JP2001523853A - System and method for displaying data from multiple data sources in near real time - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A display system receives data from one or more data sources via a server, and receives data from one or more data sources selected by a user. Display data. The user can activate multiple data sources at once, and preferably can simultaneously view data from at least two of the active data sources. At least a portion of the display can be dragged and dropped into any of the resulting "panes". Furthermore, if desired, various applications can be run simultaneously in each pane, regardless of whether they are pre-defined suit applications.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of computer system display. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for displaying data published in near real time from various computer systems and networks such as the Internet.

[0002]

[Prior art]

The availability of sophisticated computer systems and networks has made it possible to send and receive large amounts of data, such as news and financial market data, from a variety of sources. In many cases, this data is very important in business operations and decisions. For example, a broker can obtain news and financial data about a company or group of companies almost instantaneously, input that data into a financial software application, and make trading decisions based on the output. is necessary. This requires a computer application that can quickly and efficiently acquire and display large amounts of data from various data sources. The application also preferably allows the user to filter out unnecessary information or develop desired information, and also supports the execution of other applications in the application.

[0003] Proponents of the application say that "push" from local newspapers and various Internet sources such as CNN, CNNfn, Time, Reuters, PR Newswire, Sportsticker, Accuweather (see below for an explanation of this term) Commercial applications exist that display news, financial data and other information on a computer. For example, an application dynamically displays news headlines, stock information, industry updates, world weather information, sports scores, and the like on a computer screen. To obtain this information, the user runs the application and requests a download of the latest information. This information is then retrieved from various Internet sources. The computer screen displays window buttons, each representing a different source, such as CNN or weather. The user selects a channel by clicking on the desired button, whereby another window displays several lines of information, such as news headlines, related to the selected channel. The user can then select a single heading,
The entire news is displayed in a third window.

Another application is said to use “push” technology. In this "push" technology, data is broadcast to home computers via the Internet, cable TV systems, and even broadcast signals. In this application, information is acquired by a computer at predictable or off-peak times and stored on the computer's hard disk for later viewing to handle time-consuming modem connections. Although this technique does not actually speed up the modem connection, the overall browsing operation appears to be faster because the information can be fetched more quickly from the computer's hard disk.

[0005] Also, a third application is where a computer client communicates via a Dow Jones, Reuters, Bridge, financial exchange, Internet or intranet, either through a market data platform connector, a direct data supply connector, or a web connector. And so on, to receive information from various sources. Before reaching the client computer, the data can pass through and be processed by an application server that provides financial analysis, message exchange, financial modeling and graphing to add value to the data. . The client computer displays financial data in multiple window pages. At this time, each window can be adjusted in size and format, and each page can be set by the user (in addition,
None of the above applications are listed only in the technical background and are not considered prior art with respect to the present invention).

[0006] As can be seen from the above description, the concept of loosely defined "push" content as a universal approach to information overload is of great interest.
The rhetoric in favor of this technology has been impressive, but the products currently offered are not enough to solve any of the real business problems. At present, the market has not yet provided a convenient and usable application that addresses the specific needs of the user. In addition, a closer look at popular, so-called "push" products reveals the following fundamental drawbacks in areas such as timeliness of content distribution, information representation, network usage, and application management.

[0007]

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

First, the delivery of information to the applications described above is less efficient or effective than required, even when data is hypothetically "pushed" from the source to the computer. This is because those applications that use the so-called "push" technology do not use more than a timed pull (send information at predetermined time intervals). In other words, the data server is contacted periodically (typically less than once an hour) or at the client's request, and once connected, the client is contacted with updated news information. Download In many cases, especially when data changes occur frequently and over a wide area, this very inefficient method of delivering data wastes network bandwidth. It consists of (1) a large amount of information that the user does not want or see, is automatically pulled to the computer, and (2) when the information is updated, not only incremental changes, but also This is because the entire page must be pulled again. Regarding timeliness, the time setting pull system is also ineffective, as it cannot receive near real-time information.

