Arrangement of information into linear form for display on diverse display devices

• US 6,924,797 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1999
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: MacPhail, Margaret Gardner
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu D.
• Application Number:
  US09/451,942
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 345/764, 345/784, 345/786, 345/835, 345/846, 345/837, 345/684, 707/100, 715/764, 715/784, 715/786, 715/835, 715/846, 715/837, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method of display with a graphical user interface includes arranging selectable navigation points along a line configured on a display screen. In some embodiments, the selectable points correspond to pieces of information to be displayed, such that selection of a selectable point causes the corresponding piece of information to be displayed. The selectable points may be arranged along the line according to a priority sequence of the corresponding pieces of information. In other embodiments, the selectable points correspond to functions useful in using an application program. Selection of a selectable point in this embodiment causes the corresponding function to be executed. The line with selectable navigation points may therefore be used in place of other display tools such as toolbars or pull-down menus, and may allow rapid selection of desired options, commands, or information while using a minimum amount of screen space.

Claims

1. A method of forming a graphical user interface, comprising:

configuring a line on a display screen which is in communication with a display controller; and

configuring multiple selectable points along the line, wherein each selectable point corresponds to a piece of information accessible using the display controller, wherein said each selectable point does not comprise alphanumeric characters, and wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to display the corresponding piece of information in response to selection of a selectable point.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the display screen and the display controller are included within the same information-handling device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the information-handling device comprises a computer system, telephone, personal digital assistant or pager.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the display screen and the display controller are each included within a different information-handling device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted for a correspondence between the selectable points and the pieces of information to be established by a user of the graphical interface.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted for the correspondence between the selectable points and the pieces of information to be established according to a priority sequence of the pieces of information, wherein the priority sequence is formed using input from a user of the graphical user interface.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying a visible indicator while a pointer configured on the display screen is aligned over a selectable point, wherein said visible indicator characterizes the corresponding piece of information.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein only a portion of the line is displayed on the display screen at one time, and further comprising configuring a scroll icon on the line at an edge of the display screen, wherein the graphical user interface is adapted to cause the line to be moved when the scroll icon is selected, so that a previously undisplayed portion of the line is shown on the display screen.

9. A method of configuring information for display, comprising:

forming a priority sequence of multiple pieces of information accessible using a computer system by assigning a priority label to each of the multiple pieces of information; and

linking the priority sequence to a display controller associated with the computer system, wherein the display controller is adapted to configure selectable points corresponding to the multiple pieces of information along a line displayed on a display screen in communication with the display controller, wherein each selectable point does not comprise alphanumeric characters, and wherein the order of the selectable points along the line is established by the priority sequence of the corresponding pieces of information.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the priority label is assigned according to a policy set by a user of the computer system, and wherein the policy is adapted for at least one of the multiple pieces of information to be created subsequent to setting of the policy.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said setting of the policy comprises entering rules into a rules database associated with the computer system, wherein the rules characterize collection of the at least one of the multiple pieces of information in response to an instruction for display of the at least one of the pieces of information, and wherein the rules are adapted for the instruction for display to occur after said entering rules.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the priority label describes an attribute of a corresponding piece of information and a value of the attribute.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the priority label is entered into a data structure relating the label to a piece of information.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the priority label is entered into a rules database relating the label to a piece of information.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer system is adapted for said forming a priority sequence to be done according to input from a user of the computer system.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer system is adapted for said forming a priority sequence to be done according to input from a system administrator for the computer system.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said pieces of information comprise a system or network quantity.

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

19. An information handling system, comprising:

a display screen;

a display controller in communication with the display screen;

a means for configuring a line on the display screen;

a means for configuring multiple selectable points along the line, wherein each selectable point corresponds to a piece of information accessible using the display controller, and wherein said each selectable point does not comprise alphanumeric characters; and

a means for displaying the corresponding piece of information in response to selection of a selectable point.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the display screen and display controller are included within the same information-handling device.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, wherein the information-handling device comprises a computer system, telephone, personal digital assistant or pager.

22. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the display screen and the display controller are each included within a different information-handling device.

23. The system as recited in claim 19, further comprising a means for displaying a visible indicator while a pointer configured on the display screen is aligned over a selectable point, wherein said visible indicator characterizes the corresponding piece of information.

24. The system as recited in claim 19, further comprising a means for configuring a scroll icon on the line at an edge of the display screen, and a means for moving the line in response to selection of the scroll icon, such that a previously undisplayed portion of the line is shown on the display screen.

25. A computer-usable carrier medium, comprising:

first program instructions executable for configuring a line on a display screen in communication with a display controller;

second program instructions executable for configuring multiple selectable points along the line, wherein each selectable point corresponds to a piece of information accessible using the display controller, and wherein said each selectable point does not comprise alphanumeric characters; and

third program instructions executable on the information-handling device for displaying the corresponding piece of information in response to selection of a selectable point.

26. The carrier medium as recited in claim 25, further comprising fourth program instructions executable for displaying a visible indicator while a pointer configured on the display screen is aligned over a selectable point, wherein the visible indicator characterizes the corresponding piece of information.

27. The carrier medium as recited in claim 25, further comprising fourth program instructions executable for configuring a scroll icon on the line at an edge of the display screen, and fifth program instructions executable for moving the line when the scroll icon is selected, such that a previously undisplayed portion of the line is shown on the display screen.

28. A computer-usable carrier medium, comprising:

first program instructions executable for forming a priority sequence of multiple pieces of information accessible using a computer system by assigning a priority label to each of the multiple pieces of information; and

second program instructions executable for linking the priority sequence to a display controller associated with the computer system, wherein the display controller is adapted to configure selectable points corresponding to the multiple pieces of information along a line displayed on a display screen in communication with the display controller, wherein each selectable point does not comprise alphanumeric characters, and wherein the order of the selectable points along the line is established by the priority sequence of the corresponding pieces of information.