Drag & Drop for Defining Hierarchy
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A graphical user interface for allowing a template editor to create a hierarchy template on a computer, for later user by a plant designer, the graphical user interface comprising:
- at least one hierarchy template creation icon configured to create, when activated by a template editor, an editable hierarchy tile;
a plant-group-type menu displaying a plurality of distinct plant-group-type icons, each of the plant-group-type icons representing a sub-area of a plant to be described by design files stored in a database, and configured for graphical selection by the template editor;
a graphical editing interface configured to allow the template editor to edit an editable hierarchy tile to create a new hierarchy template, by;
selecting, from the plant-group-type menu, a first plant-group-type icon;
graphically placing the first plant-group-type icon into the editable hierarchy template;
selecting, from the plant-group-type menu, a second plant-group-type icon;
graphically placing the second plant-group-type icon into the editable hierarchy template, such that the second plant-group-type icon is graphically subordinate to the first plant-group-type icon in a tree structure, andsaving the new hierarchy template to a computer memory.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An intuitive graphical interface on a computer allows a user to quickly and easily create and edit plant hierarchy templates, and/or plant hierarchies, without having to leave the graphical editing environment. Hierarchies may represent complex data structures, and the graphical interfaces allow editing and manipulation of their graphical forms while creating or maintaining such complex structures.
12 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A graphical user interface for allowing a template editor to create a hierarchy template on a computer, for later user by a plant designer, the graphical user interface comprising:
-
at least one hierarchy template creation icon configured to create, when activated by a template editor, an editable hierarchy tile; a plant-group-type menu displaying a plurality of distinct plant-group-type icons, each of the plant-group-type icons representing a sub-area of a plant to be described by design files stored in a database, and configured for graphical selection by the template editor; a graphical editing interface configured to allow the template editor to edit an editable hierarchy tile to create a new hierarchy template, by; selecting, from the plant-group-type menu, a first plant-group-type icon; graphically placing the first plant-group-type icon into the editable hierarchy template; selecting, from the plant-group-type menu, a second plant-group-type icon; graphically placing the second plant-group-type icon into the editable hierarchy template, such that the second plant-group-type icon is graphically subordinate to the first plant-group-type icon in a tree structure, and saving the new hierarchy template to a computer memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A graphical user interface for allowing a plant designer to create a hierarchy from a hierarchy template in a computer environment, the graphical user interface comprising:
-
a graphical template menu displaying at least one hierarchy template icon, each of the at least one hierarchy template icons having a template hierarchy comprising a plurality of plant-group-type icons at unique levels of subordination in a tree structure; a plant-group-type menu displaying a plurality of distinct plant-group-type icons in a list structure, each of the plant-group-type icons configured for graphical selection by the plant designer; a graphical editing interface configured to allow the plant designer to create a new hierarchy from a hierarchy template, by; selecting from the graphical template menu a hierarchy template icon; selecting from the list in the plant-group-type menu a first plant-group-type icon, and graphically placing the first plant-group-type icon into the tree structure of the template hierarchy; selecting from the plant-group-type menu, a second plant-group-type icon, and graphically placing the second plant-group-type icon into the tree structure of the hierarchy template, subordinate to the first plant-group-type icon in the tree structure; selecting from the plant-group-type menu a plurality of other plant-group-type icons, and graphically placing the plurality of plant-group-type icons into the hierarchy template, wherein any icon may have one or more of the other plant-group-type icons as an immediate subordinate. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A non-transient computer readable medium having computer-executable code thereon, the computer-executable code configured to display on a display device:
-
a graphical template menu displaying at least one hierarchy template icon, each of the at least one hierarchy template icons having a template hierarchy comprising a plurality of plant-group-type icons at unique levels of subordination in a tree structure; a plant-group-type menu displaying a plurality of distinct plant-group-type icons, each of the plant-group-type icons configured for graphical selection by the plant designer; a graphical editing interface configured to allow the plant designer to create a new hierarchy from a hierarchy template, by; selecting from the graphical template menu a hierarchy template icon; selecting from the plant-group-type menu a first plant-group-type icon, and graphically placing the first plant-group-type icon into the template hierarchy tree structure; selecting from the plant-group-type menu, a second plant-group-type icon, and graphically placing the second plant-group-type icon into the hierarchy template tree structure, subordinate to the first plant-group-type icon; selecting from the plant-group-type menu a plurality of other plant-group-type icons, and graphically placing the plurality of plant-group-type icons into the hierarchy template tree structure, wherein any icon may have one or more of the other plant-group-type icons as an immediate subordinate. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification