GRAPHIC-INFORMATION FLOW METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VISUALLY ANALYZING PATTERNS AND RELATIONSHIPS

• US 20090138826A1
• Filed: 11/03/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cedar Lane Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tavusi Data Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Barros, Barbara L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A display control and information management system seamlessly integrates layered and slotted formatted data from local and remote sources to provide a highly versatile information display. The system permits selective control of display and display features so that complex data and data flows can be seamlessly accessed with enhanced cognition of salient information by a user.

Claims

1. A computer implemented display management system for displaying information relevant a user selection, the system comprising:

display means for displaying a portion of a list of elements, the elements having a predefined order;

means for displaying a retrieval element having plural segments, each of the segments corresponding to a subset of elements in the list of elements; and

wherein the display management system is configured to enable user selection of a segment from the plural segments effective to cause a corresponding subset of the elements to be displayed on the display means in the predefined order.

2. A computer implemented display management system as recited in claim 1, wherein the list of elements is configured to be in the form of layered blocks of data, each layer configured to comprise one of the subsets of the elements.

3. A computer implemented display management system as recited in claim 2, wherein the predefined order is configured to be alphabetical and each of the segments of the retrieval element is configured to correspond to an alphabetical range.

4. A computer implemented display management system as recited in claim 2, wherein the predefined order is configured to be topical and each of the segments of the retrieval element is configured to correspond to at least one topic.

5. A computer implemented display management system as recited in claim 2, wherein each of the subsets of elements is configured to comprise a level of the corresponding subset of elements.

6. A computer implemented display management system as recited in claim 2, wherein the list of elements is configured to comprise one or more graphical elements.

7. A computer implemented display management system as recited in claim 2, wherein the list of elements is configured to comprise one or more elements of data.

8. A computer implemented display management system as recited in claim 2, wherein a segmented retrieval element is configured to comprise plural segments configured to be arranged in a linear manner.

9. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium configured to present a control panel for display of base data of a computer document, the control panel comprising:

an index for access and retrieval of a computer document for display;

a control apparatus configured to display data in layered slots; and

a smart graphics symbol displayable on displayed data that is configured to respond to user commands to annotate map layers and slots.

10. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the computer document is configured to be a product page with descriptions and access to an ordering system.

11. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the control apparatus is configured to display data in an overlaid map.

12. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the control apparatus is configured to display data in a gridded map.

13. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the smart graphics symbol is configured to include an image with identification and action information attached.

14. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the smart graphics symbol is configured to activate user-triggered scripts and data in a database in order to retrieve text or graphic data from the database in response to user input.

15. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the smart graphics symbol is configured to inform an intelligent agent to bring data similar to the displayed base data into the control panel.

16. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the smart graphics symbol is configured to inform an intelligent agent to transform the content of the computer document in the control panel based on the base data collected.

17. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the identification and action information of the smart graphics symbol is configured to denote a set of isolated representations.

18. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the identification and action information of the smart graphics symbol includes a collection notation configured to identify the set of isolated representations.

19. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the collection notation identification and action information is configured to fill the control panel with at least one of an image, name, or description of the isolated representations.

20. Software code embodied on a computer readable storage medium configured to present a control panel, wherein the control panel is configured to include a control apparatus that is configured to display base data on a presentation of layered slots.

21. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the control apparatus is configured to display data in an overlaid map.

22. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the control apparatus is configured to display data in a gridded map.

23. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the control panel is configured to include a computer document.

24. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the computer document is configured as a page of images and text for collection in a slotted map presentation.

25. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the computer document is configured as a page of products with descriptions for collection in a slotted map presentation.

26. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the computer document is configured to be a page of search links for collection in a slotted map presentation.

27. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the base data comprises at least one of a smart graphics symbol, an image, text, or a link that is configured to respond to user commands to annotate map layers and slots.

28. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the smart graphics symbol is configured to include an image with identification and action information attached.

29. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the smart graphics symbol is configured to activate user-triggered scripts and data in a database in order to retrieve text or graphic data from the database in response to user input.

30. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the smart graphics symbol is configured to inform an intelligent agent to bring data similar to the displayed base data into the control panel.

31. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the smart graphics symbol is configured to inform an intelligent agent to transform the content of a computer document in the control panel based on the base data collected.

32. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 28, wherein the identification and action information of the smart graphics symbol are configured to denote a set of isolated representations.

33. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the identification and action information of the smart graphics symbol is configured to include a collection notation for identifying the set of isolated representations.

34. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 33, wherein collection notation identification and action information is configured to fill the control panel with at least one of an image, name, or description of the isolated representations.

35. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein the control apparatus is configured to be presented in one or more layered slots.

36. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein at least one of symbols, images, or text of the control apparatus is configured to change in the layered slots in response to system events.

37. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the control apparatus is configured to provide for the replacement of one block of at least one of symbols, images, or text with a second block of at least one of symbols, images, or text within the control panel.

38. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 37, wherein the control apparatus is configured to provide for the organization of and access to an index for a data set.

39. Software code embodied on a computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 37, wherein the control apparatus is configured as at least one of:

an arrow, a symbol, a segmented bar, a tabbed bar, a topical list, an alphabetical list, a numerical list, or a graphical line.