Temporary communication areas for a computer user interface

• US 20030227489A1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Eberleh, Edmund, Arend, Udo, Willumeit, Heinz
• Granted Patent: US 7,415,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for displaying information to a user on a display device of a computer system. In one general aspect, a first view is displayed on the display device, where the first view has at least a first work area. In response to the receipt of a first input received by the computer system, a second view is displayed on the display device. The second view includes the first work area and a temporary communication area, or “pop-in window,” included within the first work area. The temporary communication area has a defined function associated therewith requiring input from a user. The temporary communication area may close after the user provides the necessary input and the defined function is performed.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information on a display device of a computer system, comprising:

displaying a first view on the display device, the first view having at least a first work area; and

in response to the receipt of a first input received by the computer system, displaying a second view on the display device, the second view comprising the first work area and a temporary communication area included within the first work area, the temporary communication area having a defined function associated therewith requiring input from a user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the display of the second view on the display device and in response to the receipt of a second input by the computer system, performing the defined function.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, after the display of the second view on the display device and in response to the receipt of the second input by the computer system, displaying a third view on the display device, the third view including the first work area but not the temporary communication area.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first work area comprises a list of database objects.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the temporary communication area comprises a dialog box for creating an electronic communication to another user; and

the defined function to be performed is a transfer to another user of an electronic communication with attached information from a selected object from the list of database objects.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the electronic communication transfer is an electronic mail message.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the electronic communication transfer is a facsimile message sent from a computer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first input is an input determined to correspond to a plurality of potential inputs; and

the defined function to be performed is a selection of one of the plurality of potential inputs.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the temporary communication area identifies the plurality of potential inputs to allow the user to selected among the plurality of potential inputs.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the plurality of potential inputs are identified in a drop-down list, enabling the user to choose among the plurality of potential inputs.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising, after the display of the second view and after receipt of a user input selecting one of the potential inputs, displaying a third view comprising the first work area with the selected input displayed in the first work area.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the third view does not include the temporary communication area in the first work area.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein

the temporary communication area comprises at least one input field and one function button;

and

user selection of the function button initiates performance of the defined function.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the temporary communication area includes a message to the user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the defined function is a user acknowledgement of the message.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the first view further comprises a second work area.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the second work area in the second view is reduced in area to accommodate the inclusion of the temporary communication area in the second view without eliminating information appearing in the first work area.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein in the second view the first work area is split in two parts and the temporary communication area is displayed between the two parts of the first work area.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the area of the first work area in the first view equals the area of the two parts of the first work area in the second view.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the temporary communication area is a modal dialog box upon which the user is required to act before proceeding with another function relating to the first work area.

21. The method of claim 2 wherein the temporary communication area is a modeless dialog box upon which the user is not required to act before proceeding with another function relating to the first area.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the temporary communication area is a wizard.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the temporary communication area comprises a series of dialog views through which a user proceeds.

24. Computer-readable medium with program instructions stored thereon that when executed perform the following functions for providing displaying information on a display device of a computer system:

displays a first view on the display device, the first view having at least a first work area; and

in response to the receipt of a first input received by the computer system, displays a second view on the display device, the second view comprising the first work area and a temporary communication area included within the first work area, the temporary communication area having a defined function associated therewith requiring input from a user.

25. The medium of claim 24 further comprising instructions that when executed perform the defined function after the display of the second view on the display device and in response to the receipt of a second input by the computer system.

26. The medium of claim 25 further comprising instructions that when executed displays a third view on the display device after the display of the second view on the display device and in response to the receipt of the second input by the computer system, the third view including the first work area but not the temporary communication area.

27. The medium of claim 24 wherein the first work area comprises a list of database objects.

28. The medium of claim 27 wherein:

the temporary communication area comprises a dialog box for creating an electronic communication to another user; and

the defined function to be performed is a transfer to another user of an electronic communication with attached information from a selected object from the list of database objects.

29. The medium of claim 28 wherein the electronic communication transfer is an electronic mail message.

30. The medium of claim 28 wherein the electronic communication transfer is a facsimile message sent from a computer.

31. The medium of claim 24 wherein:

the first input is an input determined to correspond to a plurality of potential inputs; and

the defined function to be performed is a selection of one of the plurality of potential inputs.

32. The medium of claim 31 wherein the temporary communication area identifies the plurality of potential inputs to allow the user to selected among the plurality of potential inputs.

33. The medium of claim 31 wherein the plurality of potential inputs are identified in a drop-down list, enabling the user to choose among the plurality of potential inputs.

34. The medium of claim 31 further comprising instructions that when executed displays, after the display of the second view and after receipt of a user input selecting one of the potential inputs, a third view comprising the first work area with the selected input displayed in the first work area.

35. The medium of claim 34 wherein the third view does not include the temporary communication area in the first work area.

36. The medium of claim 24 wherein

the temporary communication area comprises at least one input field and one function button;

and

user selection of the function button initiates performance of the defined function.

37. The medium of claim 24 wherein the temporary communication area includes a message to the user.

38. The medium of claim 37 wherein the defined function is a user acknowledgement of the message.

39. The medium of claim 24 wherein the first view further comprises a second work area.

40. The medium of claim 39 wherein the second work area in the second view is reduced in area to accommodate the inclusion of the temporary communication area in the second view without eliminating information appearing in the first work area.

41. The medium of claim 24 wherein in the second view the first work area is split in two parts and the temporary communication area is displayed between the two parts of the first work area.

42. The medium of claim 41 wherein the area of the first work area in the first view equals the area of the two parts of the first work area in the second view.

43. The medium of claim 24 wherein the temporary communication area is a modal dialog box upon which the user is required to act before proceeding with another function relating to the first work area.

44. The medium of claim 25 wherein the temporary communication area is a modeless dialog box upon which the user is not required to act before proceeding with another function relating to the first area.

45. The medium of claim 24 wherein the temporary communication area is a wizard.

46. The medium of claim 24 wherein the temporary communication area comprises a series of dialog views through which a user proceeds.