METHODS AND SYSTEMS TO DISPLAY DATA RECORDS EXTRACTED FROM A DATABASE VIA A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20160018975A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vigor Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vigor Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: SORLANDER, Magnus
• Granted Patent: US 10,552,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A system and method for managing display of database records are provided. The method includes determining whether a pointer is positioned over a data cell of a plurality of data cells of a graphical user interface; in response to receiving an actuation signal related to the pointer while the pointer is determined to be over the data cell, automatically modifying search criteria applied to database data according to the data of the data cell; and automatically outputting the database data filtered by the modified search criteria to the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A computer device for controlling display of database information, the computer server comprising:

a display that is configured to display a graphical user interface including database data arranged in a plurality of data cells;

an input device that is configured to move a pointer within the graphical user interface on the display; and

a processor coupled to the input device and the display, the processor being operable to execute program instructions to determine whether the pointer is positioned over a data cell of the plurality of data cells and, in response to an actuation of the input device while the pointer is determined to be over the data cell, automatically modify search criteria applied to the database data according to the data of the data cell and automatically display the database data filtered by the modified search criteria.

2. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the processor modifies the search criteria by adding the data of the data cell to the search criteria, or by subtracting the data of the data cell from the search criteria.

3. The computer device of claim 1, wherein the processor, in response to the determination that the pointer is positioned over the data cell, determines whether the data of the data cell is already included in the search criteria, and when the data is already included in the search criteria, controls the display to display an indication that the data is already included in the search criteria, and when the data is not already included in the search criteria, controls the display to display an indication is not already included in the search criteria.

4. The computer device of claim 3, wherein the indication that the data is already included in the search criteria is a subtraction icon displayed over the data cell, and the indication that the data is not already included in the search criteria is an addition icon displayed over the data cell.

5. The computer device of claim 3, wherein the indication that the data is already included in the search criteria is a first modification of the data cell, and the indication that the data is not already included in the search criteria is a second modification of the data cell, the second modification being different than the first modification.

6. The computer device of claim 5, wherein the first modification and the second modification each comprises one or more of highlighting, outlining, bolding, or changing the characteristics of the text of the data in the data cell.

7. The computer device of claim 5, wherein the first modification and the second modification each comprises one or more of highlighting, outlining, bolding, or changing the characteristics of the data cell that contains the data.

8. The computer device of claim 1, wherein after modifying the search criteria, the processor sends the modified search criteria to an external database that is communicatively coupled to the computer device via a network, and receives the database data filtered by the sent search criteria from the external database.

9. A system for controlling display of database information, the system comprising:

a database that stores database data;

a central computer server which is communicatively coupled to the database and hosts software for controlling the database, the central computer server providing remote access to the database data of the database via web applications; and

a remote computer system which is communicatively coupled to the central computer server via a web browser,

wherein the remote computer server comprises;

a display that is configured to display a graphical user interface including the database data arranged in a plurality of data cells;

an input device that is configured to move a pointer within the graphical user interface on the display; and

a processor coupled to the input device and the display, the processor being operable to execute program instructions to determine whether the pointer is positioned over a data cell of the plurality of data cells and, in response to an actuation of the input device while the pointer is determined to be over the data cell, automatically modify search criteria applied to the database data according to the data of the data cell, send the modified search criteria to the central computer server, receive from the central computer server the database data of the database filtered by the modified search criteria, and automatically display the received database data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the central computer server is communicatively coupled to the database via a first network, and the central computer server is communicatively coupled to the remote computer system via a second network different from the first network.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor modifies the search criteria by adding the data of the data cell to the search criteria, or by subtracting the data of the data cell from the search criteria.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor, in response to the determination that the pointer is positioned over the data cell, determines whether the data of the data cell is already included in the search criteria, and when the data is already included in the search criteria, controls the display to display an indication that the data is already included in the search criteria, and when the data is not already included in the search criteria, controls the display to display an indication is not already included in the search criteria.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication that the data is already included in the search criteria is a subtraction icon displayed over the data cell, and the indication that the data is not already included in the search criteria is an addition icon displayed over the data cell.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the indication that the data is already included in the search criteria is a first modification of the data cell, and the indication that the data is not already included in the search criteria is a second modification of the data cell, the second modification being different than the first modification.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first modification and the second modification each comprises one or more of highlighting, outlining, bolding, or changing the characteristics of the text of the data in the data cell.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first modification and the second modification each comprises one or more of highlighting, outlining, bolding, or changing the characteristics of the data cell that contains the data.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the computer to:

determine whether a pointer is positioned over a data cell of a plurality of data cells of a graphical user interface;

in response to receiving an actuation signal related to the pointer while the pointer is determined to be over the data cell, automatically modify search criteria applied to database data according to the data of the data cell; and

automatically output the database data filtered by the modified search criteria to the graphical user interface.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the search criteria is modified by adding the data of the data cell to the search criteria, or by subtracting the data of the data cell from the search criteria.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein in response to the determination that the pointer is positioned over the data cell, the computer executes instructions to cause the computer to determine whether the data of the data cell is already included in the search criteria, and when the data is already included in the search criteria, output an indication that the data is already included in the search criteria to the graphical computer interface, and when the data is not already included in the search criteria, output an indication is not already included in the search criteria to the graphical user interface.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the indication that the data is already included in the search criteria is a subtraction icon, and the indication that the data is not already included in the search criteria is an addition icon.