Method and system for displaying group relationships in a graphical user interface

• US 8,806,379 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Chun-Yi, Uysal, Aylin, Baggett, Sally, Bezuayehu, Lulit, Green, Aaron Joseph, Challenger, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US12/563,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 715/807, 715/853, 715/854, 715/841, 715/817
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for providing a user interface representing organization hierarchy wherein a group of entities can be displayed as a node, and the node is displayed as a part of a hierarchical chart. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a graphical user interface displaying nodes that represent groups of entities, and the nodes are displayed as a part of a hierarchical chart based on the hierarchical relationship among the nodes that represent groups of entities. In various embodiments, a user is able to select actions for a group of entities displayed on the same node. Based on various criteria, nodes displaying one group of entities may, based on user selections of different grouping criteria, display a different group of entities. There are other features as well, in the graphical interface.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including codes executable by a computer processor, the computer-readable medium comprising:

code for retrieving information associated with representations and relationship data for a plurality of entities, the information being stored in a memory, each of the entities being associated with one or more grouping attributes, the grouping attributes including a first grouping attribute, the relationship data being associated with one or more hierarchies;

code for processing the information;

code for providing a graphical user interface on a display, the display including a menu region and a display region;

code for grouping the entities into a plurality of groups based at least on the first grouping attribute;

code for storing a grouping information;

code for determining hierarchical relationships among the plurality of groups;

code for storing the hierarchical relationships;

code for generating a hierarchical chart, the hierarchical chart including a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes representing a group from the plurality of groups, the plurality of nodes being linked to one another on the hierarchical chart based on the hierarchical relationships, each of the nodes displaying one or more entities associated with a same group;

code for receiving a selection of at least one node in the hierarchical chart;

code for displaying nodes in the hierarchical chart related to the at least one node, wherein the related nodes are configured to provide a selection menu of actions that are uniquely associated with at least one node, wherein the actions include updating the nodes that are being displayed;

code for rendering the hierarchical chart within the display region;

code for receiving a user input, wherein the user input includes selecting one or more nodes from the updated nodes being displayed, and wherein the user input further includes designating one or more related nodes to the one or more selected nodes;

code for processing the user input; and

code for displaying the one or more selected nodes and the one or more related nodes as a separate hierarchal chart.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each of the nodes comprises an action menu.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each of the entities on display on the node is selectable in response to user input.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising code for performing one or more actions for entities of a same node.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising code for updating information of the database for entities of a same group in response to one or more user inputs.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising code for defining a display size for each of the nodes, the display size being optimized for fitting the display region.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising code for generating a menu at the menu region for selecting one or more criteria for grouping the entities.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including codes executable by a computer processor, the computer-readable medium comprising:

code for retrieving information from a database, the database including representations and relationship data for a plurality of entities, each of the entities being associated with one or more grouping attributes, the grouping attributes including a first grouping attribute, the relationship data being associated with one or more hierarchies;

code for processing the information from the database;

code for providing a graphical user interface on a display, the display including a menu region and a display region;

code for displaying the plurality of entities as a set of entity nodes on a first hierarchical chart within the display region, each entity node corresponding to an entity;

code for receiving user input for grouping the nodes using least the first grouping attribute;

code for grouping the entities into a plurality of groups based at least on the first grouping attribute;

code for storing a grouping information;

code for determining hierarchical relationships among the plurality of groups;

code for storing the hierarchical relationships;

code for generating a second hierarchical chart, the hierarchical chart including a plurality of group nodes, each of the group nodes representing a group from the plurality of groups, the plurality of group nodes being linked to one another on the second hierarchical chart based on the hierarchical relationships, each of the group nodes displaying one or more entities associated with a same group;

code for receiving a selection of at least one node in the hierarchical chart;

code for displaying nodes in the hierarchical chart related to the at least one node, wherein the related nodes are configured to provide a selection menu of actions that are uniquely associated with at least one node, wherein the actions include updating the nodes that are being displayed;

code for updating the display to display the second hierarchical chart;

code for receiving a user input, wherein the user input includes selecting one or more nodes from the updated nodes being displayed, and wherein the user input further includes designating one or more related nodes to the one or more selected nodes;

code for processing the user input; and

code for displaying the one or more selected nodes and the one or more related nodes as a separate hierarchal chart.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising:

code for processing a user input selecting an entry from a group node on the second hierarchical chart;

code for determining a subset of entries being related to the selected entry;

code for generating a third hierarchical chart based on the subset of entries;

code for rendering the third hierarchical chart.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the database is on a network source.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising code for determining a display size for the first hierarchical chart.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising code for generating the plurality of groups based on the first grouping attribute.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising code for generating a set of action for each of the groups.

14. A computer system for providing a graphical user interface, the system comprising:

a processor module, the processor module being configured to process information from a database, the database including representations and relationship data for a plurality of entities, each of the entities being associated with one or more grouping attributes, the grouping attributes including a first grouping attribute, the relationship data being associated with one or more hierarchies, the processor module adapted to group the entities into a plurality of groups based at least on the first grouping attribute;

a memory module being adapted to store the plurality of groups;

a display module being adapted to display a hierarchical chart, the hierarchical chart including a plurality of nodes, each of the nodes corresponding to a group and displaying entities associated with the group, receiving a selection of at least one node in the hierarchical chart, and displaying nodes in the hierarchical chart related to the at least one node, wherein the related nodes are configured to provide a selection menu of actions that are uniquely associated with at least one node, wherein the actions include updating the nodes that are being displayed; and

a user input module for receiving user input, wherein the user input includes selecting one or more nodes from the updated nodes being displayed, and wherein the user input further includes designating one or more related nodes to the one or more selected nodes, process the user input; and

the display module to display the one or more selected nodes and the one or more related nodes as a separate hierarchal chart.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the database is stored in the memory.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising a network interface, the database being accessible to the system using the network interface.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the user input module comprises a keyboard and a pointing device.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to determine a hierarchical relationship among the groups.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the entities displayed on the nodes are selectable by user input.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein each node includes an action being associated with the group.