Browser for hierarchical structures
First Claim
1. A method of displaying and interacting with links to data, which data is organized in a hierarchical data structure, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) sending a first request from a graphical user interface on a computer to provide a first set of data, said first set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a associated with said position of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(b) receiving in said computer said first set of data in response to said first request;
(c) converting said first set of data to a graphical representation for visual display;
(d) displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data in a first lens displayed by said graphical user interface;
(e) sending a second request from said graphical user interface to provide a second set of data, said second set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of second set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(f) receiving in said computer said second set of data in response to said second request;
(g) comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data to determine which level is deeper within said hierarchical data structure;
(h) converting said second set of data to a graphical representation for visual display based upon said comparing of said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data; and
(i) displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data in a second lens displayed by said graphical user interface stacked within and on top of said first lens responsive only to a determination that said level of said second set of data is deeper than said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A browser for viewing data representing text, pictures, sounds, virtual reality worlds, links, or other objects, and organized in a hierarchical structure is provided to display and interact with links to the data. A retrieved set of data is displayed in a lens, and subsequently retrieved sets of data that are deeper in the hierarchical structure are displayed in further stacked lenses, creating a visual representation of the hierarchy. A label on each lens provides information on the data originally displayed in the lens. A user may choose to view the originally displayed contents of any lens on the screen. A user may also modify a personal hierarchical data structure comprising links to sets of data in the first hierarchical structure. In doing so, a user creates an entirely new hierarchical structure that customizes the organization of data according to personal preferences and takes advantage of natural association to reduce the number of perceived levels in the new hierarchical data structure.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method of displaying and interacting with links to data, which data is organized in a hierarchical data structure, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) sending a first request from a graphical user interface on a computer to provide a first set of data, said first set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a associated with said position of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(b) receiving in said computer said first set of data in response to said first request;
(c) converting said first set of data to a graphical representation for visual display;
(d) displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data in a first lens displayed by said graphical user interface;
(e) sending a second request from said graphical user interface to provide a second set of data, said second set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of second set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(f) receiving in said computer said second set of data in response to said second request;
(g) comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data to determine which level is deeper within said hierarchical data structure;
(h) converting said second set of data to a graphical representation for visual display based upon said comparing of said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data; and
(i) displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data in a second lens displayed by said graphical user interface stacked within and on top of said first lens responsive only to a determination that said level of said second set of data is deeper than said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
discontinuing display of said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data by said graphical user interface responsive to a determination that said level of said second set of data is equal to said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure.
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8. A method of displaying and interacting with links to data, which data is organized in a hierarchical data structure, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) sending a first request from a graphical user interface on a computer to provide a first set of data, said first set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(b) receiving in said computer said first set of data in response to said first request;
(c) converting said first set of data to a graphical representation for visual display;
(d) displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data in a first lens displayed by said graphical user interface;
(e) sending a second request from said graphical user interface to provide a second set of data, said second set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said second set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(f) receiving in said computer said second set of data in response to said second request;
(g) comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data to determine which level is deeper within said hierarchical data structure;
(h) converting said second set of data to a graphical representation for visual display based upon said comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data; and
(i) displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data in a second lens displayed by said graphical user interface stacked within and on top of said first lens only when said level of said second set of data is deeper than said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure; and
wherein;
at least one of said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data and said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data contains a graphical representation for visual display of a category;
said category has a position in said hierarchical data structure and has a level associated with said position of said category; and
said graphical representation for visual display of said category indicates whether a third set of data having a position at a deeper level than said level associated with said position of said category exists. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
discontinuing display of said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data by said graphical user interface responsive to a determination that said level of said second set data is equal to said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure.
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12. A method of displaying and interacting with links to data in an R/3 system, which data is organized in a hierarchical data structure, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) sending a first request from an R/3 graphical user interface on a computer to provide a first set of data, said first set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of first set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(b) receiving in said computer said first set of data in response to said first request;
(c) converting said first set of data to a graphical representation for visual display;
(d) displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data in a first lens displayed by said R/3 graphical user interface;
(e) sending a second request from said R/3 graphical user interface to provide a second set of data, said second set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of second set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(f) receiving in said computer said second set of data in response to said second request;
(g) comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data to determine which level is deeper within said hierarchical data structure;
(h) converting said second set of data to a graphical representation for visual display based upon said comparing of said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data; and
(i) displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data in a second lens displayed by said R/3 graphical user interface stacked within and on top of said first lens responsive only to a determination from said comparing that said level of said second set of data is deeper than said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
discontinuing display of said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data by said graphical user interface responsive to a determination that said level of said second set of data is equal to said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure.
