Method of managing expected documents and system providing same

• US 8,069,404 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 9224-5489 Quebec Inc., Maya-Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Maya-Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Audet, Mathieu
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US11/855,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 715/229, 715/201, 715/202, 715/203, 715/243, 705/301
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method for organizing documents is hereby provided, the method comprising providing a plurality of documents, displaying the plurality of documents in a substantially linear arrangement, establishing a link between one of the plurality of documents and an expected document and displaying an identification of the expected document on the substantially linear arrangement of documents. The expected document being associated with other documents in order to represent future workflow events. A system, a user interface and a computer-readable medium providing same are also provided.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide a method for organizing documents, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of documents;

displaying the plurality of documents in a substantially rectilinear disposition;

associating one of the plurality of documents with an expected document; and

displaying an identification of the expected document on the substantially rectilinear linear disposition of documents.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of documents are displayed about a timeline.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 2, wherein the expected document is disposed along the timeline when a reception of the expected document is timely projected.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 3, wherein a selection of the one of the plurality of documents is adapted to apply a visual distinctive feature to the expected document to discriminate the expected document, and vice-versa.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of documents are displayed about a timeline and the method further comprises providing an identification of a present moment.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 5, wherein the expected document is displayed on a future side of the identification of the present moment.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 1, wherein the identification of the expected document changes when an identification of a present moment reaches the identification of the expected document to illustrate that the expected document has not been received.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 1, wherein the expected document is associated with a condition.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 8, wherein associating a document with the expected document indicates that the condition is fulfilled.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 1, further providing a graphical identification of the association between the one of the documents and the expected document.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 1, further changing the displayed identification of the expected document upon reception of the expected document.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 1, wherein the substantially linear disposition of documents is an axis of documents and wherein a plurality of axes can be simultaneously displayed.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, provide the method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of axes are substantially disposed parallel to one another and share a timeline.

14. A computerized system configured to read computer-executable instructions adapted to enable a program providing an interface adapted to display user-selectable elements, the computerized system comprising:

a processing unit configured to process the computer-executable instructions; and

a display configured to display the interface, the program, when executed, being operative to;

cause a plurality of user-selectable elements to be displayed in a substantially rectilinear disposition;

cause a link to be established between one of the plurality of user-selectable elements and an expected user-selectable element; and

cause an identification of the expected user-selectable element to be displayed on the substantially rectilinear disposition of user-selectable elements.

15. The computerized system configured to read computer-executable instructions of claim 14, wherein the plurality of user-selectable elements are displayed on the substantially linear arrangement of user-selectable elements about a timeline and wherein the expected user-selectable element is located on the timeline when a reception of the expected user-selectable element is timely projected.

16. The computerized system configured to read computer-executable instructions of claim 15, further comprising a present moment about the timeline and wherein the expected user-selectable element is displayed on a future side of the present moment.

17. The computerized system configured to read computer-executable instructions of claim 16, wherein a position of the present moment changes along the timeline reflecting time that passes and the identification of the expected user-selectable element changes when the present moment reaches the identification of the expected user-selectable element.

18. The computerized system configured to read computer-executable instructions of claim 16, wherein at least some of the user-selectable elements are documents.

19. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of documents;

displaying the plurality of documents in a substantially linear disposition;

associating one of the plurality of documents with an expected document; and

displaying an identification of the expected document on the substantially linear arrangement of documents.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of documents are displayed about a timeline and wherein the expected document is displayed on a future side of the timeline.