User interface display navigation and item selection system

• US 7,334,196 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Haley, John D., Suppan, Scott John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu; Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US10/158,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: 715762-765, 715/845, 715/821, 715853-855, 715/500, 715/526, 715513-517, 715/819, 715/835, 715/907, 715/861
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A user interface system supports flexible user navigation and item selection and manipulation in a hierarchical data structure representation. The user interface system facilitates selection of a plurality of items from a display of hierarchically organized items. The user interface system includes a user interface image generator for providing data representing a displayable image showing a hierarchical organization of user selectable icons visually identifying whether the selectable icons are currently selected. The hierarchical organization of icons links a parent icon representing a first group of data items with multiple child icons representing corresponding data items of the first group and an individual one of the child icons links to a second group of grandchild icons representing a corresponding second group of data items. The user interface system also includes a user interface command processor for initiating selection of direct ancestor icons of the grandchild icon comprising the parent icon and the individual one of the child icons excluding others of the child icons, in response to user activation of a mode of selection of the grandchild icon.

Claims

1. A user interface system facilitating selection of a plurality of items from a display of hierarchically organized items, comprising:

a user interface image generator for providing data representing a displayable image showing a displayed hierarchical organization of a plurality of user selectable icons visually identifying whether said selectable icons are currently selected, said hierarchical organization of said plurality of icons linking a parent icon representing a first group of data items with a plurality of child icons representing corresponding data items of said first group and an individual one of said child icons links to a second group of grandchild icons representing a corresponding second group of data items; and

a user interface command processor for initiating selection of direct ancestor icons of said grandchild icon comprising said parent icon and said individual one of said child icons excluding others of said child icons using said displayed hierarchical organization and for updating said displayed hierarchical organization to visually identify said grandchild icon and said direct ancestor icons exclusive of said others of said child icons, in response to a user command comprising user activation of a mode of selection of said grandchild icon.

2. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

said user command comprising user activation of said mode of selection of said grandchild icon comprises user selection of at least one of, (a) said grandchild icon in said displayed hierarchical organization and (b) a display element visually associated with said grandchild icon in said displayed hierarchical organization.

3. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

an icon comprises a user selectable image element including at least one of, (a) a data item representative element, (b) a status indicator identifying selection status of a data representative item, (c) a feature associated with a data representative item, (d) a button, (e) a prompt element, (f) a menu item, (g) a prompt element with a list of selectable options and (h) a data entry element.

4. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

said user interface command processor records said identified parent icon, said individual one of said child icons and said grandchild icon and corresponding data items as being hierarchically associated in an XML (Extensible Markup Language) compatible file.

5. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

said user interface image generator updates said data representing said displayed hierarchical organization to visually indicate said parent icon, said individual one of said child icons and said grandchild icon are currently selected, in response to user activation of said mode of selection of said grandchild icon.

6. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

said user interface image generator and said user interface command processor comprise at least one executable procedure.

7. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

said user interface image generator generates said data representing said displayed hierarchical organization in a first window and also generates a second window incorporating a menu for indicating properties affecting operation of an executable procedure associated with a user selected icon shown in said first window.

8. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

said user activation of said mode of selection of said grandchild icon comprises at least one of, (a) double-clicking on said grandchild icon, (b) selecting an item of a menu associated with said grandchild icon and (c) an activating selection of said grandchild icon.

9. A user interface system according to claim 1, wherein

said data items comprise at least one of, (a) properties and (b) attributes of an executable procedure affecting a function performed by said executable procedure.

10. A user interface system according to claim 9, wherein

said data items comprise at least one of, (a) properties and (b) attributes of software objects employed by said executable procedure.

11. A user interface system facilitating selection of a plurality of items from a display of hierarchically organized menu items, comprising:

a user interface image generator for providing data representing a displayable image showing a displayed hierarchical organization of a plurality of user selectable icons visually identifying whether said selectable icons are currently selected, said hierarchical organization of said plurality of icons linking a parent icon representing a first group of data items with a plurality of child icons representing corresponding data items of said first group and an individual one of said child icons links to a second group of grandchild icons representing a corresponding second group of data items; and

a user interface command processor for initiating selection of direct ancestor icons of a grandchild icon comprising a parent icon and an individual one of said child icons excluding others of said child icons and selection of said plurality of child icons using said displayed hierarchical organization and for updating said displayed hierarchical organization to visually identify said plurality of child icons are selected, in response to a single user command comprising user activation of a mode of selection of said parent icon.

