Method and system for displaying categorized information on a user interface

• US 20060005149A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pankovcin, Igor
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection

Abstract

A computer implemented method and system for displaying categorized information on a user interface is provided, in which the user may choose one or more categories of information. In response, data associated with the chosen category is retrieved. The display of the categories and the retrieval of the data is performed independently, so that the displayed categories remain responsive to user interaction while the data is being retrieved. In one implementation, the display of the categories and information on the user interface is handled by the main thread and the retrieval of the data associated with the chosen category is performed by a worker thread executing asynchronously with respect to the main thread.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method for presenting hierarchical categorized directory information via a plurality of arranged visual elements on a computer-enabled user interface, wherein visual elements represent directory system entities and the arrangement of elements represents the interrelationships of the corresponding directory system entities, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of elements representing one or more directory system entities using a first thread;

receiving a user selection of a plurality of the displayed elements;

using at least a second thread, retrieving data associated with the selected displayed elements, while others of the displayed plurality of arranged visual elements remain responsive to initiate further data retrieval while the data associated with the selected displayed elements are being retrieved; and

associating respective priorities with the retrievals of the selected displayed elements.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein associating respective priorities includes assigning a highest priority to a last-selected one of the selected displayed elements.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising boosting the priority of one of the selected displayed elements.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein boosting the priority is performed in response to an implicit request to boost the priority.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein boosting the priority is performed based on an order in which the displayed elements are selected for retrieval.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving a user re-selection of one of the selected displayed elements, and boosting the priority associated with the re-selected displayed element.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein boosting the priority is performed in response to an explicit request to boost the priority.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving an explicit user request to boost the priority of a selected one of the selected displayed elements.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the explicit user request is received via a user interface.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein the displayed elements are arranged as nodes of a graphical hierarchy.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the graphical hierarchy is a tree.

38. A computer-readable medium having thereon computer-executable instructions for executing a method for presenting hierarchical categorized directory information via a plurality of arranged visual elements on a computer-enabled user interface, wherein visual elements represent directory system entities and the arrangement of elements represents the interrelationships of the corresponding directory system entities, the instructions comprising instructions for:

displaying a plurality of elements representing one or more directory system entities using a first thread;

receiving a user selection of a plurality of the displayed elements; and

using a second thread, retrieving data associated with the selected displayed elements while others of the displayed plurality of arranged visual elements remain responsive to initiate further data retrieval while the data associated with the initially selected displayed elements are being retrieved; and

associating respective priorities with the retrievals of the selected displayed elements.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the computer-executable instructions for associating respective priorities include computer-executable instructions for assigning a highest priority to a last-selected one of the selected displayed elements.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, further comprising computer-executable instructions for boosting the priority of one of the selected displayed elements.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the computer-executable instructions for boosting the priority are performed in response to an implicit request to boost the priority.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the computer-executable instructions boost the priority based on an order in which the displayed elements are selected for retrieval.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, further comprising computer-executable instructions for receiving a user re-selection of one of the selected displayed elements, and for boosting the priority associated with the re-selected displayed element.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the computer-executable instructions boost the priority in response to an explicit request to boost the priority.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, further comprising computer-executable instructions for receiving an explicit user request to boost the priority of a selected one of the selected displayed elements.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, further comprising computer-executable instructions for receiving the explicit user request via a user interface.