Adaptive multi-line view user interface

• US 8,799,808 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Satterfield, Jesse Clay, Leukart, Richard Hank, Van Tilburg, Martijn E., Harris, Jensen M., Avery, William A., Wiedemann, Bruce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, DAEHO D
• Application Number:
  US10/851,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,728 Days
• Field of Search: 715/860, 715/764, 715/837, 715/711, 715/715, 715/816, 715/834, 715/864, 715/810, 715/835, 715/752, 715/963, 715/780, 715/762
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191

Abstract

An adaptive multi-line view user interface is provided that varies the manner in which data is displayed as the size of the user interface is changed. As the available horizontal space in the user interface becomes too small to display the text or data on a given display line, the data is rearranged to fit the available space. Text or data that will be truncated as the width of the user interface is decreased is moved to a separate display line beneath the line in which the truncated text or data was previously displayed. A maximum number of lines may be specified for displaying text or data. After the maximum number of lines is reached, additional text or data truncated by narrowing the width of the user interface is not displayed. The displayed lines of text or data may be displayed according to a progressively lighter font from line to line so that lines at or near the top of a given displayed text or data record are darker and more readily draw the attention of a reader.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information in a variable size user interface, the method comprising:

disposing a first field in a first line of at least one information record of a plurality of displayed information records;

disposing a second field in the first line of the at least one information record, the second field conveying at least one of;

a time and a date associated with the at least one information record in a best fit format, the best fit format being dependent on an age of the at least one information record, wherein disposing the second field further comprises;

displaying the best fit format to specify an hour and minute representation of the time associated with the at least one information record when the at least one information record is no more than one day old,

displaying the best fit format to specify a day of the week along with the hour and minute representation of the time associated with the at least one information record when the at least one information record was received earlier in a current week,

displaying the best fit format to specify the day of the week along with a month and a day associated with the at least one information record when the at least one information record was received in a previous week, and

displaying the best fit format to specify the month, the day, and a year associated with the at least one information record when the at least one information record was received in a previous month;

grouping information-records of the plurality of displayed information records having a same best fit format;

displaying the grouped information-records with the same best fit format under a header that conveys the age of the at least one information record;

truncating the data of the at least one information record as a size of the user interfaces decreases, wherein truncating the data of the at least one information record comprises truncating an entire data field;

displaying at least one additional line for the at least one information record; and

displaying, within the at least one additional line, the truncated data field.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disposing a type icon along a left side of the first line of the at least one information record, the type icon representing a type of the at least one information record.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disposing a record ordering button along an upper right side of the user interface for selectively ordering the display of at least two information records according to a reversing of a selected record ordering property.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the time and date includes displaying a time associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information record is one of:

sent and received at a current date.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the time and date includes displaying a time and day associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information-record was one of:

sent and received a day before a current date.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the time and date includes displaying a time and day associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information-record was one of:

sent and received within a week associated with a current date.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the time and date includes displaying a day and month associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information-record was one of:

sent and received within a previous week relative to a current date.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the time and date includes displaying a day, month and year associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information-record was one of:

sent and received within a previous month relative to a current date.

9. A system for displaying information in a variable size user interface, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

dispose a first field in a first line of at least one information record of a plurality of displayed information records;

dispose a second field in the first line of the at least one information record, the second field conveying at least one of;

a time and a date associated with the at least one information record in a best fit format, the best fit format being dependent on an age of the at least one information record, wherein the processing unit being operative to dispose the second field further comprises the processing unit being operative to;

display the best fit format to specify an hour and minute representation of the time associated with the at least one information record when the at least one information record is no more than one day old,

display the best fit format to specify a day of the week along with the hour and minute representation of the time associated with the at least one information record when the at least one information record was received earlier in a current week,

display the best fit format to specify the day of the week along with a month and a day associated with the at least one information record when the at least one information record was received in a previous week, and

display the best fit format to specify the month, the day, and a year associated with the at least one information record when the at least one information record was received in a previous month;

group information-records of the plurality of displayed information records having a same best fit format;

display the grouped information-records with the same best fit format under a header that conveys the age of the at least one information record;

truncate the data of the at least one information record as a size of the user interfaces decreases, wherein the processing unit being operative to truncate the data of the at least one information record comprises the processing unit being operative to truncate an entire data field;

display at least one additional line for the at least one information record; and

display, within the at least one additional line, the truncated data field.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit is further operative to dispose a type icon along a left side of the first line of the at least one information record, the type icon representing a type of the at least one information record.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit is further operative to dispose a record ordering button along an upper right side of the user interface for selectively ordering the display of at least two information records according to a reversing of a selected record ordering property.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit being operative to display the time and date comprises the processing unit being operative to display a time associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information record is one of:

sent and received at a current date.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit being operative to display the time and date comprises the processing unit being operative to display a time and day associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information record was one of:

sent and received a day before a current date.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit being operative to display the time and date comprises the processing unit being operative to display a time and day associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information record was one of:

sent and received within a week associated with a current date.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit being operative to display the time and date comprises the processing unit being operative to display a day and month associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information record was one of:

sent and received within a previous week relative to a current date.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing unit being operative to display the time and date comprises the processing unit being operative to display a day, month and year associated with the at least one information record if the at least one information record was one of:

sent and received within a previous month relative to a current date.