Method and system for generating dynamic, interactive visual representations of information structures within a computer

• US 5,021,976 A
• Filed: 11/14/1988
• Issued: 06/04/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Fairchild, Kim M., Wexelblat, Alan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Application Number:
  US07/271,091
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 364/518, 364/521, 364/522, 364/146, 364/141, 340/721, 340/723, 340/747, 340/750, 340/798-800
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method and system for generating dynamic, interactive visual representations of information structures within a computer which enable humans to efficiently process vast amounts of information. The boundaries of the information system containing the information to be processed are established and a set of mathematical relationships is provided which indicates the degree of correlation between parameters of interest to a user and segments of information contained within the boundaries. A visual display is generated for the user which has a plurality of different iconic representations and visual features corresponding to the parameters defined by the mathematical relationships. The iconic representations and visual features of the visual display change with the movement of the mathematical relationships within the boundaries of the information system according to the degree of correlation between the parameters of interest and the segment of information through which the mathematical relationships are passing.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system, comprising:

means for defining boundaries of the information system containing the information with which the user is to interact;

means for providing a set of mathematical relationships that define a plurality of parameters of potential interest to a user, said mathematical relationships indicating the degree of correlation between the parameters defined by the relationships and segments of information contained within the defined boundaries of the information system;

means for defining a visual display for the user that has a plurality of iconic representations having different visual features, the iconic representations and visual features assuming various conditions out of a range of different possible conditions determined by the segments of information;

means for associating said set of mathematical relationships with said visual display to associate the parameters defined by the mathematical relationships with corresponding iconic representations and visual features of said display; and

means for moving said set of mathematical relationships through the information contained within the boundaries of the information system to produce a visual display for the user in which the iconic representations and visual features of the display assume various conditions in accordance with the degree of correlation between the associated parameters of interest to the user and the segment of information within the information system through which the mathematical relationships are passing.

2. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said visual display defining means also includes means for enabling the user to interact with the iconic representations and visual features of the display to provide input regarding a user desired change in the degree of correlation between a selected parameter of interest and an associated segment of information; and

said mathematical relationships include means for changing the content of the segment of information through which they are passing to establish the degree of correlation therebetween desired by the user as indicated by the user'"'"'s interaction with the display.

3. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said visual display comprises an icon having a plurality of visual elements, each element being capable of assuming different appearances varying through a range of appearances.

4. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mathematical relationships produce an indication of degrees of correlation by comparing portions of said relationship with portions of said segments of information.

5. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for defining the boundaries of the information system include storing the information as data within a memory.

6. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1 which also includes:

means for changing the visual features of said visual display.

7. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 6 which also includes:

means for storing representations of individual visual displays having particular sets of visual features for subsequent recall and use in said system.

8. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1 which also includes:

means for changing the manner in which said set of mathematical relationships are associated with said visual display to change the way in which the parameters defined by the mathematical relationships are associated with the corresponding iconic representations and visual features of said display.

9. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1, which also includes:

means for modifying the iconic representations and visual features of said visual display and said means for associating said mathematical relationships with said display to change the appearance of selected iconic representations and visual features in response to a particular degree of correlation between a parameter of interest and a segment of information through which its associated mathematical function is passing.

10. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said information system boundaries define a cyberspace.

11. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within a cyberspace as set forth in claim 10 wherein said moving means comprise a semantic navigation system.

12. A system for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 1, which also includes:

means for selectively changing said set of mathematical relationships to change the parameters of potential interest to the user.

13. A system for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system comprising:

memory means for storing the data;

processor means connected to said memory to access selected segments of the data;

display means connected to said processor;

means for generating an icon on said display means, said icon having a structure and a plurality of features which change in appearance through a range of different possible appearances;

a set of mathematical relationships contained within said processor and defining a plurality of parameters of potential interest to the user, said mathematical relationships being capable of producing an indication of a degree of correlation between the parameters defined by the mathematical relationships and segments of data;

means responsive to an indication of a degree of correlation between each parameter defined by each of said mathematical relationships and segments of data for generating a particular corresponding appearance in the structure and associated features of said icon; and

means for moving said mathematical relationships within said processor into access with a sequence of discrete segments of data stored within said memory to automatically generate an icon structure with features whose appearance indicates the relationship between parameters of interest to the user and the particular segment of data with which the mathematical relationships have access at each sequential period of time.

14. A system for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 13, which also includes:

means for enabling the user to interact with the structure and features of said icon regarding a change desired by the user in the relative value of correlation between a selected parameter of interest and an accessed segment of data; and

means within said processor for changing the content of the segment of data being accessed to establish the relative value of correlation between the data segment and the mathematical relationship associated with the structure and features of the icon changed by interaction therewith by the user.

