Database graphical user interface with outline view

• US 5,874,953 A
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Reichle, Bill, Webster, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thomas T.
• Application Number:
  US08/774,572
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 345/329, 345/321, 345/332, 345/356, 345/357, 345/326, 345/354, 707/1, 707/3, 707/102
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users

Abstract

A method and apparatus summarizes information in an easy and user-friendly format in a database that stores topics and responses to those topics. To that end, the database may be accessed by a GUI having an outline view that lists each of the responses under a topic in outline form, and an adjacent response chain view having indicia for accessing the content of each response in a response chain to a selected response. A response may either be a response to a topic (topic response) or a response to a previously posted response (reply response). The response chain therefore includes a selected response and any other responses that are directly linked, by responses, between the selected response and the topic.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use on a computer system with a memory and a display, the apparatus generating a graphical user interface for displaying indicia related to a plurality of responses stored in a database, each response relating to one of a plurality of topics and having a content, the apparatus comprising:

a response chain view representing a response chain comprising a selected response and other responses that are directly linked, by responses, between the selected response and a topic, the response chain view comprising a plurality of buttons, each response in the response chain view having an associated button and content associated with the response;

an outline view adjacent to the response chain view, the outline view being in the form of an outline and having topic indicia identifying each of the plurality of topics, response indicia identifying a topic response, and reply indicia identifying a reply response,

a topic response being a response replying to one of the plurality topics and also being visually grouped, in the outline view, with the one of the plurality of topics;

a reply response being a response replying to a response and also being visually grouped, in the outline view, with the response to which the reply response is replying;

each response having a response chain,

the outline view further including selection means for selecting one response, and button creating means for creating a button, in the response chain view, for each response in the response chain of the selected response, and;

means for displaying the contents of the selected response.

2. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the response chain includes a plurality of reply responses.

3. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 further including means for creating a reply response.

4. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 further including means for identifying the one or more users simultaneously using the graphical user interface.

5. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the display means displays contents of at least one of the responses in a column.

6. A method for use on a computer system with a memory and a display, the method generating a graphical user interface for summarizing information stored in a database, and comprising the steps:

A. accessing the database, the database containing a plurality of topics and responses posted to those topics at a posting time, the responses being either topic responses or reply responses wherein topic responses reply to topics and reply responses reply to previously posted responses;

B. displaying the topics and responses on a first view of a display, the topic responses being indented relative to the topics, the topic, the topic responses being grouped with the topics to which they reply, the reply responses being grouped with the responses to which they reply, the reply responses being indented relative to the responses to which they reply, each response having a response chain;

C. displaying, in response to a user selecting a response, response chain view representing a response chain comprising a selected response and other responses that are directly linked, by responses, between the selected responses and a topic, the response chain view comprising a plurality of buttons, each response in the response chain in the selected response having an associated single button and content associated with the selected response; and

D. displaying, in response to a user selecting one of the plurality of buttons, the content of the selected response associated with the selected button.

7. The method of summarizing information stored in a database as defined by claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

E. accessing a second database containing the names of the users displaying the display as formed by step B; and

F. displaying the names of the users listed in the second database.

8. The method of summarizing information stored in a database as defined by claim 6 further comprising the step of:

G. creating, in response to input, a reply response to one of the plurality of topics.

9. A computer program product for use with a graphics display device, said computer program product generating a graphical user interface for displaying indicia related to a plurality of responses stored in a databases, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon including:

program code for accessing the database, the database, the database containing a plurality of topics and responses posted to those topics;

program code for displaying the topics and responses on a first outline view of a display, the topic responses being indented relative to the topics, the topic responses being grouped with the topics to which they reply, the reply responses being grouped with the responses to which they reply, the reply responses being indented relative to the responses to which the reply, each response having a response chain;

program code for displaying, in response to a user selecting a response, a response chain view representing a response chain comprising a selected response and other responses that are directly linked, by responses, between the selected response and a topic, the response chain view comprising a plurality of buttons, each response in the response chain in the selected response having an associated single button and content associated with the response; and

program code for displaying, in response to a user selecting one of the plurality of buttons, the content of the selected response associated with the selected button.

10. The computer program product as defined by claim 9 further including:

program code for accessing a second database containing the names of the users displaying the first view; and

program code for displaying the names of the users listed in the second database.