Method of distinguishing documents

• US 9,652,438 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 9224-5489 Quebec Inc., Maya-Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: 9224-5489 Quebec Inc.
• Inventors: Audet, Mathieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Hien
• Application Number:
  US14/252,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191

Abstract

The document relates to a method for visually indicating on a display those documents that have been displayed a plurality of times on a plurality of axes of documents based on a matching value of an attribute, the method comprising providing a first group of documents at least some of which associated with one or more attributes; displaying documents of the first group of documents along a first axis; receiving an input representing a selected attribute of one of the first group of documents that is associated with one or more attributes; displaying to a second axis documents of the first group of documents that has a value matching the value of the user-selected attribute; and displaying a visual distinctive feature for each displayed document in the first group of documents that is displayed along the second axis, whereby a user is able to visualize which documents displayed along the first axis are also displayed on the second axis for having a value matching the value of the selected attribute. A system and a graphical user interface providing same are also provided.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon suitable for execution by a computing apparatus, the computer-readable code, when executed, being adapted to implement a method for visually indicating on a display those user-selectable elements that have been displayed in a plurality of independent user-selectable elements based on a user-selected attribute, the method comprising:

(a) providing a group of user-selectable elements, at least some of which are associated with one or more attributes;

(b) displaying user-selectable elements of the group of user-selectable elements along a first axis displaying a single juxtaposition of user-selectable elements according to a first predetermined collation function along a generally rectilinear orientation, each user-selectable element being graphically represented, the user-selectable elements being spaced apart from each other according to the first predetermined collation function;

(c) with respect to a user-selected attribute of one of the group of user-selectable elements that is associated with one or more attributes,

(i) receiving user input representing the user-selected attribute;

(ii) displaying user-selectable elements of the group of user-selectable elements along a second axis, independent from the first axis, the second axis displaying a single juxtaposition of user-selectable elements according to a second predetermined collation function along a generally rectilinear orientation, each user-selectable element being graphically represented, the user-selectable elements being spaced apart from each other according to the second predetermined collation function;

(iii) identifying, on the second axis, each user-selectable element of the group of user-selectable elements that has the user-selected attribute; and

(iv) displaying a visual distinctive feature for each displayed user-selectable element along the second axis that has the user-selectable attribute,

whereby a user is able to visualize which user-selectable elements have the user-selected attribute along the second axis.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the first axis is displayed adjacent and parallel to the second axis.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the second axis is displayed at an angle in respect to the first axis and intersects or abuts the first axis at a displayed document on the first axis having the user-selected attribute.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the collation functions is a chronological order thereof.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable elements simultaneously displayed in the first and second axes are adapted to be axially aligned on their respective axes to provide a graphical transversal alignment thereof.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein, with respect to the user-selected attribute, the visual distinctive feature is adapted to be selectively displayed.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein, with respect to the user-selected attribute, the visual distinctive feature is selected from a group consisting of a pattern, a border and a color.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein, with respect to the user-selected attribute, the visual distinctive feature is progressively applied to the user-selectable elements.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, further comprising

(i) identifying on the first axis each user-selectable elements from the group of user-selectable elements that has the user-selected attribute;

and

(ii) displaying the visual distinctive feature for each displayed user-selectable element along the first axis that has the user-selectable attribute;

whereby a user is able to visualize which user-selectable elements have the user-selected attribute along the first axis.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein, with respect to the user-selected attribute, the visual distinctive feature is displayed in connection with user-selectable elements along the first axis that are displayed in connection with any user-selectable element along the first axis that is not displayed on the second axis.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the implemented method further comprises displaying an animation showing a movement of one or more of user-selectable elements that are displayed on the two axes.

12. The non-statutory computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-readable code thereon for implementing the method of claim 1, wherein the user-selected attribute comprises a value.

13. A method for visually indicating on a display those user-selectable elements that have been copied from one axis of user-selectable elements to another axis of user-selectable elements based on a user-selected attribute, the method comprising:

(a) providing a group of user-selectable elements, at least some of which are associated with one or more attributes;

(b) displaying user-selectable elements of the group of user-selectable elements along a first axis displaying a single juxtaposition of user-selectable elements according to a first predetermined collation function along a generally rectilinear orientation, each user-selectable element being graphically represented, the user-selectable elements being spaced apart from each other according to the first predetermined collation function;

(c) with respect to a user-selected attribute of one of the group of user-selectable elements that is associated with one or more attributes,

(i) receiving user input representing the user-selected attribute;

(ii) displaying user-selectable elements of the group of user-selectable elements along a second axis, independent from the first axis, the second axis displaying a single juxtaposition of user-selectable elements according to a second predetermined collation function along a generally rectilinear orientation, each user-selectable element being graphically represented, the user-selectable elements being spaced apart from each other according to the second predetermined collation function;

(iii) identifying, on the second axis, each user-selectable element of the group of user-selectable elements that has the user-selected attribute; and

(iv) displaying a visual distinctive feature for each displayed user-selectable element along the second axis that has the user-selectable attribute,

whereby a user is able to visualize which user-selectable elements have the user-selected attribute along the second axis.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first axis is displayed adjacent and parallel to the second axis.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second axis is displayed at an angle in respect to the first axis and intersects or abuts the first axis at a displayed user-selectable element on the first axis having the user-selected attribute.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the collation functions is a chronological order thereof.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the user-selectable elements simultaneously displayed in the first and second axes are adapted to be axially aligned on their respective axes to provide a graphical transversal alignment thereof.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein, with respect to the user-selected attribute, the visual distinctive feature is adapted to be selectively displayed.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein, with respect to the user-selected attribute, the visual distinctive feature is selected from a group consisting of a pattern, a border and a color.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein, with respect to the user-selected attribute, the visual distinctive feature is progressively applied to the user-selectable elements.