Graphical data collection and retrieval interface

• US 6,313,833 B1
• Filed: 10/16/1998
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prophet Financial Systems, Inc. (Charles Schwab Corporation)
• Inventors: Knight, Timothy Orr
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joseph, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US09/173,853
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 345/333-335, 345/352-354, 345/356, 345/350-351, 345/146, 345/349, 345/339, 707/101-104, 707/906, 707/908, 705/101, 705/35, 705/36, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/36.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

A graphical user interface is provided for capturing application data in picture form. A set of data capture tools, including a subjective data parameter pallette and accompanying data canvas, are presented to an operator during an interactive session. By selecting and placing such data parameters on the data canvas, a user can paint a data picture representing his/her subjective motivations, mental impressions, reasons, etc., for engaging in a particular transaction. In a preferred embodiment, the present interface is used in connection with a stock portfolio management application, where it is used to capture user rationale and logic for purchasing or selling financial instruments such as securities, options, etc.

Claims

1. An electronic interface for permitting a user to communicate subjective data information, the interface comprising:

a parameter menu, said menu providing a user visible set of data parameters which may be associated with the subjective data information;

a parameter canvas, said canvas being simultaneously visible with said parameter menu, and being usable by the user for identifying and arranging selected ones of said user visible set of data parameters into a visual form expressing the subjective data information as a graphical arrangement of said selected ones of said visible set of data parameters within said parameter canvas.

2. The interface of claim 1, wherein all of the user'"'"'s subjective data information concerning an action and/or transaction is captured by such interface as a single graphical arrangement using said data parameters.

3. The interface of claim 1, wherein all of the user'"'"'s subjective data information concerning an action and/or transaction is captured by such interface during the entirety of a data collection session for said action and/or transaction using a single data collection screen.

4. The interface of claim 1, wherein the subjective data information pertains to the user'"'"'s mental impressions of an actual or proposed action and/or transaction.

5. The interface of claim 4, wherein said transaction is an event or an item of interest to the user.

6. The interface of claim 1, wherein the subjective data information pertains to lessons learned by such user associated with an action and/or transaction.

7. The interface of claim 1, wherein said parameter menu and a location on said parameter canvas for arranging said selected ones are physically separated by a first distance, and said data parameters associated with the subjective data information are selected and moved by such user along said first distance by physically manipulating an electronic pointing device.

8. The interface of claim 7, wherein said first distance is less than approximately half the width of said interface as seen by the user.

9. The interface of claim 1, wherein said graphical arrangement of said selected ones of said visible set of data parameters associated with the subjective data information are stored as one or more electronic records corresponding to an electronic data picture.

10. The interface of claim 9, wherein said electronic data picture includes numeric data values, but is generated entirely in visual form and without numeric data input by the user.

11. The interface of claim 10, wherein said numeric data values are based on the physical location of said data parameters as placed by the user on said parameter canvas.

12. The interface of claim 11, wherein said electronic data picture can be retrieved and modified at a later time by the user using such interface.

13. The interface of claim 1, wherein said selected ones of said visible set of data parameters can be ranked in relative importance by the user based on their location within said graphical arrangement on said parameter canvas.

14. The interface of claim 13, wherein a relative ranking between said selected ones of said visible set of data parameters can be changed by the user by altering a relative physical arrangement of such data parameters on said parameter canvas.

15. The interface of claim 13, wherein said selected ones of said visible set of data parameters can be ranked by both a relative horizontal and vertical location on said parameter canvas.

16. The interface of claim 13, wherein said parameter canvas includes a gradient visible to the user for assisting in the ranking of said selected ones of said visible set of data parameters.

17. The interface of claim 16, further wherein said parameter canvas conveys visible feedback information when the user is arranging said selected ones of said visible set of data parameters.

18. The interface of claim 1, wherein when the interface is invoked by the user, an initial proposed data picture comprised of a graphical arrangement of one or more of said user visible set of data parameters is presented to the user on said data canvas, which initial proposed data picture can be modified by the user.

19. The interface of claim 1, wherein said data parameters include data parameters visibly displayed in text format.

20. The interface of claim 1, wherein said data parameters include data parameters visibly displayed in symbolic format.

21. The interface of claim 1, wherein said data parameters include factors associated with a user'"'"'s reasons for performing or engaging in a particular activity.

22. The interface of claim 1, wherein said data parameters include factors associated with a user'"'"'s mental impressions of an item or event.

23. The interface of claim 1, wherein said data parameters include factors associated with lessons learned by a user concerning an event.

