CREATION, EDITING AND NAVIGATION OF DIAGRAMS

• US 20120154283A1
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Jens K., De Mar, Steven Douglas, Byrne, Andrew Jude, Khan, Sadi, Jones, Gareth Alun, Gibson, Tyler Edward
• Granted Patent: US 9,436,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Organizing data where the data has spatial significance. A method includes, at a user interface, displaying to a user a representation of spatially structured data. User input is received at a computer implemented user interface through one or more hardware user interface devices. The user input is domain agnostic, but has a spatial connotation. Based on pre-existing structured data displayed at the user interface, a domain is determined for the user input. Based on the determined domain, the user input is interpreted into a domain specific response. The domain specific response is consistent with the spatial connotation across a plurality of domains.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a method of organizing data wherein the data has spatial significance:

at a user interface, displaying to a user a representation of spatially structured data;

receiving user input at a computer implemented user interface through one or more hardware user interface devices, wherein the user input is domain agnostic, but having a spatial connotation;

based on at least one of pre-existing structured data displayed at the user interface or previous user interactions, determining a domain for the user input;

based on the determined domain interpreting the user input into a domain specific response but wherein the domain specific response is consistent with spatial connotation across a plurality of domains.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving user input generated with the assistance of a hinting module that provides one or more constrained hints.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the hints are constrained based on the domain.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the hints are constrained based on the context.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input generated with the assistance of a mnemonics module that provides one or more constrained hints.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising as a result of interpreting the user input into a domain specific response;

automatically adding a new data typed object to the spatially structured data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising changing the type of the added new data type using at least one of a mouse button or scrolling functionality.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising changing the type of the added new data type using user input generated with the assistance of a mnemonics module that provides one or more constrained hints.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising changing the type of the added new data type using user input generated with the assistance of a hinting module that provides one or more constrained hints.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating links between structured data object using user input generated with the assistance of a hinting module that provides one or more constrained hints.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatially structured data comprises data having a visually observable spatial layout.

12. The method of claim 1, receiving additional user input for navigating links between data objects in the representation of spatially structured data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a user with a constrained list of possible navigation destinations based on the domain.

14. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors is configured to cause one or more processors to perform the following acts for navigating data wherein the data has spatial significance:

at a user interface, displaying to a user a representation of spatially structured data;

receiving user input at a computer implemented user interface through one or more hardware user interface devices, wherein the user input is domain agnostic, but having a spatial connotation;

based on at least one of pre-existing structured data displayed at the user interface or previous user interactions, determining a domain for the user input;

based on the determined domain interpreting the user input into a domain specific response but wherein the domain specific response is consistent with the spatial connotation across a plurality of domains.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input generated with the assistance of a hinting module that provides one or more constrained hints.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the hints are constrained based on the domain.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the hints are constrained based on the context.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input generated with the assistance of a mnemonics module that provides one or more constrained hints.

19. A computing system configured to organize data where the data has spatial significance, the computing system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer readable media coupled to the processors, wherein the one or more computer readable media comprises computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more of the one or more processors is configured to cause one or more or the one or more processors to perform the following acts;

at a user interface, displaying to a user a representation of spatially structured data structured in a visually observable spatial layout;

receiving user input at a computer implemented user interface through one or more hardware user interface devices, wherein the user input is domain agnostic, but having a spatial connotation, the spatial connotation being one or more of right, left, above, below or inside;

based on at least one of pre-existing structured data displayed at the user interface or previous user interactions, determining a domain for the user input;

based on the determined domain interpreting the user input into a domain specific response adding a new element to the visually observable spatial layout, but wherein the domain specific response is consistent with the spatial connotation across a plurality of domains.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the user input is received using a keyboard.