Method and device for finding, collecting and acting upon units of information

• US 6,583,800 B1
• Filed: 07/14/1999
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brad Ridgley, Samuel A. Lucente II
• Original Assignee: Brad Ridgley, Samuel A. Lucente II
• Inventors: Ridgley, Brad, Lucente, Samuel A. II
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/353,546
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 345/818, 345/767, 345/859-861, 345/853-855, 345/804-805, 345/708, 345/712-713, 345/744-747, 345/802, 707/10, 707/11, 707/200, 709/230, 709/231
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An information interface and method for finding, collecting and acting upon information which has been arranged in hierarchical form. In its best mode of implementation, the interface has a display area with four components: a content area for showing units of information at a particular level in a hierarchy, a context area for showing the information node which is parent to the displayed level of units, an identity area for showing the sequence of such parents in the user'"'"'s navigation history through the information relative to the currently displayed level, and a desire area for the user to collect and act upon desired units of information. The method of the invention provides two functions: one for clarification, for navigating the hierarchy of information, moving forward and backward through the nodes and branches; and a second for memorization, for collecting desired units of information and then acting upon them. The invention further provides overlay modes, using the clarification and memorization functions, for identifying properties usable for limiting content displayed during clarification, and for providing alternative choices for acting upon memorized units of information.

Claims

1. A user interface, comprising:

means for displaying a body of information for a user;

means for said user to clarify units of information in said body of information, said clarifying being to use a CLARIFICATION process to find one or more of said units of information, said CLARIFICATION process being a group of CLARIFICATION functions for navigation through said body of information and being invoked by user designation of display elements presented to said user by said displaying means; and

means for said user to memorize said units of information, said memorizing being to invoke a MEMORIZATION process upon said one or more found units of information, said MEMORIZATION process being initiated by user designation of MEMORIZATION display elements presented to said user by said displaying means, and being consummated by an action denoted by one or more of said found units of information,

wherein said body of information is organized into layers, each said layer being subordinate to a unit of information in another layer and each of said units of information being part of one or more of said layers, each said layer capable of being part of a plurality of hierarchies,

wherein said displaying means includes a content area for displaying one of said layers containing one or more of said units of information,

wherein said content area is divided into one or more content sub-areas as necessary for conveniently displaying said units of information, and

wherein said clarifying means further comprises;

means for selecting one of said displayed units of information; and

means for subsequently displaying in said content area a layer of said body of information which is subordinate to said selected unit of information, said subsequent display of said subordinate layer thereby replacing said display of said layer,

means for subsequently displaying in said content area a layer of said body of information which is subordinate to said selected unit of information, said subsequent display of said subordinate layer thereby replacing said display of said layer,

further comprising a navigational control for subsequent redisplay in said content area of the layer most recently replaced by said clarifying means.

2. The interface of claim 1, further comprising context overlay means for said user to clarify and memorize properties of said units of information.

3. The interface of claim 1, further comprising desire overlay means for said user to clarify and memorize alternative choices for said memorized units of information.

4. The interface of claim 1, further comprising:

context overlay means for said user to clarify and memorize properties of said units of information; and

desire overlay means for said user to clarify and memorize alternative choices for said memorized units of information.

26. The interface of claim 2, wherein said context overlay means further comprises means for initiating operation of said clarifying means and said memorizing means upon a hierarchy of properties associated with said clarified unit of information, wherein said body of information is a hierarchy of said units of information, said hierarchy being multi-hierarchical and having layers, and wherein said displaying means includes a content area for displaying a layer of said multi-hierarchy, said layer containing one or more of said units of information.

27. The interface of claim 26, wherein said context initiating means further comprises:

a context area for displaying the unit of information most recently clarified, said content area displaying a layer subordinate to said clarified unit; and

means for selecting said context area;

wherein said context overlay means further comprises means, operable upon completion of said properties memorizing means, for redisplay in said content area of said layer subordinate to said clarified unit, as filtered by said properties memorized and acted upon.

