Display system and method for displaying change time information relating to data stored on a database

• US 6,747,677 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Millmore, Martin John
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu D.
• Application Number:
  US09/866,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20020180794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 345/764, 345/772, 345/810, 345/440, 345/771, 345/966, 345/968
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A display system and method for displaying information relating to data stored on a database. The system comprises a processor for obtaining information relating to data stored on a database, the information defining times at which the data changed. The processor generates display control signals to cause the display to generate an elongate display element extending along a time axis and which exhibits indicia defining the times of occurrence of changes in the data.

Claims

1. A display system for displaying information relating to data stored on a database, the system comprising a processor for obtaining information relating to data stored on a database, the information defining times at which the data changed, and for generating display control signals to cause a display to generate an elongate display element extending along a time axis and which exhibits indicia defining the times of occurrence of changes in the data;

wherein the processor causes the elongate display element to define a portion of a total time period represented by the data in the database and wherein the processor causes the elongate display element to include an indication, where appropriate, that no further changes in the data occur at times which are not displayed.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor causes adjacent sections of the elongate display element on either side of a data change to have different colours.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to redisplay the elongate display element, in response to a user command, based on a date defined by the user command.

4. A system claim 3, wherein the processor causes the elongate display element to be redisplayed centered on the date defined by the user command.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein the processor is adapted to determine the date with respect to which the elongate display element is to be displayed from a position along the currently displayed elongate display element indicated by the user.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the said position along the currently displayed elongate display element indicated by the user is generated by means of a pointer icon.

7. A system according to claim 6, the system further including a mouse for controlling the position of the pointer icon.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is adapted to display date information alongside the elongate display element.

9. A display system according to claim 1, further comprising a display on which the elongate display element is displayed.

10. A method of displaying information relating to data stored on a database, the method comprising obtaining information relating to data stored on the database, the information defining times at which the data changed, and displaying on a display an elongate display element extending along a time axis and which exhibits indicia defining the times of occurrence of changes in the data;

wherein the elongate display element defines a portion of a total time period represented by the data in the database and further comprising causing the elongate display element to include an indication, where appropriate, that no further changes in the data occur at times which are not displayed.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the data relates to a common field type.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein adjacent sections of the elongate display element on either side of a data change have different colours.

13. A method according to claim 10, further comprising causing the elongate display element to be redisplayed, in response to a user command, based on a date defined by the user command.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the elongate display element is redisplayed centered on the date defined by the user command.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising indicating a position along the currently displayed elongate display element to define the date with respect to which the elongate display element is to be redisplayed.

16. A method according to claim 10, further comprising displaying date information alongside the elongate display element.