Method and apparatus for illustrating progress in achieving a goal in a computer program task

• US 8,683,368 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Lillian M., Demchak, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US12/266,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20100122201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/764, 715/772, 715/810
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for illustrating progress in achieving a goal of a system modeled by a computer program. In one embodiment, the invention is evidenced by a method comprising the steps of displaying a widget wherein the widget comprises a center portion representing a category of data represented by the computer program and the category of data includes n data points that must be fulfilled to achieve the goal and an outer portion, comprising a segment representing each one of the n data points; and updating the widget to represent each of the n data points that has been fulfilled by delineating each segment representing a fulfilled data point requirement from each segment representing a non -fulfilled data point requirement.

Claims

1. A method for illustrating progress in fulfilling design parameters of a modeled physical object by a computer program, comprising:

displaying a widget on a display, the widget comprising;

a center portion representing a category of design parameters represented by the computer program, wherein the design parameters are physical or operational attributes of the modeled physical object; and

an outer portion divided into a ring of individual segments surrounding the center portion;

updating the widget to represent progress in fulfilling the design parameters of the modeled physical object, comprising delineating one or more of the individual segments representing a fulfilled design parameter from one or more of the individual segments representing a non-fulfilled design parameter by shading one or more of the individual segments representing the fulfilled design parameter;

wherein changing the modeled physical object updates the design parameters of the modeled physical object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the design parameters are fulfilled by accepting a plurality of user inputs to the computer program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the computer program comprises a design program and each category of design parameters represents a different aspect of a design that is the subject of the design program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting if a pointer is hovered over the center portion; and

displaying information about the category of design parameters if the pointer is hovered over the center portion.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user selection of the center portion; and

displaying user-editable information about the category of design parameters represented by the center portion.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the computer program comprises a design program and each category of design parameters represents a different aspect of a design that is the subject of the design program, and wherein:

the information comprises a saved aspect of the design.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting if a pointer is hovered over one of the individual segments; and

displaying information about the design parameter represented by the segment if the pointer is hovered over the individual segment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user selection of one of the individual segments; and

displaying user-editable information about the design parameters represented by the selected individual segment.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program comprises a design program and each category of design parameters represents a different aspect of a design that is the subject of the design program.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein a point value is assigned to each of the one or more design parameters and the outer portion represents a point score assigned to each of the one or more design parameters.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the modeled physical object is a building design, the design parameters are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements, the point values are LEED point scores, and the widget is used to determine LEED compliance of the modeled physical object.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein changing the modeled physical object further updates the point value assigned to each of the one or more design parameters.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual segments are delineated successively from a predetermined first segment.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the design parameters are inter-related such that maximizing one design parameter adversely affects a second design parameter.

9. An apparatus for illustrating progress in fulfilling design parameters of a modeled physical object in a computer program, comprising:

a computer system, having a processor and a memory coupled thereto, the memory storing one or more instructions for performing the computer program and for presenting a widget on a display coupled to the computer system;

wherein the widget comprises;

a center portion representing a category of design parameters represented by the computer program, wherein the design parameters are physical or operational attributes of the modeled physical object;

an outer portion divided into a ring of individual segments surrounding the center portion;

wherein one or more of the individual segments having a fulfilled design parameter of the modeled physical object is delineated from one or more of the individual segments having an unfulfilled design parameter by shading one or more of the individual segments representing the fulfilled design parameter;

wherein changing the modeled physical object updates the design parameters of the modeled physical object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the design parameters are fulfilled by accepting a plurality of user inputs to the computer program.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

detecting if a pointer is hovered over the center portion; and

displaying information about the category of design parameters if a pointer is hovered over the center portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

detecting a user selection of the center portion; and

displaying user-editable information about the category of design parameters represented by the center portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer program comprises a design program and each category of design parameters represents a different aspect of a design that is the subject of the design program, and wherein:

the information comprises a saved aspect of the design.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

detecting if a pointer is hovered over one of the segments; and

displaying information about the design parameter represented by the individual segment if the pointer is hovered over the individual segment.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

detecting a user selection of one of the individual segments; and

displaying user-editable information about the design parameter represented by the selected individual segment.

29. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a point value is assigned to each of the one or more design parameters and the outer portion represents a point score assigned to each of the one or more design parameters.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the modeled physical object is a building design, the design parameters are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements, the point values are LEED point scores, and the widget is used to determine LEED compliance of the modeled physical object.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein changing the modeled physical object further updates the point value assigned to each of the one or more design parameters.

32. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the individual segments are delineated successively from a predetermined first segment.

17. An apparatus for illustrating progress in fulfilling design parameters of a modeled physical object by a computer program, comprising:

means for displaying a widget, the widget comprising;

a center portion representing a category of design parameters represented by the computer program, wherein the design parameters are physical or operational attributes of the modeled physical object;

an outer portion divided into a ring of individual segments surrounding the center portion;

means for updating the widget to represent each of the design parameters of the modeled physical object that has been fulfilled, comprising

delineating one or more of the individual segment representing a fulfilled design parameter from one or more of the individual segment representing a non-fulfilled design parameter by shading one or more of the individual segments representing the fulfilled design parameter;

wherein changing the modeled physical object updates the design parameters of the modeled physical object.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the design parameters are fulfilled by accepting a plurality of user inputs to the computer program.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the computer program comprises a design program and each category of design parameters represents a different aspect of a design that is the subject of the design program.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for detecting if a pointer is hovered over the center portion; and

means for displaying information about the category of design parameters if the pointer is hovered over the center portion.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for detecting a user selection of the center portion; and

means for displaying user-editable information about the category of design parameters represented by the center portion.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein computer program comprises a design program and each category of design parameters represents a different aspect of a design that is the subject of the design program, and wherein:

the information comprises a saved aspect of the design.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for detecting if a pointer is hovered over one of the individual segments; and

means for displaying information about the design parameter represented by the individual segment if the pointer is hovered over the individual segment.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for detecting a user selection of one of the individual segments; and

means for displaying user-editable information about the design parameter represented by the selected individual segment.

33. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a point value is assigned to each of the one or more design parameters and the outer portion represents a point score assigned to each of the one or more design parameters.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the modeled physical object is a building design, the design parameters are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements, the point values are LEED point scores, and the widget is used to determine LEED compliance of the modeled physical object.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein changing the modeled physical object further updates the point value assigned to each of the one or more design parameters.

36. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the individual segments are delineated successively from a predetermined first segment.