Computer system, method and user interface components for abstracting and accessing a body of knowledge

• US 6,304,259 B1
• Filed: 02/09/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeStefano, George Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THOMAS T
• Application Number:
  US09/020,534
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 345/340, 345/356, 345/342, 345/346, 345/339, 345/968, 345/967, 345/355, 345/419, 707/101, 706/55, 706/60, 706/50
• US Class Current: 715/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A computer system and method implement a number of unique user interface mechanisms to visually link information presented to a user and thereby facilitate user comprehension of the contextual relationship of such information. Information may be visually linked by displaying a connector element that extends between first and second windows displayed on a computer display. In addition, information may be visually linked by applying one or more filter criteria to information elements and displaying the results. For example, first and second filter criteria may be applied to a plurality of information elements, with at least portions of the resulting sets of filtered information elements displayed concurrently. As another example, a filter criteria may be applied to an information element, with the filtered and unfiltered representations of the information element displayed concurrently. Information may also be visually linked through a coordinated scrolling relationship where portions of first and second sets of filtered information elements are concurrently displayed in separate windows, with the displayed portions in each window tracked with one another to display a particular location in a body of knowledge. Also, information may be visually linked by highlighting one of a pair of information element representations in response to selection of the other information element representation when such information element representations are associated with a common concept.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information on a computer system, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a first window on a computer display;

(b) displaying a second window on the computer display; and

(c) visually linking the first and second windows by displaying a connector element extending between the first and second windows, wherein the first and second windows are rectangular with four corners, and wherein the connector element includes at least two line segments extending between corners of the first and second windows.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to user input to modify at least one of the position and size of a selected window, redrawing the connector element to maintain the same relative orientation of the connector element to the selected window.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein redrawing the connector element includes maintaining an anchor for the connector element at the same relative position on the selected window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second windows each comprise a lens displaying an information element from a body of knowledge, wherein the body of knowledge is stratified into a plurality of levels of abstraction, with each information element associated with a level of abstraction in the body of knowledge, and wherein the method further comprises displaying an abstraction axis in a three dimensional workspace.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each window has associated therewith at least one level of abstraction, and wherein displaying each window includes orienting the window generally perpendicular to the abstraction axis in the three dimensional workspace and at a position along the abstraction axis based upon the level of abstraction associated therewith.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second windows are each associated with different levels of abstraction, and wherein displaying the first and second windows includes spacing the first and second windows from one another along the abstraction axis.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second windows are associated with a common level of abstraction, and wherein displaying the first and second windows includes displaying the first and second windows spaced from one another in a predetermined plane in the three dimensional workspace, the predetermined plane intersecting the abstraction axis at a predetermined position along the abstraction axis based upon the common level of abstraction.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising minimizing or restoring at least one of the first and second windows in response to user selection of the connector element.

9. A computer system, comprising:

(a) a computer display; and

(b) a processor, coupled to the computer display, the processor configured to display first and second windows on the computer display; and

to visually link the first and second windows by displaying a connector element extending between the first and second windows, wherein the first and second windows are rectangular with four corners, and wherein the connector element includes at least two line segments extending between comers of the first and second windows.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to user input to modify at least one of the position and size of a selected window, redraw the connector element to maintain the same relative orientation of the connector element to the selected window.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to redraw the connector element by maintaining an anchor for the connector element at the same relative position on the selected window.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first and second windows each comprise a lens displaying an information element from a body of knowledge, wherein the body of knowledge is stratified into a plurality of levels of abstraction, with each information element associated with a level of abstraction in the body of knowledge, and wherein the processor is further configured to display an abstraction axis in a three dimensional workspace.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein each window has associated therewith at least one level of abstraction, and wherein the processor is further configured to display each window by orienting the window generally perpendicular to the abstraction axis in the three dimensional workspace and at a position along the abstraction axis based upon the level of abstraction associated therewith.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the first and second windows are each associated with different levels of abstraction, and wherein the processor is further configured to display the first and second windows by spacing the first and second windows from one another along the abstraction axis.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the first and second windows are associated with a common level of abstraction, and wherein the processor is further configured to display the first and second windows by displaying the first and second windows spaced from one another in a predetermined plane in the three dimensional workspace, the predetermined plane intersecting the abstraction axis at a predetermined position along the abstraction axis based upon the common level of abstraction.

16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to minimize or restore at least one of the first and second windows in response to user selection of the connector element.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

(a) a memory; and

(b) a program, resident in the memory, the program configured to display first and second windows to a user on a computer display; and

to visually link the first and second windows by displaying a connector element extending between the first and second windows, wherein the first and second windows are reangular with four corners, and wherein the connector element includes at least two line segments extending between corners of the first and second windows.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the program is further configured to, in response to user input to modify at least one of the position and size of a selected window, redraw the connector element to maintain the same relative orientation of the connector element to the selected window.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second windows each comprise a lens displaying an information element from a body of knowledge resident in the memory, wherein the body of knowledge is stratified into a plurality of levels of abstraction, with each information element associated with a level of abstraction in the body of knowledge, wherein the program is further configured to display an abstraction axis in a three dimensional workspace, wherein each window has associated therewith at least one level of abstraction, and wherein the program is further configured to display each window by orienting the window generally perpendicular to the abstraction axis in the three dimensional workspace and at a position along the abstraction axis based upon the level of abstraction associated therewith.

20. A program product, comprising:

(a) a program configured to perform a method of displaying information on a computer system, the method comprising;

(1) displaying a first window on a computer display;

(2) displaying a second window on the computer display; and

(3) visually linking the first and second windows by displaying a connector element extending between the first and second windows, wherein the first and second windows are rectangular with four corners, and wherein the connector element includes at least two line segments extending between corners of the first and second windows; and

(b) a signal bearing media bearing the program.

21. A program product, comprising:

(a) a program configured to display first and second windows to a user on a computer display; and

to visually link the first and second windows by displaying a connector element extending between the first and second windows, wherein the first and second windows are rectangular with four comers, and wherein the connector element includes at least two line segments extending between corners of the first and second windows; and

(b) a signal bearing media bearing the program.

22. The program product of claim 21, wherein the signal bearing media is transmission type medial.

23. The program product of claim 21, wherein the signal bearing media is recordable media.

24. The program product of claim 21, wherein the program is further configured to, in response to user input to modify at least one of the position and size of a selected window, redraw the connector element to maintain the same relative orientation of the connector element to the selected window.

25. The program product of claim 21, wherein the first and second windows each comprise a lens displaying an information element from a body of knowledge resident in the memory, wherein the body of knowledge is stratified into a plurality of levels of abstraction, with each information element associated with a level of abstraction in the body of knowledge, wherein the program is further configured to display an abstraction axis in a three dimensional workspace, wherein each window has associated therewith at least one level of abstraction, and wherein the program is further configured to display each window by orienting the window generally perpendicular to the abstraction axis in the three dimensional workspace and at a position along the abstraction axis based upon the level of abstraction associated therewith.