[0008] Furthermore, even when data is received by the client, its display is also inefficient and ineffective. Commercial displays have unnecessary icons and toolbars, waste valuable "real estate" on the screen, and if they have multiple windows, they may partially or completely overlap each other, Inefficient. Also, their display is a required inefficiency because it does not provide the functionality desired by the user to process the data simply and quickly. For example, any of the current displays allows the user to easily and quickly create a sub-window of the desired dimensions and run an application in that sub-window that drags and drops data from the selected channel to that window It is not.

For the above reasons, efficient use of screen space avoids those problems, allows the user to subdivide the screen space into sub-windows as appropriate for the user, and further allows for selection by the user. There is a need for a display system that allows users to run applications in their sub-windows, even if the applications are not from a single group (suite) of applications.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to allow a user to quickly and easily browse data from various sources, and then use that data in a user's or third-party application as needed. It is to address some of the above-mentioned problems by providing such an efficient and effective display.

Another object is to allow a user to quickly and easily create efficient sub-windows, or “panes,” where the user can drag and drop data from a selected data channel, or The purpose is to provide a display capable of operating a desired application.

[0012]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The display system of the present invention receives data from one or more data sources via a server and displays data from one or more data sources selected by a user. Preferably, the user can immediately activate multiple data sources and can simultaneously view data from at least two of the active data sources. At least a portion of the display can be freely subdivided by the user and, when displayed, can be dragged and dropped onto any of the resulting "panes". In addition, various applications can be run in each pane as needed, whether or not those applications are part of a predefined suite application. .

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention can be best understood with reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which is described below in connection with the drawings.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present invention, along with other inventions developed by the assignee of the present case, represent a transition to just-in-time information provision. As efficient and standards-based application suites, these inventions specifically provide a general platform-independent interface to real-time information such as financial data and news. This is a publish / subscribe (publ
ish / subscribe) architecture and the right push server to achieve efficient, just-in-time delivery of information to client computers, and access to intranet, extranet, and Internet information. Provides concurrent access.

In a publish / subscribe architecture developed by the assignee of the present invention, various sources of information, possibly subscribed to the push server, may send the information to the push server using any desired communication method. Always publish and broadcast data. The client computer subscribes (subscribes) to the desired type of information provided by the push server. Only the information thus subscribed is transmitted from the server to the client.
In essence, the published information is pushed from the source to the server, and a subset is passed from the server to the client. Since data is constantly being pushed to servers and clients, they do not require timed pulls. Thus, the data is always new and the user does not have to wait a long time for downloading the information. Furthermore, the bandwidth required for the communication link between the client and the server is greatly reduced, since only the data desired and subscribed by the user is transmitted from the server to the client computer. Of course, a certain amount of data in the form of a subscribe request must be transmitted from the client to the server, slightly increasing the bandwidth requirement, but this increase conveys unnecessary information. This is very small compared to the amount of bandwidth reduction achieved by not doing so.

Further, when new data is published by any of the sources, it is sent to the server, which sends the new data to subscribing clients. This makes it possible to receive new information very quickly. Importantly, only the changed parts of the data are sent (ie,
If the new data published by the source differs only in part from the data already sent from the source to the client by the server,
The server does not send the unchanged parts). Thereby, redundant network traffic is greatly reduced, significantly reducing the bandwidth between the source and the server and between the server and the client. In short, the push server is not a timed pull server, but a true event driven system,
Information is delivered almost instantaneously, making network use extremely efficient.

Further, by using a push server, automatic updating of client application software becomes possible. For example, if an existing net channel needs to be updated, or a new net channel becomes available and needs to be added, the push server will create the new net channels needed to accomplish those tasks. Binary code can be pushed directly to the client computer. The push server also supports storage and retrieval on the server side of the user's preference. That is, the user's profile can be referenced to the server, and the data for that user can be customized appropriately, regardless of which computer the user uses to connect to the network. Users can log in while traveling or at home and use the same desktop for applications and net channels. Push servers can also be used to manage server-based alerts. User-configured alerts (such as stock quote alerts) can also be stored on the push server, and the push server emits a page or email message when the conditions of the user-configured alert are met. The push server can also specify the schema of its various data sources in real time via XML. This allows the generic client application software component to receive arbitrary data from the push server.

