Method of managing arrays of documents

• US 9,348,800 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 9224-5489 Quebec Inc., Maya-Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: 9224-5489 Quebec Inc.
• Inventors: Audet, Mathieu
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUANG, JUNG-MU T
• Application Number:
  US14/192,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20140181649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 715/810, 715/277, 715/243
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

The present application provides a method and an information organizing system thereof for discriminating axes of documents on a display, the method comprising displaying, at a first time about an time-of-axis-display timeline substantially aligned with a depth of view of the display, a first axis of documents substantially rectilinearly displaying documents along a first chronological order thereof; and displaying, at a second time about the time-of-axis-display timeline, chronologically following the first time about the time-of-axis-display timeline at which the first axis of documents was displayed, a second axis of documents substantially rectilinearly displaying documents along a second chronological order thereof, the second axis of documents being displayed at the second time along the time-of-axis-display timeline with a lesser depth of view than a depth of view with which the first axis of documents is displayed at the first time about the time-of-axis-display timeline, whereby the first axis of documents and second axis of documents are concurrently displayed about the time-of-axis-display timeline in such a way as to graphically indicate to a viewer of the display that the first axis of documents was displayed chronologically before the second axis of documents is displayed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations for graphically distinguishing axes of user-selectable icons representing respective items of contents on a display, the operations comprising:

displaying, at a first time, about a time-of-axis-display timeline, a first axis of user-selectable icons substantially rectilinearly displaying user-selectable icons in a first specific direction along a first order thereof;

receiving an input provided on a basis of an action performed in connection with a relational user-selectable icon from the first axis of user-selectable icons;

providing a plurality of user-selectable icons on a basis of the received input; and

displaying, at a second time about the time-of-axis-display timeline, chronologically following the first time about the time-of-axis-display timeline at which the first axis of user-selectable icons was displayed, a second axis of user-selectable icons substantially rectilinearly displaying user-selectable icons along a second order thereof, the second axis of user-selectable icons being displayed in a second specific direction at an angle in respect with the first specific direction of the first axis, the first axis and the second axis intersecting, or abutting, at the relational user-selectable icon on a single plane, the second axis being displayed at the second time along the time-of-axis-display timeline, the relational user-selectable icon including a locked configuration connecting movements between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons and an unlocked configuration disconnecting movements between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icon to provide independent longitudinal scrolling of the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons, the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration being user selectable,

wherein the first axis of user-selectable icons and second axis of user-selectable icons are concurrently displayed on a basis of the time-of-axis-display timeline in such a way as to graphically distinguish with a graphically created depth of view the first axis of user-selectable icons from the second axis of user-selectable icons to indicate to a viewer of the display that the first axis of user-selectable icons was displayed chronologically before the second axis of user-selectable icons is displayed.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second axis of user-selectable icons is displayed in such a way as to at least partially overlap the first axis of user-selectable icons.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons are displayed in such a way as to render a perspective representing a spatial relationship between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons on the display representative of the sequential axes display order of the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the two consecutively displayed axes of user-selectable icons are displayed in non-parallel relation to one another.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein an intersection area between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons is accentuated in the display thereof.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the intersection, or abutment, between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons is displayed in such a way as to indicate if the relational user-selectable icon is in the locked configuration or in the unlocked configuration.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, at a time subsequent to a time of display of a most recently displayed axis of user-selectable icons, an additional axis of user-selectable icons, the additional axis of user-selectable icons being displayed at the subsequent time along the time-of-axis-display timeline with a graphical discrimination of the most recently displayed axis of user-selectable icons first preceding the display of the additional axis of user-selectable icons; and

ceasing displaying of the first axis of user-selectable icons based on a determination that a number of displayed axes of user-selectable icons would exceed a predetermined number of axes of user-selectable icons to be displayed at one time, wherein the remaining displayed axes of user-selectable icons, after ceasing to display the first axis of user-selectable icons, are displayed at the same time in such a way as to indicate the chronological order in which the remaining axes of user-selectable icons were displayed on a basis of the time-of-axis-display timeline.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein ceasing displaying of the first axis of user-selectable icons comprises rendering the first axis of user-selectable icons invisible in such a manner that the first axis of user-selectable icons may be redisplayed later.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving instructions adapted to perform a sequential navigation between displayed axes of user-selectable icons,

wherein a displayed axis of user-selectable icons is adapted to become invisible and an invisible axis of user-selectable icons is adapted to become visible as a result of navigation between two displayed axes of user-selectable icons so as not to display more than the predetermined number of axes of user-selectable icons to be displayed at one time.

10. A method of graphically distinguishing axes of user-selectable icons representing respective items of contents on a display, the method comprising:

displaying, at a first time about a time-of-axis-display timeline, a first axis of user selectable icons substantially rectilinearly displaying user-selectable icons in a first specific direction along a first order thereof;

receiving an input provided on a basis of an action performed in connection with a relational user-selectable icon from the first axis of user-selectable icons;

providing a plurality of user-selectable icons on a basis of the received input; and

displaying, at a second time about the time-of-axis-display timeline, chronologically following the first time about the time-of-axis-display timeline at which the first axis of user selectable icons was displayed, a second axis of user-selectable icons substantially rectilinearly displaying user-selectable icons along a second order thereof, the second axis of user-selectable icons being displayed in a second specific direction at an angle in respect with the first specific direction of the first axis, the first axis and the second axis intersecting, or abutting, at the relational user-selectable icon on a single plane, the second axis being displayed at the second time along the time-of-axis-display timeline, the relational user-selectable icon including a locked configuration connecting movements between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons and an unlocked configuration disconnecting movements between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user selectable icon to provide independent longitudinal scrolling of the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons, the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration being user selectable,

wherein the first axis of user-selectable icons and second axis of user-selectable icons are concurrently displayed on a basis of the time-of-axis-display timeline in such a way as to graphically distinguish with a graphically created depth of view the first axis of user-selectable icons from the second axis of user-selectable icons to indicate to a viewer of the display that the first axis of user-selectable icons was displayed chronologically before the second axis of user-selectable icons is displayed.

