System for facilitating the navigation of data

• US 6,671,692 B1
• Filed: 11/23/1999
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Rininger, Christopher A., Gouzie, Suzanne M., Backes, Karen L., Christensen, Alan R., Coyle, David W., Durocher, John F., Farner, Laura L., Chestnut, Gregory P., Marpe, James S., Adler, Scott R., Kiene, Bruce P., Pepper, Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): Homere, Jean R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US09/447,941
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-3, 707/9-10, 707/103-104, 709/223, 709/229, 705/7-9, 705/27, 705/37, 345/707, 345/713, 345/761-762, 345/772, 379/93, 379/23, 379/212.01, 379/10.03, 715/514
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method for facilitating the navigation of application specific data on a data page, i.e. web page, during use of a data browser, i.e. Netscape™, MS Explorer™, etc. Included on the data page are a plurality of links each corresponding to data. In use, the data may be retrieved upon selection of the corresponding link. To facilitate the navigation of the data, the links are displayed each as a component of an indicia such as a pointer or chevron to imply a relationship between the data.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the navigation of data comprising:

(a) providing a first graphical representation of a chronologically-ordered relationship among a plurality of links, wherein the first graphical representation is a chevron;

(b) providing a user with the plurality of links for the first graphical representation, each link having a second graphical representation that corresponds to data, wherein each second graphical representation is within the first graphical representation;

(c) retrieving the data upon selection of a second graphical representation; and

(d) displaying the data as tasks required to generate a deliverable, wherein the tasks are displayed so as to imply a relationship among the tasks.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the relationship is a progressional relationship.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the relationship is a sequential relationship.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the chevron implies a direction.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the chevron is a pointer.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein a currently selected link is visually differentiated with respect to the remaining links.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein each second graphical representation has a shape similar to that of the first graphical respresentation.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the links are continuously displayed with the data to continuously imply the relationship.

9. A system for facilitating the navigation of data comprising:

(a) memory for storing a plurality of data pages;

(b) a display for providing a user with a first graphical representation of a chronologically-ordered relationship among a plurality of links, wherein the first graphical representation is a chevron, each link having a second graphical representation that corresponds to a data page, wherein each second graphical representation is within the first graphical representation; and

(c) an input device for retrieving the data pages upon selection of a second graphical representation corresponding to a link, wherein the data is displayed as tasks required to generate a deliverable and displayed so as to imply a relationship among the tasks.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the relationship is a progressional relationship.

11. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the relationship is a sequential relationship.

12. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the chevron implies a direction.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the chevron is a pointer.

14. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein a currently selected link is visually differentiated with respect to the remaining links.

15. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein each second graphical representation has a shape similar to that of the first graphical representation.

16. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the links are continuously displayed with the data pages to continuously imply the relationship.

17. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for facilitating the navigation of data comprising:

(a) a code segment that provides a first graphical representation of a chronologically-ordered relationship among a plurality of links, each link corresponding to data, wherein the first graphical representation is a chevron;

(b) a code segment that retrieves the data upon selection of a second graphical representation corresponding to each link, wherein each second graphical representation is within the first graphical representation; and

(c) a code segment that displays the data as tasks required to generate a deliverable so as to imply a relationship among the tasks.

18. The computer program as set forth in claim 17, wherein the relationship is a progressional relationship.