INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• US 20110173546A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: INIT LLC
• Original Assignee: INIT LLC
• Inventors: Judd, D. Mark, Nielsen, Bo Hjort, Chao, Kirk Chu-Hsi
• Granted Patent: US 10,185,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An approach to managing information makes use of a multi-program graphical user environment (e.g., a virtual desktop). The graphical environment includes a first part in which information elements are presented to a user. A user selection of one or more information elements is accepted and corresponding representations of those elements are formed in another part of the graphical environment. The representations formed in the other part of the graphical environment are persistent as further information elements are presented to the user in the first part of the environment. In some examples, information elements may be classified by users such that application of and access to classifications is mediated a privilege system.

Claims

1. A method for managing information in a multi-program graphical user environment, the method comprising:

presenting a plurality of information elements in a first part of the graphical environment to a user;

accepting selections of one or more information elements for the user;

forming corresponding representations of the selected information elements in an other part of the graphical environment; and

maintaining as persistent the representations in the other part of the interface as further information elements are presented in the first part of the environment to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising accepting a specification for the plurality of information elements for presenting to the user.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising assembling the plurality of information elements from a plurality of information sources according to the accepted specification.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the corresponding representations of the selected information elements includes forming graphical elements corresponding to said information elements.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising accepting user inputs for manipulating the formed graphical elements.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accepting user input for assembling multiple of the information elements represented in the other part of the graphical environment into an aggregated representation.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising storing the aggregated representation for later retrieval.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising transmitting the aggregated representation to another user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-program graphical user environment comprises a virtual desktop environment.

10. The method of claim 1, maintaining an association of information elements and corresponding classifications.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein accepting the selection of the one or more information elements includes accepting a specification according to the classifications associated with the information elements.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

setting an association of a place with an information element according to an input from the user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising maintaining privilege information associated with the place, and setting the association of the place with the information element includes determining whether the user has privilege to set the place association.

14. A method for information management comprising:

maintaining a plurality of information elements;

maintaining a plurality of information places;

maintaining a plurality of user groups;

maintaining privileges associated with the information places, the privileges associated with each of at least some of the places including

a privilege for a user group to apply the place to an information element, and

a privilege for a user group to determine whether the place has been applied to the information element;

applying place to the information elements, including restricting application of the places by users of the user groups according to the maintained privileges; and

accessing information elements for users according to places applied to the information elements, including restricting use of places applied to the information elements according to the maintained privileges.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein maintaining the plurality of information places includes maintaining a hierarchical arrangement of information places.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein accessing information elements for users according to places applied to the information elements includes accessing the information elements according to the hierarchical arrangement of the places.

17. Software stored on a computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a data processing system to:

present a plurality of information elements in a first part of the graphical environment to a user;

accept selections of one or more information elements for the user;

form corresponding representations of the selected information elements in an other part of the graphical environment; and

maintain as persistent the representations in the other part of the interface as further information elements are presented in the first part of the environment to the user.

18. The software of claim 17 wherein the instructions further causes the system to accept a specification for the plurality of information elements for presenting to the user.

19. The software of claim 18 wherein the instructions further causes the system to assemble the plurality of information elements from a plurality of information sources according to the accepted specification.

20. The software of claim 17 wherein forming the corresponding representations of the selected information elements includes forming graphical elements corresponding to said information elements.

21. The software of claim 20 wherein the instructions further causes the system to accept user inputs for manipulating the formed graphical elements.

22. The software of claim 17 wherein the instructions further causes the system to:

accept user input for assembling multiple of the information elements represented in the other part of the graphical environment into an aggregated representation.