Database graphical user interface with user frequency view

• US 6,052,121 A
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.), International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Webster, Roger, McCusker, Deanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H.
• Application Number:
  US08/777,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 345/329, 345/331, 345/339, 345/356, 345/357, 345/440, 345/968, 345/338, 707/501, 707/503
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method and apparatus generates a graphical user interface that summarizes information in an easy and user-friendly format in a database which stores topics and responses to those topics. To that end, the graphical user interface includes a user frequency view and an adjacent report view. The user frequency view includes a two-dimensional grid having indicia identifying one or more users along the horizontal dimension, and an index listing a plurality of topics along the vertical dimension. The grid forms a plurality of intersecting horizontal topic rows and vertical user identifying columns. Each intersection of a topic row and user identifying column may include indicia that display the number of responses to each of the listed topics by each of the users. The report view includes a listing of the titles of each response to a topic selected in the index, or the titles of each response by a user to a selected topic.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use with a computer system having a memory and a display, the apparatus residing in the memory and generating a graphical user interface displaying information related to a database on the display, the graphical user interface comprising:

a user frequency view having a two-dimensional grid display comprising a first axis having a plurality of identifiers spaced along the first axis, each identifier uniquely identifying one of a plurality of users, and a second axis having a plurality of topic names spaced along the second axis, the user frequency view further having a first number displayed on the grid indicating the frequency that one of the plurality of users, identified by the position of the first number along the first axis, replies to one of the plurality of topics, identified by the position of the first number along the second axis, the replies each being in the form of a response stored in the database;

a report view adjacent to the user frequency view, the report view having means for displaying information relating to at least one response posted by the one of the plurality of users when the first number is selected.

2. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the user frequency view includes a second number indicating the total replies posted to the at least one topic and means for displaying, in the report view, information relating to all responses posted in reply to the at least one topic when the second number is selected.

3. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the user frequency view includes means for displaying, in the report view, information relating to all responses posted by one of the plurality of users when one of the plurality of identifiers associated with the one of the plurality of users is selected.

4. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the user frequency view includes means for displaying, in the report view, information relating to all responses posted to one of the plurality of topics by one of the plurality of users when the second number is selected.

5. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the graphical display means includes colored indicia.

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

7. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the report view includes means displaying, in front of the graphical user interface, the content of the at least one response displayed in the report view.

8. The apparatus as defined by claim 7 wherein the means for displaying the content of the at least one response formats the response into columns.

9. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the report view includes means for excluding indicia, relating to all previously read responses, from being displayed in the report view.

10. A method of summarizing information stored in a database, the method being for use with a computer system having a memory and a display, and generating a graphical user interface displaying information related to a database on the display, the method comprising the steps of:

A. accessing the database, the database containing a plurality of topics and responses posted to those topics;

B. displaying a two-dimensional grid on a display device, the grid having a plurality of identifiers displayed along a first axis, each identifier uniquely identifying one of a plurality of users, a list of the plurality of topic names stored in the database displayed along the second axis, and a frequency number aligned with both one of the identifiers and one of the topic names, the frequency number indicating the number of responses posted to the one of the topic names by the user identified by the one of the identifiers; and

C. displaying, adjacent to the grid, report indicia related to at least one of the responses posted to the one of the topics by one of the users identified by the one of the identifiers when the frequency number is selected by a user.

11. The method of summarizing information stored in a database as defined by claim 10, comprising the further step of:

D. displaying, in response to a user selecting the frequency indicia, indicia related to each response posted to the one of the topics by the user identified by the one of the identifiers.

12. The method of summarizing information stored in a database as defined by claim 10, comprising the further steps of:

E. accessing a second database containing the names of the users displaying the two-dimensional grid; and

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

13. The method of summarizing information stored in a database as defined by claim 10, comprising the further step of:

G. displaying, in response to a user selecting the report indicia, the content of the response related to the selected report indicia.

14. A computer program product for use with a graphics display device, the computer program product generating a graphical user interface for summarizing information stored in a database, the database containing a plurality of topics and responses posted to those topics, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, including:

program code for accessing the database;

program code for displaying a two-dimensional grid on a display device, the grid having a plurality of identifiers displayed along a first axis, each identifier uniquely identifying one of a plurality of users, a list of the plurality of topic names stored in the database displayed along the second axis, and frequency indicia aligned with both one of the identifiers and one of the topic names, the a frequency number indicating the number of responses posted to the one of the topics by the user identified by the one of the user-identifying indicia; and

program code for displaying, adjacent to the grid, report indicia related to at least one of the responses posted to at least one of the topics when the frequency number is selected by a user.

15. The computer program product as defined by claim 14 further including program code for displaying, in response to a user selecting the frequency number, indicia related to each response posted to the one of the topics by the user identified by the one of the user-identifying indicia.

16. The computer program product as defined by claim 14 further including:

program code for accessing a second database containing the names of the users displaying the two-dimensional grid; and

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

17. The computer program product as defined by claim 14 further including program code for displaying, in response to a user selecting the report indicia, the content of the response related to the selected report indicia.