Information grouping configuration for use with diverse display devices

• US 6,593,943 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MacPhail, Margaret Gardner
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu D.
• Application Number:
  US09/451,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 345/734, 345/440, 345/419, 345/848, 345/849, 345/852, 345/850, 345/851, 707/100
• US Class Current: 715/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

A method for configuring computer-based information for display includes assigning labels to information units stored in a computer system. The labels are used in grouping the information units. This grouping, performed by a user of the computer system, may result in group arrangements which can be accessed by a display controller associated with the computer system. A method for processing configuration information for display of computer-based information includes receiving input of a group arrangement, and storing the received group arrangement in data structures or rules databases. A method for displaying computer-based information includes detecting an instruction to display an information unit, identifying a group arrangement associated with the information unit, and forwarding the information units within the group to a display device. Data structures or rules databases containing grouping information and/or program instructions executable to carry out the methods may be transmitted over or stored upon a carrier medium.

Claims

1. A method of configuring display information, comprising:

arranging multiple information units stored within a computer system into groups by assigning a label to each of the multiple information units; and

linking a resulting group of information units together and sending the group of information units to a display controller associated with the computer system, such that the display controller is adapted to send at least a subset of the group of information units together, at substantially the same time, to a display device in accordance with the group arrangement, and further in accordance with a size of the group compared to a screen capacity of the display device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said arranging comprises forming a group having a size substantially larger than the screen capacity of the display device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said arranging comprises setting a policy for said assigning a label to each of the multiple information units, wherein the policy is adapted for at least one of the multiple information units to be created after said setting a policy.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said setting a policy comprises entering rules into a rules database, wherein said rules characterize collection of the at least one of the multiple information units in response to an instruction for display of the at least one information unit, and wherein said rules are adapted for the instruction for display to occur after said entering rules.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer system is adapted such that said arranging multiple information units may be performed by a user of the computer system.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said assigning a label comprises entering the label into a data structure that relates labels to information units.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the data structure comprises the label and a reference or pointer to a corresponding information unit.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the corresponding information unit comprises an object, and the reference or pointer comprises an object handle.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said assigning a label comprises entering the label into a rules database that relates labels to information units.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said assigning a label comprises describing an attribute of a corresponding information unit and a value of the attribute.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said assigning a label comprises assigning an identical label to each of a set of information units within the multiple information units, such that a group comprising the information units within the set is formed.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein multiple groups are formed by assigning multiple labels to respective multiple sets of information units, further comprising establishing a priority sequence of the groups.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said establishing a priority sequence comprises assigning an additional label to each information unit, wherein the additional label comprises a group priority indicator.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said arranging comprises arranging the information units into Wireless Application Protocol decks.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said arranging comprises specifying page breaks and download breaks to be taken into account by the display controller when sending information units to the display device.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer system is adapted such that said arranging may be performed by a system administrator for the computer system.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said arranging comprises arranging information units comprising values of system or network quantities.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said system or network quantities comprise a transaction rate or an amount of available disk space.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said linking the resulting group arrangement comprises programming the display controller to access a data structure comprising the group arrangement.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said linking the resulting group arrangement comprises configuring a control program to access a rules database comprising the group arrangement and forward the group arrangement to the display controller.

21. A method of displaying information, comprising:

collecting multiple information units into a group of information units using a policy;

detecting an instruction to transmit to a display device a first information unit stored within a computer system;

identifying the group of information units as corresponding to the first information unit, wherein the group links multiple information units including the first information unit; and

forwarding the group of information units together to the display device depending on the size of the group compared to the screen capacity of the display device before forwarding other information units.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said detecting an instruction comprises detecting an alarm instruction generated by a program executable on the computer system to monitor a value of a quantity represented by the first information unit.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said detecting an instruction comprises detecting an instruction entered by a user of the computer system.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said identifying comprises accessing a data structure containing group arrangement information for the multiple information units.

25. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said identifying comprises accessing a rules database containing group arrangement information for the multiple information units.

26. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said forwarding comprises forwarding to a display device remotely located with respect to the computer system.

27. A computer-usable carrier medium, comprising program instructions executable on a computer system to enable a user of the computer system to enter a policy for forming a grouping arrangement of information units of which at least a portion of the grouping arrangement of information units are sized to fit upon a display device and are accessible by the computer system, wherein said policy determines which of the grouping arrangement of information units to include within the portion and which of the grouping arrangement of information units excluding the portion are sized to fit upon the display device after said display device displays said portion.

28. The carrier medium as recited in claim 27, wherein:

the program instructions form a portion of an application program for monitoring the status and operation of the computer system;

the information units comprise values of system or network quantities; and

a group of information units comprises values of related system or network quantities to be displayed together.

29. The carrier medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the carrier medium comprises a storage medium.

30. A computer-usable carrier medium, comprising:

first program instructions executable on a computer system for detecting an instruction to transmit to a display device a first information unit stored within a computer system;

second program instructions executable on the computer system for identifying a group of information units as corresponding to the first information unit, wherein the group links multiple information units including the first information unit;

third program instructions executable on the computer system for forwarding the group of information units together to the display device depending on the size of the group compared to the screen capacity of the display device before forwarding other information units; and

fourth program instructions executable on the computer system for collecting multiple information units into a group of information units using a policy.

31. A computer-usable carrier medium, comprising a data structure relating information units stored within a computer system to labels identifying groups of the information units, wherein the data structure is adapted for establishment of the groups by a user of the computer system.

32. The carrier medium as recited in claim 31, wherein the labels comprise an identical group label assigned to each information unit within a group.

33. An information-handling system, comprising:

a means for arranging multiple information units into groups by assigning a label to each of the multiple information units;

a display controller; and

a means for linking a group arrangement resulting from said arranging to the display controller, wherein the display controller is adapted to send the information units together to a display device in accordance with boundaries placed within the group arrangement, and further in accordance with a size of the group compared to a screen capacity of the display device.

34. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein said means for arranging comprises a data structure.

35. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein said means for arranging comprises a rules database.

36. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein said means for arranging comprises a control program adapted for communication with a rules database or data structure.

37. The system as recited in claim 33, further comprising a storage medium operably coupled to said display controller, wherein said storage medium is adapted for storing said group arrangement.