Some variations of such a publish / subscribe architecture are described below. In a first variant, an industry-specific extranet as shown in FIG. 1 is constructed to supply common information and a communication network to the constituent organizations. Data sources such as market data, historical information and news headlines are provided directly to a push server located at the center of the extranet. Individual clients, such as those shown on Company A's intranet, subscribe to events generated by their extranet push server, thereby eliminating the need for an internal push server. An open API allows the client to subscribe to information provided by the push server. This API deals with security and rights for all data feeds. The individual client identified as Company A is part of an intranet that also has access to company information. The push server can also support an interface to in-house information, so that corporate data is like another data supply to clients.
Thus, the client software application of the present invention can display pushed extranet information and / or company information. This will be described in detail below.

In a second variant, the push server can reside inside the company intranet if the requirements of the company require it. Figure 2 shows such a company
Is shown as company B. The company configures an internal push server internally,
The server supports the client directly. The external source feeds directly to the internal push server via a direct link (such as market data) or indirectly via the Internet.

In a third variation shown in FIG. 3, the private push server is accessible to clients via the Internet. In this variant, there is no internal push server. The built-in authentication ensures that the push server on the Internet is accessed only by authorized users. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) tunneling (tunnelin) to traverse Internet firewalls
g) well-known techniques are supported.

The present invention itself relates to a display system that is optimally used with the push server configuration outlined above. However, the display system is not limited to use with such a push server. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the present invention can be used even when the push server is not available. Clients access data sources on the Internet by dial-up or direct connection. Although this configuration does not provide the benefits of a dedicated push server, the user still gains the benefits of the display capabilities of the present invention, as described in more detail below.

[Summary of Display] In this description, knowledge of object-oriented programming and Java (registered trademark) is assumed. In particular, the compatibility with the Java (registered trademark) programming language, such as Sun's version 1.1.4 released in October 1997, and the functions when using it are assumed.

Prior to a detailed description of the presentation, a definition and a brief description of some of the elements are provided.

Channel: As this term is used in the text, a channel is a collection of data from a resource, such as a web server, with user-set display preferences, such as display colors or data filters. Channel Selector: The channel selector is a central control center of the display and contains several icons and buttons that can be used to perform various tasks. Montage: The montage view is part of the display provided by the present invention and is preferably implemented as a JavaBean container for JavaBean enabled components. This montage view allows a user to easily manage two or more applications running simultaneously, and provides an attractive and effective alternative to traditional windowing environments. This is because the montage application is not a traditional overlapping, sometimes obscure window,
This is because it is displayed in an easily structured and orderly organized area called a “pane”. NetChannel: A NetChannel is a JavaBean that can be configured to display almost any type of dynamic content and is also designed to support certain messaging features, such as email and paging services. In a preferred embodiment, up to two visible net channels can be displayed at a time, and the user can activate additional net channels at a given time.

This display is generated and controlled by software stored in and executed by the client computer. The display of the present invention as shown in FIG. 5 includes two important components: a main view 500 and a montage view 506. The main view is a small floating frame for displaying information, information selection buttons and application management. The main view includes a "channel selector" 502 and panels 504a and 504b for displaying "net channels", each of which continuously displays updated information from a particular data source. In the preferred embodiment, two net channels can be displayed simultaneously, but the invention is not limited to that number. Preferably, the main view is displayed above the montage view.

The channel selector 502 is a display control part, and is preferably arranged at the center of the main view. This is a virtual button 51 for selecting which net channels are displayed and for configuring the system.
Provides graphical controls such as 0 and 512.

Net channels can display almost any type of dynamic content, including stock quotes, news headlines, and special alerts. For example, one net channel is
Displaying business bulletin headlines from key news sources, another display can be used to display company announcements related to a particular business organization. A user can also subscribe to a net channel configured to monitor alerts received from the enterprise computer management system.

A user can have multiple active net channels, and in a preferred embodiment, up to two of them can be viewed at a time. All of this is possible in the present invention because the source of the information is not important and, as described below, all data is packaged in a consistent interface. Each net channel has its own personalized settings that allow the user to customize the content delivered based on personal preferences.

