Browser for hierarchical structures

• US 6,434,564 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ebert, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US09/895,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/101-104, 707/907, 345/419, 345/433, 345/473, 345/335, 345/339, 345/347-348, 345/352, 345/357, 345/961, 345/975-977, 345/522, 700/17, 382/209
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/957 Multidimensional
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A browser for viewing data representing text, pictures, sounds, virtual reality worlds, links, or other objects, and organized in a hierarchical structure is provided to display and interact with links to the data. A retrieved set of data is displayed in a lens, and subsequently retrieved sets of data that are deeper in the hierarchical structure are displayed in further stacked lenses, creating a visual representation of the hierarchy. A label on each lens provides information on the data originally displayed in the lens. A user may choose to view the originally displayed contents of any lens on the screen. A user may also modify a personal hierarchical data structure comprising links to sets of data in the first hierarchical structure. In doing so, a user creates an entirely new hierarchical structure that customizes the organization of data according to personal preferences and takes advantage of natural association to reduce the number of perceived levels in the new hierarchical data structure.

Claims

1. A method of creating and displaying a data link to a set of data located in a first hierarchical data structure, wherein the data link is located in a separate second hierarchical data structure, comprising the steps of:

(a) creating the set of data in the first hierarchical data structure;

(b) displaying the set of data as a first graphical representation for visual display in the context of the first hierarchical data structure;

(c) creating the data link to the set of data;

(d) placing the data link into a position in a separate second hierarchical data structure; and

(e) displaying the data link as a second graphical representation for visual display in the context of the separate second hierarchical data structure, wherein the second graphical representation is based upon the position of the link in the second hierarchical data structure.

2. The method of creating and displaying a data link of claim 1, wherein the second graphical representation inherits an attribute of a preexisting graphical representation for visual display in the second hierarchical data structure.

3. The method of creating and displaying a data link of claim 1, wherein the set of data contains a representation of a three-dimensional animation.

4. The method of creating and displaying a data link of claim 1, wherein the set of data contains a representation of a virtual reality world.

5. The method of creating and displaying a data link of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the position of the second graphical representation for visual display, relative to a position of a preexisting graphical representation for display in the second hierarchical data structure, on a computer-readable storage media.

6. The method of creating and displaying a data link of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying a context-sensitive pop-up menu, based on the set of data and based on an authorization level, when a cursor is placed near the second graphical representation for visual display.

7. The method of creating and displaying a data link of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

obtaining the set of data in the first hierarchical data structure through a channel.

8. The method of creating and displaying a data link of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

reporting an exception associated with the set of data in the first hierarchical data structure by altering the second graphical representation for visual display of the data link.

9. A computer system for creating and displaying a data link to a set of data located in a first hierarchical data structure, comprising the steps of:

(a) means for creating the set of data in the first hierarchical data structure;

(b) means for displaying the set of data as a first graphical representation for visual display in the context of the first hierarchical data structure;

(c) means for creating the data link to the set of data;

(d) means for placing the data link into a position in a separate second hierarchical data structure; and

(e) means for displaying the data link as a second graphical representation for visual display in the context of the separate second hierarchical data structure, the second graphical representation being based upon the position of the link in the second hierarchical data structure.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second graphical representation inherits an attribute of a preexisting graphical representation for visual display in the second hierarchical data structure.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of data contains a representation of a three-dimensional animation.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of data contains a representation of a virtual reality world.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for storing the position of the second graphical representation for visual display, relative to a position of a preexisting graphical representations for display in the second hierarchical data structure, on a computer-readable storage media.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for displaying a context-sensitive pop-up menu, based on the set of data and based on an authorization level, when a cursor is placed near the second graphical representation for visual display.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for obtaining the set of data in the first hierarchical data structure through a channel.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for reporting an exception associated with the set of data in the first hierarchical data structure by altering the second graphical representation for visual display of the link.

17. A computer system comprising a display, a central processor, a graphics processor, a memory, an input device, and a graphical user interface, wherein:

the memory has a first hierarchical data structure and a separate second hierarchical data structure, the first hierarchical data structure having a set of data;

the graphical user interface requests the set of data;

the graphics processor receives the set of data in response to requesting the set of data;

the graphics processor displays the set of data as a first graphical representation for visual display;

the central processor creates a link to a subset of the set of data;

the graphics processor converts the link to a second graphical representation for visual display;

the central processor places the link into a position in the separate second hierarchical data structure, based on input from the graphical user interface;

the graphics processor displays the second graphical representation for visual display in the context of the second hierarchical data structure, based upon the position of the link in the second hierarchical data structure.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the second graphical representation inherits an attribute of a preexisting graphical representation for visual display in the second hierarchical data structure.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the central processor and the graphics processor are the same processor.

20. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the set of data contains a representation of a three-dimensional animation.

21. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the set of data contains a representation of a virtual reality world.

22. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the position of the second graphical representation for visual display of the link, relative to a position of a preexisting graphical representation for visual display in the second hierarchical data structure, is stored on computer-readable storage media.

23. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the graphics processor creates a context-sensitive pop-up menu, based on the subset of the set of data and based on an authorization level, when a cursor is placed near the second graphical representation.

24. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the graphics processor receives the set of data through a channel.

25. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the central processor reports an exception associated with the subset of the set of data by having the graphics processor alter the second graphical representation for visual display of the link.

26. A method of displaying and linking data organized in a first hierarchical data structure, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a set of data in the context of the first hierarchical data structure;

(b) selecting a subset of the set of data;

(c) creating a link to the subset of the set of data;

(d) placing the link into a position in a separate second hierarchical data structure;

(e) converting the link to a graphical representation for visual display; and

(f) displaying the graphical representation for visual display of the link in the context of the separate second hierarchical data structure, the graphical representation being based upon the position of the link in the second hierarchical data structure.

27. The method of displaying and linking data of claim 26, wherein the set of data contains a representation of a three-dimensional animation.

28. The method of displaying and linking data of claim 26, wherein the set of data contains a representation of a virtual reality world.

29. The method of displaying and linking data of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

storing the position of the graphical representation for visual display of the link, relative to a position of a preexisting graphical representation for visual display in the second hierarchical data structure, on computer-readable storage media.

30. The method of displaying and linking data of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

displaying a context-sensitive pop-up menu, based on the subset of the set of data and based on an authorization level, when a cursor is placed near the graphical representation for visual display of the link in the second hierarchical data structure.

31. The method of displaying and linking data of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

obtaining the set of data in the first hierarchical data structure through a channel.

32. The method of displaying and linking data of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

reporting an exception associated with the subset of the set of data by altering the graphical representation for visual display of the link in the second hierarchical data structure.

33. A method of displaying and interacting with a link to a set of data in an R/3 system, the set of data being organized in a first hierarchical data structure, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) requesting, from an R/3 graphical user interface on a computer, provision of the set of data, the set of data being in said first hierarchical data structure;

(b) receiving in said computer the requested set of data;

(c) converting said set of data to a first graphical representation for visual display;

(d) displaying said first graphical representation for visual display of the set of data in a first lens on said R/3 graphical user interface;

(e) creating a link to a subset of said set of data;

(f) placing said link into a position in a separate second hierarchical data structure; and

(g) converting said link to a second graphical representation for visual display in a user favorites screen

(h) displaying said second graphical representation for visual display in the user favorites screen, based upon the position of the link in said separate second hierarchical data structure.