12. A user interface system according to claim 11, wherein

said user interface command processor excludes from selection any child icon linked to a group of grandchild icons representing a group of data items.

13. A user interface system according to claim 11, wherein said updated displayed hierarchical organization visually indicates said plurality of child icons are selected exclusively of said individual one of said child icons, in response to user activation of said mode of selection of said parent icon.

14. A user interface system according to claim 11, wherein

said user interface command processor records in a file an identification of said plurality of child icons excluding any child icon linked to a group of grandchild icons representing a group of data items.

15. A user interface system facilitating selection of a plurality of items from a display of hierarchically organized items, comprising:

a user interface image generator for providing

data representing a displayable image showing a displayed hierarchical organization of a plurality of user selectable icons visually identifying whether said selectable icons are currently selected, said hierarchical organization of said plurality of icons linking a parent icon representing a first group of data items with a plurality of child icons representing corresponding data items of said first group and an individual one of said child icons links to a second group of grandchild icons representing a corresponding second group of data items, and

a menu for use in associating at least one particular icon with a procedure for searching said hierarchical organization of said plurality of user selectable icons and corresponding data items to find a data element of a data item in response to user entered search criteria; and

a user interface command processor for initiating selection of direct ancestor icons of a grandchild icon comprising a parent icon and an individual one of said child icons excluding others of said child icons and execution of said procedure, in response to user activation of a mode of selection of a displayed icon.

16. A user interface system according to claim 15, wherein

said data element of said data item is a property of said data item,

said procedure selects target icons and

said user interface image generator updates said data representing said displayed hierarchical organization to visually indicate said target icons are currently selected, in response to user activation of said mode of selection of said displayed icon.

17. A user interface system according to claim 15, wherein

said procedure searches said hierarchical organization to a predetermined depth.

18. A user interface system according to claim 17, wherein

said user interface image generator provides a menu item supporting user entry of said search depth.

19. A user interface method for facilitating selection of a plurality of items from a display of hierarchically organized items, comprising the steps of:

initiating generation of data representing a displayable image showing a displayed hierarchical organization of a plurality of user selectable icons visually identifying whether said selectable icons are currently selected, said hierarchical organization of said plurality of icons linking a parent icon representing a first group of data items with a plurality of child icons representing corresponding data items of said first group and an individual one of said child icons links to a second group of grandchild icons representing a corresponding second group of data items;

using said displayed hierarchical organization for initiating selection of direct ancestor icons of said grandchild icon comprising said parent icon and said individual one of said child icons excluding others of said child icons, in response to a user command comprising user activation of a mode of selection of said grandchild icon and

updating said displayed hierarchical organization to visually identify said grandchild icon and said direct ancestor icons exclusive of said others of said child icons, in response to said user command.

20. A user interface method facilitating selection of a plurality of items from a display of hierarchically organized items, comprising the steps of:

initiating generation of data representing a displayable image showing a displayed hierarchical organization of a plurality of user selectable icons visually identifying whether said selectable icons are currently selected, said hierarchical organization of said plurality of icons linking a parent icon representing a first group of data items with a plurality of child icons representing corresponding data items of said first group and an individual one of said child icons links to a second group of grandchild icons representing a corresponding second group of data items;

using said displayed hierarchical organization for initiating selection of said plurality of child icons, in response to a user command comprising user activation of a mode of selection of said parent icon and initiating selection of direct ancestor icons of a grandchild icon comprising a parent icon and an individual one of said child icons excluding others of said child icons; and

updating said displayed hierarchical organization to visually identify said plurality of child icons are selected, in response to said user command.

21. A user interface method facilitating selection of a plurality of items from a display of hierarchically organized items, comprising the steps of:

initiating generation of,

data representing a displayable image showing a displayed hierarchical organization of a plurality of user selectable icons visually identifying whether said selectable icons are currently selected, said hierarchical organization of said plurality of icons linking a parent icon representing a first group of data items with a plurality of child icons representing corresponding data items of said first group and an individual one of said child icons links to a second group of grandchild icons representing a corresponding second group of data items, said displayable image enabling selection of direct ancestor icons of a grandchild icon comprising a parent icon and an individual one of said child icons excluding others of said child icons, and

a menu for use in associating at least one particular icon with a procedure for searching said hierarchical organization of said plurality of user selectable icons and corresponding data items to find a data element of a data item in response to user entered search criteria; and

initiating execution of said procedure, in response to user activation of a mode of selection of a displayed icon.