Method for generating a display utilizing objects in an object list

• US 5,208,907 A
• Filed: 06/19/1990
• Issued: 05/04/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1989
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Allscripts Software LLC (Veradigm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emtek Health Care Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Person, Stanley C., Shelton, Richard E., Thurman, Audree A., Norden-Paul, Ronald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Application Number:
  US07/540,382
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/403, 364/406, 364/413.02, 364/413.03, 364/523, 364/200, 364/900, 235/385, 395/149, 395/155-161
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/975 Pop-up dialog box for entry

Abstract

Input to the system is buffered by the forms manager to determine access to the tile/region and to check entered data. The tile/region will retain various information such as data entered, user, time, changes, etc. To display a form, the forms manager obtains a list of objects to be displayed. This list of objects is then edited to remove objects which are not utilized and to place the remaining objects in a prioritized order. The forms manager then generates the display.

Claims

1. In a computer system having input means for entering a plurality of objects to form an object list, data and commands into said system by a system user, an operator display module for displaying information to said user, a memory for storing said data and instructions, and processing means for performing processing operations in response to the entry of said data and said commands by said user, a method for generating a display on said operator display module comprising the steps in sequence of:

(a) entering a command into said system by said user to display a form;

(b) in response to said command, using said processing means to obtain said object list, corresponding to said form, from said memory;

(c) using said processing means, assigning a plurality of tiles to each of said objects in said object list, at least one of said tiles being assigned to a group of said objects, and at least a second of said tiles being assigned to an individual one of said objects; and

(d) using said processing means, displaying said tiles on said operator display module.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step (d) comprises the steps in sequence, using said processing means, of:

i) moving a draw point to a home position of said operator display module;

ii) drawing a tile of at least one object if there is an object to be drawn;

iii) moving said draw point to a next position of said operator display module; and

iv) repeating steps ii) through iii) until said tiles for all of said objects in said object list have been drawn or until a display area of said operator display module has been filled.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps, in sequence, between steps (b) and (c), using said processing means, of:

(b1) eliminating an object from said object list if said object is not currently monitored by said system;

(b2) obtaining a prioritization list from said memory; and

(b3) arranging said objects according to said prioritization list.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (c) said at least one tile comprises a text region and a data region.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said tiles comprises a definition comprising:

a physical size and shape of said at least one tile;

an information display rule;

an access table for identifying system users who are granted access to said at least one tile;

a tile name; and

a storage area for retaining the respective times of entries and identification of a system user making said entries of objects into one or more regions of said at least one tile.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (c) one of said tiles has associated with it a plurality of regions, at least one of said regions comprising a plurality of objects, said method further comprising the step of:

(e) entering a command into said system by said user to display the contents of said at least one region; and

(f) using said processing means, displaying a pop-up menu corresponding to said at least one region of said one tile on said operator display module.

7. In a computer system having input means for entering a plurality of objects to form an object list, data and commands into said system by a system user, an operator display module for displaying information to said user, a memory for storing said data and instructions, and processing means for performing processing operations in response to the entry of said data and said commands by said user, a method for generating a display on said operator display module comprising the steps in sequence of:

(a) entering a command into said system by said user to display a form;

(b) in response to said command, using said processing means to obtain said object list, corresponding to said form, from said memory;

(c) using said processing means, eliminating an object from said object list if said object is not a monitored object;

(d) using said processing means, obtaining a prioritization list, corresponding to said form, from said memory;

(e) using said processing means, prioritizing said object list according to said prioritization list;

(f) using said processing means, assigning a plurality of tiles to each of said objects to be displayed in said object list, at least one of said tiles being assigned to a group of said objects, and at least a second of said tiles being assigned to an individual one of said objects; and

(g) using said processing means, displaying said tiles on said operator display module.

8. The method of claim 7 where step (g) comprises the steps in sequence, using said processing means, of:

i) moving a draw point to a home position of said operator display module;

ii) drawing a tile of at least one object if there is an object to be drawn;

iii) moving said draw point to a next position of said operator display module; and

iv) repeating steps ii) through iii) until said tiles for all of said objects in said object list have been drawn or until a display area of said operator display module has been filled.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein in step (c) said at least one tile comprises a text region and a data region.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein at least one of said tiles comprises a definition comprising:

a physical size and shape of said at least one tile;

an information display rule;

an access table for identifying system users who are granted access to said at least one tile;

a tile name; and

a storage area for retaining the respective times of entries and identification of a system user making said entries of objects into one or more regions of said at least one tile.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein in step (c) one of said tiles has associated with it a plurality of regions, at least one of said regions comprising a plurality of objects, said method further comprising the step of:

(e) entering a command into said system by said user to display the contents of said at least one region; and

(f) using said processing means, displaying a pop-up menu corresponding to said at least one region of said one tile on said operator display module.