Multiple perspective activity map display

• US 7,895,268 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malkin, Peter K., Erickson, Thomas D., Wolf, Tracee
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/808,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,632 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/217, 709/218, 715/848, 715/835, 345/156, 345/738, 345/348, 706/45, 706/59
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is provided for representing an environment having at least one aspect. The method includes representing the aspects in an activity map comprising at least two perspectives, and representing a state of a user within the environment as a tangible link between each perspective. The state of the user includes user activity within the environment. The method further includes the step of dynamically incorporating the state of the user in the activity map. The tangible link is a tangible cue which associates perspectives represented by the activity map.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for representing user activity within an environment comprising the steps of:

displaying an activity map comprising at least two perspectives of the environment, wherein each perspective is an abstract graphical display of at least one aspect of the user activity within the environment;

selecting an element of a first perspective, wherein the element of the first perspective is an abstract graphical display of a first predefined characteristic of the user activity within the environment; and

displaying a graphic link having a first end point at the element of the first perspective and a second end point at at least one element of a second perspective and representing an association between the element of the first perspective and the at least one element of a second perspective, wherein each element of the second perspective is an abstract graphical display of a corresponding predefined characteristic of the user activity within the environment.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining a value of at least one predefined characteristic of the user activity; and

dynamically incorporating the value of the at least one predefined characteristic of the user activity in the activity map.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each predefined characteristic of the user activity includes one of a user location, a user status within a hierarchy, a user emotion, and a quality of user conversation.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphic link associates the at least two perspectives of the activity map.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphic link is a line linking a user'"'"'s activity represented separately in the at least two perspectives of the activity map, wherein the at least two perspectives of the activity map are non-overlapping.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the activity map includes a geographic perspective and a discussion perspective, the two perspectives associated by the user activity within the environment.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the discussion perspective includes at least one topic, wherein each topic is an element.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each perspective is one of a representation of the user activity, and a representation of user input to the environment.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the environment is a transactional environment.

10. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for interacting with an environment having an aspect, the method steps comprising:

representing the aspect in an activity map including at least two perspectives of the aspect;

representing an activity of a user within the environment, wherein the activity corresponds to the aspect and is represented in each perspective separately; and

representing the activity of the user as a line rendered between each perspective of the aspect.

11. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the environment is a transactional environment and the user is a market participant.

12. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the activity map includes at least one perspective in which an on-line transaction is conducted.

13. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the line rendered is a tangible cue which associates the perspectives.

14. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the line rendered is a line linking a user'"'"'s activity represented separately in the at least two perspectives of the activity map, wherein the at least two perspectives of the activity map are non-overlapping.

15. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein a single perspective incorporates more than one aspect.

16. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the aspect may be represented by more than one perspective.

17. A computer-implemented method for representing a transactional environment having aspects comprising the steps of:

displaying at least one different aspect of user activity in each of at least two perspectives of an activity map, wherein the perspectives are associated by the user activity of a market participant, wherein an association between perspectives is represented as a tangible link connecting perspectives, wherein the tangible link is a line having ends points at aspects of the user activity of the market participant represented separately in the at least two associated perspectives of the activity map;

providing at least one perspective in which an on-line transaction is conducted between at least two market participants; and

representing the market participants within the activity map.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein perspectives of the activity map are associated by market participant activity.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the transactional environment is one of a business, a market place, and an auction house.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the at least two perspectives of the activity map are displayed as non-overlapping abstract graphical displays.