EFFICIENT NAVIGATION OF HIERARCHICAL DATA DISPLAYED IN A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20130125020A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Phoenix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Jongwoo Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Jongwoo, Upendran, Manish, Berkebile, Locke D., Brightman, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,262,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Techniques are described for display and navigation of hierarchical messages, which displays include contextual data for the messages. Context information for a current message includes reply messages, parent messages, and metadata representations. Message representations are also associated with visual depth indicators that are independent of the text of the messages. Users may navigate displays of hierarchical message data using different navigational inputs. For example, more information may be requested for messages, without selecting a new message for viewing as a focal message, using swipes across portions of the display dedicated to displaying the messages. A limited number of messages for a requested list of messages is initially retrieved and displayed, and a mechanism for viewing more messages from the list is provided. Historical usage of the mechanism is recorded and the number of messages to be displayed for the list of messages is adjusted based on the historical usage data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying, within a graphical user interface on a computing device, a first set of messages;

detecting a first triggering input that targets a particular message of the first set of messages; and

in response to detecting the first triggering input, determining whether the particular message is currently displayed in the graphical user interface at a first level of detail or a second level of detail;

responsive to the particular message being currently displayed in the graphical user interface at the first level of detail when the first triggering input is detected, causing the particular message to be displayed at the second level of detail;

responsive to the particular message being currently displayed in the graphical user interface at the second level of detail when the first triggering input is detected, causing the particular message to be displayed at the first level of detail;

wherein the second level of detail is more detailed than the first level of detail.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of messages belongs to a hierarchy of messages that comprises messages for a hierarchical discussion thread.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first triggering input is a swipe; and

the first triggering input targets the particular message when the swipe is across a portion of the computing device on which the particular message is displayed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first triggering input targets the particular message without activating any visible control displayed within the graphical user interface in visual association with the particular message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to detecting the first triggering input, displaying one or more other messages from the first set of messages in the graphical user interface at the first level of detail;

after detecting the first triggering input, continuing to display the one or more other messages at the first level of detail.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first triggering input is associated with a surface area; and

one or more steps performed in response to detecting the first triggering input are performed when a majority of the surface area of the detected first triggering input contacts that portion of the computing device designated for displaying the particular message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second triggering input that targets at least one message of the first set of messages;

wherein the second triggering input is a different type of triggering input than the first triggering input; and

in response to detecting the second triggering input, causing all messages, from the first set of messages, that are displayed at the first level of detail to be displayed at the second level of detail.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the second triggering input is a double swipe; and

the second triggering input targets at least one message of the first set of messages when the double swipe is across a portion of the computing device on which at least one message of the first set of messages is displayed.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

after causing all messages that were displayed at the first level of detail to be displayed at the second level of detail in response to detecting the second triggering input, detecting a third triggering input that targets at least one message of the first set of messages;

wherein the third triggering input is the same type of triggering input as the second triggering input;

in response to detecting the third triggering input, causing all messages, from the first set of messages, that are displayed at the second level of detail to be displayed at the first level of detail.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, within the graphical user interface, a plurality of messages that includes the first set of messages;

wherein the plurality of messages belong to a hierarchy of messages;

wherein the first set of messages reside below a first message in the hierarchy;

while the first message, of the plurality of messages, is selected as a focal message, displaying the first message and the first set of messages;

wherein the particular message is not the first message; and

in response to selection of a second message, from the first set of messages, as the focal message, performing the steps of;

establishing the second message as the focal message;

ceasing to display all messages, from the first set of messages, other than the focal message and a second set of messages;

wherein all messages in the second set of messages reside below the second message in the hierarchy.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

at the time that the first triggering input is detected, the particular message is not the focal message; and

actions performed in response to detecting the first triggering input do not establish the particular message as the focal message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein selection of the second message is performed in response to a tap on a portion of the computing device on which the second message is displayed.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the particular message comprises a plurality of textual words;

the first level of detail comprises a first set of words from the message; and

the second level of detail comprises a second set of words, from the message, that has more words than the first set of words.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

displaying, within a graphical user interface on a computing device, a first set of messages;

detecting a first triggering input that targets a particular message of the first set of messages; and

in response to detecting the first triggering input, determining whether the particular message is currently displayed in the graphical user interface at a first level of detail or a second level of detail;

responsive to the particular message being currently displayed in the graphical user interface at the first level of detail when the first triggering input is detected, causing the particular message to be displayed at the second level of detail;

responsive to the particular message being currently displayed in the graphical user interface at the second level of detail when the first triggering input is detected, causing the particular message to be displayed at the first level of detail;

wherein the second level of detail is more detailed than the first level of detail.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first set of messages belongs to a hierarchy of messages that comprises messages for a hierarchical discussion thread.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the first triggering input is a swipe; and

the first triggering input targets the particular message when the swipe is across a portion of the computing device on which the particular message is displayed.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first triggering input targets the particular message without activating any visible control displayed within the graphical user interface in visual association with the particular message.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising sequences of instructions which, when executed, cause:

detecting a second triggering input that targets at least one message of the first set of messages;

wherein the second triggering input is a different type of triggering input than the first triggering input; and

in response to detecting the second triggering input, causing all messages, from the first set of messages, that are displayed at the first level of detail to be displayed at the second level of detail.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the second triggering input is a double swipe; and

the second triggering input targets at least one message of the first set of messages when the double swipe is across a portion of the computing device on which at least one message of the first set of messages is displayed.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising sequences of instructions which, when executed, cause:

after causing all messages that were displayed at the first level of detail to be displayed at the second level of detail in response to detecting the second triggering input, detecting a third triggering input that targets at least one message of the first set of messages;

wherein the third triggering input is the same type of triggering input as the second triggering input;

in response to detecting the third triggering input, causing all messages, from the first set of messages, that are displayed at the second level of detail to be displayed at the first level of detail.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising sequences of instructions which, when executed, cause:

displaying, within the graphical user interface, a plurality of messages that includes the first set of messages;

wherein the plurality of messages belong to a hierarchy of messages;

wherein the first set of messages reside below a first message in the hierarchy;

while the first message, of the plurality of messages, is selected as a focal message, displaying the first message and the first set of messages;

wherein the particular message is not the first message; and

in response to selection of a second message, from the first set of messages, as the focal message, performing the steps of;

establishing the second message as the focal message;

ceasing to display all messages, from the first set of messages, other than the focal message and a second set of messages;

wherein all messages in the second set of messages reside below the second message in the hierarchy.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

the particular message comprises a plurality of textual words;

the first level of detail comprises a first set of words from the message; and

the second level of detail comprises a second set of words, from the message, that has more words than the first set of words.