Method and system for cellular text processor and display

• US 9,977,772 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mehrdad Samadani
• Original Assignee: Mehrdad Samadani
• Inventors: Samadani, Mehrdad
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Thu
• Application Number:
  US14/492,034
• Time in Patent Office: 1,339 Days
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/189 Automatic justification

Abstract

Methods and systems for organizing information in a grid. Aspects of this grid may be easily manipulated via user interface operations. This grid may be easily manipulated to create or edit a hierarchy. Grid elements may be expanded or collapsed alternatively to show or hide hidden elements. A canvas may contain objects that may be easily moved and/or repositioned via user interface operations.

Claims

1. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:

storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread;

transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data;

storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including four or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the four or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell,

wherein each row is either a parent row, a child row, or both a child row and a parent row;

wherein, for each child row, the data structure includes a digital representation of one or more parent-child associations from a parent row to a child row;

wherein the four or more rows represented within the data structure include a first parent row, a second parent row, a first child row, and a second child row;

wherein the parent-child associations include an association from the first parent row to the first child row, and an association from the first child row to the second child row; and

wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface generated by an electronic display as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units;

moving a cell CU containing a cellular information unit to any other position in one of the two or more columns or one of the four or more rows; and

changing the memory (modification M) by a processor to replace the digital representation of the association from the first parent row to the first child row by a digital representation of an association from the second parent row to the first child row,

wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal associating the second parent row with the first child row on the graphical user interface; and

wherein, the parent-child association from the first child row to the second child row is maintained after the modification M is performed; and

changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M1) to change the data structure to comprise a representation of a target cell X associated with a position P′

in the grid and comprising a sequence S′

of zero or a plurality of characters; and

wherein, prior to the modification M1, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell X, or (ii) the target cell X includes a sequence S of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence S is different from the sequence S′

, or (iii) the target cell X is associated with a position P in the grid, wherein P is different from P′

;

wherein, prior to the modification M1, the data structure includes a representation of a source cell Z1 comprising a sequence W_Z1 of a plurality of characters; and

wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of;

(a) dragging a visual representation of a sequence W1 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W1 is a subsequence selected from the sequence W_Z1 in the source cell Z1, wherein the source cell Z1 is different from the target cell X; and

(b) dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal comprising dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, prior to the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes a cell C1 and a cell C2, wherein the cells C1 and C2 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid;

and

wherein, after the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes the cell C1 and the cell C2 and the target cell X; and

wherein, after the modification M1, the cells C1 and C2 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position P′

of the target cell X is in between the position of the cell C1 and the position of the cell C2.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal comprising dragging a visual representation of the sequence W1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, prior to the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes a cell C3 and a cell C4, wherein the cells C3 and C4 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid;

and

wherein, after modification M1, the plurality of cells includes the cell C3 and the cell C4 and the target cell X; and

wherein, after modification M1, the cells C3 and C4 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position P′

of the target cell X is in between the position of the cell C3 and the position of the cell C4.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M2), wherein, after the modification M2, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell Y associated with a position Q′

in the grid, the target cell Y including a sequence T′

of zero or a plurality of characters; and

wherein, prior to the modification M2, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell Y, or (ii) the target cell Y includes a sequence T of zero or more characters, wherein the sequence T is different from the sequence T′

, or (iii) the target cell Y is associated with a position Q in the grid, wherein Q is different from Q′

; and

wherein, prior to the modification M1, the data structure includes a representation of a source cell Z3 comprising a sequence W_Z3 of a plurality of characters; and

wherein the modification M2 is performed in response to a user input signal dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z3 from one location to another on the graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, prior to the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes a cell C5 and a cell C6, wherein the cells C5 and C6 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid;

and

wherein, after the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes the cell C5 and the cell C6 and the target cell X; and

wherein, after the modification M1, the cells C5 and C6 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position P′

of the target cell X is in between the position of C5 and the position of C6; and

wherein, prior to the modification M2, the plurality of cells includes a cell C7 and a cell C8, wherein the cells C7 and C8 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid; and

