System and method for configuring an application via a visual map interface

• US 20100070891A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MindJet LLC (Corel Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: MindJet LLC (Corel Holdings LP)
• Inventors: Guerin, Charles L., Creekbaum, William J.
• Application Number:
  US12/378,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070891A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for configuring an application via a visual map interface. The method involves providing a visual map into which a user can enter configuration data for the application. The visual map includes predefined topics that correspond to configurable portions of the application, and the user enters the configuration data as subtopics to the predefined topics. The predefined topics may be defined by a programmer or system administrator for the configurable application. When the configurable application requests the configuration data, the applicable data entered into the subtopics is sent to the configurable application.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a configurable application via a visual map interface, the method comprising:

providing a visual map into which a user can enter configuration data for the configurable application, wherein the visual map includes one or more predefined topics that correspond to configurable portions of the configurable application and wherein the user is able to enter the configuration data as subtopics to the predefined topics;

storing data in the visual map;

receiving a request from the configurable application for configuration data; and

providing configuration data entered into the visual map to the configurable application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual map is a mind map.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual map is a topic map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual map data is stored in a map file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual map data is stored in a structured XML file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the visual map data comprises storing the topics in the visual map individually in a database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration data requested by the configurable application corresponds to one or more of the predefined topics, and wherein retrieving the requested configuration data comprises retrieving subtopic data entered by the user and associated with such predefined topic(s).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the configurable application is a visual mapping application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the configurable application is an enterprise application used by a business.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined topics correspond to fields in a dialog box in the configurable application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration data entered by the user into subtopics of the predefined topics are the values associated with such fields.

12. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium and comprising code, that, when executed by a computer, enables the computer to perform the following method:

providing a visual map into which a user can enter configuration data for the configurable application, wherein the visual map includes one or more predefined topics that correspond to configurable portions of the configurable application and wherein the user is able to enter the configuration data as subtopics to the predefined topics;

storing data in the visual map;

receiving a request from the configurable application for configuration data; and

providing configuration data entered into the visual map to the configurable application.

13. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the visual map is a mind map.

14. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the visual map is a topic map.

15. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the visual map data is stored in a map file.

16. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the visual map data is stored in a structured XML file.

17. The computer program of claim 12, wherein storing the visual map data comprises storing the topics in the visual map individually in a database.

18. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the configuration data requested by the configurable application corresponds to one or more of the predefined topics, and wherein retrieving the requested configuration data comprises retrieving subtopic data entered by the user and associated with such predefined topic(s).

19. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the configurable application is a visual mapping application.

20. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the configurable application is an enterprise application used by a business.

21. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the predefined topics correspond to fields in a dialog box in the configurable application.

22. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the configuration data entered by the user into subtopics of the predefined topics are the values associated with such fields.