System and method for graphically displaying a set of data fields

• US 6,529,217 B1
• Filed: 06/15/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Wenli, Verprauskus, Andrew J., Sullivan, Jeanell D., Stearns, David L., Maguire, Justin M. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/333,737
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 345/769, 345/765, 345/835, 345/440, 345/866
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method for graphically displaying a set of data fields includes creating a graphical display of a set of data fields through the use of icons and drop areas. To graphically display the data fields, a user first selects a range of data points, grouped into data fields, to be included in the graphical display. A list of icons corresponding to each of the data fields is then generated. A graph template is displayed, comprising a set of drop areas and a field list. The icons are displayed within the field list. Each drop area displays a watermark and may receive a number of icons. A user may drag and drop an icon from the field list into any one of the drop areas, which causes the data field associated with that icon to be graphically displayed in a manner dependent on the drop area.

Claims

1. A method for graphically representing a set of data fields, comprising:

displaying a plurality of icons on a display screen, the icons corresponding to the data fields;

providing on the display screen a data drop area and a non-data drop area to which the icons may be dragged, wherein the non-data drop area is selected from a group consisting of a series drop area, a category drop area, and a page drop area, and wherein the data drop area and the non-data drop area correspond to a portion of a graph template;

dragging a certain one of the icons to a selected one of the provided drop areas;

dropping the certain icon in the selected provided drop area; and

displaying in graphical format on the display screen the data field corresponding to the certain icon in the portion of the graph template corresponding to the selected provided drop area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of graph templates; and

rearranging the graphically displayed data field according to the selected graph template.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the position of the drop areas on the display screen varies according to the selected graph template.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a watermark stating the function of the drop area is displayed within the drop area.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the watermark displays the name of the drop area.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising removing the watermark from the drop area in response to dropping the certain icon in the drop area.

7. A computer-implemented method for creating a computer database graph, comprising:

selecting a plurality of data fields from a database, each data field comprising a plurality of data points;

displaying a graph template comprising a series drop area, a category drop area, a data drop area, a page drop area, and a field list;

displaying in the field list a plurality of icons corresponding to the data fields;

receiving a first indication signal that a one of the icons has been selected;

in response to receiving the first indication signal, permitting the selected icon to be moved from the field list;

receiving a second indication signal that the selected icon has been moved to a certain one of the series, category, page, or data drop areas;

in response to receiving the second indication signal, displaying the data field corresponding to the selected icon in graphical format within a certain one of the series drop area, an axis of the graph template, the page drop area, or the data drop area.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the graph template is chosen from a group comprising a bar graph, a pie graph, and a column graph.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a third indication signal that another graph template has been selected; and

in response to receiving the third indication signal, changing the positions and shapes of the data fields displayed on the selected graph template.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a third indication signal that a cursor is positioned proximate to a portion of the graph template; and

in response to receiving the third indication signal, displaying on a display screen text proximate to the cursor indicating the features of the portion of the graph template.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

moving the cursor;

moving the text to follow the cursor;

receiving a fourth indication signal that a cursor has moved beyond the portion of the graph template; and

in response to receiving the fourth indication signal, removing the text from the display screen.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the series drop area, category drop area, data drop area, and page drop area contain text designating the name of each area.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising ordering the data points graphically displayed in the data drop area according to the order of the data fields displayed in the series and category drop areas.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying the names of the data fields corresponding to the icons dropped in the category drop area in a row;

receiving an indication signal that one of the names of the data fields has been moved;

in response to receiving an indication signal that one of the names of the data fields has been moved, displaying a marker indicating the position of the name;

receiving an indication signal that the name of the data field has been reordered;

in response to receiving the indication signal that the name of the data field has been reordered, placing the name in the row at the position corresponding to the marker; and

reordering the data points displayed in the data drop area according to the new arrangement of data fields displayed in the category drop area.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying the names of the data fields corresponding to the icons dropped in the series drop area in a column;

receiving an indication signal that one of the names of the data fields has been moved;

in response to receiving an indication signal that one of the names of the data fields has been moved, displaying a marker indicating the position of the name;

receiving an indication signal that the name of the data field has been reordered;

in response to receiving the indication signal that the name of the data field has been dropped, placing the name in the column at the position corresponding to the marker; and

reordering the data fields displayed in the data drop area according to the new arrangement of data fields displayed in the series drop area.

16. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a program module for creating a database graph, the program module comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

selecting a plurality of data fields from a database, each data field comprising a plurality of data points;

displaying a graph template comprising a series drop area, a category drop area, a data drop area, a page drop area, and a field list;

displaying in the field list a plurality of icons corresponding to the data fields;

receiving a first indication signal that an icon has been selected through the use of a cursor;

in response to receiving the first indication signal, permitting the selected icon to be moved from the field list;

receiving a second indication signal that the selected icon and cursor have been positioned proximate to the series, category, page, or data drop areas;

in response to receiving the second indication signal, displaying text on a display screen indicating the features of the portion of the graph template;

receiving a third indication signal that the selected icon has been dropped in a certain one of the series, category, page, or data drop areas; and

in response to receiving the third indication signal, displaying the data field corresponding to the selected icon in graphical format within a certain one of the series drop area, an axis of the graph template, the page drop area, or the data drop area.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a fourth indication signal that the cursor has moved;

in response to receiving the fourth indication signal, tracking the movement of the cursor with the help text;

receiving a fifth indication signal that the cursor is no longer positioned proximate to a certain one of the series, category, page, or data drop areas; and

in response to receiving the fifth indication signal, removing the text from the display screen.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the cursor is positioned proximate to the series drop area;

in response to receiving the indication that the cursor is positioned proximate to the series drop area, changing the shape of a cursor to that of a column chart with four divisions, the leftmost division highlighted;

receiving an indication that the cursor is hovering over the category drop area;

in response to receiving the indication that a cursor is positioned proximate to the category drop area, changing the shape of the cursor to that of a column chart with four divisions, the bottommost division highlighted;

receiving an indication that a cursor is positioned proximate to the page drop area;

in response to receiving the indication that a cursor is positioned proximate to the page drop area, changing the shape of the cursor to that of a column chart with four divisions, the topmost division highlighted;

receiving an indication that a cursor is is positioned proximate to the data drop area; and

in response to receiving the indication that a cursor is positioned proximate to the data drop area, changing the shape of the cursor to that of a column chart with four divisions, the middle division highlighted.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the positions of the series drop area, the category drop area, the data drop area, and the page drop area vary according to which of a plurality of graph templates is selected.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the data points graphically displayed in the data drop area are ordered according to the order of the data fields graphically displayed in the series drop area and the category drop area.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying the data fields in the category drop area in a row;

receiving a third indication signal that one of the data fields displayed in the category drop area has been moved to another portion of the row;

in response to receiving the third indication signal, reordering the data fields in the row to accommodate the movement of the moved data field; and

reordering the graphical display of the data points in the data drop area according to the new order of the data fields displayed in the row.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the field list contains an indicator operative to indicate whether an icon has been placed in a drop area.