Method of display scrolling along a timebase and an apparatus for performing the method

• US 6,380,953 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1998
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
• Inventors: Mizuno, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/179,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/334, 345/333, 345/339, 345/340, 345/341, 345/348, 345/349, 345/352, 345/354, 345/963, 345/973, 345/974, 345/700, 345/744, 345/747, 345/764, 345/765, 345/777, 345/781, 345/783, 345/784, 345/786, 345/787, 345/810, 345/830, 345/833, 345/835, 345/839, 345/840, 345/866, 705/8, 705/9
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

This invention has a scroll means for displaying GUI operation members consisting of calendar information on the computer screen, and moving the screen display field to a date position containing information corresponding to the date of the operated GUI operation member upon operation of one of the GUI operation members. The user can very easily see the information compared to a conventional scroll bar display, and can quickly observe corresponding information by only operating the GUI operation member of his or her desired date.

Claims

1. A scroll display method for showing the relation in time between a plurality of jobs which are displayed on a screen, in a Gantt chart of a bar graph on a time axis, and moving a screen display field of said Gantt chart along the time axis, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of GUI operation members on the screen together with said Gantt chart, said operation members being a plurality of buttons respectively assigned to specific time ranges on said time axis and on which calendar information of the assigned time ranges is displayed; and

moving the screen display field along the time axis to display at least the portion of said Gantt chart corresponding to a date indicated by the operated GUI operation member on which said calendar information is displayed on the screen upon operation of one of said GUI operation members.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of day buttons each of which is assigned to one day specific on said time axis and on which the assigned day is displayed.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of month buttons each of which is assigned to one month specific on said time axis and on which the assigned month is displayed.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of year buttons each of which is assigned to one year specific on said time axis and on which the assigned year is displayed.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the contents of said Gantt chart displayed on the screen display field give schedule information for scheduling,

said method has a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of days, a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of months, and a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of years, and

said GUI operation members are switched to a plurality of day buttons each of which is assigned to one day, a plurality of month buttons each of which is assigned to one month, or a plurality of year buttons each of which is assigned to one year in correspondence with one of the modes selected.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the modes are switched by mode selection means.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the contents of said Gantt chart displayed on the screen display field give time information for scheduling, said method has a mode for displaying one unit schedule of the time information, and a mode for simultaneously displaying a plurality of unit schedules, and

when the mode for simultaneously displaying the plurality of unit schedules is selected, scrolling is made to move and display a plurality of unit schedules of the time information including a date indicated by the operated GUI operation within the screen display field.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the modes are switched by mode switching means.

9. A method according to clam 1, wherein a GUI operation member consisting of a scroll bar of GUI operation members, on which said calendar information is displayed, is displayed, and when the scroll bar is operated and a scroll box that forms said scroll bar is moved to an arbitrary position, wherein the screen display field is moved along the time axis to display the portion of said Gantt chart for a date corresponding to the arbitrary position of the scroll box.

10. A scroll display control apparatus for showing the relation in time between a plurality of jobs which are displayed on a screen, in a Gantt chart of a bar graph on a time axis, and moving a screen display field of said Gantt chart along the time axis, comprising:

a plurality of GUI operation members on the screen together with said Gantt chart, said operation members being a plurality of buttons respectively assigned to specific time ranges on said time axis and on which calendar information of the assigned time ranges is displayed; and

scroll means for moving the screen display field along the time axis to display at least the portion of said Gantt chart corresponding to a date indicated by the operated GUI operation member on which said calendar information is displayed on the screen upon operation of one of said GUI operation members.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of day buttons each of which is assigned to one day specific on said time axis and on which the assigned day is displayed.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of month buttons each of which is assigned to one month specific on said time axis and on which the assigned month is displayed.

14. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the contents of said Gantt chart displayed on the screen display field give schedule information for scheduling, and said apparatus further comprises:

mode selection means for selecting one of a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of days, a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of months, and a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of years; and

GUI switching means for switching said GUI operation members to a plurality of day buttons each of which is assigned to one day, a plurality of month buttons each of which is assigned to one month, or a plurality of year buttons each of which is assigned to one year in correspondence with one of the modes selected.

15. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the contents of said Gantt chart displayed on the screen display field give time information for scheduling, said apparatus further comprises mode selection means for selecting one of a mode for displaying one unit schedule of the time information, and a mode for simultaneously displaying a plurality of unit schedules, and

when the mode for simultaneously displaying the plurality of unit schedules is selected, said scroll means scrolls to move and display a plurality of unit schedules of the time information including a date indicated by the operated GUI operation member within the screen display field.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a scroll button is used together with said day, month, or year buttons.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a GUI operation member consisting of a scroll bar of GUI operation members, on which said calendar information is displayed, is displayed, and

wherein when the scroll bar is operated and a scroll box that forms said scroll bar is moved to an arbitrary position, said scroll means moves the screen display field along the time axis to display the portion of said Gantt chart for a date corresponding to the arbitrary position of the scroll box.

18. An apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

first storage means for storing schedule information in units of years, months, and days for scheduling;

second storage means for storing some pieces of schedule information read out from said first storage means; and

read-out control means for, upon switching the modes, controlling to store some pieces of schedule information required for the selected mode from said storage means to said second storage means, and

wherein when one of said GUI operation members is operated, said scroll means reads out the portion of said Gantt chart corresponding to a date indicated by the operated GUI operation member from said second storage means and displays the readout information on the screen.

13. An apparatus according to clam 10, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of year buttons each of which is assigned to one year specific on said time axis and on which the assigned year is displayed.

19. A computer-readable storage medium recording a program for making a computer implement a function of showing the relation in time between a plurality of jobs in a Gantt chart of a bar graph on a time axis, and displaying GUI operation members on the screen together with said Gantt chart, said operation members being a plurality of buttons respectively assigned to specific time ranges on said time axis and on which calendar information of the assigned time ranges is displayed, together with said Gantt chart on a screen which can be scrolled to move a screen display field of said Gantt chart along the time axis, and moving the screen display field along the time axis to display at least the portion of said Gantt chart corresponding to a date indicated by the operated GUI operation member on which said calendar information is displayed on the screen upon operation of one of said GUI operation members.

20. A medium according to claim 19, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of day buttons each of which is assigned to one day specific on said time axis and on which the assigned day is displayed.

21. A medium according to claim 19, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of month buttons each of which is assigned to one month specific on said time axis and on which the assigned month is displayed.

22. A medium according to claim 19, wherein said GUI operation members are a plurality of year buttons each of which is assigned to one year specific on said time axis and on which the assigned year is displayed.

23. A medium according to claim 19, wherein the contents of said Gantt chart displayed on the screen display field give schedule information for scheduling, and said medium further records a program for making the computer implement a function, which as made selection means for selection one of a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of days, a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of months, and a mode for displaying the schedule information in units of years, and

which switches said GUI operation members to a plurality of day buttons each of which is assigned to one day, a plurality of month buttons each of which is assigned to one month, or a plurality of year buttons each of which is assigned to one year in correspondence with one of the modes selected.

24. A medium according to claim 19, further recording a program for making the computer implement a function of

displaying a GUI operation member consisting of a scroll bar of GUI operation members, on which said calendar information is displayed, and

moving the screen display field along the time axis to display information of a date corresponding to an arbitrary position of a scroll box that forms the scroll bar on the screen upon operation of the scroll bar.