Computer system and method for controlling the same utilizing an abstraction stack with a sequence of predetermined display formats
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorGeorge Francis DeStefano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer system and method of controlling the same in which an abstraction stack is sequenced through a number of predetermined display formats to facilitate user comprehension of a body of knowledge. An abstraction stack is utilized to present information from a body of knowledge in a three-dimensional workspace to facilitate user comprehension and management of both the specific information in the body of knowledge, as well as the contextual relationships of the information within the body of knowledge as a whole. Moreover, a number of predetermined display formats are defined for the abstraction stack to permit the presentation of information to a user to be optimized throughout a sequence of predefined steps.
Claims32
A method of presenting information from a body of knowledge to a user on a computer display, the body of knowledge stratified into a plurality of levels of abstraction and including a plurality of information elements associated with the plurality of levels of abstraction, the method comprising:
- (a) displaying an abstraction stack on the computer display in a three-dimensional workspace, the abstraction stack having associated therewith a predetermined sequence of steps, each step defining a predetermined display format for the abstraction stack, each predetermined display format specifying at least one of a position in the body of knowledge and a lens configuration for the abstraction stack, each lens configuration specifying at least one lens configured to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge;
- (b) at a first predetermined step in the sequence of steps, configuring the abstraction stack to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge in the predetermined display format defined by the first predetermined step;
- and
- (c) in response to a transition to a second step in the sequence of steps that specifies a different lens configuration from that specified by the first step, reconfiguring the lens configuration for the abstraction stack to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge in the predetermined display format defined by the second predetermined step.
A computer system configured to present information from a body of knowledge to a user, the body of knowledge stratified into a plurality of levels of abstraction and including a plurality of information elements associated with the plurality of levels of abstraction, the computer system comprising:
- (a) a computer display;
- and
- (b) a processor, coupled to the computer display, the processor configured to (1) display an abstraction stack on the computer display in a three-dimensional workspace, the abstraction stack having associated therewith a predetermined sequence of steps, each step defining a predetermined display format for the abstraction stack, each predetermined display format specifying at least one of a position in the body of knowledge and a lens configuration for the abstraction stack, each lens configuration specifying at least one lens configured to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge;
- (2) at a first predetermined step in the sequence of steps, to configure the abstraction stack to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge in the predetermined display format defined by the first predetermined step;
- and (3) in response to a transition to a second step in the sequence of steps that specifies a different lens configuration from that specified by the first step, to reconfigure the lens configuration for the abstraction stack to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge in the predetermined display format defined by the second predetermined step.
A program product, comprising:
- (a) a program configured to perform a method of presenting information from a body of knowledge to a user on a computer display, the body of knowledge stratified into a plurality of levels of abstraction and including a plurality of information elements associated with the plurality of levels of abstraction, the method comprising:
- (1) displaying an abstraction stack on the computer display in a three-dimensional workspace, the abstraction stack having associated therewith a predetermined sequence of steps, each step defining a predetermined display format for the abstraction stack, each predetermined display format specifying at least one of a position in the body of knowledge and a lens configuration for the abstraction stack, each lens configuration specifying at least one lens configured to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge;
- (2) at a first predetermined step in the sequence of steps, configuring the abstraction stack to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge in the predetermined display format defined by the first predetermined step;
- and
- (3) in response to a transition to a second step in the sequence of steps that specifies a different lens configuration from that specified by the first step, reconfiguring the lens configuration for the abstraction stack to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge in the predetermined display format defined by the second predetermined step;
- and
- (b) a signal bearing media bearing the program.
A method of creating a presentation of information from a body of knowledge, the body of knowledge stratified into a plurality of levels of abstraction and including a plurality of information elements associated with the plurality of levels of abstraction, the method comprising:
- (a) defining a sequence of steps;
- and
- (b) for each step in the sequence of steps, defining a predetermined display format for an abstraction stack to be displayed to an end user, each predetermined display format specifying at least one of a position in the body of knowledge and a lens configuration for the abstraction stack, the lens configuration specifying at least one lens configured to display at least a portion of the body of knowledge, wherein the sequence of steps includes at least first and second steps that specify different lens configurations such that a transition between the first and second steps results in reconfiguration of the lens configuration for the abstraction stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.