Method and system for rapid access to frequently used or searched objects

• US 8,042,035 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pamu, Gautham, Ragan, Richard W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano; Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US11/852,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 715/745, 715/206
• US Class Current: 715/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system to rapidly access frequently used objects and/or items is provided. More particularly, the method and system is designed to rapidly access frequently used or search objects and/or items using a placeholders (e.g., Memory Indicators) in a graphical user interface. a method of retrieving items is provided. The method includes detecting one or more selected items from a list of items; creating placeholders representing each of the selected one or more items in a graphical user interface; and continuously updating the placeholders in the graphical user interface upon detecting of newly selected items in the list of items. The placeholders are configured to eliminate subsequent searches for the one or more items in the list.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving items, comprising:

detecting one or more selected items from a list of items;

creating placeholders representing each of the detected one or more items in a graphical user interface, the placeholders eliminating a need for subsequent searches for the one or more items in the list;

continuously updating the placeholders in the graphical user interface upon detecting of newly selected items in the list of items; and

displaying indicia with each of the placeholders in the graphical user interface, each of the indicia designating an importance of a respective placeholder of the placeholders based on how frequently or recently an item of the respective placeholder is selected,

wherein the continuously updating of the placeholders comprises creating and displaying additional placeholders representing most frequently selected or searched items, the additional placeholders created and displayed in the graphical user interface, in addition to the placeholders, and along with the placeholders.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the placeholders are graphical components.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the graphical components are icons.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a preselected number of the placeholders in the graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing fly over text for each of the placeholders, the fly over text including descriptive information of an item type associated with the one or more items.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the placeholders are representative of most frequently selected items or of last accessed items.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising direct selection to any of the one or more items by selecting the respective placeholder of the placeholders.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the indicia designate a ranking associated with the respective placeholder of the placeholders based on how frequently or recently the item of the respective placeholder is selected.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the indicia comprise at least one of a numerical designation, an alphanumerical designation, and a symbol to designate the importance of the respective placeholder.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising when one of the placeholders is selected, display the selected one of the placeholders in at least one of a different font color and highlight.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring user actions, determining from the user actions most frequently used of the one or more items and creating the placeholders for the most frequently used of the one or more items.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a computer infrastructure implementing the steps of claim 1 and which is at least one of created, deployed, maintained and supported by service provider.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing a user to the one or more items by a selection of the placeholders.

14. A system for retrieving items, comprising:

a computer infrastructure being operable to;

create placeholders representing most frequently selected items in a list of items;

continuously update the placeholders representing the most frequently selected items in the list of items, the placeholders being configured to eliminate subsequent searches for the most frequently selected items;

display the placeholders in a graphical user interface; and

display indicia with each of the placeholders in the graphical user interface, each of the indicia designating an importance of a respective placeholder of the placeholders based on how frequently or recently an item of the respective placeholder is selected,

wherein the continuously updating of the placeholders comprises creating and displaying additional placeholders representing the most frequently selected items, the additional placeholders created and displayed in the graphical user interface, in addition to the placeholders, and along with the placeholders.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to display descriptive fly over text describing associated with the placeholders.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to display the placeholders as icons.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to save the placeholders across reboots or for a particular session.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to access any of the most frequently selected items by selecting the respective placeholder of the placeholders.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the indicia designate a ranking associated with the respective placeholder of the placeholders based on how frequently or recently the item of the respective placeholder is selected.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the indicia comprise at least one of a numerical designation, an alphanumerical designation, and a symbol to designate the importance of the respective placeholder.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to when one of the placeholders is selected, display the selected one of the placeholders in at least one of a different font color and highlight.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is operable to monitor user actions, determine from the user actions most the frequently used items and create the placeholders for the most frequently used items.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer infrastructure is created, maintained, deployed and supported by a service provider.

24. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

create placeholders representing most frequently selected or searched items;

continuously update the placeholders representing the most frequently selected or searched items;

display the placeholders as a graphical representation in a graphical user interface; and

display indicia with each of the placeholders in the graphical user interface, each of the indicia designating an importance of a respective placeholder of the placeholders based on how frequently or recently an item of the respective placeholder is selected,

wherein the continuously updating of the placeholders comprises creating and displaying additional placeholders representing the most frequently selected or searched items, the additional placeholders created and displayed in the graphical user interface, in addition to the placeholders, and along with the placeholders.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein each of the indicia designate a ranking associated with the respective placeholder of the placeholders based on how frequently or recently the item of the respective placeholder is selected.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein each of the indicia comprise at least one of a numerical designation, an alphanumerical designation, and a symbol to designate the importance of the respective placeholder.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the at least one component is further operable to when one of the placeholders is selected, display the selected one of the placeholders in at least one of a different font color and highlight.