System and method for focusing a view of data on a selected subset

• US 8,341,545 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2008
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Hebard, Emily W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAN, ALVIN H
• Application Number:
  US12/043,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 715/768, 715/860
• US Class Current: 715/786
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A system, method and graphical user interface for focusing a view of displayed data upon a subset of the data. In a view of multiple values, fields, objects or other data, a subset of the data is selected because it has changed, because it is associated with a recommended action, because it warrants a user'"'"'s attention, or for some other reason. The remaining data is then masked or covered with a semi-transparent layer that suppresses the data and obscures any highlighting, emphasis or other complexity among the covered data. The user'"'"'s attention is thus focused upon the selected subset of data without increasing the cognitive load forced on the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of displaying data, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of data objects;

detecting modifications to the plurality of data objects;

determining a significance of each detected modification;

selecting a subset of data objects within the plurality of data objects based on the determined significance of each detected modification;

masking all but the selected subset of data objects with a semi-transparent mask, wherein masking involves removing highlighting and distinguishing characteristics among the masked data objects, wherein the highlighting and distinguishing characteristics include at least one of;

underlining and bolding; and

enabling a user viewing the plurality of data objects to alter the masked data objects during said masking.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one modification is performed on a computer system other than a computer system on which the plurality of data objects is displayed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises:

identifying information that warrants attention of a user, wherein the selected subset of data objects is associated with the identified information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises:

identifying action to recommend to a first user viewing the plurality of data objects, wherein the selected subset of data objects is associated with the identified action.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said identifying comprises:

examining a pattern of previous activity of the first user with the plurality of data objects that occurred prior to said displaying of the plurality of data objects; and

from multiple possible actions the first user may initiate, anticipating from said pattern which of the possible actions is to be initiated.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said identifying comprises:

examining a pattern of previous activity with the plurality of data objects by a set of users other than the first user; and

from multiple possible actions the first user may initiate, selecting an action representative of said pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises:

detecting an error within the selected subset of data objects or information associated with the selected subset of data objects.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of said plurality of data objects corresponds to input from stimuli external to a program comprising the method of displaying data; and

said detecting comprises detecting a change to one or more of the external stimuli corresponding to the subset of data objects.

9. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of displaying data, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of data objects;

detecting modifications to the plurality of data objects;

determining a significance of each detected modification;

selecting a subset of data objects within the plurality of data objects based on the determined significance of each detected modification; and

masking all but the selected subset of data objects with a semi-transparent mask, wherein masking involves removing highlighting and distinguishing characteristics among the masked data objects, wherein the highlighting and distinguishing characteristics include at least one of;

underlining and bolding.

10. A computer system, comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

computer-readable media encoded with program code to be executed by the one or more computer processors, including;

first program code configured to display data on a display component of the computer system;

second program code configured to detect modifications to the displayed data;

third program code configured to determine a significance of each detected modification;

fourth program code configured to select a subset of the displayed data based on the determined significance of each detected modification; and

fifth program code configured to mask the displayed data with a semi-transparent mask, except for the selected subset, wherein masking involves removing highlighting and distinguishing characteristics among data masked by said semi-transparent mask, wherein the highlighting and distinguishing characteristics include at least one of;

underlining and bolding;

wherein said semi-transparent mask allows a user to view the displayed data but focuses attention of the user on the selected subset of the displayed data; and

wherein the data masked by said semi-transparent mask is editable by the user.

11. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising sixth program code configured to select the subset of data based on a historical pattern of user activity with the data that occurred prior to the current display of the data.

12. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising sixth program code configured to analyze information associated with the displayed data and identify a recommended action for the user;

wherein the selected subset of data is associated with the recommended action.