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16. A computer system comprising a display, a central processor, a graphics processor, a memory, an input device, and a graphical user interface, wherein:
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said memory has a hierarchical data structure, said hierarchical data structure having a first set of data and a second set of data, said first set of data having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure, said second set of data having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said second set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
said graphical user interface requests said first set of data;
said graphics processor receives said first set of data in response to said request for said first set of data;
said graphics processor converts said first set of data to a graphical representation for visual display;
said graphical user interface displays said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data in a first lens on said display;
said graphical user interface requests said second set of data;
said graphical processor receives said second set of data in response to said request for said second set of data;
said central processor compares said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data to determine which level is deeper within said hierarchical data structure;
said graphics processor converts said second set of data to a graphical representation for visual display based upon said comparing of said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data; and
said graphical user interface displays said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data in a second lens stacked within and on top of said first lens on said display responsive only to a determination that said level of said second set of data is deeper than said level of said first set of data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A computer system comprising a display, a central processor, a graphics processor, a memory, an input device, and a graphical user interface, wherein:
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said memory has a hierarchical data structure, said hierarchical data structure having a first set of data and a second set of data, said first set of data having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure, said second set of data having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said second set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
said graphical user interface requests said first set of data;
said graphics processor receives said first set of data in response to said request for said first set of data;
said graphics processor converts said first set of data to a graphical representation for visual display;
said graphical user interface displays said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data in a first lens on said display;
said graphical user interface requests said second set of data;
said graphical processor receives said second set of data in response to said request for said second set of data;
said central processor compares said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data to determine which level is deeper within said hierarchical data structure;
said graphics processor converts said second set of data to a graphical representation for visual display based upon said comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data; and
said graphical user interface displays said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data in a second lens stacked within and on top of said first lens on said display only when said level of said second set of data is deeper than said level of said first set of data; and
wherein;
at least one of said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data and said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data contains a graphical representation for visual display of a category;
said category has a position in said hierarchical data structure and has a level associated with said position of said category; and
said graphical representation for visual display of said category indicates whether a third set of data having a position at a deeper level than said level associated with said position of said category exists. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of displaying sets of data organized in a hierarchical data structure, the method comprising displaying a plurality of lenses, each lens having a size, wherein:
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each said lens is associated with a respective set of data, each said set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and each having a position in said hierarchical data structure and each having a level associated with said position of said set of data in said hierarchical data structure; and
said size of each said lens being determined based on said level of said set of data associated with said lens so that one of said lenses is smaller than another of said lenses where said one of said lenses is associated with a set of data having a deeper level in the hierarchical data structure than the level of the set of data associated with said another of said lenses. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
discontinuing display of one of said lenses responsive to a determination that said level of the set of data associated therewith is equal to said level of the set of data associated with another lens to be displayed.
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40. A computer system for displaying and interacting with data organized in a hierarchical data structure, which comprises:
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(a) means for sending a first request from a graphical user interface on a computer to provide a first set of data, said first set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(b) means for receiving in said computer said first set of data in response to said first request;
(c) means for converting said first set of data to a graphical representation for visual display;
(d) means for displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data in a first lens displayed by said graphical user interface;
(e) means for sending a second request from said graphical user interface to provide a second set of data, said second set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of second set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(f) means for receiving in said computer said second set of data in response to said second request;
(g) means for comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data to determine which level is deeper within said hierarchical data structure;
(h) means for converting said second set of data to a graphical representation for visual display based upon said comparing of said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data; and
(i) means for displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data in a second lens displayed by said graphical user interface stacked within and on top of said first lens responsive only to a determination that said level of said second set of data is deeper than said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
means for discontinuing display of said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data by said graphical user interface responsive to a determination that said level of said second set of data is equal to said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure.
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50. A computer system for displaying and interacting with data organized in a hierarchical data structure, which comprises:
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(a) means for sending a first request from a graphical user interface on a computer to provide a first set of data, said first set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(b) means for receiving in said computer said first set of data in response to said first request;
(c) means for converting said first set of data to a graphical representation for visual display;
(d) means for displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data in a first lens displayed by said graphical user interface;
(e) means for sending a second request from said graphical user interface to provide a second set of data, said second set of data being in said hierarchical data structure and having a position in said hierarchical data structure and having a level associated with said position of said second set of data in said hierarchical data structure;
(f) means for receiving in said computer said second set of data in response to said second request;
(g) means for comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data to determine which level is deeper within said hierarchical data structure;
(h) means for converting said second set of data to a graphical representation for visual display based upon said comparing said level of said second set of data with said level of said first set of data; and
(i) means for displaying said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data in a second lens displayed by said graphical user interface stacked within and on top of said first lens only when said level of said second set of data is deeper than said level of said first set of data in said hierarchical data structure; and
wherein;
at least one of said graphical representation for visual display of said first set of data and said graphical representation for visual display of said second set of data contains a graphical representation for visual display of a category;
said category has a position in said hierarchical data structure and has a level associated with said position of said category; and
said graphical representation for visual display of said category indicates whether a third set of data having a position at a deeper level than said level associated with said position of said category exists.
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Specification