wherein, after the modification M2, the plurality of cells includes the cell C7 and the cell C8 and the target cell Y; and

wherein, after the modification M2, the cells C7 and C8 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position Q′

of the target cell Y is in between the position of the cell C7 and the position of the cell C8.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, prior to modification M2, cell Z3 comprises a sequence W3 of zero or more human readable characters;

and

wherein, after modification M2, cell Y comprises a sequence T′

of zero or more characters, wherein T′

is different from W3.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, prior to modification M2, cell Z3 comprises a sequence W3 of one or more human readable characters;

and

wherein, prior to modification M2, cell Y comprises a sequence T of one or more human readable characters; and

wherein, after modification M2, cell Y comprises a sequence T′

of two or more human readable characters; and

wherein sequence T′

comprises either;

(i) both T and W3, or (ii) T1, W3, and T2, in that order, where T1 and T2 are subsequences of T.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein, after modification M1, cell X comprises a sequence S′

of zero or more characters, wherein S′

is different from W1.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein, after modification M1, cell X comprises a sequence S′

of one or more characters, wherein S′

is the same as W1; and

wherein, prior to modification M1, either (i) the data structure does not comprise a representation of X, or (ii) X comprises a sequence S of one or more characters, wherein S is different from S′

.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein, the four or more rows represented within data structure D comprise a row R1, a row R2, and a row R3;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

hiding R3 such that its visual representation is not displayed on the graphical user interface, and R1 and R2 are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as being adjacent to each other; and

displaying on the graphical user interface a visual element that, when selected, will cause the visual representation of R3 to be displayed on the graphical user interface such that the visual representations for R1 and R2 are no longer adjacent on the graphical user interface, and are separated from one another by the visual representation of R3; and

changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M3),

wherein, after the modification M3, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell A including a sequence U′

of one or more characters; and

wherein, prior to the modification M3, either (i) the data structure does not comprise a representation of the target cell A, or (ii) the target cell A includes a sequence U of zero or more characters, wherein the sequence U is different from the sequence U′

; and

wherein, prior to the modification M3, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z4 comprising a sequence W_Z4 of one or more characters, wherein the source cell Z4 is different from the target cell A; and

wherein, prior to the modification M3, a visual representation of the source cell Z4 on the graphical user interface comprises a cursor for user input, wherein the sequence of characters on at least one side of the cursor comprises a subsequence W4 selected from the sequence W_Z4, wherein the subsequence W4 is determined in part by the position of the cursor relative to a visual representation of the sequence W_Z4 on the graphical user interface, and wherein W4 has fewer characters than W_Z4; and

wherein U′

comprises a sequence S_W of characters that is substantially similar to the subsequence W4, wherein U is different from S_W; and

wherein, after the modification M3, the source cell Z4 does not include the subsequence W4; and

wherein the modification M3 is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of;

(a) selecting via a gesture or a pointing device an area on the graphical user interface; and

(b) pressing a simultaneous combination of one or more keys,

buttons, or switches on a user input device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the cell CU is performed in response to a user input signal comprising dragging a visual representation of a sequence of one or more characters of human-readable text from the cellular information unit of the cell CU.

14. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:

storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread;

transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data;

storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including three or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the three or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell, wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units,

wherein the three or more rows represented within the data structure comprise a row R1, a row R2, and a row R3; and

hiding R3 such that its visual representation is not displayed on the graphical user interface, and R1 and R2 are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as being adjacent to each other; and

displaying on the graphical user interface a visual element that, when selected, will cause the visual representation of R3 to be displayed on the graphical user interface such that the visual representations for R1 and R2 are no longer adjacent on the graphical user interface, and are separated from one another by the visual representation of R3; and

changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M),

wherein, after the modification M, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell Y having a sequence T′

of zero or a plurality of characters; and

wherein, prior to the modification M, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell Y, or (ii) the target cell Y includes a sequence T of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence T is different from the sequence T′

