System for generating charts in a knowledge management tool

• US 6,900,807 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2000
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Dempski, Kelly L., Liongosari, Edy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Havan, Thu Thao
• Application Number:
  US09/521,471
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 345/440.2, 345/441, 345/968, 345/835, 345/854, 707/3, 707/10, 707/6, 707/2, 707/4, 707/5, 707/104.1, 707/513, 709/200, 709/202, 709/204, 709/205, 709/329, 709/313, 705/1, 705/7
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for generating a chart. A request for information is received from a user. A search for data relating to the request for information is performed in at least two geographically separated information repositories of an enterprise. The results of the search are presented to the user. The user is allowed to select a search result from the results of the search. A search result that is selected by the user is recognized. A chart that illustrates information related to the search result selected by the user is generated and displayed.

Claims

1. A method for generating a chart, comprising the steps of allowing a user to select a category from at least five predefined categories of information;

receiving an indication of the category selected by the user;

receiving a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

performing a search for data relating to the request for information in at least two geographically separated information repositories of an enterprise, wherein data items in the repositories include information having stored associations to at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

presenting results of the search to the user;

allowing the user to select a search result from the results of the search;

generating a chart illustrating information relating to the search result selected by the user; and

displaying the chart on a screen, wherein the chart is a Gantt chart showing a timeline of postings of said information to the information repositories.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the chart illustrates a person'"'"'s activity by at least one of topics and keywords associated with documents the person has posted to at least one of the information repositories of the enterprise.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the chart illustrates a timeline of postings about a client of the enterprise.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of generating and displaying a second chart different from the chart.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of generating and displaying a second chart having content different from the chart, wherein the second chart is a line chart that illustrates a number of documents submitted to the information repositories on a given topic or the second chart is a pie chart that categorizes postings on the given topic according to the information repository from which they came.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the search results are documents and further comprising displaying an identification of the information repositories where the documents are stored.

6. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for generating a chart, comprising:

a code segment that allows a user to select a category from at least five predefined categories of information;

a code segment that receives an indication of the category selected by the user;

a code segment that receives a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

a code segment that performs a search for data relating to the request for information in at least two geographically separated information repositories of an enterprise, wherein data items in the repositories include information having stored associations to at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client, a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

a code segment that presents results of the search to the user;

a code segment that allows the user to select a search from the results of the search;

a code segment that recognizes a search result selected by the user;

a code segment that generates a chart illustrating information related to the search result selected by the user; and

a code segment that displays the chart on a screen, wherein the chart is a Gantt chart showing a timeline of postings of said information to the information repositories.

7. A computer program as recited in claim 6, wherein the chart illustrates a person'"'"'s activity by at least one of topics and keywords associated with documents the person has posted to at least one of the information repositories of the enterprise.

8. A computer program as recited in claim 6, wherein the chart illustrates a timeline of postings about a client of the enterprise.

9. A computer program as recited in claim 6, further comprising a code segment that generates and displays a second chart different from the chart.

10. A computer program as recited in claim 6, further comprising a code segment that generates and displays a second chart having content different from the chart, wherein the second chart is a line chart that illustrates a number of documents submitted to the information repositories on a given topic or the second chart is a pie chart that categorizes postings on the given topic according to the information repository from which they came.

11. A system for generating a chart, comprising:

logic that allows a user to select a category from at least five predefined categories of information;

logic that receives an indication of the category selected by the user;

logic that receives a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

logic that performs a search for data relating to the request for information in at least two geographically separated information repositories of an enterprise, wherein data items in the repositories include information having stored associations to at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client, a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

logic that presents results of the search to the user;

logic that allows the user to select a search from the results of the search;

logic that recognizes a search result selected by the user;

logic that generates a chart illustrating information related to the search result selected by the user; and

logic that displays the chart on a screen, wherein the chart is a Gantt chart showing a timeline of postings of said information to the information repositories.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the chart illustrates a person'"'"'s activity by at least one of topics and keywords associated with documents the person has posted to at least one of the information repositories of the enterprise.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the chart illustrates a timeline of postings about a client of the enterprise.

14. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising logic that generates and displays a second chart different from the chart.

15. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising logic that generates a second chart having content different from the chart, wherein the second chart is a line chart that illustrates a number of documents submitted to the information repositories on a given topic or the second chart is a pie chart that categorizes postings on the given topic according to the information repository from which they came.

16. A method for generating a chart, comprising the steps of:

allowing a user to select a category from at least five predefined categories of information;

receiving an indication of the category selected by the user;

receiving a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

performing a search for data relating to the request for information in at least two geographically separated information repositories of an enterprise, wherein data items in the repositories include information having stored associations to at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

presenting results of the search to the user, wherein the results of the search are grouped in at least one category not selected by the user;

allowing the user to select a search result from the results of the search;

generating a chart illustrating information relating to the search result selected by the user; and

displaying the chart on a screen, wherein the chart is of a type selected from the group consisting of;

a Gantt chart showing a timeline for projects or documents of a person by topic, a Gantt chart showing a timeline for projects or documents of a client by topic, a time-based line chart that shows a number of documents on a particular topic posted to the information repositories during a preselected period of time, and a time-based pie chart that illustrates the volume of entries on a topic found in the information repositories.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of generating and simultaneously displaying on the same screen a second chart having content different from the chart, wherein the second chart is a line chart that illustrates a number of documents submitted to the information repositories on a given topic or the second chart is a pie chart that categorizes postings on the given topic according to the information repository where the postings are stored.

17. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for generating a chart, comprising:

a code segment that allows a user to select a category from at least five predefined categories of information;

a code segment that receives an indication of the category selected by the user;

a code segment that receives a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

a code segment that performs a search for data relating to the request for information in at least two geographically separated information repositories of an enterprise, wherein data items in the repositories include information having stored associations to at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client, a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

a code segment that presents results of the search to the user, wherein the results of the search are grouped in at least one category not selected by the user;

a code segment that allows the user to select a search from the results of the search;

a code segment that recognizes a search result selected by the user;

a code segment that generates a chart illustrating information related to the search result selected by the user; and

a code segment that displays the chart on a screen, wherein the chart is of the type selected from the group consisting of;

a Gantt chart showing a timeline for projects or documents of a person by topic, a Gantt chart showing a timeline for projects or documents of a client by topic, a time-based line chart that shows a number of documents on a particular topic posted to the information repositories during a preselected period of time, and a time-based pie chart that illustrates the volume of entries on a topic found in the information repositories.

18. A system for generating a chart, comprising:

logic that allows a user to select a category from at least five predefined categories of information;

logic that receives an indication of the category selected by the user;

logic that receives a request for information having stored associations with the selected category;

logic that performs a search for data relating to the request for information in at least two geographically separated information repositories of an enterprise, wherein data items in the repositories include information having stored associations to at least two categories selected from the group consisting of a person, a client, a topic, a document, a project, and an industry;

logic that presents results of the search to the user, wherein the results of the search are grouped in at least one other category not selected by the user;

logic that allows the user to select a search from the results of the search;

logic that recognizes a search result selected by the user;

logic that generates a chart illustrating information related to the search result selected by the user; and

logic that displays the chart on a screen, wherein the chart is of the type selected from the group consisting of;

a Gantt chart showing a timeline for projects and documents of a person by topic, a Gantt chart showing a timeline for project or documents of a client by topic, a time-based line chart that shows a number of documents on a particular topic posted to the information repositories during a preselected period of time, and a time-based pie chart that illustrates the volume of entries on a topic found in the information repositories.