System and method for providing content-specific topics in a mind mapping system

• US 8,103,703 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corel Corporation (Corel Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: MindJet LLC (Corel Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Jetter, Michael B., Barber, Richard, Scherotter, Michael S., Funk, Stefan, Mochalskyy, Andrew, Hizalev, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US11/478,220
• Time in Patent Office: 2,035 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/100, 707/102, 707/103.Y, 707/103.Z, 707/104.1, 715/751
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention provides a mind mapping system that supports at least two types of topics: (1) topics that primarily provide a blank space in which text and graphic elements can be inserted by the user and (2) topics that operate as components with predefined behavior for the display of a certain kind of content. The first type of topic is well-known in the art, but the second type is novel. The second type of topic enables users to easily display, view and/or manipulate certain kinds of content within a topic. Examples of the second type of topic include topics that operate as video players for the display of video data, topics that operate as spreadsheet applications for the display of spreadsheet data, topics that operate as calculators for performing mathematical functions, and topics that act as interfaces to external systems, such as email systems, CAD systems, inventory/purchase order systems, and contact-management systems.

Claims

1. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable storage medium and comprising code, that, when executed by a computer, enables the computer to perform the following:

generate, in a mind map, a first type of topic that primarily provide a blank space in which text and graphic elements can be inserted by a user; and

generate, in a mind map, one or more of a second type of topic, wherein the second type of topic is content-specific such that it displays and processes a select type of content according to a predefined behavior and enables a user to view and manipulate the select type of content within the content-specific topic within the mind map, and wherein each kind of content-specific topic is associated with a different class that defines common behavior across instances of the class and generating a content-specific topic within the mind map comprises creating an instance of the class for the content-specific topic within the mind map.

2. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific topics, the select type of content is a graph.

3. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific topics, the select type of content is a chart.

4. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific topics, the select type of content is audio.

5. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific topics, the select type of content is video.

6. The computer program of claim 5, wherein a content-specific topic with predefined behavior for the display of video operates as a video player.

7. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific topics, the select type of content is an HTML page.

8. The computer program of claim 7, wherein a content-specific topic with predefined behavior for the display of an HTML page operates as a web browser.

9. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific topics, the select type of content is email data.

10. The computer program of claim 9, wherein a content-specific topic with predefined behavior for the display of email data operates as an interface to an email system.

11. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific topics, the select type of content is spreadsheet data.

12. The computer program of claim 11, wherein a content-specific topic with predefined behavior for the display of spreadsheet data operates as an interface to a spreadsheet application.

13. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific topics, the select type of content is graphics files.

14. The computer program of claim 13, wherein a content-specific topic with predefined behavior for the display of graphics files operates an interface to a CAD application.

15. The computer program of claim 1, wherein, for one of the content-specific, the select type of content is XML data.

16. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the select type of content is a form.

17. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the predefined behavior of at least one of the content-specific topics includes interfacing with an external system.

18. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the predefined behavior of at least one of the content-specific includes writing data to an external system.

19. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the predefined behavior of at least one of the content-specific topics includes reading data from an external system.

20. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the predefined behavior of at least one of the content-specific topics includes reading data to and writing data from an external system.

21. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the predefined behavior is defined, at least in part, by rules for how the content will be displayed.

22. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the predefined behavior of at least one of the content-specific topics includes performing a mathematical calculation.

23. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the class also defines common data fields across instances of the class.

24. The computer program of claim 23, where the class defines the arrangement of the data fields across instances of the class.

25. The computer program of claim 1, where the class is defined by a user.

26. The computer program of claim 1, where the class defines the size of the topic.

27. The computer program of claim 1, where the class defines the shape and color of the topic.

28. The computer program of claim 1, where the class defines a drawing of specialized graphics within the topic.

29. A method performed by a computer for generating a mind map, the method comprising:

generating, in a mind map, using a computer, a first type of topic that primarily provides a blank space in which text and graphic elements can be inserted by a user;

providing a user with an option to insert into the mind map one or more of a second type of topic, wherein the second type of topic is content-specific such that it displays and processes a select type of content according to a predefined behavior and enables a user to view and manipulate the select type of content within the content-specific topic within the mind map; and

in response to a user opting to insert one of the content-specific topics, generating, in the mind map, such content-specific topic and performing the predefined behavior associated with such content-specific topic, wherein each kind of content-specific topic is associated with a different class that defines common behavior across instances of the class and generating a content-specific topic within the mind map comprises creating an instance of the class for the content-specific topic within the mind map.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein one of the content-specific topics creates a calendar item in an external application having calendaring functionality and enables a user to view and modify data related to the calendar item within the content-specific topic.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein one of the content-specific topics creates a contact item in an external application having contact-management functionality and enables a user to view and modify data related to the contact item within the content-specific topic.

31. The method of 29, wherein one of the content-specific topics creates a task item in an external application having task-management functionality and enables a user to view and modify data related to the task item within the content-specific topic.