Chunking data records

• US 8,429,556 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Crim, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuyetlien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuang, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US12/840,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 715/784, 715/806
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Methods, program products, and systems of chunking data records are described. In general, in one aspect, a mobile device can provide for display on a display screen a scrollable window. The scrollable window can display first display content (e.g., a first segment of formatted data) stored in a first display buffer. The mobile device can determine that the scrollable window will cross a boundary of the first display buffer. Upon the determining, the mobile device can create second display content (e.g., a second segment of formatted data) in a second display buffer. The second display content can include display content that borders the first display content at the boundary. The mobile device can provide for display the second display content when the scrollable window crosses the boundary.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing for display on a mobile device a scrollable window, the scrollable window displaying first display content stored in a first display buffer, the first display content including a first portion of a border display object, the border display object being a border data item formatted according to a layout, the border data item being retrieved from a data store, the border display object comprising the first portion being located in the scrollable window and a second portion that, when formatted, is located outside of the scrollable window;

determining that the scrollable window will cross a boundary of the first display buffer;

creating second display content in a second display buffer upon the determining, the second display content including the second portion of the border display object, wherein creating the second display content comprises;

retrieving the border data item from a storage device that is different from the data store;

retrieving a next data record from the data store;

generating the second portion of the border display object for the second display content, including formatting the border data item according to the layout; and

formatting the next data record for the second display content according to the layout; and

providing for display the second display content when the scrollable window crosses the boundary.

2. The method of claim 1, where the border data item and the next data record are retrieved from the data store using a same set of selection criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, where creating the second display content in the second display buffer includes, responsive to determining that the scrollable window will cross the boundary of the first display buffer,

identifying the border data item.

4. The method of claim 3, where identifying the border data item includes:

identifying a data record that satisfies the set of selection criteria and that, when formatted according to the layout, intersects the boundary, wherein the data record is a unit of data; and

designating the identified data record as the border data item.

5. The method of claim 3, where identifying the border data item includes:

identifying a set of data records that, as a group, intersects the boundary when formatted according to the layout; and

designating the identified set of data records as the border data item.

6. The method of claim 5, where identifying the set of data records includes identifying a derived data field, the derived data field having a value that is calculated based on the set of data records.

7. The method of claim 6, where the derived data field is a summary data field.

8. The method of claim 1, where determining that the scrollable window will cross the boundary includes determining that a change of orientation of the mobile device will cause the scrollable window to change between a landscape display mode and a portrait display mode.

9. The method of claim 1, where determining that the scrollable window will cross the boundary includes determining that the scrollable window has reached the boundary.

10. The method of claim 1, where determining that the scrollable window will cross the boundary occurs before the scrollable window reaches the boundary.

11. The method of claim 1, where the mobile device is connected to the data store through a communications network.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

providing for display on a mobile device a scrollable window, the scrollable window displaying first display content stored in a first display buffer, the first display content including a first portion of a border display object, the border display object being a border data item formatted according to a layout, the border data item being retrieved from a data store, the border display object comprising the first portion being located in the scrollable window and a second portion that, when formatted, is located outside of the scrollable window;

determining that the scrollable window will cross a boundary of the first display buffer;

creating second display content in a second display buffer upon the determining, the second display content including the second portion of the border display object, wherein creating the second display content comprises;

retrieving the border data item from a storage device that is different from the data store;

retrieving a next data record from the data store;

generating the second portion of the border display object for the second display content, including formatting the border data item according to the layout; and

formatting the next data record for the second display content according to the layout; and

providing for display the second display content when the scrollable window crosses the boundary.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, where the border data item and the next data record are retrieved from the data store using a same set of selection criteria.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, where creating the second display content in the second display buffer includes, responsive to determining that the scrollable window will cross the boundary of the first display buffer,

identifying the border data item.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, where identifying the border data item includes:

identifying a data record that, that satisfies the set of selection criteria and when formatted, intersects the boundary, wherein the data record is a unit of data; and

designating the identified data record as the border data item.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, where identifying the border data item includes:

identifying a set of data records that, as a group, intersects the boundary when formatted according to the layout; and

designating the identified set of data records as the border data item.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, where identifying the set of data records includes identifying a derived data field, the derived data field having a value that is calculated based on the set of data records.

18. A system, comprising:

one or more computers configured to perform operations comprising;

providing for display on a mobile device a scrollable window, the scrollable window displaying first display content stored in a first display buffer, the first display content including a first portion of a border display object, the border display object being a border data item formatted according to a layout, the border data item being retrieved from a data store, the border display object comprising the first portion being located in the scrollable window and a second portion that, when formatted, is located outside of the scrollable window;

determining that the scrollable window will cross a boundary of the first display buffer;

creating second display content in a second display buffer upon the determining, the second display content including the second portion of the border display object, wherein creating the second display content comprises;

retrieving the border data item from a storage device that is different from the data store;

retrieving a next data record from the data store;

generating the second portion of the border display object for the second display content, including formatting the border data item according to the layout and

formatting the next data record for the second display content according to the layout; and

providing for display the second display content when the scrollable window crosses the boundary.

19. The system of claim 18, where the border data item and the next data record are retrieved from the data store using a same set of selection criteria.

20. The system of claim 19, where creating the second display content in the second display buffer includes, responsive to determining that the scrollable window will cross the boundary of the first display buffer:

identifying a data record that satisfies the set of selection criteria and that, when formatted according to the layout, intersects the boundary, wherein the data record is a unit of data; and

designating the identified data record as the border data item.