Method of expanding stacked elements

• US 20200134253A1
• Filed: 12/22/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 9224-5489 Quebec Inc.
• Original Assignee: 9224-5489 Quebec Inc.
• Inventors: Audet, Mathieu, Cassistat, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 11,080,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing

Abstract

The present invention provides solutions to the potential undesirable effects the insertion and removal of information elements and documents may have on axes of elements using a collation function and collation units and further allows for displaying the elements with a first layout until the number of elements to be displayed in the collation unit exceeds a maximum number of elements displayable with the first layout, the elements displayed in the collation unit being displayed with a second layout when the number of elements to be displayed in the collation unit exceeds the number of elements displayable with the first layout. The invention can be effectuated as a method, a device and an apparatus carrying out the method described herein.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer-implemented method of displaying a plurality of elements on an axis of elements on a display area of a user'"'"'s device, the method comprising:

assigning a collation function to the axis of elements, the collation function including a time-based order;

receiving a plurality of elements from another user, the plurality of elements being transmitted through a network, the elements including a timestamp respectively associated thereto;

associating the plurality of elements with respective collation positions on the axis of elements;

displaying the plurality of elements in a substantially rectilinear and vertical orientation on the display in a stacked configuration of elements on the axis of elements; and

displaying a notification in association with the plurality of elements including an identity of the another user providing the plurality of elements, wherein the plurality of stacked elements is unstacked and elements are distinctly displayed on the axis on a basis of an action performed by the user on the display area.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the axis is scrollable with a gesture over a touch screen interface.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the display of stacked elements on the axis is made without substantially modifying the display of elements within the display area.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the collation function is a chronological order.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising simultaneously displaying each unstacked element from the plurality of elements following the action performed by the user on the display area.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein displaying each unstacked element from the plurality of element is enlarging a time unit associated with the collation function of the axis of elements.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the elements are user-selectable.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of elements is inserted to the axis of elements compressed into a stacked group of elements to prevent an abrupt and rapid addition of elements on the axis changing a layout of elements displayed thereon.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of elements includes text files.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the axis includes elements having a common attribute.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the collation function includes collation units of a size adapted to be adjusted in accordance with a number of elements located therein.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising identifying elements added to the axis as a result of an action of the another user.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the device includes a phone.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the device includes a computer device.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the collation function includes non-equally spaced collation units along the axis of elements.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the display area includes an idle region of the axis of elements and an active region of the axis of elements.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the collation function comprises a plurality of collation units and wherein an addition of an element in a collation unit on the axis of elements is compressing a graphical representation of an element present in the collation unit on the axis.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the collation function includes a chronological order including a non-linear timeline where units of time are not evenly represented in an axial distance along the axis of elements.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 38, wherein a unit of time is becoming axially longer to accommodate additional elements displayed therein.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the elements are displayed with a quadrilateral shape.