Method and system for cellular text processor and display
First Claim
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1. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:
- storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread;
transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data;
storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including four or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the four or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell,wherein each row is either a parent row, a child row, or both a child row and a parent row;
wherein, for each child row, the data structure includes a digital representation of one or more parent-child associations from a parent row to a child row;
wherein the four or more rows represented within the data structure include a first parent row, a second parent row, a first child row, and a second child row;
wherein the parent-child associations include an association from the first parent row to the first child row, and an association from the first child row to the second child row; and
wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface generated by an electronic display as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units;
moving a cell CU containing a cellular information unit to any other position in one of the two or more columns or one of the four or more rows; and
changing the memory (modification M) by a processor to replace the digital representation of the association from the first parent row to the first child row by a digital representation of an association from the second parent row to the first child row,wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal associating the second parent row with the first child row on the graphical user interface; and
wherein, the parent-child association from the first child row to the second child row is maintained after the modification M is performed; and
changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M1) to change the data structure to comprise a representation of a target cell X associated with a position P′
in the grid and comprising a sequence S′
of zero or a plurality of characters; and
wherein, prior to the modification M1, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell X, or (ii) the target cell X includes a sequence S of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence S is different from the sequence S′
, or (iii) the target cell X is associated with a position P in the grid, wherein P is different from P′
;
wherein, prior to the modification M1, the data structure includes a representation of a source cell Z1 comprising a sequence WZ1 of a plurality of characters; and
wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of;
(a) dragging a visual representation of a sequence W1 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W1 is a subsequence selected from the sequence WZ1 in the source cell Z1, wherein the source cell Z1 is different from the target cell X; and
(b) dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for organizing information in a grid. Aspects of this grid may be easily manipulated via user interface operations. This grid may be easily manipulated to create or edit a hierarchy. Grid elements may be expanded or collapsed alternatively to show or hide hidden elements. A canvas may contain objects that may be easily moved and/or repositioned via user interface operations.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:
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storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread; transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data; storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including four or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the four or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell, wherein each row is either a parent row, a child row, or both a child row and a parent row; wherein, for each child row, the data structure includes a digital representation of one or more parent-child associations from a parent row to a child row; wherein the four or more rows represented within the data structure include a first parent row, a second parent row, a first child row, and a second child row; wherein the parent-child associations include an association from the first parent row to the first child row, and an association from the first child row to the second child row; and wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface generated by an electronic display as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units; moving a cell CU containing a cellular information unit to any other position in one of the two or more columns or one of the four or more rows; and changing the memory (modification M) by a processor to replace the digital representation of the association from the first parent row to the first child row by a digital representation of an association from the second parent row to the first child row, wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal associating the second parent row with the first child row on the graphical user interface; and wherein, the parent-child association from the first child row to the second child row is maintained after the modification M is performed; and changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M1) to change the data structure to comprise a representation of a target cell X associated with a position P′
in the grid and comprising a sequence S′
of zero or a plurality of characters; andwherein, prior to the modification M1, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell X, or (ii) the target cell X includes a sequence S of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence S is different from the sequence S′
, or (iii) the target cell X is associated with a position P in the grid, wherein P is different from P′
;wherein, prior to the modification M1, the data structure includes a representation of a source cell Z1 comprising a sequence WZ1 of a plurality of characters; and wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of; (a) dragging a visual representation of a sequence W1 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W1 is a subsequence selected from the sequence WZ1 in the source cell Z1, wherein the source cell Z1 is different from the target cell X; and (b) dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:
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storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread; transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data; storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including three or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the three or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell, wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units, wherein the three or more rows represented within the data structure comprise a row R1, a row R2, and a row R3; and hiding R3 such that its visual representation is not displayed on the graphical user interface, and R1 and R2 are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as being adjacent to each other; and displaying on the graphical user interface a visual element that, when selected, will cause the visual representation of R3 to be displayed on the graphical user interface such that the visual representations for R1 and R2 are no longer adjacent on the graphical user interface, and are separated from one another by the visual representation of R3; and changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M), wherein, after the modification M, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell Y having a sequence T′
