SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FOCUSING A VIEW OF DATA ON A SELECTED SUBSET

• US 20090228818A1
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Hebard, Emily W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/768
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A system, method and graphical user interface for focusing a view of displayed data upon a subset of the data. In a view of multiple values, fields, objects or other data, a subset of the data is selected because it has changed, because it is associated with a recommended action, because it warrants a user'"'"'s attention, or for some other reason. The remaining data is then masked or covered with a semi-transparent layer that suppresses the data and obscures any highlighting, emphasis or other complexity among the covered data. The user'"'"'s attention is thus focused upon the selected subset of data without increasing the cognitive load forced on the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of displaying data, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of data objects;

selecting a subset of data objects within the plurality of data objects; and

masking all but the selected subset of data objects with a semi-transparent mask.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises:

detecting a modification to the selected subset of data objects or information associated with the selected subset of data objects.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the modification is performed on a computer system other than a computer system on which the plurality of data objects is displayed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises:

identifying information that warrants attention of a user, wherein the selected subset of data objects is associated with the identified information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises:

identifying action to recommend to a first user viewing the plurality of data objects, wherein the selected subset of data objects is associated with the identified action.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said identifying comprises:

examining a pattern of previous activity with the plurality of data objects by the first user; and

from multiple possible actions the first user may initiate, anticipating from said pattern which of the possible actions is to be initiated.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said identifying comprises:

examining a pattern of previous activity with the plurality of data objects by a set of users other than the first user; and

from multiple possible actions the first user may initiate, selecting an action representative of said pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises:

detecting an error within the selected subset of data objects or information associated with the selected subset of data objects.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user viewing the plurality of data objects to alter any of the data objects during said masking.

10. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of displaying data, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of data objects;

selecting a subset of data objects within the plurality of data objects; and

masking all but the selected subset of data objects with a semi-transparent mask.

11. A computer system, comprising:

first program code configured to display data on a display component of the computer system; and

second program code configured to mask the displayed data with a semi-transparent mask, except for a selected subset;

wherein said semi-transparent mask allows a user to view the displayed data but focuses attention of the user on the selected subset of the displayed data.

12. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising:

third program code configured to identify the selected subset of data.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the third program code is configured to:

identify data that has changed; and

select a subset of data that was changed by an entity other than the user.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the third program code is configured to select the subset of data based on a historical pattern of user activity with the data.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the third program code is configured to analyze information associated with the displayed data and identify a recommended action for the user;

wherein the selected subset of data is associated with the recommended action.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein all of the displayed data, including data masked by said semi-transparent mask, is editable by the user.

17. A graphical user interface for focusing a presentation of data upon a selected set of elements of the data, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first data element displayed within the presentation;

one or more other data elements displayed within the presentation; and

a mask configured to cover the one or more other data elements but not said first data element.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 17, further comprising:

a user-actuable control configured to display said mask.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 17, further comprising:

a user-actuable control configured to remove said mask.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 17, wherein the one or more data elements are modifiable while said mask covers the one or more data elements.