In a preferred embodiment, the net channel extends to passive display of consumer information. A full set of alert functions is also provided. These features allow the user to set various forms of notifications based on any number of business events. For example, a pop-up dialog may be displayed if a competitor is posted in the broadcast news. Also, for example, if the stock falls below a predetermined threshold, a message can be sent to the user's pager. In addition, the user can click on the headline of the news of interest in the net channel and view the full text of the article in a browser.
This feature provides a higher level of targeted data delivery, with the most important events being
Sent by the highest priority.

Although the net channel is suitable for information in units of rows, some information and applications require information in units of screens. To that end, the present invention provides a montage view 506. Rather than displaying each stand-alone application in its own window, the montage view includes a two-dimensional, segmentable work area where applications can be placed. The user touches that part of the screen,
It can be subdivided into rectangular segments 508a-508e or "panes" of a size appropriate to the specific needs of the user. Panes can be resized by dragging their edges, and applications running on adjacent panes will be resized accordingly. Each pane of the montage contains a separate application, and applications can be dynamically added to or deleted from the montage. Further, the particular configuration of the panes and the particular selection of applications running thereon can be stored, as required by the user. Upon subsequent use of the display system of the present invention, the user can scroll through the stored montage. In this way, the same application layout can be saved from one session to the next.

The montage view 506 makes it possible to easily manage many applications that operate simultaneously. This view provides an attractive alternative to the traditional windowing environment because there are no overlapping windows or obscure screens. Furthermore, as shown, the valuable screen space in the montage view is
Not wasted by the traditional title bar and control resizing of application windows, or by completely overlapping windows.

In use, data retrieved from an extranet, intranet or the Internet is first buffered and then extracted from the information from which the desired information was received. The client then invokes the display application, which generates a main view and a montage view of the display. Creating the main view includes creating one or more net channels and virtual control buttons. Creation of the montage view includes creation of all panes desired by the user. (As mentioned above, the panes can be designed by the user here, or designed and stored by the user at some point in the past and ordered to be used again here.)

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the user activates the display application, the user is presented with a menu of existing net channels to which the rights corresponding to the contract with the channel data provider have been applied. Is displayed. The user can activate them or select only those for activation, and deselect others using the virtual controls provided in the main view. Thereafter, up to two of the selected net channels (in the preferred embodiment) are selectable for display.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the user can also activate a montage view,
Then the virtual control in the channel selector can be used for that purpose. Once that is done, the user can optionally scroll through the entire previously used and stored montage view. When the user finds what he wants to view and activates it, it is displayed. If none is found, or if the user does not scroll through its stored montage view,
Split the montage view (if necessary) and subdivide it as appropriate, eg, for enlarging the data displayed on one of the net channels, or for running an application, of the resulting configuration Create a new montage by using any part.

Implementation of the Preferred Embodiment One of the key features of the present invention is that the preparation of the data to be viewed is conceptually and in effect, the actual data that the user views when using the present embodiment. Creating a display view is an individual process. For this purpose, net channels are built with software according to the Model / View paradigm. By separating the data itself (model) from its visual representation (view), information can be provided in various forms depending on user preferences or needs. As will be appreciated from the description below, a single model can provide multiple views simultaneously. Each unique data source needs its own model. For example, a model is provided that gathers information from a particular website. As noted above, the present invention also preferably provides a generic model for interfacing with a push server (if one exists). The client software application of the present invention stores all of those models in a "model repository". Once a model for a given data source has been placed in the repository, it can be used by any net channel that requests it.

This embodiment uses a predefined object framework that includes classes for models, views, and channels. According to object-oriented principles, concrete implementations of channels (ie, individual objects of a class channel) "inherit" from their predefined objects and perform channel-specific behavior where appropriate. I do.

More specifically, a channel is composed of several individual parts. Each of those parts, while functionally separated, contributes to the overall channel. What is important here is to create a "clean" system architecture that separates the actual data representation of the information from the virtual representation of the information. This "model-view"
The architecture allows the same information to be viewed in many ways and a single source of data can provide multiple different views.

