Entry of data in a data processing system

• US 7,746,363 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Fritz, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini; Javid A
• Application Number:
  US11/304,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 345/684, 345/418, 345/619, 345/672, 345/682, 715/818, 715/705, 715786-789
• US Class Current: 345/684
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a system for entering data (12-15) in a data processing system (1). In this case, the data (12-15) is entered in a number of steps (2-5), with a view being displayed at a step (2-5) in a display region (19) of a display means (6), with the entering and/or display taking place in subsequent steps (2-5) at least partially as a function of the data (12-15) entered in one or a number of preceding steps (2-5). To design the step-by-step entering of data in a more user friendly manner, it is proposed to simultaneously display the views (16-18) of a number of consecutive steps (2-5)in the display region (19).

Claims

1. A method for entering data in a data processing system having a display unit, comprising:

providing a plurality of consecutive steps arranged to form a wizard guide via a display unit electrically coupled to a computer of the data processing system, each step being worked on expecting user input to perform a task defined by the wizard guide, each step being worked on having at least one of a first navigating step bar including text instructions for navigating to a preceding step, and a second navigating step bar including text instructions for navigating to a subsequent step, wherein the data entered in one of the plurality of steps is processed in the data processing system after the respective step;

providing a plurality of views each containing respective alphanumeric characters, each view associated to one of the plurality of steps of the wizard guide;

displaying at least some of the respective alphanumeric characters of each of the plurality of views in a display region on the display unit, wherein the views within the display region are changeable via a scrollbar, and wherein the scrollbar allows a scrolling over the steps;

editing input data for at least one preceding step of the wizard guide without causing a processing termination of a present step of the wizard guide being worked on, and further wherein the displaying comprises concurrently displaying respective fields associated with the present step and with the at least one preceding step being edited, wherein at least some of the input data entered in said at least one preceding step of the wizard guide influences a processing of at least one subsequent step of the wizard guide being concurrently displayed; and

requesting the user to rework said at least subsequent step of the wizard guide so that a reprocessing of said at least one subsequent step of the wizard guide is performed by the data processing system in view of the input data entered in said at least one preceding step of the wizard guide.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein an arrangement of the views within the display region is changed with a part of the views being at least partially masked out.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the views are arranged vertically side by side or wherein the views are arranged horizontally side by side.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step is started after navigating to the associated view.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step is stopped after navigating from the associated view.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a preceding step can be reprocessed.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein after processing a preceding step, only reprocessing the steps between the preceding step and a current step that are affected by the data entered in the preceding step.

8. A system for entering data in a data processing system, comprising:

a display unit having a display region;

a plurality of consecutive steps arranged to form a wizard guide via the display unit, wherein each step being worked on is configured to expect data to perform a task defined by the wizard guide, and wherein each step being worked on is further configured with at least one of a first navigating step bar including text instructions for navigating to a preceding step of the wizard guide, and a second navigating step bar including text instructions for navigating to a subsequent step of the wizard guide, wherein the data processing system processes the data entered in the step after the respective step; and

a plurality of views each containing respective alphanumeric characters, each view associated with at least one of the plurality of steps of the wizard guide, at least some of the respective alphanumeric characters of each of the plurality of views displayed concurrently in the display region, wherein the views within the display region are changeable via a scrollbar, and wherein the scrollbar allows a scrolling over the steps, wherein input data for at least one preceding step of the wizard guide can be edited without causing a processing termination of a present step of the wizard guide being worked on, and further wherein respective views associated with the present step and with the at least one preceding step are concurrently displayed, wherein at least some of the input data entered in said at least preceding step of the wizard guide influences a processing of at least one subsequent step of the wizard guide being concurrently displayed; and

wherein the system is configured to request the user to rework said at least one subsequent step of the wizard guide so that a reprocessing of said at least one subsequent step of the wizard guide is performed by the data processing system in view of the input data entered in said at least preceding step of the wizard guide.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the arrangement of the views within the display region changes by masking out a subset of the views.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the views in the display region are arranged vertically or horizontally.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein by navigating to a view the associated step is started.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein by navigating from a view the associated step is stopped.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein a preceding step can be processed.