5. A user interface, comprising:

means for displaying a body of information for a user;

means for said user to clarify units of information in said body of information, said clarifying being to use a CLARIFICATION process to find one or more of said units of information, said CLARIFICATION process being a group of CLARIFICATION functions for navigation through said body of information and being invoked by user designation of display elements presented to said user by said displaying means; and

means for said user to memorize said units of information, said memorizing being to invoke a MEMORIZATION process upon said one or more found units of information, said MEMORIZATION process being initiated by user designation of MEMORIZATION display elements presented to said user by said displaying means, and being consummated by an action denoted by one or more of said found units of information,

wherein said body of information is a hierarchy of said units of information, said hierarchy being multi-hierarchical and having layers,

wherein said displaying means includes a content area for displaying a layer of said multi-hierarchy, said layer containing one or more of said units of information,

wherein said content area is divided into one or more content sub-areas as necessary for conveniently displaying said units of information, and

wherein said clarifying means further comprises;

means for selecting one of said displayed units of information; and

means for subsequently displaying in said content area a layer of said multi-hierarchy which is subordinate to said selected unit of information, said subsequent display of said subordinate layer thereby replacing said display of said layer,

further comprising a navigational control for subsequent redisplay in said content area of the layer most recently replaced by said clarifying means.

6. The interface of claim 5, wherein said memorizing means further comprises means for selecting a memorization indicator, said memorization indicator being associated with a displayed unit of information.

7. The interface of claim 6, wherein said memorizing means further comprises means for acting upon said selected units of information.

8. The interface of claim 6, wherein said memorizing means further comprises optional means for collecting one or more of said selected units of information prior to activation of said acting means.

9. The interface of claim 8, wherein said acting means are activated automatically.

10. The interface of claim 8, wherein said acting means operates upon said body of information.

11. The interface of claim 8, wherein said acting means operates to connect said interface to an external system.

12. The interface of claim 8, wherein said acting means further comprise a user selectable replication indicator.

13. The interface of claim 12, wherein said navigational control is a last-in-first-out identity area.

14. The interface of claim 13, wherein said identity area contains representations of successively selected and clarified units of information, moved successively upon clarification into a context area and then into said identity area, and moved successively upon selection of said identity area out of said identity area into said context area.

15. The interface of claim 14, wherein said representations of units of information contained in said identity area are arranged in a symmetrical array.

16. The interface of claim 14, wherein said memorization indicator is a small area of said sub-area.

17. The interface of claim 16, wherein said selection is made by touching in said small area.

18. The interface of claim 16, wherein said selection is made by clicking a pointing device in said small area.

19. The interface of claim 16, wherein said content area is a two-dimensional array of said content sub-areas, said array having an equal number of said content sub-areas along each of said dimensions.

20. The interface of claim 19, wherein said array is a three-by-three array of said content sub-areas, each said sub-area being a square.

21. The interface of claim 19, wherein said context area has the dimensions of said content sub-area and is positioned above the rightmost column of said three-by-three array, said desire area has the dimensions of said content sub-area and is positioned above the leftmost column of said three-by-three array, and said identity area has the dimensions of said content sub-area and is positioned between said context area and said desire area.

22. The interface of claim 16, wherein said content area is a symmetrical array of said content sub-areas.

23. The interface of claim 22, wherein said array is symmetrical about a center point.

24. The interface of claim 19, wherein said memorization indicator small area is positioned within said sub-area such that the relationship of said small area to said sub-area is the same as the relationship of said desire area to said content area.

25. The interface of claim 21, wherein said memorization indicator small area is an upper left corner of said sub-area.

28. The interface of claim 8, further comprising:

context overlay means for said user to clarify and memorize properties of said units of information; and

desire overlay means for said user to clarify and memorize alternative choices for said memorized units of information.

29. The interface of claim 28, wherein said context overlay means further comprises means for initiating operation of said clarifying means and said memorizing means upon a hierarchy of properties associated with said clarified unit of information.

30. The interface of claim 29, wherein said context initiating means further comprises:

a context area for displaying the unit of information most recently clarified, said content area displaying a layer subordinate to said clarified unit; and

means for selecting said context area;

wherein said context overlay means further comprises means, operable upon completion of said properties memorizing means, for redisplay in said content area of said layer subordinate to said clarified unit, as filtered by said properties memorized and acted upon.

31. The interface of claim 30, wherein said acting means further comprise a user selectable replication indicator.

32. The interface of claim 31, wherein said navigational control is a last-in-first-out identity area.

33. The interface of claim 32, wherein said identity area contains representations of successively selected and clarified units of information, moved successively upon clarification into said context area and then into said identity area, and moved successively upon selection of said identity area out of said identity area into said context area.

34. The interface of claim 33, wherein said representations of units of information contained in said identity area are arranged in a symmetrical array.