15. A system for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 13, which also includes:

means for editing said icon by changing the appearance of the structure and selected features thereof in response to particular degrees of correlation between particular ones of the mathematical relationships and discrete segments of data.

16. A system for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 13, which also includes:

means for editing said icon by changing the structure and features thereof generated on said display.

17. A system for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 16, which also includes:

means for storing representations of icons having particular structures and sets of features for subsequent recall and use in said system.

18. A system for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 13, which also includes:

means for editing said icon by changing the manner in which said set of mathematical relationships are associated with said icon display to change the way in which the parameters defined by the mathematical relationships are associated with the corresponding structure and features of said icon display.

19. A method enabling a user to interact with information contained with an information system, comprising:

defining boundaries of the information system containing the information with which the user is to interact;

providing a set of mathematical relationships that define a plurality of parameters of potential interest to a user, said mathematical relationships indicating a degree of correlation between the parameters defined by the relationships and segments of information contained within the defined boundaries of the information system;

generating a visual display for the user that has a plurality of iconic representations having different visual features, the features assuming different possible conditions;

associating said set of mathematical relationships with said visual display to associate each of the parameters defined by each mathematical relationship with a corresponding feature of said display; and

moving said set of mathematical relationships through the information contained within the boundaries of the information system to produce a visual display for the user in which the iconic representations and features of the display assume various possible conditions in accordance with the degree of correlation between the associated parameters of interest to the user and the segment of information within the information system through which the mathematical relationships are passing.

20. A method for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 19 wherein:

said visual display generating step also includes enabling the user to interact with the iconic representations and visual features of the display to provide input regarding a user desired change in the degree of correlation between a selected parameter of interest and an associated segment of information; and

changing the content of the segment of information through which said mathematical relationships are passing to establish the relative value of correlation therebetween desired by the user as indicated by the user'"'"'s interaction with the display.

21. A method for enabling a user to interface with data contained within an information system as set forth in claim 19, which also includes:

modifying the iconic representations and features of said visual display and said means for associating said mathematical relationships with said display to change the appearance of selected iconic representations and features in response to a particular degree of correlation between a parameter of interest and a segment of information through which its associated mathematical function is passing.

22. A method for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 19, which also includes:

changing the iconic representations and visual features of said visual display.

23. A method for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 22, which also includes:

storing representations of individual visual displays having particular sets of iconic representations and visual features for subsequent recall and use.

24. A method for enabling a user to interact with information contained within an information system as set forth in claim 19, which also includes:

changing the manner in which said set of mathematical relationships are associated with said visual display in order to change the way in which the parameters defined by the mathematical relationships are associated with the corresponding iconic representations and features of said display.

25. A method for enabling a user to interface with data contained within an information system as set forth in claim 19, which also includes:

selectively changing said set of mathematical relationships to change the parameters of potential interest to the user.

26. A method for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system comprising:

storing the data in a memory;

selecting segments of the data with a processor;

generating an icon on a display means, said icon having a structure and a plurality of features which change in appearance through a range of difference possible appearances;

selecting a plurality of parameters of potential interest to the user and selecting a corresponding set of mathematical relationships, said mathematical relationships indicating a degree of correlation between each parameter defined by each mathematical relationship and discrete segments of data;

generating a particular corresponding appearance in the structure and associated features of said icon in response to an indication of a degree of correlation between each parameter defined by each of said mathematical relationships and segments of data; and

moving said mathematical relationships into access with segments of data stored within said memory to automatically generate an icon structure with features whose appearance indicates the relationship between parameters of interest to the user and the particular segment of data with which the mathematical relationships have access.

27. A method for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 26, which also includes:

enabling the user to interact with the structure and features of said icon regarding a change desired by the user in the degree of correlation between a selected parameter of interest and an accessed segment of data; and

changing the content of the segment of data being accessed to establish the relative value of correlation between the data segment and the mathematical relationship associated with the structure and features of the icon changed by the user.

28. A method for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 26, which also includes:

editing said icon by changing the structure and features thereof generated on said display.

29. A method for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 28, which also includes:

storing representations of icons having particular sets of structures and features for subsequent recall and use.

30. A method for enabling a user to interact with information stored as data within an information system as set forth in claim 26, which also includes:

editing said icon by changing the manner in which said set of mathematical relationships are associated with said icon display in order to change the way in which the parameters defined by the mathematical relationships are associated with the corresponding structure and features of said icon display.