Temporary highlighting of selected fields

• US 9,928,220 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Ritter, Gerd, Wilmer, Guenter
• Primary Examiner(s): Debrow, James J
• Application Number:
  US13/919,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20140372863A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 715231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154

Abstract

Approaches are presented for temporary highlighting of selected fields of a document. For example, a user can select which fields of a document or class of documents he wishes to have highlighted. The user can also select (a) when he wishes the selected fields to be highlighted, for example, if a field exceeds a threshold and/or (b) how he wishes the selected fields to be highlighted, e.g., overlay the field with a contrasting color. When the user performs a specified action, for example, opens a document, the selected field is selectively highlighted according to the rules for when and how to highlight the selected field. This can help a user quickly recognize important fields in the context of the document.

Claims

1. A method of configuring automated highlighting of a value at least one selected field of a document comprising:

generating a user interface providing access to a plurality of data fields for each of a plurality of document classes, the plurality of data fields capable of being designated to be temporarily highlighted;

receiving user input through the user interface selecting a first document class of the plurality of document classes;

retrieving a first plurality of fields associated with the selected first document class;

displaying at least a portion of the first plurality of fields;

receiving user input through the user interface selecting at least a first field of the first plurality of fields to be highlighted for a first temporary duration in the selected first document class, wherein the at least a first field is displayed un-highlighted after expiration of the first temporary duration;

saving an indication of the temporary highlighting of the at least a first field for the first document class;

receiving user input through the user interface selecting a second document class of the plurality of document classes;

retrieving a second plurality of fields associated with the selected second document class;

displaying at least a portion of the second plurality of fields;

receiving user input through the user interface selecting at least a second field of the second plurality of fields to be highlighted for a second temporary duration in the selected second document class, wherein the at least a second field is displayed un-highlighted after expiration of the second temporary duration, wherein at least one of the first field is different than the second field or the first duration is different than the second duration;

saving an indication of the temporary highlighting of the at least a second field for the second document class;

receiving a request to view a document of the first document class;

retrieving the saved indication of the temporary highlighting; and

highlighting the at least a first selected field of the document of the first document class for the first temporary duration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a first field is selected and assigned for a first application that is capable of rendering the first document class, the method further comprising carrying out the selecting and saving for a second application capable of rendering the first document class.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more rules specify the temporary duration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a first rule indicates use of highlighting of a value of the at least a first selected field based on whether the value exceeds a threshold value specified for the at least a first selected-field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary duration is a number of seconds specified according to one or more rules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input selecting the at least a first field and at least a second field is associated with a first user, further comprising receiving user input from a second user removing the selection of the first field to be highlighted for a temporary duration.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second user is an end user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a first field comprises a plurality of fields and one or more rules specify a duration for which to highlight values of the plurality of fields of the at least a first field for temporary durations, wherein the durations differ between the plurality of fields of the at least a first field.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input through the user interface specifying a rule for the first temporary duration, the user input specifying the first temporary duration or one or more values to be analyzed to determine whether the temporary highlighting should be applied to the first field.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user input specifying the rule specifies one or more values, at least one of the one or more values being a value associated with the first field.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the user input specifying the rule specifies one or more values, at least one of the one or more values being a value other than a value associated with the first field.

12. A computing device adapted to perform a method of highlighting at least one field of a document, the method comprising:

generating a user interface providing access to a plurality of data fields for each of a plurality of document classes, the plurality of data fields capable of being assigned a rule setting a temporary highlighting for a selected field of the plurality of fields;

receiving user input through the user interface selecting a first document class of the plurality of document classes;

retrieving a first plurality of fields associated with the selected first document class;

selecting a first user role identifier from a plurality of user role identifiers;

receiving user input through the user interface specifying at least a first field of the first plurality of fields to be highlighted for a first temporary duration when a user role identifier associated with a user viewing a document of the first document class matches the first user role identifier, the at least a first rule specifying that the at least a first selected field is to be highlighted for a first temporary duration, wherein the at least a first selected field is to be displayed un-highlighted after the expiration of the first temporary duration;

saving the at least a first assigned rule and its association with the at least a first field of the first document class and the first user role identifier;