35. The interface of claim 33, wherein said memorization indicator is a small area of said sub-area.

36. The interface of claim 35, wherein said content area is a two-dimensional array of said content sub-areas, said array having an equal number of said content sub-areas along each of said dimensions.

37. The interface of claim 28, wherein said desire overlay means further comprises means for initiating operation of said clarifying means and said memorizing means upon a hierarchy of alternative choices associated with units of information memorized but not acted upon.

38. The interface of claim 37, wherein said desire initiating means further comprises:

a desire area for displaying said units of information memorized but not acted upon; and

means for selecting said desire area.

39. The interface of claim 38, wherein said desire overlay means further comprises optional means, operable upon completion of said alternative choice memorizing means, for redisplay in said content area of said layer subordinate to said clarified unit.

40. The interface of claim 38, wherein said units of information memorized but not acted upon are displayed in a symmetrical array.

41. The interface of claim 39, wherein said acting means further comprise a user selectable replication indicator.

42. The interface of claim 41, wherein said navigational control is a last-in-first-out identity area.

43. The interface of claim 42, wherein said identity area contains representations of successively selected and clarified units of information, moved successively upon clarification into said context area and then into said identity area, and moved successively upon selection of said identity area out of said identity area into said context area.

44. The interface of claim 43, wherein said representations of units of information contained in said identity area are arranged in a symmetrical array.

45. The interface of claim 43, wherein said memorization indicator is a small area of said sub-area.

46. The interface of claim 45, wherein said content area is a two-dimensional array of said content sub-areas, said array having an equal number of said content sub-areas along each of said dimensions.

47. A user interface, comprising:

a protocol for presenting a body of information to a user, said body being comprised of units of information, said presentation protocol using structural elements, each said element being distinguishable by said user from each other said element, at least one of said units of information being presented in at least one of said structural elements;

a protocol for clarifying said body of information, said clarifying protocol having user operable functions, each said function being invoked by user designation of one or more of said structural elements, said designation of said one or more structural elements being uniquely associated with said function, operation of said functions being further associated with changes in presentation of said body of information through said structural elements; and

a protocol for memorizing selected units of said body of information, said memorizing protocol having user operable functions, each said function being invoked by user designation of one or more of said structural elements, said designation of said one or more structural elements being uniquely associated with said function, operation of said functions being further associated with changes in presentation of said body of information through said structural elements,

wherein said clarifying protocol is a CLARIFICATION process used to find one or more of said units of information by navigation through said body of information,

wherein said memorizing protocol is a MEMORIZATION process consummated by an action denoted by said one or more found units of information

wherein said body of information is organized into layers, each said layer being subordinate to a unit of information in another layer and each of said units of information being part of one or more of said layers,

wherein said presentation protocol provides a content area for displaying one of said layers containing one or more of said units of information,

wherein said content area is divided into one or more content sub-areas as each said layer capable of being part of a plurality of hierarchies, necessary for conveniently displaying said units of information, and

wherein said clarifying protocol further provides;

means for selecting one of said displayed units of information; and

means for subsequently displaying in said content area a layer of said body of information which is subordinate to said selected unit of information, said subsequent display of said subordinate layer thereby replacing said display of said layer, and

a navigational control for subsequent redisplay in said content area of the layer most recently replaced by said clarifying means.

48. The interface of claim 47, further comprising a context overlay for filtering said body of information, said context overlay applying said clarifying protocol to a body of property information and applying said memorizing protocol in order to select units of said body of property information for said filtering.

49. The interface of claim 47, further comprising a desire overlay for choosing among alternative action options with respect to said selected units of said body of information, said desire overlay applying said clarifying protocol to a body of action option information and applying said memorizing protocol in order to select units of said body of action option information for action.

50. The interface of claim 47, further comprising:

a context overlay for filtering said body of information, said context overlay applying said clarifying protocol to a body of property information and applying said memorizing protocol in order to select units of said body of property information for said filtering; and

a desire overlay for choosing among alternative action options with respect to said selected units of said body of information, said desire overlay applying said clarifying protocol to a body of action option information and applying said memorizing protocol in order to select units of said body of action option information for action.

51. The interface of claim 47, wherein said body of information is a hierarchy of said units of information, said hierarchy being multi-hierarchical and having layers.