24. A method of inputting data to a computer program, said method comprising:

presenting a parameter menu to a user, said menu providing a user visible set of data parameters which may be associated with subjective data information;

presenting a parameter canvas to said user, said canvas being simultaneously visible with said parameter menu, and being usable by the user for expressing the subjective data information in visual form by identifying in a graphical arrangement any of such data parameters that are associated with the subjective data information;

wherein the data input to such computer program consists of data relating to said graphical arrangement of any of such data parameters arranged by said user on said parameter canvas.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the subjective data information pertains to the user'"'"'s mental impressions of an actual or proposed transaction.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said transaction is an event or an item of interest to the user.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said data parameters to be included in said graphical arrangement can be selected and moved by said user along a distance spanning from said parameter menu to said parameter canvas by physically manipulating an electronic pointing device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said distance is less than approximately half the width of said interface as seen by the user.

29. The method of claim 24, further including a step of storing said graphical arrangement of said data parameters as one or more electronic records corresponding to an electronic data picture.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said data picture includes numeric data values, but is generated entirely in visual form and without numeric data input by the user.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said numeric data values are based on the physical location of any of such data parameters placed by the user on said parameter canvas.

32. The method of claim 24, further including a step of ranking any of such data parameters placed on said parameter canvas by adjusting a spatial location of said data parameters in said graphical arrangement.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein any of such data parameters placed on said parameter canvas can be ranked according to their relative physical arrangement to other data parameters on said parameter canvas.

34. The method of claim 32, further including a step of providing a gradient visible to the user for assisting in the ranking of any of such data parameters placed on said parameter canvas.

35. The method of claim 32, further including a step of providing visible feedback information when the user arranges said data parameters on said parameter canvas.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said data parameters can be ranked by both a relative horizontal and vertical location on said parameter canvas.

37. The method of claim 24, further including a step of presenting an initial data picture to the user on said data canvas, which initial proposed data picture can be modified by the user.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein said data parameters include factors associated with a user'"'"'s reasons for performing or engaging in a particular activity.

39. The method of claim 24, wherein said data parameters include factors associated with lessons learned by a user concerning an event.

40. The method of claim 24, further including a step of providing a visual comparison between said data input and other data previously input using said parameter canvas.

41. The method of claim 24, further including a step of providing visual feedback based on an evaluation of said data input.

42. The method of claim 24, wherein said parameter canvas captures substantially all of the user'"'"'s subjective data information concerning an action and/or transaction.

43. The method of claim 24, wherein all of the user'"'"'s subjective data information concerning an action and/or transaction is captured during a data collection session using a single data collection screen.

44. The method of claim 24, wherein said parameters can be customized by the user.

45. The method of claim 24, wherein said data input by said user is utilized by part of an applications program executable by said user using a computing system.

46. An electronic interface for collecting data within a display window the interface comprising:

a parameter menu, said parameter menu providing one or more data-related parameters within the window which may be associated with the data;

a parameter canvas, said parameter canvas being simultaneously visible with said parameter menu within the window, and being adapted such that said user can identify a ranking value for any of said one or more data-related parameters by specifying a physical location on said parameter canvas for any of said one or more data-related parameters;

wherein the data is expressed as a set of said ranking values that can be stored as a data record.

47. The electronic interface of claim 46, wherein said data-related parameters identify statements and/or assertions associated with an action and/or transaction which can be identified and ranked in said parameter canvas.

48. The electronic interface of claim 46, wherein the data corresponds to non-numerical subjective information from a person associated with an action or transaction, and said set of ranking values are used to convert said non-numerical subjective information into numerical form suitable for use by an applications program.

49. The electronic interface of claim 46, wherein a set of said one or more data-related parameters can be ranked simultaneously through a single graphical arrangement expressed on said parameter canvas.

50. A method of collecting data within an interface display window, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing one or more data-related parameters within the interface display window which may be associated with the data;

(b) providing a parameter canvas simultaneously visible with said data-related parameters within the interface display window;

(c) specifying a ranking value for any of said one or more data-related parameters by specifying a physical location on said parameter canvas for any of said one or more data-related parameters;

(d) generating a set of said ranking values to correspond to the data;

(e) storing a data record based on said ranking values.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said data-related parameters identify statements and/or assertions associated with an action and/or transaction which can be identified and ranked in said parameter canvas.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the data corresponds to non-numerical subjective information from a person associated with an action or transaction, and said set of ranking values are used to convert said non-numerical subjective information into numerical form suitable for use by an applications program.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein a set of said one or more data parameters can be ranked simultaneously through a single graphical arrangement expressed on said parameter canvas.