of zero or a plurality of characters; andwherein, prior to the modification M, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell Y, or (ii) the target cell Y includes a sequence T of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence T is different from the sequence T′
;wherein, prior to the modification M, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z including a sequence Wz of a plurality of characters; and wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal dragging a visual representation of a sequence W of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W is a subsequence selected from the sequence Wz in the source cell Z, wherein W has fewer characters than Wz, and wherein source cell Z is different from the target cell Y. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:
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storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread; transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data; storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including three or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the three or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell, wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units; and changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M), wherein, prior to the modification M, the plurality of cells includes a cell C1 and a cell C2, wherein the cells C1 and C2 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid; and wherein, after the modification M, the plurality of cells includes the cell C1 and the cell C2 and a target cell X; and wherein, after the modification M, the cells C1 and C2 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position of the target cell X is in between the position of the cell C1 and the position of the cell C2; and wherein, prior to the modification M, the data structure includes a representation of a source cell Z1 including a sequence WZ1 of one or more characters; and wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of; (a) dragging a visual representation of a sequence W1 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W1 is a subsequence selected from the sequence Wz1 in the source cell Z1, wherein the source cell Z1 is different from the target cell X; and (b) dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface; and changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M1), wherein, after the modification M1, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell Y having a sequence T′
of zero or a plurality of characters; andwherein, prior to the modification M1, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell Y, or (ii) the target cell Y includes a sequence T of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence T is different from the sequence T′
;wherein, prior to the modification M1, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z2 including a sequence WZ2 of a plurality of characters; and wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal dragging a visual representation of a sequence W2 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W2 is a subsequence selected from the sequence WZ2 in the source cell Z2, wherein W2 has fewer characters than WZ2, and wherein source cell Z2 is different from the target cell Y. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:
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storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread; transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data; storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including three or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the three or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell, wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units; and changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M), wherein, after the modification M, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell X associated with a position P′
in the grid, the target cell X including a sequence S′
of zero or a plurality of characters; andwherein, prior to the modification M, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell X, or (ii) the target cell X includes a sequence S of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence S is different from the sequence S′
, or (iii) the target cell X is associated with a position P in the grid, wherein P is different from P′
; andwherein, prior to the modification M, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z1 comprising a sequence WZ1 of a plurality of characters; and wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of; (a) dragging a visual representation of a sequence W1 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W1 is a subsequence selected from the sequence WZ1 in the source cell Z1, wherein the source cell Z1 is different from the target cell X; and (b) dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface; and changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M1), wherein, after the modification M1, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell Y including a sequence T′
of one or more characters; andwherein, prior to the modification M1, either (i) the data structure does not comprise a representation of the target cell Y, or (ii) the target cell Y includes a sequence T of zero or more characters, wherein the sequence T is different from the sequence T′
; andwherein, prior to the modification M1, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z2 comprising a sequence WZ2 of one or more characters, wherein the source cell Z2 is different from the target cell Y; and wherein, prior to the modification M1, a visual representation of the source cell Z2 on the graphical user interface comprises a cursor for user input, wherein the sequence of characters on at least one side of the cursor comprises a subsequence W selected from the sequence WZ2, wherein the subsequence W is determined in part by the position of the cursor relative to a visual representation of the sequence WZ2 on the graphical user interface, and wherein W has fewer characters than WZ2; and wherein T′
comprises a sequence SW of characters that is substantially similar to the subsequence W, wherein T is different from SW; andwherein, after the modification M1, the source cell Z2 does not include the subsequence W; and wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of; (a) selecting via a gesture or a pointing device an area on the graphical user interface; and (b) pressing a simultaneous combination of one or more keys, buttons, or switches on a user input device. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification