SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ILLUSTRATING A MENU OF INSIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH VISUALIZATIONS

• US 20110113375A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MOODY, Paul B., Ice, Cynthia L., Bermingham, Francis D., Conmy, Douglas W., Krishnamurthy, Ram, Raven, Mary Elizabeth, Coppinger, Jodi L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/825
• 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

Abstract

A system and method are provided for generating one or more menus having options that display insights from visualizations. The options presented in the menus enable users to determine relationships between elements of the visualization. The relationships may be displayed textually to enable user to navigate the menus using a keyboard, a text-to-voice converter, and/or pointers.

Claims

1. A system configured to present at least one menu having options that enable representations of visualizations associated with a computer application, the system comprising:

an electronic display;

one or more processors configured to execute one or more computer program modules, the one or more computer program modules being configured to;

present to a user via the electronic display a list of electronic messages received by the user,

receive selection from the user of one of the electronic messages included in the list of electronic messages;

determine, from criteria associated with the selected electronic message, one or more relationships between the selected electronic message and the list of electronic messages; and

responsive, at least in part, to reception of the selection of the selected electronic message from the user, concurrently present to the user on the electronic display with the list of electronic messages, a menu that is separate from the list of electronic messages and displays selectable commands that each comprise a corresponding descriptively identified generic relationship between the selected electronic message and another electronic message in the list of electronic messages,

wherein a given one of the descriptively identified generic relationships is selectable in order to operate the command it corresponds to;

the commands being associated with the electronic messages determined to have the relationships to the selected electronic message that are generically identified by the displayed commands such that operation by the user of one of the commands results in the opening of the electronic message determined to have the relationship with the selected electronic message that is generically identified by the selected one of the displayed commands.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic messages include text messages.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electronic messages include email messages.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the menu is a textual menu.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to navigate the list of electronic messages based on at least one of a time sequence and a relationship sequence.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the generically identified relationships comprise one or both of a next message in thread relationship and a previous message in thread relationship.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to navigate the one or more menus using at least one of a keyboard, a text-to-voice converter, and a pointing device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the menu includes two or more levels of options.

9. A system for presenting at least one menu having options that enable representations of visualizations associated with a computer application, the system comprising:

means for presenting to a user via an electronic display a list of electronic messages received by the user,

means for receiving selection from the user of one of the electronic messages included in the list of electronic messages;

means for determining, from criteria associated with the selected electronic message, one or more relationships between the selected electronic message and the list of electronic messages; and

means for presenting, the means for presenting being configured such that responsive, at least in part, to reception of the selection of the selected electronic message from the user, a menu that is separate from the list of electronic messages is concurrently presented to the user on the electronic display with the list of electronic messages and displays selectable commands that each comprise a corresponding descriptively identified generic relationship between the selected electronic message and another electronic message in the list of electronic messages,

wherein a given one of the descriptively identified generic relationships is selectable in order to operate the command it corresponds to;

the commands being associated with the electronic messages determined to have the relationships to the selected electronic message that are generically identified by the displayed commands such that operation by the user of one of the commands results in the opening of the electronic message determined to have the relationship with the selected electronic message that is generically identified by the selected one of the displayed commands.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic messages include text messages.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic messages include email messages.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the menu is a textual menu.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for enabling the user to navigate the list of electronic messages based on at least one of a time sequence and a relationship sequence.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the generically identified relationships comprise one or both of a next message in thread relationship and a previous message in thread relationship.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for enabling the user to navigate the one or more menus using at least one of a keyboard, a text-to-voice converter, and a pointing device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the menu includes two or more levels of options.