54. An interface for an operator to collect data for a customer support applications program, the interface comprising:

a customer data parameter menu, said customer data parameter menu providing one or more customer-related data parameters within the window which may be associated with the customer data; and

a customer data parameter canvas simultaneously visible to the operator with said customer data parameter menu during at least part of a data entry session, said customer data parameter canvas being adapted such that selected customer-related data parameters can be identified thereon by the operator in a graphical arrangement and with a relative visual ranking in accordance with information provided to the operator by a customer; and

a feedback window for displaying feedback information to the operator for responding to said customer, said feedback information being based on the customer support applications program processing said graphical arrangement of said selected customer related data parameters.

55. The interface of claim 54, wherein said feedback information relates to potential origins of problems with a customer product and/or service.

56. The interface of claim 54, wherein the customer-related data parameters relate to customer assertions and/or queries concerning a product and/or service.

57. The interface of claim 54, wherein said interface is laid out in a display window such that said selected customer-related data parameters can be moved by a pointing device to said customer data parameter canvas by traversing a distance equal on average to less than half of a width of said display window to reduce a time required to generate said graphical arrangement.

58. A method of allowing an operator to collect data within a graphical interface for a customer support applications program, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing one or more customer-related data parameters which may be associated with the customer data within a visible window in the graphical interface; and

(b) providing a customer data parameter canvas that is simultaneously visible to the operator with said customer data parameter menu during at least part of a data entry session;

(c) arranging selected customer-related data parameters in a graphical arrangement in accordance with information provided to the operator by a customer during said data entry session, such that the data can be expressed as a relative visual ranking of said selected customer-related data parameters; and

(d) displaying feedback information to the operator for responding to said customer, said feedback information being based on the customer support applications program processing said graphical arrangement of said selected customer-related data parameters.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said feedback information relates to potential origins of problems with a customer product and/or service.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the customer-related data parameters relate to customer assertions and/or queries concerning a product and/or service.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein the graphical interface is laid out in a display window such that said selected customer-related data parameters can be moved by a pointing device to said customer data parameter canvas by traversing a distance equal on average to less than half of a width of said display window to reduce a time required to generate said graphical arrangement.

62. An interface for a user to provide data about an item and/or service for a marketing and/or sales applications program, the interface comprising:

an item/service parameter menu, said item/service parameter menu identifying selection parameters associated with characteristics of the item/service, including at least one of the following characteristics;

a price, a performance, and/or a reliability of the item and/or service; and

an item/service selection canvas simultaneously visible with said item/service parameter menu, during at least part of a data entry session;

wherein said item/service selection canvas is adapted such that selected ones of said selection parameters can be identified thereon by the user in a graphical arrangement that corresponds to a desired set of selection parameters and a relative ranking to be afforded to each selection parameter in said desired set of selection parameters; and

further wherein the data is expressed as a graphical arrangement that is captured as a data record for the marketing and/or sales applications program.

63. The interface of claim 62, wherein all of the data from the user about the item and/or service is collected within the interface and without changing windows during a time when said data is expressed as said graphical arrangement.

64. The interface of claim 62, wherein said interface further includes a feedback window for displaying data records correlating with said graphical arrangement.

65. A method of providing data about an item and/or service for a marketing and/or sales applications program within a graphical interface, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing selection parameters associated with characteristics of the item/service within the graphical interface, including at least one of the following characteristics;

a price, a performance, and/or a reliability of the item and/or service; and

(b) providing an item/service selection canvas simultaneously visible with said item/service parameter menu within the graphical interface, during at least part of a data entry session;

(c) identifying and arranging selected ones of said selection parameters in a graphical arrangement on said item/service selection canvas, which graphical arrangement corresponds to a desired set of selection parameters and a relative ranking to be afforded to each selection parameter in said desired set of selection parameters; and

wherein the data is expressed as a graphical arrangement that is captured as a data record for the marketing and/or sales applications program.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein all of the data about the item and/or service is collected within the graphical interface and without changing windows during a time when said data is expressed as said graphical arrangement.

67. The method of claim 65, wherein the graphical interface further includes a feedback window for displaying data records correlating with said graphical arrangement.

68. An interface for retrieving data in response to a user query about an item presented within a window, the interface comprising:

a query parameter menu, said query parameter menu providing one or more query-related parameters within which may be associated with the query, said query-related parameters consisting in part at least of predefined descriptions characterizing the item; and

a query parameter canvas simultaneously visible with said query parameter menu during at least part of a query entry session, said query parameter canvas being adapted such that selected query-related parameters can be physically arranged thereon corresponding to a desired search criteria for the item; and

wherein the query can be presented as a selection and graphical arrangement of said query-related parameters, and said query-related parameters can be relatively ranked based on said graphical arrangement; and

a feedback window for displaying feedback information in response to the query.

69. The interface of claim 68, wherein said feedback information includes a set of database records best correlating with the query.