52. The interface of claim 51, wherein said structural elements include

a content area for displaying a layer of said multi-hierarchy, said layer containing one or more of said units of information;

a context area for displaying a unit of information which is parent to said layer displayed in said content area; and

an identity area for displaying a history of parents of said displayed layers.

53. The interface of claim 52, wherein said content area is divided into one or more content sub-areas as necessary for conveniently displaying said units of information.

54. The interface of claim 53, wherein said clarifying functions comprise:

a clarifying down function, said down function being operable by user selection of one of said displayed units of information, said selected unit then being displayed in said context area, there being then displayed in said content area a layer of said multi-hierarchy which is child to said selected unit of information;

a clarifying up function, said up function being operable by user selection of said identity area, there being then redisplayed in said content area the layer of said multi-hierarchy most recently replaced by said clarifying down function; and

an optional context overlay function, operable by user selection of said context area, for displaying in said content properties associated with said parent unit displayed in said context area.

55. The interface of claim 54, wherein said structural elements include a desire area for collecting units of information selected by said user.

56. The interface of claim 55, wherein said memorizing functions comprise:

a memorize function for moving a selected unit of information to said desire area;

a replicate function for acting upon units of information collected in said desire area; and

an optional desire overlay function for displaying in said content area alternative actions applicable to said collected units of information.

57. The interface of claim 56, wherein said memorize function is operable by user selection of a designated area within a content sub-area corresponding to said selected unit of information.

58. The interface of claim 56, wherein said memorize function is operable by sequential user selection, first, of a content sub-area corresponding to said selected unit of information and, second, of one of said structural elements designated for memorization.

59. The interface of claim 58, wherein said selected unit of information is displayed using a first structural element and said user selection is made using a second structural element.

60. The interface of claim 58, wherein said first structural element is a designated portion of a television screen and wherein said second structural element is a designated key on a telephone keypad, there being a unique correspondence evident to said user between said first structural element and said second structural element.

61. The interface of claim 56, wherein said replicate function is operable by user selection of a designated area within said desire area.

62. The interface of claim 56, wherein said replicate function is activated automatically following operation of said memorize function.

64. The interface of claim 51, wherein said structural elements include

a content area for displaying a layer of said multi-hierarchy, said layer containing one or more of said units of information;

and

a context area for displaying a unit of information which is parent to said layer displayed in said content area.

65. The interface of claim 64, wherein said content area is divided into one or more content sub-areas as necessary for conveniently displaying said units of information.

66. The interface of claim 65, wherein said clarifying functions comprise:

a clarifying down function, said down function being operable by user selection of one of said displayed units of information, said selected unit then being displayed in said context area, there being then displayed in said content area a layer of said multi-hierarchy which is child to said selected unit of information;

a clarifying up function, said up function being operable by user selection of one of said structural elements, there being then redisplayed in said content area the layer of said multi-hierarchy most recently replaced by said clarifying down function; and

an optional context overlay function, operable by user selection of said context area, for displaying in said content area properties associated with said parent unit displayed in said context area.

63. A method for finding, collecting and acting upon information, comprising the steps of:

presenting a body of information, said body being comprised of units of information;

clarifying said body of information, said clarifying being to use a CLARIFICATION process to find one or more of said units of information, said CLARIFICATION process being a group of CLARIFICATION functions for navigation through said body of information and being invoked by user designation of display elements presented to said user in said presenting step, said CLARIFICATION process enabling a user to find desired information; and

memorizing selected units of said body of information, said memorizing being to invoke a MEMORIZATION process upon said one or more found units of information, said MEMORIZATION process being initiated by user designation of MEMORIZATION display elements presented to said user in said presenting step, and being consummated by an action denoted by said one or more found units of information, said MEMORIZATION process enabling said user to collect and act upon said desired information

wherein said body of information is organized into layers, each said layer being subordinate to a unit of information in another layer and each of said units of information being part of one or more of said layers,

wherein said presenting step provides a content area for displaying one of said layers containing one or more of said units of information, each said layer capable of being part of a plurality of hierarchies,

wherein said content area is divided into one or more content sub-areas as necessary for conveniently displaying said units of information, and

wherein said clarifying step further comprises the steps of;

selecting one of said displayed units of information; and

subsequently displaying in said content area a layer of said body of information which is subordinate to said selected unit of information, said subsequent display of said subordinate layer thereby replacing said display of said layer,

wherein a navigational control is used for subsequent redisplay in said content area of the layer most recently replaced by said clarifying means.