixth format when one or more additional data points are present along a second line which intersects the data point, wherein the second line is parallel to the first axis of the data graph.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

for each data point in the graph, updating the first data presence indicator in response to a user modifying a view of the data graph; and

for each data point in the graph, updating the second data presence indicator in response to a user modifying the view of the data graph.

17. A system for generating a user interface which displays data presence indicators, the system comprising:

a processor configured to,

for each data point in a graph, display a first data presence indicator in a first format when the data point is within a first region,

for each data point in the graph, display the first data presence indicator in a second format when the data point is not within the first region,

for each data point in the graph, display a second data presence indicator in a third format when the data point is within a second region, and

for each data point in the graph, display the second data presence indicator in a fourth format when the data point is not within the second region.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

for each data point in the graph, display the first data presence indicator in a fifth format when one or more additional data points are present along a first line which intersects the data point, wherein the graph comprises a first axis and a second axis, and wherein the first line is parallel to the second axis of the data graph; and

for each data point in the graph, display the second data presence indicator in a sixth format when one or more additional data points are present along a second line which intersects the data point, wherein the second line is parallel to the first axis of the data graph.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

for each data point in the graph, update the first data presence indicator in response to a user modifying a view of the data graph; and

for each data point in the graph, update the second data presence indicator in response to a user modifying the view of the data graph.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a location of each data point in the graph by,

for each point of a set of points along a first axis of the data graph determining whether data is present along a first line which intersects the point,

wherein the first line is parallel to a second axis of the data graph, and

for each point of a set of points along the second axis of the data graph, determining whether data is present along a second line which intersects the point, wherein the second line is parallel to the first axis of the data graph.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the location of each data point is known.

22. A graphical user interface, comprising:

a vertical axis;

a horizontal axis;

a plurality of data points;

a zoom button configured to change a magnification;

a horizontal scroll bar, wherein the horizontal scroll bar represents a region of the horizontal axis;

a vertical scroll bar, wherein the vertical scroll bar represents a region of the vertical axis,

wherein, upon a change in magnification via the zoom button, the user interface further comprises,

a plurality of horizontal data presence indicators, wherein each horizontal data presence indicator corresponds to a point on the horizontal axis; and

a plurality of vertical data presence indicators, wherein each vertical data presence indicator corresponds to a point on the vertical axis,

wherein, when at least one data point of the plurality of data points is present along a vertical line which intersects a point on the horizontal axis, the corresponding horizontal data presence indicator is displayed in a first format where the at least one data point is within the vertical scroll bar, and is displayed in a second format where the at least one data point is not within the vertical scroll bar, and

wherein, when at least one data point of the plurality of data points is present along a horizontal line which intersects a point on the vertical axis, the corresponding vertical data presence indicator is displayed in a third format where the at least one data point is within the horizontal scroll bar, and is displayed in a fourth format where the at least one data point is not within the horizontal scroll bar.