Method and system for displaying related information from a database

• US 5,926,806 A
• Filed: 10/18/1996
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Laird, Barbara H., Hallbeck, Timothy E., Marshall, Dennis Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Von Buhr, Maria N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US08/732,705
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 345/333, 345/340, 345/507, 345/419, 345/329, 364/282.1, 503/201, 707/3, 707/529, 707/201, 707/526, 707/509, 707/6, 707/8, 707/103, 707/530
• US Class Current: 707/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/944 Business related
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

A technique for displaying information from related tables of a database in different display windows on a display screen associated with a computer system is disclosed. The different display windows are interlinked such that a selection of one or more entries in one of the display windows causes the other of the display windows to distinguishably and orderly display those entries that are related to the selection. A graphical user interface (GUI) in which a main screen is produced having the interlinked display windows is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for a display screen of a computer, said graphical user interface comprising:

a first display area having a first label and a first data window, the first data window displays a first type of data in multiple rows and columns, and the first label identifies the first type of data; and

a second display area having a second label and a second data window, the second data window displays a second type of data in multiple rows and columns, and the second label identifies the second type of data,

wherein one of a first selection of at least one of the rows in the first data window and a second selection of at least one of the rows in the second data window can be made,

wherein the first selection of at least one of the rows in the first data window automatically causes the rows in the second data window that are associated with the first selection to be visually distinguished from other of the rows,

wherein the second selection of at least one of the rows in the second data window automatically causes the rows in the first data window that are associated with the second selection to be visually distinguished from other of the rows, and

wherein said first and second display areas further include count indicators that are displayed proximate to the corresponding display area, the count indicators indicate a number of entries being selected as well as a total number of entries being displayed in the corresponding display area.

2. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

a third display area having a third label and a third data window, the third data window displays a third type of data in multiple rows and columns, and the third label identifies the third type of data,

wherein one of the first selection of at least one of the rows in the first data window, the second selection of at least one of the rows in the second data window and a third selection of at least one of the rows in the third data window can be made,

wherein the first selection of the at least one of the rows in the first data window automatically causes the rows in the second and third data windows that are associated with the first selection to be visually distinguished from other of the rows,

wherein the second selection of at least one of the rows in the second data window automatically causes the rows in the first and third data windows that are associated with the second selection to be visually distinguished from other of the rows, and

wherein the third selection of at least one of the rows in the third data window automatically causes the rows in the first and second data windows that are associated with the third selection to be visually distinguished from other of the rows.

3. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 2, wherein said graphical user interface is associated with a business application program for a business,

wherein the first label and the first data window are associated with customers of the business, and the second label and the second data window are associated with products or services of the business, and the third label and the third data window are associated with invoices of the business.

4. A method for displaying data on a display device of a computer system, the data being obtained from tables in a database associated with the computer system, the display device having a plurality of display areas, each of the display areas having an associated table in the database, said method comprising the operations of:

(a) displaying entries from the database in the display areas;

(b) determining whether a selection of one or more entries being displayed in a particular one of the display areas has occurred;

(c) obtaining a key from the database in accordance with the selection, the key being obtained from the table in the database that is associated with the particular one of the display areas where the selection occurred;

(d) notifying the other of the display areas of the key; and

(e) updating the entries in the other of the display areas so as to visually distinguish those of the entries that are associated with the key with those entries that are not associated with the key, said updating (e) performs, for each of the other of the display areas, at least the operations of;

(e1) retrieving a first set of entries from the associated table in the database that is associated with the key;

(e2) sorting the first set of entries in accordance with a predetermined criteria;

(e3) retrieving a second set of entries from the associated table in the database that are not associated with the key;

(e4) sorting the second set of entries in accordance with a predetermined criteria;

(e5) displaying the sorted first set of entries followed by the sorted second set of entries in the corresponding display area with the sorted first set of entries being distinguishably displayed from the sorted second set of entries;

(e6) determining a select count indicating a number of entries in the first set of entries;

(e7) determining a total count indicating a total number of entries in the first and second sets of entries; and

(e8) displaying the select count and the total count on the display device proximate to the corresponding display area.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said displaying (e5) distinguishably displays the sorted first set of entries from the sorted second set of entries by placing a graphical indicator adjacent to each of the sorted first set of entries.

6. A computer readable media containing program instructions for displaying data on a display device of a computer system, the data being obtained from tables in a database associated with the computer system, the display device having a plurality of display areas, each of the display areas having an associated table in the database, said computer readable media comprising:

first computer program code for determining whether a selection of one or more entries being displayed in a particular one of the display areas has occurred;

second computer program code for obtaining a key from the database in accordance with the selection;

third computer program code for notifying the other of the display areas of the key, the key being obtained from the table in the database that is associated with the particular one of the display areas where the selection occurred; and

fourth computer program code for updating the entries in the other of the display areas so as to visually distinguish those of the entries that are associated with the key from those entries that are not associated with the key, said fourth computer program code includes, for each of the other of the display areas, at least;

computer program code for retrieving a first set of entries from the associated table in the database that is associated with the key;

computer program code for sorting the first set of entries in accordance with a predetermined criteria;

computer program code for retrieving a second set of entries from the associated table in the database that are not associated with the key;

computer program code for sorting the second set of entries in accordance with a predetermined criteria;

computer program code for displaying the sorted first set of entries followed by the sorted second set of entries in the corresponding display area with the sorted first set of entries being distinguishably displayed from the sorted second set of entries;

computer program code for determining a select count indicating a number of entries in the first set of entries;

computer program code for determining a total count indicating a total number of entries in the first and second sets of entries; and

computer program code for displaying the select count and the total count on the display device proximate to the corresponding display area.