;

wherein, prior to the modification M, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z including a sequence Wz of a plurality of characters; and

wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal dragging a visual representation of a sequence W of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W is a subsequence selected from the sequence Wz in the source cell Z, wherein W has fewer characters than Wz, and wherein source cell Z is different from the target cell Y.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, prior to the modification M, the plurality of cells includes a cell C1 and a cell C2, wherein the cells C1 and C2 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid;

and

wherein, after the modification M, the plurality of cells includes the cell C1 and the cell C2 and the target cell Y; and

wherein, after the modification M, the cells C1 and C2 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position of the target cell Y is in between the position of the cell C1 and the position of the cell C2.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the data structure D represents a grid including at least four rows,

wherein each row is either a parent row, a child row, or both a child row and a parent row;

wherein, for each child row, the data structure includes a digital representation of one or more parent-child associations from a parent row to a child row;

wherein the four or more rows represented within the data structure include a first parent row, a second parent row, a first child row, and a second child row;

wherein the parent-child associations include an association from the first parent row to the first child row, and an association from the first child row to the second child row; and

wherein the method further comprises;

changing the memory (modification M1) by a processor to replace the digital representation of the association from the first parent row to the first child row by a digital representation of an association from the second parent row to the first child row,

wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal associating the second parent row with the first child row on the graphical user interface; and

wherein, the parent-child association from the first child row to the second child row is maintained after the modification M1 is performed.

17. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:

storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread;

transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data;

storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including three or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the three or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell, wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units; and

changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M),

wherein, prior to the modification M, the plurality of cells includes a cell C1 and a cell C2, wherein the cells C1 and C2 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid; and

wherein, after the modification M, the plurality of cells includes the cell C1 and the cell C2 and a target cell X; and

wherein, after the modification M, the cells C1 and C2 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position of the target cell X is in between the position of the cell C1 and the position of the cell C2; and

wherein, prior to the modification M, the data structure includes a representation of a source cell Z1 including a sequence W_Z1 of one or more characters; and

wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of;

(a) dragging a visual representation of a sequence W1 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W1 is a subsequence selected from the sequence W_z1 in the source cell Z1, wherein the source cell Z1 is different from the target cell X; and

(b) dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface; and

changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M1),

wherein, after the modification M1, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell Y having a sequence T′

of zero or a plurality of characters; and

wherein, prior to the modification M1, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell Y, or (ii) the target cell Y includes a sequence T of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence T is different from the sequence T′

;

wherein, prior to the modification M1, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z2 including a sequence W_Z2 of a plurality of characters; and

wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal dragging a visual representation of a sequence W2 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W2 is a subsequence selected from the sequence W_Z2 in the source cell Z2, wherein W2 has fewer characters than W_Z2, and wherein source cell Z2 is different from the target cell Y.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal dragging a visual representation of a sequence W1 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface;

and

wherein, prior to the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes a cell C3 and a cell C4, wherein the cells C3 and C4 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid; and

wherein, after the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes the cell C3 and the cell C4 and the target cell Y; and

wherein, after the modification M1, the cells C3 and C4 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position of the target cell Y is in between the position of the cell C3 and the position of the cell C4.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data structure D represents a grid including at least four rows,

wherein each row is either a parent row, a child row, or both a child row and a parent row;

wherein, for each child row, the data structure includes a digital representation of one or more parent-child associations from a parent row to a child row;

wherein the four or more rows represented within the data structure include a first parent row, a second parent row, a first child row, and a second child row;

wherein the parent-child associations include an association from the first parent row to the first child row, and an association from the first child row to the second child row; and

wherein the method further comprises;

changing the memory (modification M2) by a processor to replace the digital representation of the association from the first parent row to the first child row by a digital representation of an association from the second parent row to the first child row,

wherein the modification M2 is performed in response to a user input signal associating the second parent row with the first child row on the graphical user interface; and

wherein, the parent-child association from the first child row to the second child row is maintained after the modification M2 is performed.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal dragging a visual representation of a cell from one location to another on the graphical user interface;

and

wherein, prior to the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes a cell C5 and a cell C6, wherein the cells C5 and C6 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid; and

wherein, after the modification M1, the plurality of cells includes the cell C5 and the cell C6 and the target cell Y; and

wherein, after the modification M1, the cells C5 and C6 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position of the target cell Y is in between the position of the cell C5 and the position of the cell C6.

