High density visualizations for threaded information

• US 7,600,184 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Xiong, Rebecca, Drucker, Steven M., Smith, Marc A.
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US11/275,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20060117273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 715/243, 715/245, 715/256, 715/244, 715/246, 715/254, 715/255, 715/273, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/244
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

High-density computer display visualization formats provide improved visualization of large amounts of threaded information. These visualization formats are suitable for a wide variety of threaded information environments including newsgroups, threaded Web discussions, chats, e-mail inboxes, etc. In one implementation, the threaded message visualization represents each post with a generally one-dimensional or narrow entry line. The entry lines are horizontal and arranged vertically in substantially the same indented threading arrangement as the text of a conventional prior art visualization. In other implementations, the appearance (e.g., color), length, and position of entry lines can represent additional selected information while maintaining the generally one-dimensional character of the entry lines.

Claims

1. A method for providing a threaded message representation, the method comprising:

associating at least one message with at least one identifier that does not use at least one character-based representation for describing the at least one message, wherein the at least one message is represented by a narrow entry line having a vertical height insufficient to render text characters; and

presenting, on a computer display, the at least one message using the at least one associated identifier in a threaded message format.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein associating the at least one message with at least one identifier that does not use at least one character-based representation for describing the at least one message further comprises:

selecting at least one identifier message length in a direction along a horizontal axis in a display area where the at least one message is presented on for the at least one identifier, wherein the message length is based on at least one message characteristic.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein associating the at least one message with at least one identifier that does not use at least one character-based representation for describing the at least one message further comprises:

selecting at least one graphical characteristic for the at least one identifier based on at least one message characteristic.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein presenting the at least one message using the at least one associated identifier in a threaded message format further comprises:

positioning at least one presented message in at least one location along a first axis in a display area where the at least one positioned message is presented on based on at least one message characteristic.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 further comprising:

spacing the at least one positioned message away from a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis in the display area by a spacing distance based on at least one other message characteristic.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein presenting the at least one message using the at least one associated identifier in a threaded message format further comprises:

spacing at least one presented message away from at least one other presented message by a minimal spacing distance that is based on a display area where the presented messages are presented on.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein presenting the at least one message using the at least one associated identifier in a threaded message format further comprises:

arranging at least one presented message to be adjacent at least one other presented message without spacing the presented messages away from each other on a display area.

8. A method for creating a threaded message representation, the method comprising:

identifying a relationship between at least two messages that are to be presented in the threaded message representation, wherein the at least two messages are each represented by a narrow entry line having a vertical height insufficient to render text characters; and

presenting, on a computer display, a non-textual identifier for at least one of the messages that conveys the relationship between the messages.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

selecting an identifier message length in a direction along a horizontal axis in the threaded message representation for the non-textual identifier, wherein the message length is based on at least one message characteristic.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

selecting at least one graphical characteristic for the non-textual identifier based on at least one message characteristic.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein presenting a non-textual identifier for at least one of the messages that conveys the relationship between the messages further comprises:

positioning the non-textual identifier in a location along a first axis in the threaded message representation based on at least one message characteristic.

12. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein presenting a non-textual identifier for at least one of the messages that conveys the relationship between the messages further comprises:

spacing the non-textual identifier away from another non-textual identifier by a minimal spacing distance that is based on a display area where the threaded message representation is presented on.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein presenting a non-textual identifier for at least one of the messages that conveys the relationship between the messages further comprises:

arranging the non-textual identifier to be adjacent to another non-textual identifier without spacing the non-textual identifiers away from each other in the threaded message representation.