The first component of the channel is the model class. Each channel uses at least one model. A model includes code for physically retrieving a particular type of data from a particular source. Preferably, both "push" and "pull" data are retrieved. For example, one model could parse information at set intervals from a given website on the Internet or from a site on a corporate intranet, or could be generated by a push engine. Anything that responds to dynamic events is possible. In addition to storing code for processing the information, the model also stores user preference information. A model for receiving stock prices stores, for example, a portfolio of stocks that the user wants to track. The model class is called Observable (Obser
vable) "class. An "observable" object is a type of object that, as is well known in the art, generates an event that can be observed or processed by any "Observable" object. (This pattern allows the model to generate events when new information is delivered without any "knowing" about the object for which the event is desired to be received.)

The second channel component is a view class. This class sets the "look and feel" of a particular channel for display purposes. This includes instructions to set which particular graphical component should be used to provide channel data, such as scrolling stock quotes or headlines. It also includes the implementation of multiple graphical components that are programmed to respond to events from model classes, or "widgets". These widgets are "observers" in the observer observable pattern. This means that the widget can be registered as an observer of the model class, thus receiving events when data changes and automatically updating its display.

The last channel component is the channel class, the “glue” that connects the model and view components together. This channel class defines a default name for the net channel and provides other basic information, such as which channel model the net channel uses. In addition, the channel class is responsible for actually registering each widget in the view of that net channel as an observer of their model.

When all parts of the channel are joined together, the user subscribes to the channel and browses the information. For "pull" channels, the container refreshes the channel by incorporating a routine update into the schedule. If the ability to process pushed information is provided, incoming push events are also sent to the appropriate "push" channel.

As described in the general description above, FIG. 7 illustrates the processing of data received from a server for a net channel activated and configured by a user for display. Since this data is received from the server, the corresponding model is updated to reflect the new data. The view component of each active channel using the model is notified that a change has occurred and generates a corresponding change in its display.

Configuration of Channel To configure a channel, the user selects an option to open a non-sizable window listing available and selected channels. . The user can select channels from the "available" list and deselect them from the "selected" list. If needed, the system is easily implemented,
Triggering of billing records can be triggered to measure application or channel usage.

Instead of channels being added and deleted by the user, an “available” list can be pre-configured for the user based on administrator approval.

The user can request those selected channels and create names as needed. Channels are named to distinguish one instance of a view from another. Each instance can have its own configuration options.

FIG. 8 illustrates a typical scenario. All models placed in the model repository can be "instantiated" and supplied with user preferences for particular types of information. An example of such preference information is a list of stocks that the user wants to browse. The model / view architecture allows any number of views to be registered as "observers" of the model. It does not matter what kind of object a given observer is, as the model is only concerned with retrieving information from the corresponding data source. As new or updated information is provided (eg, changes in stock prices), each registered observer is automatically notified of the changes.

[0047] The client software application is a core suite of net channels available to supply information from packaged data sources.
ite). However, some net channel development options are preferably also supported by client software applications, as organizations may also need the ability to create their own net channels. Preferably, a "view template" software application is provided for setting the placement of net channels, which is generally considered convenient for the basic net channels. Users can use these templates to create new net channel views with minimal coding effort.

For example, a template may set the position of a company logo, stock quote display, and news headline display. The user connects each component in the net channel view to an existing model from the model repository. Once connected, the new channel becomes available. If the model repository does not contain a suitable model for the new net channel, the client software application provides a custom Java application programming interface (API) that makes it easy to retrieve information. Models created according to this API can be added to the model repository and used in later created net channels.

Preferably, another option is provided for creating a custom net channel. The GUI “ChannelBuilder” software application offers a drag-and-drop interface to create highly customized net channels without coding effort,
Promote it. The application allows developers to select from a palette of available components and add those elements to the channel in real time. GUI ChannelBuilder also displays a hierarchical view of all available data sources in the model repository. The channel designer draws a line from the data source to the visual component, which is connected to that source. Channels can be tested in this environment to ensure proper functionality, and the GUI ChannelBuilder has the ability to generate a compiled channel package when a button is pressed.

