Method for flagging and relating information in a computer system

• US 7,320,108 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Begstraesser, Thomas F., Hough, P. J., Carlson, Jason D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/996,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/751, 715/835, 715/810, 715/753, 715/758, 715/760, 715/738, 715/752
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

This document describes a user interface mechanism to relate information from multiple heterogeneous data sources. Data displayed in different regions on a user interface can be related by selection of an element in one region and pinning it. The pinned element acts as a filter for the information in the other regions on the user interface. Successive pinning of elements in other regions allows further filtering of the information in unpinned regions using the context of previously pinned elements.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for interfacing with a computer display wherein the display comprises a plurality of regions, with each region displaying information associated with at least one of (1) at least one data source and (2) user entered data, the computer-executable instructions performing:

flagging an element in a first region; and

altering the information displayed in at least one region, different from said first region, based upon said flagged element, wherein said altering includes;

communicating said flagging and said flagged element to at least one of said plurality of regions, different from said first region,

relating said flagged element with the information represented by said at least one of said plurality of regions, different from said first region, and

displaying the result of the relating operation in the at least one of said plurality of regions, different from said first region.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said plurality of regions are a plurality of Web parts.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said display is a browser display displaying said plurality of regions.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said information displayed by each region is transmitted via hyper text transfer protocol.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said altering includes filtering at least one of (1) the at least one data source associated with said at least one region and (2) the information displayed in said at least one region.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said altering includes joining at least one of (1) the at least one data source associated with said at least one region and (2) the information displayed in said at least one region.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said flagging includes selecting said element in said first region.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the computer-executable instructions performing selecting said element before said flagging.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the computer-executable instructions performing unflagging said element.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein unflagging said element alters the information displayed in said at least one region, different from said first region, to information displayed without the influence of said element.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said unflagging includes unpinning said element.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein unflagging said element restores the information displayed in said at least one region, different from said first region, to the information displayed before flagging said element.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said flagging includes pinning said element.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the flagged element indicates the context for the alteration of information in regions not having a flagged element.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said altering of the information consists of altering information displayed in all of said plurality of regions, different from said first region, based upon said flagged element.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein said altering of the information consists of altering information displayed in a second region, different from said first region, only if said second region has no flagged element associated therewith.