Nature Inspired User Interface

• US 20150169178A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sikka, Vishal, Rajagopalan, Sanjay, Kumar, Janaki, Liu, Tao, Zhu, Jun, Wang, Xiao, Zhou, Bingjun, Wesel, Philipp Maximilian
• Granted Patent: US 9,519,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis

Abstract

Techniques are described for interacting with a nature inspired virtual environment to present information to the user. The information can be presented to the user by using a collection of icons in the virtual environment. The virtual environment and the collection of icons can resemble a scene from nature. As a result, the additional information is presented to the user without disrupting the visual appearance of the nature inspired virtual environment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting a collection of data, comprising:

providing, by a processor, a virtual environment having a visual appearance corresponding to a scene from nature; and

providing, by the processor, a first collection of icons within the virtual environment that represent the collection of data, the first collection of icons including a plurality of icons that represent a plurality of performance metrics derived from the collection of data and a group icon, wherein the plurality of icons cluster around the group icon.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a first input representative of selecting an icon from the plurality of icons;

displaying, by the processor, information associated with a performance metric corresponding to the selected icon in response to the first input.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing, by the processor, a spotlight on the selected icon; and

dimming, by the processor, the remainder of the virtual environment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein displaying information associated with the performance metric comprises:

converging, by the processor, a second collection of icons scattered around the virtual environment at a predefined area in the virtual environment;

moving, by the processor, icons other than the second collection of icons outside the predefined area in the virtual environment; and

arranging, by the processor, the second collection of icons to form a chart or graph that presents the information associated with the performance metric.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the processor, a second collection of icons scattered around the virtual environment;

receiving, by the processor, a first input representative of initiating a search feature;

moving, by the processor, the first collection of icons towards at least one edge of the virtual environment until the first collection of icons are no longer on the virtual environment in response to the first input; and

displaying, by the processor, a search bar.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a second input representative of a search parameter;

performing, by the processor, a search based on the search parameter to return a plurality of search results;

assigning, by the processor, each of the plurality of search results to an icon from the second collection of icons; and

converging, by the processor, the second collection of icons towards the search bar, wherein the proximity of an icon from the second collection of icons to the search bar is dependent on the relevance of the corresponding search result to the search parameter.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the visual appearance of the icon is dependent on the relevance of the corresponding search result to a user account.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

providing a virtual environment having a visual appearance corresponding to a scene from nature; and

providing a first collection of icons within the virtual environment that represent the collection of data, the first collection of icons including a plurality of icons that represent a plurality of performance metrics derived from the collection of data and a group icon, wherein the plurality of icons cluster around the group icon.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a first input representative of selecting an icon from the plurality of icons;

displaying information associated with a performance metric corresponding to the selected icon in response to the first input.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a spotlight on the selected icon; and

dimming the remainder of the virtual environment.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the virtual environment includes a second collection of icons scattered around the virtual environment and displaying information associated with the performance metric comprises:

converging the second collection of icons at a predefined area in the virtual environment;

moving icons other than the second collection of icons outside the predefined area in the virtual environment; and

arranging the second collection of icons to form a chart or graph that presents the information associated with the performance metric.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

providing a second collection of icons scattered around the virtual environment;

receiving a first input representative of initiating a search feature;

moving the first collection of icons towards at least one edge of the virtual environment until the first collection of icons are no longer on the virtual environment in response to the first input; and

displaying a search bar.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a second input representative of a search parameter;

performing a search based on the search parameter to return a plurality of search results;

assigning each of the plurality of search results to an icon from the second collection of icons; and

converging the second collection of icons towards the search bar, wherein the proximity of an icon from the second collection of icons to the search bar is dependent on the relevance of the corresponding search result to the search parameter.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the visual appearance of the icon is dependent on the relevance of the corresponding search result to a user account.

15. A computer implemented system, comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed, control the one or more computer processors to be configured for;

providing a virtual environment having a visual appearance corresponding to a scene from nature; and

providing a first collection of icons within the virtual environment that represent the collection of data, the first collection of icons including a plurality of icons that represent a plurality of performance metrics derived from the collection of data and a group icon, wherein the plurality of icons cluster around the group icon.

16. The computer implemented system of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a first input representative of selecting an icon from the plurality of icons;

displaying information associated with a performance metric corresponding to the selected icon in response to the first input.

17. The computer implemented system of claim 16, wherein the virtual environment includes a second collection of icons scattered around the virtual environment and displaying information associated with the performance metric comprises:

converging the second collection of icons at a predefined area in the virtual environment;

moving icons other than the second collection of icons outside the predefined area in the virtual environment; and

arranging the second collection of icons to form a chart or graph that presents the information associated with the performance metric.

18. The computer implemented system of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a second collection of icons scattered around the virtual environment;

receiving a first input representative of initiating a search feature;

moving the first collection of icons towards at least one edge of the virtual environment until the first collection of icons are no longer on the virtual environment in response to the first input; and

displaying a search bar.

19. The computer implemented system of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a second input representative of a search parameter;

performing a search based on the search parameter to return a plurality of search results;

assigning each of the plurality of search results to an icon from the second collection of icons; and

converging the second collection of icons towards the search bar, wherein the proximity of an icon from the second collection of icons to the search bar is dependent on the relevance of the corresponding search result to the search parameter.

20. The computer implemented system of claim 19, wherein the visual appearance of the icon is dependent on the relevance of the corresponding search result to a user account.