Data Acquisition The present invention provides a complete set of data services to a channel model. The "model service" component extracts many of the common functions required by the channel. For example, a model service includes code that retrieves data from a web page. Using a model service instead of a raw Java call,
By performing this task, channel developers do not have to write cumbersome network access code. In addition, the model service automatically detects whether a proxy server is installed and modifies the network request accordingly. Other features provided by the model service include subscribing and unsubscribing to “push” topics and / or events, launching a web browser to display HTML documents, and having the channel in an “alert state”. Notify the container that it needs to be displayed and send a message to the user's pager. In addition to the obvious benefits of reducing cumbersome programming tasks, the availability of model services eliminates the need for users to enter preference information such as pager PIN or web browser location for each channel application. User data is shared between all applications.

[0051] Pull-type channels provide model services with a regular schedule ranging from every few minutes for rapidly changing data such as stock prices to once every few hours for less dynamic data. Request to retrieve web resources. In many cases, this interval is user configurable. The Model Service receives simple requests from the channel and makes appropriate HTTP requests to the web server.
If the user is operating behind a firewall, the model service modifies the request to be sent through a proxy server. Data is returned to the channel in the form of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). The channel model then parses this data using custom routines or utility classes provided as part of the display system that assists in processing the HTML document.

On the other hand, the push channel subscribes to a specific data topic using a model service. The model service receives the request and creates a subscribe request for the push engine being used. As new data for this topic is generated, it is sent to the container to determine the channel or channels over which the data will be sent, and send the appropriate message. Since the data to be pushed is formatted according to a special protocol, no HTML parsing is required in this scenario. The model used in these cases simply adds the content of the event to their data store and pushes all observers to notify them that new content is available.

The process by which one piece of information is retrieved and ultimately displayed to the user depends on whether the relevant net channel is a “pull” channel or a “push” channel. Both processes are described below.

The pull channel model is realized as a Java (registered trademark) thread, and is timed so as to take out the entire contents of a raw resource (information source) at predetermined intervals. This resource may be any number of file types, such as an HTML document on the World Wide Web (WWW), or a pre-formatted text file located on a corporate intranet.

The pull model is programmed to retrieve resources from a well-defined location and includes specific rules for parsing information retrieved from this particular site. In most cases, this parse involves scanning the HTML document and extracting only relevant information to be displayed. Often, information that is considered relevant in an HTML file is in some pre-formatted state (eg, a bullet point in a web document), so the model simply provides for each instance of HTML code that formats the relevant information. Scan. For example, a model for retrieving news headlines looks for each instance of the HTML <LI> tag representing a bullet point and extracts the text immediately after the tags to display as news headlines. Model services are used to automatically retrieve the contents of a given resource via simple method calls.

Unlike the static pull model, in which the content is reset each time it is updated,
The push model is dynamic and constantly changes over the life of the application. When the push model is created, the focus on the specific topic is registered to the push server used. This registration process is implemented via a model service, where the push engine informs the push channel that it wants to receive events related to a particular topic, such as stock price changes or breaking news for a particular company. Since all communication with the push server is through a model service, a unique ID code is assigned to the channel model at the time of subscribe to track incoming and outgoing messages.

If the information for the topic subscribed to by the push model changes,
The push server sends a message containing the new data to the model service.
This message contains only the changed data. That is, the minimum information necessary for updating the information already possessed by the net channel is transmitted. The model service refers to the ID code attached to the incoming message and sends data to the corresponding model. Predefined data structures are used for the update information to be sent, so no information parsing is required. All relevant data is pre-formatted for the net channel model.

Regardless of how the data is acquired (push or pull), the subsequent processing is the same. A library of "Netchannel widgets" is provided which is a special object programmed to monitor for events generated by the NetChannel model. These widgets are graphical information controls such as stock tickers, scrolling headlines, and dynamic text labels. In a manner very similar to the way push channel mode subscribes to events from push servers, the net channel widget may be interested in updating from the net channel model when a user activates a particular net channel. register.

An example of the function of the model is as follows. The net channel model provides a data structure containing all relevant information for the net channel widget to process new information. This structure includes the text of the data to be displayed, any URLs that link to more information related to the data, the color of the foreground or background for displaying the information, and a timestamp. Each model automatically broadcasts these structures to all pre-registered widgets of interest in updating the model. When an update is received, the widget and new data add to the information display and display the data on the screen.

