US 6,208,344 B1Granted

System and process for manipulating and viewing hierarchical iconic containers

AssigneeNCR Corporation

InventorsThomas G. Holzman, Dick S. Amin

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Abstract

This invention provides graphical user interface mechanisms for grouping and viewing data elements in a manner analogous to the way in which their physical world counterparts would interact. A system is provided by which users manipulate a pointing device (e.g., mouse, trackball, or touch screen monitor) to position iconic representations of data elements in a graphical representation of space (e.g., on an electronic map). If one icon is placed on top of another one that is an allowable container for the moved icon (i.e., that can be a parent data element for the data element represented by the moved icon), the moved icon disappears from immediate view and is placed inside the container. The contents of container icons can be viewed by placing the graphical pointer on top of them, resulting in the “blow-up” of those icons so that iconic and textual descriptions of their child data elements are displayed. Additionally, users can drill down on any container icon to display its properties and those of its child data elements by performing a selection action (e.g., left mouse button click) on that container icon.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A user interface system for use with a multi-level hierarchical data structure, the multi-level hierarchical data structure including at least one child data element and apparent data elements at a next higher level, and wherein each child data element may include positioning coordinates relative to its parent data element, the user interface system comprising:

(a) display means for displaying to a user of the user interface system a first set of iconic representations, each of the first set of iconic representations corresponding to one of the parent data elements at a selected level of the multi-level hierarchical structure, and each of the first set of iconic representations being positioned on the display means at a selected location correspond to the parent data element's associated coordinates;
(b) pointing means coupled to the video display for visually pointing to a selected one of the first set of iconic representations displayed by the display means;
(c) means, responsive to the pointing means for directing the display means to display a second set of iconic representations at the selected coordinates, each of the second set of iconic representations corresponding to one of the child data elements associated with the parent data element corresponding to the selected one of the first set of iconic representations;
and
(d) means for establishing what data elements corresponding to iconic representations are allowed to be parents or children of other data elements corresponding to iconic representations.

2 more elements

In a user interface system for use with a multi-level hierarchical data structure, the multi-level hierarchical data structure including at least one child data element and apparent data elements at a next higher level, and wherein each child data element may include positioning coordinates relative to its parent data element, a process comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying to a user of the user interface system a first set of iconic representations, each of the first set of iconic representations corresponding to one of the parent data elements at a selected level of the multi-level hierarchical structure, and each of the first set of iconic representations being positioned on the display means at a selected location correspond to the parent data element's associated coordinates;
(b) inputting a signal from a user of the user interface system corresponding to a selected one of the first set of iconic representations displayed in step (a);
(c) responsive to the pointing means, displaying to the user of the user interface system a second set of iconic representations at the selected coordinates, each of the second set of iconic representations corresponding to one of the child data elements associated with the parent data element corresponding to the selected one of the first set of iconic representations;
and
(d) establishing what data elements corresponding to iconic representations are allowed to be parents or children of other data elements corresponding to iconic representations.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.