Structured and unstructured data annotations to user interfaces and data objects

• US 9,569,416 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IQNavigator Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IQNavigator Incorporated
• Inventors: Martin, John, Lucero, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Debrow, James J
• Application Number:
  US13/365,898
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 715/255
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

The technology provides a method and system to annotate fields associated with a graphical user interface and data objects. The method and systems provide an annotation memory and annotation management system to allow saving annotations associated with fields and data objects. The annotations are fetched from the annotation memory for display along with the field as well as the data object.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an annotation linked to at least one field of a graphical user interface or at least one data object displayable at a workstation that operatively transmits and receives data objects from a software-as-a-service application in a networked computer system, the method comprising steps performed on at least one processor comprising:

providing an annotation memory storing at least one annotation, wherein the at least one annotation is linked to the at least one field of the graphical user interface or at least one data object and associated with at least one of a plurality of separate entities operably connected to the software-as-a-service application in the networked computer system;

updating the software-as-a-service application, wherein the update includes the at least one annotation linked to the at least one field of the graphical user interface or the at least one data object to be displayed, and wherein the at least one annotation comprises information regarding the update;

transmitting the graphical user interface to a workstation of a specific one of the plurality of separate entities of the networked computer system to be displayed on the display of the workstation and allow a user to operatively transmit and receive at least one data object with the software-as-a-service application;

recognizing the at least one field of the graphical user interface or the at least one data object to be displayed has the at least one annotation linked to the at least one field or the at least one data object, wherein the recognizing step comprises determining whether the at least one field of the graphical user interface or the at least one data object has indicia identifying the at least one annotation exists;

fetching the at least one annotation linked to the at least one field or the at least one data object;

determining whether the specific entity of the plurality of separate entities is the at least one of the plurality of separate entities associated with the at least one annotation; and

transmitting the at least one annotation linked to the at least one field or data object to the workstation if the specific entity is the at least one of the plurality of separate entities associated with the at least one annotation, wherein the at least one annotation may be displayed on the display of the at least one workstation or stored in a memory of the at least one workstation for display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the recognizing step further comprises recognizing a type of annotation linked to the at least one field, where the type of annotation is selected from a group of annotation types consisting of:

text, image, audio, video, audio/video, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one annotation contains instructional data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the instructional data includes instructions regarding at least one of a new version or an update to the transmitted graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the instructional data comprises instructions on entering data into the at least one field of the graphical user interface to which the annotation is linked.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one annotation fetched is automatically displayed on the transmitted graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of selectively hiding the at least one annotation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one annotation is displayed when activated in the graphical user interface.

9. A method for displaying at least one annotation linked to at least one field of a graphical user interface or at least one data object in a networked computer system where a plurality of independent entities access the networked computer system, the method comprising steps performed on at least one processor comprising:

updating the graphical user interface or data object, wherein the at least one annotation comprises information regarding the update;

transmitting the updated graphical user interface or data object to a workstation of at least one entity of the plurality of independent entities of the networked computer system to be displayed on the display of the workstation;

recognizing the at least one entity of the plurality of independent entities to which the graphical user interface is transmitted;

recognizing the at least one field of the graphical user interface or the at least one data object to be displayed has at least one annotation linked to both the at least one entity of the plurality of independent entities and the at least one field or at least one data object;

fetching the at least one annotation linked to the at least one entity and the at least one field or at least one data object; and

transmitting the at least one annotation linked to the recognized entity to the workstation, wherein the at least one annotation may be displayed on the display of the at least one workstation or stored in a memory of the at least one workstation for display, wherein the transmitting of the updated graphical user interface or the data object includes transmitting indicia that the at least one field of the displayed graphical user interface has at least one annotation linked to the at least one field or data object, wherein the at least one annotation is transmitted to only the recognized at least one entity of the plurality of entities.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the recognizing step further comprises recognizing a type of annotation linked to the at least one field, where the type of annotation is selected from a group of annotation types consisting of:

text, image, audio, video, audio/video, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one annotation contains instructional data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the instructional data includes instructions regarding the update to the transmitted graphical user interface.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the instructional data comprises instructions on entering data into the at least one field of the graphical user interface to which the annotation is linked.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one annotation fetched is automatically displayed on the transmitted graphical user interface.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of selectively hiding the at least one annotation.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one annotation is displayed when activated in the graphical user interface.

17. A networked computer system operatively coupled to workstations of a plurality of independent and separate entities that display at least one graphical user interface having fields and data objects stored in a memory, the networked computer system comprising:

an annotation memory, wherein the annotation memory comprises data including at least one entity of the plurality of independent and separate entities and at least one annotation; and

an annotation processor, wherein

the annotation processor is configured to;

update the graphical user interface or data object, wherein the at least one annotation comprises information regarding the update;

transmit the updated graphical user interface or data object for the at least one entity to a workstation of the at least one entity of the networked computer system;

recognize that at least one field of the graphical user interface or the data object to be displayed has at least one annotation for the at least one entity of the plurality of independent and separate entities linked to the at least one field or data object, and provide indicia identifying that the at least one annotation exists to be displayed;

fetch the at least one annotation linked to the at least one field or data object; and

transmit the indicia and the at least one annotation linked to the at least one field or data object to the workstation, wherein the at least one annotation may be displayed on the display of the at least one workstation or stored in a memory of the at least one workstation for display.