selecting a second user role identifier from a plurality of user role identifiers;

receiving user input through the user interface specifying at least a second field to be highlighted for a second temporary duration when a user role identifier associated with a user viewing a document of the first document class matches the second user role identifier, the at least a second rule specifying that the at least a second selected field is to be highlighted for a second temporary duration, wherein the at least a second selected field is to be displayed un-highlighted after the expiration of the second temporary duration, wherein at least one of the at least a second field and the second temporary duration is different than the at least a first field or the first temporary duration;

saving the at least a second assigned rule and its association with the at least a second field of the first document class and the second user role identifier;

receiving a request from a user to view a document of the first document class, the user associated with the first user role identifier;

determining that the user has the first user role identifier;

determining that the document is of the first document class;

retrieving the at least a first rule based on the determining that the user has the first user role identifier and the document is of the first document class;

selectively highlighting the at least a first field according to the at least a first rule, wherein the at least a first field is selectively highlighted for the first temporary duration; and

after the first temporary duration has ended, un-highlighting the at least a first field according to the at least a first rule.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the temporary duration is a number of seconds specified according to the at least a first rule.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the at least a first rule includes a comparison to a threshold value, and wherein the highlighting depends on results of the comparison.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the selective highlighting is carried out upon opening the document requested by the user.

16. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the selective highlighting is carried out upon receipt of user input moving a pointer of the user interface over the at least a first field.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the selective highlighting is carried out upon receipt of user input of a combination of key presses.

18. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the at least a first field comprises a second plurality of fields and one or more rules specify an order in which to highlight values of the second plurality of fields for temporary durations associated with the second plurality of fields, respectively, and wherein the number of seconds differs between the second plurality of fields.

19. A method of configuring automated highlighting of at least one selected field of a document, the method comprising:

generating a user interface providing access to a plurality data fields for each of a plurality of documents classes, the plurality of data fields capable of being assigned a rule setting a temporary highlighting for a selected field of the plurality of data fields;

receiving a request from a first user through the user interface to define a highlighting policy for a first document class of the plurality of document classes, the highlighting policy comprising at least a first rule for temporarily highlighting at least a first field of the first document class, the at least a first rule specifying how the at least a first field is to be highlighted for a first temporary duration, wherein the at least a first field is to be displayed un-highlighted after the expiration of the first temporary duration;

saving the first highlighting policy;

receiving a request from a second user through the user interface to view the highlighting policy, the second user being different than the first user;

retrieving a first plurality of fields associated with the selected first document class, the retrieved fields comprising the at least a first field;

receiving from the second user input through the user interface to remove or disable the first rule;

receiving from the second user user input through the user interface to apply at least a second rule to the first document class, the at least a second rule specifying how a second field is to be displayed as highlighted for a second temporary duration, where the at least a second field is to be displayed un-highlighted after the expiration of the second temporary duration and at least one of the at least a second field and the second temporary duration is different than the at least a first field or the first temporary duration;

saving the highlighting policy for the first document class;

receiving a request from the second user to view a document of the first document class;

retrieving the saved at least a second rule; and

highlighting the at least a second selected field of the document of the first document class for the second temporary duration according to the at least a second rule.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a processor programmed thereby to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request from a first user to open a document;

retrieving at least a first rule specifying how to highlight at least a first field of the document for a first temporary duration, wherein the at least a first field is displayed un-highlighted after the expiration of the first temporary duration;

receiving first user input from the first user to suspend the first temporary duration;

displaying the at least a first field as highlighted in response to the first user input;

receiving second user input from the first user cancelling the suspension of the first temporary duration; and

displaying the first field as highlighted based at least in part on the second user input.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein a given rule of the one or more rules controls highlighting of the value of the at least one selected field based on whether the value exceeds a threshold value specified for the at least one selected field.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first user input comprises receipt of user input moving a pointer of a graphical user interface over the at least a first field.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first user input comprises receipt of user input moving a pointer of a graphical user interface over a button or icon.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, the method further comprising determining an identity of a class of documents associated with the document and wherein retrieving at least a first rule comprises retrieving one or more rules associated with the first user and the class of documents and specifying how to highlight the at least a first field.