Method for indication and navigating related items

• US 7,631,276 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2003
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Li-Te, Rueckner, Devon J., Gruen, Daniel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIENER, ERIC A
• Application Number:
  US10/745,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: 715/784, 715/787, 715790-797, 715/817, 715/775, 715/752, 715/521, 715/973, 715/520, 715/712, 715/776, 715/777, 715/828, 715853-856, 715818-820
• US Class Current: 715/837
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method is provided to enable a user to quickly identify related items in a list environment. A relationship icon is used to identify the presence of related items, such as email messages, occurring before and after a selected item. The relationship icon is used to navigate between the related items.

Claims

1. A method for indicating relationships and navigating among items in a graphical user interface using a relationship icon, the method comprising:

allowing a user to select an item from a list of items presented in the graphical user interface;

determining one or more items in said list of items that are related to said selected item, wherein the one or more related items may include previous items occurring before the selected item and future items occurring after the selected item;

providing an icon, in response to determining items related to said selected item, indicating that there are one or more related items, wherein the icon comprises a first portion representing a clump of the previous items, a second portion representing said selected item, and a third portion representing a clump of the future items; and

in response to the user selecting the icon, moving directly from said selected item to said one or more related items in the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing indicia associated with said one or more related items indicating said one or more related items are related to said selected item.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein providing said indicia comprises highlighting the one or more related items.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said icon provides an indication of the number of said one or more related items occurring after said selected item and the number of said one or more related items occurring before said selected item.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a pop-up list of said one or more related items in response to a user hovering an input device over said icon; and

allowing a user to select an item from said one or more related items.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said icon is displayed without said list of items when a user is viewing said selected item.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said icon may have a color that indicates the status of said one or more related items.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein providing said icon comprises providing a backward navigation portion that allows navigating from said selected item to one or more of said related items occurring after said selected item and providing a forward navigation portion that allows navigating to one or more of said related items occurring before said selected item.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is displayed on a handheld portable device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the user can move directly from said selected item to said one or more related items without the user having to scroll therebetween.

11. A method for indicating relationships and navigating among items in a graphical user interface using a relationship icon, the method comprising:

presenting a list of items in the graphical user interface;

receiving a user selection for an item from the list of items;

determining one or more items in said list of items that are related to said selected item, wherein the one or more related items may include previous items occurring before the selected item and future items occurring after the selected item;

providing an icon, in response to determining items related to said selected item, indicating that there are one or more related items, wherein the icon comprises a first portion representing a clump of the previous items, a second portion representing said selected item, and a third portion representing a clump of the future items; and

in response to the user selecting the icon, moving directly from said selected item to said one or more related items in the graphical user interface.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing indicia associated with said one or more related items indicating said one or more related items are related to said selected item.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein providing said indicia comprises highlighting the one or more related items.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said icon provides an indication of the number of said one or more related items occurring after said selected item and the number of said one or more related items occurring before said selected item.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing a pop-up list of said one or more related items in response to a user hovering an input device over said icon; and

allowing a user to select an item from said one or more related items.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said icon is displayed without said list of items when a user is viewing said selected item.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said icon may have a color that indicates the status of said one or more related items.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein providing said icon comprises providing a backward navigation portion that allows navigating from said selected item to one or more of said related items occurring after said selected item and providing a forward navigation portion that allows navigating to one or more of said related items occurring before said selected item.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the graphical user interface is displayed on a handheld portable device.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the user can move directly from said selected item to said one or more related items without the user having to scroll therebetween.