[Filtering] Although this is not part of the display system of the present invention, the granularity of information per channel (gra
Preferably, nular) filtration is provided. Each channel includes options for setting the type of information that the user is interested in the context of the content of the channel. One example is filtering financial news channels to display only news about stocks in a user's personal portfolio.
The individual customization screen allows the user to create filters for each channel. Multiple filters can be created for each channel and can be stored and reused freely.

In addition to its filtering function, the system can generate user-configured alerts. In a manner very similar to the way filters are defined, users can set criteria for special alerts. Typical scenarios include alerts when the price of a particular stock reaches a predetermined level, or when a topic of interest to a user is reported in the news. Appropriate interfaces are provided to create complex alert criteria and store it along with other preferences.

When the system is used in a “push” environment, both filters and alerts are stored on a remote push server, and the user-specific settings can be set regardless of which computer the user is currently using. It is possible to keep up with the user.
If there is no push server, filters and alerts can be stored on the local machine.

[Serialization] The present invention uses the concept of “serialization” to preserve the state of the application and provide continuity from one session to the next.
All user-specific information, including preferences, filters, alert criteria and settings, is "serialized" at the end of each application run. This serialization process involves taking a "snapshot" of the current memory and saving it to any output stream. This output stream may be a local disk file or a socket connection to a push server.

By saving this complete snapshot of memory, all user preferences and configuration information are easily saved and re-saved. Individual channel creators believe that the container will do this automatically,
There is no need to be concerned with saving user settings. In addition, since the entire state information is serialized to the push server via a network connection, users can access the same configuration used on their desktop computer during the day from their home on a laptop. is there.

As described above, the present invention also supports a montage view representation of an application. Since each model is preferably implemented using Sun's Java ™ programming language, such as JavaBean, its properties can be discovered dynamically. This eliminates the need to create a custom setting image for each model. The application is discovered and provided to the user for placement in the segmentable montage workspace. Since each application is a JavaBean component, viewing and modifying attributes or "properties" are supported. Furthermore, the top montage view container itself is Java
Being a bean, the exact subdivision into screen panes, and the exact subdivision into applications that reside within that pane, is all part of a large containment hierarchy. When a user closes an application, this hierarchy is serialized up, so that each application contained within that hierarchy is serialized as well. Then, when the application is restarted, the desktop is displayed exactly as it was when it was closed. Like channels, the montage view application does not need to provide code to store and retrieve user preferences. This is because the container does it automatically.

The channel selector, net channel, and montage view are preferably implemented in software as JavaBeans. Sun's JavaBeans specification defines a software component model for Java that supports the creation of reusable components that support common interfaces. Key benefits of JavaBeans include introspection (self-awareness), serialization, and reuse. Regarding introspection, JavaBeans users do not need to know the properties and methods supported by the bean at design time. The built-in introspection method is
Used to dynamically discover the interface of a particular component, thereby eliminating the need to limit the functionality of the component to the least common denominator or to provide specialized processing in code. For example, by discovering the properties of a particular net channel, the present invention can quickly create a configuration screen for that net channel. The JavaBeans specification also supports automatic serialization of components, so that state information, such as user preferences, is stored without having to write specialized code for each Bean,
You can take it out. This provides an efficient way to keep settings valid between various complex components. JavaBean for reuse
Since s is a component with a well-known interface, various types of JavaB
eans can be instantiated easily, regardless of the container. This means that a particular application can be contained in a montage view, which is a floating window, or other corresponding container. If Java is used, both the main view and the montage view will be JavaBean containers. In the main view, the left and right views hold the net channel beans, and each pane in the montage view
It is possible to include a vaBean application. Montage View JavaBe
Another advantage that is realized as an container is that third-party JavaBean components can be instantiated in the montage pane, thereby providing the significant benefits of the montage view to additional applications.