11. The method of discriminating axes of documents on a display of claim 10, wherein the second axis of user-selectable icons is displayed in such a way as to at least partially overlap the first axis of user-selectable icons.

12. The method of discriminating axes of documents on a display of claim 11, wherein the intersection, or abutment, between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons is displayed in such a way as to indicate if the relational user-selectable icon is in the locked configuration or in the unlocked configuration.

13. The method of discriminating axes of documents on a display of claim 10, wherein the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons are displayed in such a way as to render a perspective representing a spatial relationship between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons on the display representative of the sequential axes display order of the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons.

14. The method of discriminating axes of documents on a display of claim 10, wherein the two consecutively displayed axes of user-selectable icons are displayed in non-parallel relation to one another.

15. The method of discriminating axes of documents on a display of claim 14, wherein an intersection area between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons is accentuated in the display thereof.

16. The method of discriminating axes of documents on a display of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying, at a time subsequent to a time of display of a most recently displayed axis of user-selectable icons, an additional axis of user-selectable icons, the additional axis of user-selectable icons being displayed at the subsequent time along the time-of-axis-display timeline with a graphical discrimination of the most recently displayed axis of user-selectable icons first preceding the display of the additional axis of user-selectable icons; and

ceasing displaying of the first axis of user-selectable icons based on a determination that a number of displayed axes of user-selectable icons would exceed a predetermined number of axes of user-selectable icons to be displayed at one time, wherein the remaining displayed axes of user-selectable icons, after ceasing to display the first axis of user-selectable icons, are displayed at the same time in such a way as to indicate the chronological order in which the remaining axes of user-selectable icons were displayed on a basis of the time-of-axis-display timeline.

17. The method of discriminating axes of documents on a display of claim 16, wherein ceasing displaying of the first axis of user-selectable icons comprises rendering the first axis of user-selectable icons invisible in such a manner that the first axis of user-selectable icons may be redisplayed later.

18. The method of discriminating axes of documents on a display of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving instructions adapted to perform a sequential navigation between displayed axes of user-selectable icons,

wherein a displayed axis of user-selectable icons is adapted to become invisible and an invisible axis of user-selectable icons is adapted to become visible as a result of navigation between two displayed axes of user-selectable icons so as not to display more than the predetermined number of axes of user-selectable icons to be displayed at one time.

19. An information organizing system, comprising:

a computing device having a (i) processor and (ii) non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method; and

a display operatively connected to the computing device for displaying a graphical user interface to a user during performance of the method when the computer-executable instructions are executed;

wherein the method includes the step of;

displaying, at a first time about a time-of-axis-display timeline, a first axis of user-selectable icons substantially rectilinearly displaying user-selectable icons in a first specific direction along a first order thereof;

receiving an input provided on a basis of an action performed in connection with a relational user-selectable icon from the first axis of user-selectable icons;

providing a plurality of user-selectable icons on a basis of the received input; and

displaying, at a second time about the time-of-axis-display timeline, chronologically following the first time about the time-of-axis-display timeline at which the first axis of user-selectable icons was displayed, a second axis of user-selectable icons substantially rectilinearly displaying user-selectable icons along a second order thereof, the second axis of user-selectable icons being displayed in a second specific direction at an angle in respect with the first specific direction of the first axis, the first axis and the second axis intersecting, or abutting, at the relational user-selectable icon on a single plane, the second axis being displayed at the second time along the time-of-axis-display timeline, the relational user-selectable icon including a locked configuration connecting movements between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons and an unlocked configuration disconnecting movements between the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user selectable icon to provide independent longitudinal scrolling of the first axis of user-selectable icons and the second axis of user-selectable icons, the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration being user selectable,

wherein the first axis of user-selectable icons and second axis of user-selectable icons are concurrently displayed on a basis of the time-of-axis-display timeline in such a way as to graphically distinguish with a graphically created depth of view the first axis of user-selectable icons from the second axis of user-selectable icons to indicate to a viewer of the display that the first axis of user-selectable icons was displayed chronologically before the second axis of user-selectable icons is displayed.

20. The information organizing system of claim 19, further comprising:

displaying, at a time subsequent to a time of display of a most recently displayed axis of user-selectable icons, an additional axis of user-selectable icons, the additional axis of user-selectable icons being displayed at the subsequent time along the time-of-axis-display timeline with graphical discrimination of the most recently displayed axis of user-selectable icons first preceding the display of the additional axis of user-selectable icons; and

ceasing displaying of the first axis of user-selectable icons based on a determination that a number of displayed axes of user-selectable icons would exceed a predetermined number of axes of user-selectable icons to be displayed at one time, wherein the remaining displayed axes of user-selectable icons, after ceasing to display the first axis of user-selectable icons, are displayed at the same time in such a way as to indicate the chronological order in which the remaining axes of user-selectable icons were displayed on a basis of the time-of-axis-display timeline.