Graphical user interface for project data

• US 6,854,088 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spinoza Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Spinoza Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Flotree, David M., Kuhn, William G., Meuret, Henry L. III, Massengale, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US09/826,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20030137541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 345/763, 345/764, 345/772, 345/810, 707/100, 705/7
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063118 Staff planning in a project environment

Abstract

A project management display method and system in which a user logs on to a server from a client computer over a network to display a graphical interface associated with a project. The graphical interface allows the user to view, edit and navigate project data. The graphical interface includes a graphical object that looks similar to a radar screen. The radar screen further includes one or more design objects that provide to the user indicators to those objects that are most important. The indicators change color or position to indicate to the user the urgency associated with a project or task. The graphical interface provides the user the ability to edit project data and have those edits reflected through the graphical interface. The graphical interface also provides the user the ability to navigate through the displayed project and the radar screen view is update accordingly.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for displaying project status information, comprising:

a graphical display workspace having a generally central point; and

one or more graphical elements contained within the workspace and arrayed around the central point, wherein each graphical element represents a project attribute, and a position of the one or more elements within the workspace relative to the central point is indicative of a relative hierarchy of the project attribute within a series of project attributes in the project, wherein at least one element comprises at least one icon such that presence of the icon indicates that increased attention is due the project attribute associated with the element, the icon being defined by graphical components different than graphical components that define the associated graphical element.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the workspace comprises one or more concentric circles arrayed around the central point such that project attributes represented in a same concentric circle have a same relative hierarchy within the project.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 2, wherein the concentric circles are divided into one or more wedge-shaped segments such that a relative size of each of the segments is indicative of an attribute of a project or task.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 3, wherein the segments are colored to indicate an attribute of a project or task.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising an outer ring containing the name of a project or task.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a ring having a graphical progress bar that graphically represents the progress toward completion of a project or task.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a navigation area having a hierarchal list of iconic folders.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising an editing area having one or more editing panels for entering and editing projects and tasks.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein an attribute of the one or more icons is indicative of the status of a project or task.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the attribute of the one or more icons is icon size.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the attribute of the one or more icons is animation.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the attribute of the one or more icons is color.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the attribute of the one or more icons is sound.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the one or more icons are associated with an audible alarm that sounds when a threshold attentiveness level is reached.

15. A system for managing one or more projects comprising:

(a) a server having an associated memory for storing project data;

(b) a remote client capable of communicating with the server over a network; and

(c) a memory associated with the remote client containing stored program instructions that cause remote client to display a graphical interface, the graphical interface comprising;

(i) a graphical display workspace having a generally central point;

(ii) one or more graphical elements contained within the workspace and arrayed around the central point, wherein each graphical element represents a project attribute, and a position of the one or more elements within the workspace relative to the central point is indicative of a relative hierarchy of the project attribute within a series of project attributes in the project; and

(iii) each of the graphical elements describes an angular section around the central point such that the relative angular section of the graphical element is indicative of an attribute of the project element associated with the graphical element,

wherein at least one element comprises at least one icon such that presence of the icon indicates that increased attention is due the project attribute associated with the element, the icon being defined by graphical components different than graphical components that define the associated graphical element.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the workspace comprises one or more concentric circles arrayed around the central point such that project attributes represented in a same concentric circle have a same relative hierarchy within the project.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the concentric circles are divided into one or more wedge-shaped segments such that a relative size of each of the segments is indicative of an attribute of a project or task.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 17, wherein the segments are colored to indicate an attribute of a project or task.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 15, further comprising an outer ring containing the name of a project or task.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 15, further comprising a ring having a graphical progress bar that graphically represents the progress toward completion of a project or task.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 15, further comprising a navigation area having a hierarchal list of iconic folders.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 15, further comprising an editing area having one or more editing panels for entering and editing projects and tasks.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein an attribute of the one or more icons is indicative of the status of a project or task.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the attribute of the one or more icons is icon size.

25. The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the attribute of the one or more icons is animation.

26. The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the attribute of the one or more icons is color.

27. The graphical user interface of claim 15, wherein the attribute of the one or more icons is sound.

28. The system of claim 15, further comprising one or more users from one or more remote clients accessing the one or more projects to add, edit, or change one or more attributes of the projects or tasks.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more users grants access privileges to one or more other users.

30. A system for displaying project status information, comprising:

memory for storing project status information; and

a processor coupled to the memory and at least one of a public or private data network, the processor comprising;

a first component configured to receive project status information and store the project status information in the memory, the project status information includes information regarding tasks related to a project, the task information includes an importance value and a progress value;

a second component configured to display a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprises;

a radar screen configured to display one or more wedges, wherein each wedge is associated with a task and wherein the size of the wedge is based on the importance value; and

a detail panel editing area configured to allow a user to enter and edit the importance value, the progress value of a task and general task information; and

a third component configured to automatically change the size of a wedge if the importance value of the associated task has been changed;

a fourth component configured to allow a user to change the general task information;

a fifth component configured to display one or more alert icons, if the general task information meets a predefined alert criteria, wherein the alert icons are displayed in the wedge of an associated task;

a sixth component configured to automatically change the position of the alert icon in a wedge, if the general task information has changed relative to the predefined alert criteria.