Record range control for browsing published databases

• US 6,518,984 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1998
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Maeckel, Clay A., Watson, Kathleen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/140,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 345/339, 345/341, 345/973, 345/974, 345/784-787, 345/968, 707/3-5, 707/10
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Improved graphical user interfaces and techniques for requesting records from a shared database over a network are disclosed. One aspect pertains to a record range control that allows easy selection of a record range to be viewed. Another aspect pertains to a record range control that provides a graphical depiction of the record range to be viewed. In one embodiment, the record range control includes a background grid representing a complete set of records within a database, and a slider bar that slides over the background grid. The position of the slider bar with respect to the background grid identifies those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for a display screen of a computer system, said graphical user interface comprising:

a background grid representing a complete set of records within a database;

a slider bar having a width, said slider bar capable of sliding over said background grid, wherein said slider bar can be moved with a drag and drop action to slide said width of said slider bar over said background grid; and

a record range text box that contains a record range that specifies those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved and displayed;

wherein the position of said slider bar with respect to said background grid graphically identifies a range of those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved and displayed and graphically indicates the relative position of the range with respect to the complete set of records within the database; and

wherein said record range can be updated in response to said slider bar sliding over said background grid.

2. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said width of said slider bar varies dependent on a size of the record range.

3. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

an up-control positioned at an upper portion of said background grid; and

a down-control positioned at a lower portion of said background grid.

4. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 3,

wherein said up control operates to move said slider bar up from a current position with respect to said background grid, and

wherein said down-control operates to move said slider bar down from a current position with respect to said background grid.

5. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

a total records indicator that displays a total number of records within the database.

6. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 5,

wherein said slider bar is moveable with respect to said background grid,

wherein said graphical user interface further comprises a sorted-unsorted indicator that is displayed to indicate whether those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed are sorted or unsorted.

7. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 6,

wherein said slider bar can be moved with a drag and drop action, and

wherein said graphical user interface further comprises:

an up control positioned at an upper portion of said background grid; and

a down-control positioned at a lower portion of said background grid.

8. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 7 wherein said slider bar has at least two dimensions, and wherein at least one of the dimensions of said slider bar are altered dependent on the portion of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed.

9. A graphical user interface for a display screen of a computer system, said graphical user interface comprising:

a background grid representing a complete set of records within a database;

a slider bar having a width, said slider bar capable of sliding over said background grid, wherein said slider bar can be moved with a drag and drop action to slide said width of said slider bar over said background grid; and

a record range text box that contains a record range that specifies those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed;

wherein the position of said slider bar with respect to said background grid graphically identifies a range of those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed and graphically indicates the relative position of the range with respect to the complete set of records within the database,

wherein said slider bar has at least two dimensions, and wherein at least one of the dimensions of said slider bar are altered dependent on the portion of the complete set of records to be displayed; and

wherein said record range can be updated in response to said slider bar sliding over said background grid.

10. A computer-implemented method for displaying a visual indication of a position within a database having records, said method comprising:

(a) determining a record range within the database to view; and

(b) displaying a record range indicator on a display screen of a computer system, said record range indicator graphically illustrating the relative position of the determined record range with respect to the complete set of records of the database, wherein the record range indicator comprises;

a background grid representing a complete set of records within a database,

a slider bar having a width, said slider bar capable of sliding over said background grid, wherein said slider bar can be moved with a drag and drop action to slide said width of said slider bar over said background grid, and

a record range text box that contains a record range that specifies those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed;

wherein the position of said slider bar with respect to said background grid identifies those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed; and

wherein said record range can be updated in response to said slider bar sliding over said background grid.

11. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10,

wherein said slider bar is moveable with respect to said background grids and

wherein said slider bar has at least two dimensions, and wherein at least one of the dimensions of said slider bar are altered dependent on the portion of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed.

12. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 10 wherein said method further comprises;

(c) requesting the determined record range from the database over a network; and

(d) receiving records associated with the determined record range from the database.

13. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12 wherein the network is the Internet, and the database is hosted by a host computer coupled to the Internet.

14. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 13,

wherein said requesting (c) of the determined record range from the database is performed from a user'"'"'s machine, and

wherein said receiving (d) of the records associated with the determined record range is achieved by the sending of a database view page from the host computer to the user'"'"'s computer through the Internet.

15. A computer-implemented method as recited in claim 14 wherein the database view page is a HTML page including the records associated with the determined record range from the database.

16. A method for requesting over a network a range of records of a database to be displayed, the database being stored in a first computer coupled to the network, said method comprising:

displaying a record range control on a display screen of a second computer system coupleable to the network, the record range control includes a background grid representing a complete set of records within the database, and a slider bar that slides over the background grid;

dragging the slider bar with respect to the background grid to graphically select those records of the complete set of records to be displayed;

determining a selected record range based on the position and width of the slider bar with respect to the background grid following said dragging; and

forming a request for the records within the database stored on the first computer using the selected record range;

wherein said record range includes a record range text box that contains a record range that specifies those records of the complete set of records to be displayed; and

wherein said record range can be updated in response to said slider bar sliding over said background grid.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said method further comprises:

sending the request from the second computer to the first computer via the network to request the records within the database that correspond to the selected record range.

18. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said forming of the request includes determining a skip amount and a maximum amount based on at least the selected record range.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

sending the request from the second computer to the first computer via the network to request the records within the database that are designated by the skip amount and the maximum amount.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said method further comprises:

adjusting the width of the slider bar to vary the number of records in the selected record range.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving the requested records at the second computer from the first computer via the Internet.

22. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said method further comprises:

sending the request from the second computer to the first computer via the network to request the records within the database that correspond to the selected record range; and

receiving the requested records at the second computer from the first computer via the network.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the network is the Internet.

24. A computer readable medium containing computer program code for displaying a visual indication of a position within a database having records, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code that determines a record range within the database to view;

computer program code that displays a record range indicator on a display screen of a computer system, the record range indicator graphically illustrating the relative position of the determined record range with respect to the complete set of records of the database;

computer program code for displaying a record range control on a display screen of a second computer that is coupleable to the network, the record range control includes a background grid representing a complete set of records within the database, and a slider bar having a width, said slider bar capable of sliding over the background grid;

computer program code for displaying a record range text box that contains a record range that specifies those records of the complete set of records to be displayed;

computer program code for dragging the slider bar with respect to the background grid to graphically select those records of the complete set of records to be displayed; and

computer program code for updating said record range in response to said slider bar sliding over said background grid.

25. A computer readable medium containing computer code for requesting over a network a range of records of a database, the database being stored in a first computer coupled to the network, computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for displaying a record range control on a display screen of a second computer that is coupleable to the network, the record range control includes a background grid representing a complete set of records within the database, a slider bar that slides over the background grid, and a record range text box that contains a record range that specifies those records of the complete set of records to be retrieved or displayed;

computer program code for dragging the slider bar with respect to the background grid to graphically select those records of the complete set of records to be displayed;

computer program code for updating a selected record range based on the position of the slider bar with respect to the background grid following said dragging; and

computer program code for forming a request for the records within the database stored on the first computer using the selected record range.