Method and apparatus for identifying user-selectable elements having a commonality thereof

• US 9,690,460 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• 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): Ries, Laurie
• Application Number:
  US14/268,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• 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 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Operations for identifying user-selectable elements are detailed in the present application, the operations comprising providing a first group of user-selectable elements having a first attribute in common, displaying the first group of user-selectable elements in a first array thereof, providing a second group of user-selectable elements having a second attribute in common, displaying the second group of user-selectable elements in a second array thereof, and displaying a visual distinctive feature in connection with a set of user-selectable elements having a third attribute in common, the set of user-selectable elements comprising at least one user-selectable element from the first group of user-selectable elements and at least one user-selectable elements from the second group of user-selectable elements, wherein the third attribute is associated with each user-selectable elements in the set of user-selectable elements irrespective of the position of each user-selectable element in relation to one another in the first array and the second array, the visual distinctive feature identifying the user-selectable elements associated with the third attribute from the user-selectable elements not associated with the third attribute. Variations thereof, non-transitory instructions and, inter alia, a graphical user interface thereof are also contemplated therein.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements, the operations comprising:

providing a first group of user-selectable elements having a first attribute in common;

displaying the first group of user-selectable elements in a first array thereof;

providing a second group of user-selectable elements having a second attribute in common;

displaying the second group of user-selectable elements in a second array thereof; and

displaying a visual distinctive feature in connection with a set of user-selectable elements having a third attribute in common, the set of user-selectable elements comprising at least one user-selectable element from the first group of user-selectable elements and at least one user-selectable elements from the second group of user-selectable elements, wherein the third attribute is associated with each user-selectable elements in the set of user-selectable elements irrespective of the position of each user-selectable element in relation to one another in the first array and the second array, the visual distinctive feature identifying the user-selectable elements associated with the third attribute from the user-selectable elements not associated with the third attribute.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein each array is a substantially rectilinear axis of user-selectable elements.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein the first array is displayed adjacent and parallel to the second array.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein the first array displays user-selectable elements along a first timeline and the second array displays documents along a second timeline.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 4, wherein the first timeline and the second timeline are sharing a same timeline.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 4, further comprising displaying a present moment position, the present moment position identifying the present moment along at least one of the timelines.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein the third visual distinctive feature is an offset in alignment of the user-selectable elements from their respective array.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein the third visual distinctive feature is a combination of a plurality of visual distinctive features.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein the third visual distinctive feature is selectable by a user.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein the visual distinctive feature is adapted to be changed by a user.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein a group of user-selectable elements is provided on a basis of a query.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, further comprising an array of user-selectable elements disposed at an angle from at least one of the arrays, the array of user-selectable elements disposed at an angle being adapted to display a plurality of user-selectable elements having a commonality.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of visual distinctive features adapted to visually discriminate user-selectable elements in respect with additional commonalities thereof.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations on user-selectable elements of claim 1, wherein changing the visual distinctive feature is displayed for a predetermined period of time.

15. A non-transitory computer readable program code for execution by a computing apparatus for implementing a graphical user interface on a display device, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first display area adapted to display a first group of user-selectable elements; and

a second display area adapted to display a second group of user-selectable elements;

the graphical user interface being adapted to display a visual distinctive feature in connection with user-selectable elements displayed in the first display area and the second display area irrespective of a position of the user-selectable elements in relation to one another on the first display area and on the second display area, the visual distinctive feature discriminating the user-selectable elements displayed in the first display area and the second display area that share a commonality, whereby a user can distinguish the user-selectable elements that share the commonality from the user-selectable elements that do not share the commonality.

16. The non-transitory computer readable program code for implementing the graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein each array is organizing the user-selectable elements thereon in a substantially rectilinear alignment thereof.

17. The non-transitory computer readable program code for implementing the graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the first display area includes a first timeline and the second display area includes a second timeline.

18. The non-transitory computer readable program code for implementing the graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the visual distinctive feature is adapted to be selected by a user of the graphical user interface.

19. An apparatus for implementing a user interface adapted to discriminate user-selectable elements displayed thereof, the apparatus comprising:

a memory module adapted to store thereon a plurality of user-selectable elements;

a processing unit in communication with the memory module, the processing unit being operative for executing computer readable program code stored on a non-transient computer readable medium for implementing a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface being adapted for displaying on a display;

a first group of user-selectable elements from the plurality of user-selectable elements that have a first attribute in common, the first group of user-selectable elements being displayed along a first axis;

a second group of user-selectable elements from the plurality of user-selectable elements that have a second attribute in common, the second group of user-selectable elements being displayed along a second axis;

a visual distinctive feature in connection with a set of user-selectable elements having a commonality, the set of user-selectable elements comprising at least one user-selectable element from the first group of user-selectable elements and at least one user-selectable element from the second group of user-selectable elements, wherein the commonality is attributed to each user-selectable element in the set of user-selectable elements irrespective of a position of each user-selectable element in relation to one another on the first axis and the second axis, the visual distinctive feature discriminating the user-selectable elements associated with the commonality from the documents not associated with the commonality.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the commonality is a user selected attribute, the apparatus further comprising an input for receiving a signal indicative of the attribute from a user, wherein upon receipt of the signal, the processing unit being adapted to apply the visual distinctive feature associated with the attribute to the user-selectable elements having the attribute on the axes.