Systems and methods for radial display of time based information

• US 8,522,163 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Relyea, Donald H., Johns, Greg A., Stallings, Heath, Roberts, Brian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): ULRICH, NICHOLAS S
• Application Number:
  US12/339,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20100157742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834, 715/963
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 11/00 Producing optical signals at preselected times
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0082 by building-up characters using a combination of indicating elements and by selecting desired characters out of a number of characters or by selecting indicating elements the positions of which represents the time, i.e. combinations of G04G9/02 and G04G9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a radial configuration of time based information and a graphical object representative of an event are displayed together in a graphical user interface. A position of the graphical object relative to the radial configuration of time based information in the graphical user interface is configured to indicate a relationship between the event and the time based information. In certain embodiments, the radial configuration of time based information includes a visual representation of an analog clock face, and the graphical object includes a tab positioned along a perimeter of the analog clock face. In certain embodiments, the radial configuration of time based information includes a visual representation of a timeline spirally disposed about at least one axis point, and the graphical object is positioned along a section of the timeline.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying by a computing system of a radial configuration of time based information in a graphical user interface of said computing system, said radial configuration of time based information comprising a radial timeline;

displaying by said computing system of a graphical object representative of an event along a segment of said radial timeline in said graphical user interface, wherein a position of said graphical object along said segment of said radial timeline indicates a particular range of time associated with said event;

graphically scrolling by said computing system of said radial timeline within said graphical user interface based on a natural passage of time; and

moving by said computing system of said graphical object in conjunction with said scrolling of said radial timeline within said graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said radial timeline is spirally disposed about at least one axis point.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical object is one of a plurality of graphical objects representative of a plurality of events of distinct types, and wherein said method further comprises:

displaying by said computing system of said plurality of graphical objects in said graphical user interface, said plurality of graphical objects including a plurality of visual indicators indicating said distinct types.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said plurality of events of distinct types includes at least two of a communication event, a calendar event, a past event, a present event, and a future event.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting by said computing system of a user selection of said graphical object; and

displaying by said computing system of information descriptive of said event in said graphical user interface in response to said user selection of said graphical object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying by said computing system of a pop-up window in said graphical user interface, said pop-up window including at least one of information descriptive of said event and a plurality of selectable options associated with said event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising visually modifying by said computing system of said graphical object based on a proximity of said graphical object to a position representative of present time in said radial configuration of time based information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said radial timeline comprises a first section spirally disposed about a first axis point and a second section spirally disposed about a second axis point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first section of said radial timeline represents future time based information and said second section of said radial timeline represents past time based information, and wherein said first section and said second section of said radial timeline are connected together at a location representing present time based information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying by said computing system of graphics representative of a horizon between said first section and said second section of said radial timeline, said location positioned along said horizon, wherein said horizon comprises a linear timeline representative of a same time period as represented by said radial timeline.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying by said computing system of a selectable object at said location, said selectable object being moveable along said horizon.

12. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one computer-readable medium.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said particular range of time associated with said event comprises a starting time of said event and an ending time of said event.

14. A method comprising:

displaying by a computing system of a radial configuration of time based information in a graphical user interface of said computing system, said radial configuration of time based information including a timeline having a first section spirally coiled about a first axis point and a second section spirally coiled about a second axis point;

displaying by said computing system of a plurality of graphical objects representative of a plurality of events adjacent to various positions along said timeline; and

graphically scrolling by said computing system of said timeline within said graphical user interface based on a natural passage of time;

wherein said positions of said graphical objects adjacent to said timeline indicate particular ranges of time associated with said events and are configured to move in conjunction with said scrolling of said timeline based on said natural passage of time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said first section of said timeline represents future time based information and said second section of said timeline represents past time based information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said plurality of graphical objects representative of said plurality of events includes a first subset of said graphical objects representative of a first subset of said events and a second subset of said graphical objects representative of a second subset of said events, said first subset of said events being future events and said second subset of said events being past events.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said first subset of said graphical objects are visually distinguished from said second subset of said graphical objects in said graphical user interface.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said first subset of said graphical objects are visually associated with said first section of said timeline and said second subset of said graphical objects are visually associated with said second section of said timeline in said graphical user interface.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said scrolling of said timeline comprises an unwinding of said first section spirally coiled about said first axis point and a winding of said second section spirally coiled about said second axis point.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said scrolling of said timeline graphically represents said natural passage of time in said graphical user interface.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising scaling by said computing system one or more sizes of one or more of said graphical objects in said graphical user interface based on one or more proximities of said one or more of said graphical objects to at least one of said first axis point and said second axis point.

22. A system comprising:

a user interface facility configured to provide a graphical user interface for display; and

a radial time facility comprising at least one physical processor configured to

provide data representing a radial configuration of time based information to said user interface facility for display in said graphical user interface, said radial configuration of time based information comprising a radial timeline,

provide data representing a graphical object representative of an event to said user interface facility for display along a segment of said radial timeline in said graphical user interface, wherein a position of said graphical object along said segment of said radial timeline indicates a particular range of time associated with said event,

direct said user interface facility to graphically scroll said radial timeline within said graphical user interface based on a natural passage of time, and

direct said user interface facility to move said graphical object in conjunction with said scrolling of said radial timeline within said graphical user interface.

23. The system of claim 22 implemented on a mobile phone device.