21. A method of structured text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:

storing a block of textual data of human-readable characters organized in a linear thread;

transforming the linear thread of the block of textual data into separate cellular information units, each comprising a subsequence of characters of human-readable text from the block of textual data;

storing within a memory a data structure D representing a grid including three or more rows, two or more columns and a plurality of cells, each row having multiple cells of the plurality of cells and each column having multiple cells of the plurality of cells, some of the cells of the plurality of cells each containing a cellular information unit of the cellular information units, each cell being associated with a position in the grid in one of the two or more columns and one of the three or more rows and each cell containing a cellular information unit associated with a position in relation to at least one other cell containing a cellular information unit according to a relationship between the content of the cellular information units of the cell and the at least one other cell, wherein the rows are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as a sequence of visual cells, one or more cells displaying the cellular information units; and

changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M),

wherein, after the modification M, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell X associated with a position P′

in the grid, the target cell X including a sequence S′

of zero or a plurality of characters; and

wherein, prior to the modification M, either (i) the data structure does not include a representation of the target cell X, or (ii) the target cell X includes a sequence S of zero or a plurality of characters, wherein the sequence S is different from the sequence S′

, or (iii) the target cell X is associated with a position P in the grid, wherein P is different from P′

; and

wherein, prior to the modification M, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z1 comprising a sequence W_Z1 of a plurality of characters; and

wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of;

(a) dragging a visual representation of a sequence W1 of one or more characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface, wherein W1 is a subsequence selected from the sequence W_Z1 in the source cell Z1, wherein the source cell Z1 is different from the target cell X; and

(b) dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface; and

changing the memory to modify data structure D (modification M1),

wherein, after the modification M1, the data structure comprises a representation of a target cell Y including a sequence T′

of one or more characters; and

wherein, prior to the modification M1, either (i) the data structure does not comprise a representation of the target cell Y, or (ii) the target cell Y includes a sequence T of zero or more characters, wherein the sequence T is different from the sequence T′

; and

wherein, prior to the modification M1, the data structure comprises a representation of a source cell Z2 comprising a sequence W_Z2 of one or more characters, wherein the source cell Z2 is different from the target cell Y; and

wherein, prior to the modification M1, a visual representation of the source cell Z2 on the graphical user interface comprises a cursor for user input, wherein the sequence of characters on at least one side of the cursor comprises a subsequence W selected from the sequence W_Z2, wherein the subsequence W is determined in part by the position of the cursor relative to a visual representation of the sequence W_Z2 on the graphical user interface, and wherein W has fewer characters than W_Z2; and

wherein T′

comprises a sequence S_W of characters that is substantially similar to the subsequence W, wherein T is different from S_W; and

wherein, after the modification M1, the source cell Z2 does not include the subsequence W; and

wherein the modification M1 is performed in response to a user input signal selected from the group consisting of;

(a) selecting via a gesture or a pointing device an area on the graphical user interface; and

(b) pressing a simultaneous combination of one or more keys, buttons, or switches on a user input device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the modification M is performed in response to the user input signal comprising dragging the visual representation of the sequence W1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the modification M is performed in response to a user input signal comprising dragging a visual representation of the source cell Z1 from one location to another on the graphical user interface;

and

wherein, prior to the modification M, the plurality of cells includes a cell C1 and a cell C2, wherein the cells C1 and C2 are associated with adjacent positions in the grid; and

wherein, after the modification M, the plurality of cells includes the cell C1 and the cell C2 and the target cell X; and

wherein, after the modification M, the cells C1 and C2 are not associated with adjacent positions in the grid, and the position P′

of the target cell X is in between the position of the cell C1 and the position of the cell C2.