Method and System for Providing Graphical User Interface Having Filtering Capability

• US 20110055756A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Challenger, Julian, Uysal, Aylin, Bezuayehu, Lulit, Green, Aaron Joseph, Baggett, Sally, Chen, Chun-Yi
• Granted Patent: US 8,863,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to user interfaces and more particularly to techniques for providing user interface which allows users to select filtering lcriteria and display filtered information accordingly. In various embodiments, related information is displayed on a hierarchical chart as nodes that are connected to one another. The hierarchical chart is updated after filtering criteria are applied, and the display visibility of the nodes are changed based on the filtering results. The hierarchical relationships among the nodes are maintained before and after the filtering process. In a specific embodiment, the nodes that do not meet filtering criteria are displayed at a low visibility level on the hierarchical chart.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of codes for controlling a processor to provide a graphical user interface, the plurality of codes comprising:

code for obtaining information containing relationship data associated with entities represented as nodes of a hierarchical chart, each of the nodes associated with a plurality of attributes;

code for receiving a first filtering criterion, the first filtering criterion being associated with at least a first attribute;

code for displaying the hierarchical chart in a display region, the hierarchical chart based on at least the relationship data, each of the nodes being displayed at a first visibility level, the hierarchical chart including one or more links connecting the nodes, the one or more links being based on the relationship data;

code for processing a first user input received by a user interface device, the first user selecting at least a first filtering criterion;

code for processing the plurality of nodes;

code for comparing the plurality of nodes to at least the first attribute;

code for determined whether one or more nodes are associated with at least the first attribute; and

code for displaying the one or more nodes at a second visibility level on the hierarchical chart if the one or more nodes are determined to fail to associate with at least the first attribute, the second visibility level being characterized by a lowered visibility compared to the first visibility level.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising:

code for determining attributes associated with the plurality of nodes; and

code for generating a plurality of filtering criteria based on the attributes.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising code for defining a menu region and a display region within a graphical user interface, the menu region including a global selection menu, the global selection menu including selections for at least the first filtering criterion, the first filtering criterion being associated with at least a first attribute.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising:

code for determining a set of nodes matches with the first attribute; and

code for displaying the set of nodes at a third visibility level, the third visibility level being characterized by a higher visibility compared to the first visibility level.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein nodes are opaque at the second visibility level.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the nodes are characterized by a reduced size at the second visibility level.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein first filtering criterion is predefined.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the global selection menu further including selections for a user defined filtering criteria.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the one or more nodes are blurred at the second visibility level.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the nodes are overlaid by a semi-transparent layer at the second visibility level.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising code for receiving a second user input for defining a second attribute.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the links remain unchanged when one or more nodes are displayed at a second visibility level.

13. A computer system for providing an interactive graphical user interface, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface including a display, the display including a menu region and a display region within the graphical user interface, the menu region including a filtering menu, the filtering menu including selections for at least a first filtering criterion, the first filtering criterion being associated with at least a first attribute, the display region being adapted to display a plurality of nodes of a hierarchical chart at a first visibility level based on relationship data, the plurality of nodes being connected by one or more links based on the relationship data, the plurality of nodes being associated with a plurality of attributes;

a memory;

an input module for receiving user inputs, the input module being configured to receive a user selection for selecting the first filtering criterion from the filtering menu; and

a processor, the processor being configured to obtain nodes and process the user input to determine a whether one or more nodes fail to associate with at least the first attribute;

wherein;

the display region is updated to display the one or more nodes at a second visibility level on the hierarchical chart if the one or more nodes are determined to fail to associate with at least the first attribute, the second visibility level being characterized by a lowered visibility compared to the first visibility level.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the input module comprises a pointing device for selecting the first filtering criterion.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the input module comprises a keyboard device for receiving user inputs specifying one or more filtering criteria.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising a storage for storing a database, the plurality of nodes corresponding to information entities stored at the database.

17. The system of claim 13 further comprising a network interface for retrieving the nodes from a network source.

18. In a computer system having a processor, a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface device communicatively coupled to the processor, the graphical user interface comprising:

a display region within the graphical user interface, the display region being adapted to display one or more links and a plurality nodes of a hierarchical chart at a first visibility level based on at least relationship data, the relationship data associated the plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes being associated with a plurality of attributes; and

a menu region, the menu region including a filtering menu, the filtering menu including selections for at least a first filtering criterion, the first filtering criterion being associated with at least a first attribute;

wherein;

user interface device is configured to receive a first user input, the first user selecting the first filtering criterion;

the processor is configured to process the plurality of nodes and compare plurality of nodes to at least the first attribute;

the display region is updated for displaying one or more nodes at a second visibility level on the hierarchical chart if the one or more nodes are determined to fail to associate with at least the first attribute, the second visibility level being characterized by a lowered visibility compared to the first visibility level.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 18 wherein the filtering menu comprises a dropdown menu.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 18 wherein the filtering menu comprises a text input box.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 18 wherein the one or more nodes are opaque at the second visibility level.