Method and System for Navigating in a Database of a Computer System

• US 20080098311A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dassault Systemes SA
• Original Assignee: Dassault Systemes SA
• Inventors: Vu, Duy, Ginquel, Guenole, Delarue, Guillaume
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/367 providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents

Abstract

The invention is directed to a computer program, a computer system and a method for navigating in a database of a subject system. The subject system comprises a graphical user interface. The invention method comprising steps of (i) returning results (110a-g) from a query in the database, and (ii) displaying in the graphical user interface (100) the results returned using several levels of progressive granularity. Each of the results is associated with one of the levels of granularity, according to the query.

Claims

1. A method for navigating in a database of a computer system, the computer system comprising a graphical user interface, the method comprising steps of:

returning results (110a-g) from a query in a database; and

displaying at the graphical user interface (100) the results returned using several levels of progressive granularity, each of the results being associated with one of the levels, according to the query.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

receiving a user selection of at least one of the results (110d, 110ds) returned; and

redisplaying the results (110a-g) using the several levels of granularity, the selected result (110d, 110ds) is associated with a level having the finest granularity.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

receiving a user request for modifying the number of levels of granularity; and

redisplaying the results (510a-f, 160a-d) according to the modified number of levels.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, at the step of receiving the user request for modifying the number of levels of granularity, the number can be selected amongst 1 and 2.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the graphical user interface (100) comprises a widget (160) or interface component (160) adapted for triggering a modification of the number of levels.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the results returned are sorted in an ordered sequence; and

at the step of redisplaying the results, includes decreasing the fineness of the granularity in the levels from the selected result along the ordered sequence.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, at the step of displaying includes displaying at least two groups (110a-g, 610a-d) of results which are defined:

based on the ordered sequence, one of the two groups being associated with a level having the finest granularity.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising steps of:

receiving a user selection of one of the two groups (610a) to form a selected group; and

redefining the at least two groups into at least two new groups (710a-d), the first group (710d) of the at least two new groups (710a-d) having at least part of the results in the selected group (610a), and the second group (710a-c) of the at least two new groups (710a-d) having the remaining results.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising steps of:

displaying the at least two new groups (710a-d) using the several levels of granularity, the first group (710d) being associated with a level having the finest granularity and the second group (710a-c) being associated with one or more levels having coarser granularity compared with the first group.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of receiving a user request for the query.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, at the step of displaying includes displaying the results (110d, 110ds) associated with the level of finest granularity as respective 3D graphical representations related to objects stored in the database.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one unitary 3D graphical representation (110a-c, 110c-g) is used for results associated with a level whose granularity is not the finest granularity.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the unitary 3D graphical representation has a bubble shape.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the unitary 3D graphical representation comprises previews of results in the group.

15. The method according to claim 4, wherein the previews dynamically react to a user pointer approaching the unitary 3D graphical representation.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein at the step of displaying, the results are displayed on a visual cue (910, 920).

17. Computer program product comprising a computer readable medium including a computer readable program for navigating in a database, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

return results (110a-g) from a query in a database; and

display at a graphical user interface (100) the results returned using several levels of progressive granularity, each of the results being associated with one of the levels, according to the query.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program further causes any combination of

receiving a user request for modifying the number of levels of granularity;

and

redisplaying the results (510a-f, 610a-d) according to the modified number of levels,

wherein at least one unitary 3D graphical representation (110a-c, 110e-g) is used for results associated with a level whose granularity is not the finest granularity.

19. A computer system comprising:

database means for navigating a database;

a graphical user interface; and

a navigation means coupled to the database means for;

returning results (110a-g) from a query in the database means; and

displaying at the graphical user interface (100) the results returned using several levels of progressive granularity, each of the results being associated with one of the levels, according to the query.

a graphical user interface coupled to the processor.

20. A computer system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the navigation means further:

receiving a user selection of at least one of the results (110d, 110ds) returned; and

redisplaying the results (110a-g) using the several levels of granularity, the selected result (110d, 110ds) is associated with a level having the finest granularity.

21. A computer system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the navigation means further:

receiving a user request for modifying the number of levels of granularity; and

redisplaying the results (510a-f, 610a-d) according to the modified number of levels.

22. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the computer system is a product lifecycle management system.