70. The interface of claim 68, wherein said feedback window, said query parameter menu, and said query parameter canvas are all visible at the same time.

71. The interface of claim 68, wherein said feedback information is in the form of a chart, pictorial information, and/or graphical information correlated with the query.

72. The interface of claim 68, wherein said query is associated with a proposed action and/or transaction, and said feedback information includes a predicted financial outcome for said proposed action and/or transaction.

73. A method of formulating a query within a graphical interface for retrieving data records concerning an item comprising the steps of:

(a) providing one or more query-related parameters within the graphical interface which may be associated with the query, said query-related parameters consisting in part at least of predefined descriptions characterizing the item; and

(b) selecting a set of query-related parameters in accordance with a search criteria to be used for the query;

(c) arranging said set of query-related parameters in a graphical arrangement on a query parameter canvas, said query parameter canvas being simultaneously visible with said query parameter menu during at least part of a query entry session;

wherein the search criteria are also based on said graphical arrangement of said query-related parameters, including a relative ranking expressed in visual form on said query parameter canvas;

(d) providing a feedback window for displaying feedback information in response to the query.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein said feedback information includes a set of queries best correlating with the query.

75. The method of claim 73, wherein said feedback window, said data parameter menu, and said data parameter canvas are all visible at the same time.

76. The method of claim 73, wherein said feedback information is in the form of a chart, pictorial information, and/or graphical information correlated with the query.

77. The method of claim 73, wherein the item is associated with a proposed action and/or transaction, and said feedback information includes a predicted financial outcome for said proposed action and/or transaction.

78. An interface for capturing subjective information from a user concerning an actual and/or proposed trading activity, the interface comprising:

a parameter menu, said parameter menu providing one or more trading-related parameters within which may be associated with the actual and/or proposed trading activity, said trading-related parameters including at least a set of predefined statements describing reasons for the user engaging in the actual and/or proposed trading activity; and

a parameter canvas adapted such that selected trading-related parameters can be physically arranged thereon in a graphical arrangement by the user reflecting the subjective information, and such that invidual ones of said predefined statements can be relatively ranked by the user in accordance with the subjective information to be captured;

wherein the user'"'"'s subjective information concerning the actual and/or proposed trading activity can be expressed in a visual form.

79. The interface of claim 78, further including a feedback window for displaying an actual and/or expected financial performance based on the subjective information.

80. The interface of claim 79, wherein said actual and/or expected financial performance is based on comparing the subjective information to prior subjective information provided by the user or other users of such interface.

81. The interface of claim 79, wherein said feedback window also provides an indicator expressing a recommendation for the actual and/or proposed trading activity.

82. The interface of claim 79, wherein said feedback window displays a comparison of the user'"'"'s subjective information with subjective information provided by other users of the interface.

83. The interface of claim 78, wherein said subjective information can be captured as a transaction record that is modifiable later in accordance with additional information learned as a result of engaging in the actual and/or proposed activity.

84. The interface of claim 78, wherein said set of predefined statements include at least one of the following assertions:

a price of a security, a technical chart indicator for said security, a press release concerning said security, a personal impression of said security.

85. A method of capturing a user'"'"'s subjective information concerning an actual and/or proposed trading activity within a graphical interface, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing one or more trading-related parameters within which may be associated with the actual and/or proposed trading activity, said trading-related parameters including at least a set of predefined statements describing reasons for the user engaging in the actual and/or proposed trading activity, and (b) permitting the user to select and physically arrange trading-related parameters in a graphical arrangement reflecting the user'"'"'s subjective information, said graphical arrangement being defined such that invidual ones of said predefined statements can be relatively ranked by the user in accordance with the subjective information to be captured;

wherein the user'"'"'s subjective information concerning the actual and/or proposed trading activity can be expressed in a visual form.

86. The method of claim 85, further including a step (c) providing a feedback window for displaying an actual and/or expected financial performance based on the subjective information.

87. The method of claim 86, wherein said actual and/or expected financial performance is based on comparing the subjective information to prior subjective information provided by the user or other users of such interface.

88. The method of claim 86, wherein said feedback window also provides an indicator expressing a recommendation for the actual and/or proposed trading activity.

89. The method of claim 86, wherein said feedback window displays a comparison of the user'"'"'s subjective information with subjective information provided by other users of the interface.

90. The method of claim 85, further including a step (b):

capturing the user'"'"'s subjective information as a transaction record that is modifiable later in accordance with additional information learned as a result of engaging in the actual and/or proposed activity.

91. The method of claim 85, wherein said set of predefined statements include at least one of the following assertions:

a price of a security, a technical chart indicator for said security, a press release concerning said security, a personal impression of said security.