Navigable Layering Of Viewable Areas For Hierarchical Content

• US 20150143284A1
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources
• Inventors: Bennett, Daniel, Daup, John Scott, Cooper, Aaron, Hernandez, Jose
• Granted Patent: US 10,067,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are generally directed to navigable layering of viewable areas corresponding to a hierarchical structure of computer-readable content. In exemplary embodiments, a stack of viewable areas including a first viewable area and a second viewable area can be rendered on a display within a footprint area. An order of the viewable areas in the stack can correspond to a hierarchical relationship of computer-readable content and the viewable areas can include information associated with the hierarchical relationship. The second viewable area in the stack can be adjusted, for example, by resizing and/or repositioning the second viewable area, based on a compression criteria to accommodate the viewable areas of the stack within the footprint.

Claims

1. A method of navigable layering of viewable areas corresponding to a hierarchical structure of computer-readable content, the method comprising:

executing code to render, on a display device, a stack of viewable areas including a first viewable area and a second viewable area within a footprint having a height and a width, an order of the viewable areas in the stack corresponding to a hierarchical relationship of computer-readable content, the viewable areas including information associated with the hierarchical relationship; and

programmatically adjusting the second viewable area in the stack based on a compression criteria to accommodate the viewable areas of the stack within the footprint, the second viewable area overlaying the first viewable area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein programmatically adjusting the second viewable area based on the compression criteria comprises programmatically adjusting a second one of the viewable areas based on a quantity of viewable areas in the stack.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein programmatically adjusting the second viewable area comprises resizing at least one dimension of the second viewable area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein resizing a dimension of the second viewable area comprises increasing the dimension.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein programmatically adjusting the second viewable area comprises repositioning the second viewable area with respect to the first viewable area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein executing code to render the stack of viewable areas comprises:

displaying the first viewable area via the display device, the first viewable area corresponding to a root of a hierarchical structure and including at least one selectable object associated with the hierarchical relationship; and

overlaying at least one intervening viewable area onto at least a portion of the first viewable area to obstruct a portion of the first viewable area and so that the first viewable area has a first visible portion that is less than the footprint.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein executing code to render the stack of viewable areas comprises:

overlaying the second viewable area onto at least a portion of the at least one intervening viewable area to obstruct a portion of the at least one intervening viewable area and so that the at least one intervening viewable area has a second visible portion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein executing code to render the stack of viewable areas comprises:

overlaying a top viewable area onto at least a portion of the second viewable area to obstruct a portion of the second viewable area and so that the second viewable area has an third visible portion, the top viewable area being unobstructed and visible on the display device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

rendering the at least one intervening viewable area, the second viewable area, and the top viewable area to each have a different width that is less than a width of the first viewable area and an identical height, and

aligning a right edge of each of the at least one intervening viewable area, the second viewable area, and the top viewable area with a right edge of the first viewable area so that the stack of viewable areas has an offset overlapping arrangement,

wherein the first visible portion, the second visible portion, the third visible portion, and the top viewable area together form a total visible area within the footprint.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first visible portion has a first specified minimum dimension or the top viewable area has a second specified minimum dimension.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting at least one of the viewable areas in the stack so that at least one of the viewable areas in the stack is not visible on the display device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the viewable areas are at least partially obstructed and at least two of the viewable areas in the stack have visible unobstructed portions that have an equal area.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the footprint defines a total visible viewing area and visible portions of the viewable areas in the stack are displayed in the total visible viewing area, and the method further comprises:

adjusting at least one dimension of at least one of the visible portions based on a configurable threshold associated a total visible viewing area.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein executing code to render the stack of viewable areas comprises:

displaying the first viewable area, the first viewable area including a first selectable object corresponding to the computer-readable content;

overlaying the second viewable area onto at least a portion of the first viewable area to reduce a first visible viewing area of the first viewable area in response to detecting selection of the at least one selectable object of the first viewable area, the second viewable area including a second selectable object corresponding to computer-readable content; and

overlaying a third viewable area onto at least a portion of the second viewable area to reduce a second visible viewing area of the second viewable area in response to detecting selection of the at least one selectable object of the second slat, the third viewable area having a third selectable object corresponding to the computer-readable content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein programmatically adjusting the second viewable area in the stack based on a compression criteria comprises:

compressing the second visible viewing area of the second viewable area to create a compressed visible viewing area for the second viewable area that is less than the second visible viewing area.

16. An system for navigable layering of viewable areas corresponding to a hierarchical structure of computer-readable content, the apparatus comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing one or more programs;

one or more processing devices operatively coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more processing device being programmed to execute the one or more programs to;

render, on a display device, a stack of viewable areas that include a first viewable area and a second viewable area within a footprint having a height and a width, an order of the viewable areas in the stack corresponding to a hierarchical relationship of computer-readable content, the viewable areas in the stack including information associated with the hierarchical relationship; and

adjust the second viewable area on the display based on a compression criteria to accommodate the viewable areas of the stack within the footprint, the second viewable area overlaying the first viewable area.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processing devices are programmed to executed the one or more programs to render a stack of viewable areas on a display device by:

displaying the first viewable area, the first viewable area including a first selectable object corresponding to the computer-readable content;

overlaying the second viewable area onto at least a portion of the first viewable area to reduce a visible viewing area of the first viewable area in response to detecting selection of the at least one selectable object of the first viewable area, the second viewable area including a second selectable object corresponding to computer-readable content; and

overlaying a third viewable area onto at least a portion of the second viewable area to reduce a visible viewing area of the second viewable area in response to detecting selection of the at least one selectable object of the second slat, the third viewable area having a third selectable object corresponding to the computer-readable content.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processing devices are programmed to executed the one or more programs to adjust the second viewable area on the display device by:

compressing the second visible viewing area of the second viewable area to create a compressed visible viewing area for the second viewable area that is less than the second visible viewing area.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instruction, wherein execution of the instructions by a processing device causes the processing device to implement a process for navigable layering of viewable areas corresponding to a hierarchical structure of computer-readable content, the instructions comprising:

code for rendering, on a display device, a stack of viewable areas that include a first viewable area and a second viewable area within a footprint having a height and a width, an order of the viewable areas in the stack corresponding to a hierarchical relationship of computer-readable content, the viewable areas in the stack including information associated with the hierarchical relationship; and

code for adjusting the second viewable area on the display based on a compression criteria to accommodate the viewable areas of the stack within the footprint, the second viewable area overlaying the first viewable area.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the code for rendering the stack of viewable areas further comprises:

code for displaying the first viewable area, the first viewable area including a first selectable object corresponding to the computer-readable content;

code for overlaying the second viewable area onto at least a portion of the first viewable area to reduce a visible viewing area of the first viewable area in response to detecting selection of the at least one selectable object of the first viewable area, the second viewable area including a second selectable object corresponding to computer-readable content; and

code for overlaying a third viewable area onto at least a portion of the second viewable area to reduce a visible viewing area of the second viewable area in response to detecting selection of the at least one selectable object of the second slat, the third viewable area having a third selectable object corresponding to the computer-readable content.