The client software application is a Java (registered trademark) applet.
Preferably, the application is implemented as a Java® application, rather than as applets (an application is a stand-alone program that is executed directly by the operating system; applets are Java (Java) applications that run within a web browser). Registered trademark) program). A key advantage of Java ™ applications is the ability to use Sun's reference Java ™ implementation (on the surface, all versions of the Java ™ virtual machine (VM) are functionally equivalent. However, in actual use, VMs from different vendors are so different that they affect performance.) Also, Java ™ applications are preferred because major browser vendors have not yet updated their browsers to the latest Java ™ specifications. Without the features introduced in Sun's October 1997 Java ™ release (version 1.1.4), key features would not be possible. Most of the functionality of the client software application can be realized in genuine Java code, but a few important functions can only be specified through platform-specific function calls.

To solve those problems and maintain all cross-platform functionality, commonly used platform-specific calls are summarized in a common Java class library. Rather than calling application-specific methods in the application code, client software applications perform platform-specific operations regardless of the user's operating system.
including functions such as "loadWebDocument". By replacing this single class library according to the operating system being used, applications containing platform-specific code are eliminated.

One example is a hyperlink from a net channel heading to a web document. Java has the ability to launch any instance of an application, including a web browser, but cannot independently send a platform-specific request to load a web page into a browser. In this specific example of launching a web browser, another alternative is provided. A Java ™ based web browser application is preferably provided as part of the display system of the present invention. The browser operates in a montage view, and can optionally display a page when a user clicks on a net channel link. The browser does not support all advanced web features, but provides a good representation of most pages.

At startup, a well-known directory containing channel binary files is scanned.
In a preferred implementation, all channels are implemented as JavaBeans and are stored in Java ™ archive (JAR) files. The main code reads each JAR file in this special directory and finds all channels contained within the JAR. When channels are found, they are automatically queried for basic information such as the channel title and a small graphical icon representing the channel. This information is cached and used later so that the user can add and delete active channels.

Each JAR file is “stamped” with a code indicating the version of the particular channel application it contains. The new version of the channel JAR file may be stored on a remote server for automatic software upgrade purposes. At startup, the remote server is queried to determine if a more recent version of any application exists. This process is accomplished by comparing the version stamp of the local JAR file with the version reported by the server. If a newer version exists, the user is prompted to upgrade, and if a decision is made to upgrade, the new JAR file is automatically downloaded from the server to a known directory. In this way, the application software is automatically upgraded with minimal user intervention. System administrators can optionally force upgrades without explicit user permission, providing strong centralized control of software distribution. All errors that occur during the automatic upgrade process are logged and analyzed. As a whole, in addition to new versions of existing channels, new channels can be transmitted to client systems in a similar manner.

Because of its graphical representation, the present invention uses the known Netscape Internet Foundation Classes (I).
Preferably, a user interface component of FC) is used. IFC
A Java ™ user interface application framework for building applications independent of operating system specific windows and user interface controls. Foundation classes allow for the development of rich, specialized user interfaces that are not affected by the characteristics of individual platforms. In addition, IFC
, Netscape, and IBM are closely tied to the Next Generation Java Foundation Class (JFC), which is currently being jointly developed. JFC, which is derived from IFC, is "pluggable" for Java applications.
gable) look and feel, allowing users and developers to select their preferred graphical user interface for each application. JFC supports all major IFC features, including lightweight user interface components, and the basic application framework of IFC. JFC will be part of the core Java package at the time of release, so upgrading to JFC will be most smooth when using IFC.

As mentioned above, the present invention preferably supports the use of several applications, all of which can be hosted in a montage view. Such applications are also available from Sun J
It is preferably developed as JavaBeans in the ava® programming language. As such, each component in the display system of the present invention, and the applications used with it, is platform independent and web enabled, and where appropriate, tightly integrated with all common browsers. I will provide a.

One such application is a table-based “market minder” display of securities in a user's portfolio. Price, bid / limit, quantity, and other data are continuously updated for each item in the portfolio. Multiple paging, email, and pop-up alerts can be associated with each securities-specific event. When working with a push server, the market minder application can also display price / quantity charts for all securities for the day and so far. The chart can be expanded to display more details for a given time period. Another application is "News Minder", which collects news headlines from various sources related to a user-defined topic. The topics may be simple keywords, complex queries, or companies indicated in the user's market mind portfolio. When you select a topic, a full list of current headlines is displayed, along with an overview, the original source, and the date of the bulletin. The user can click on a particular heading and view the entire article, complete with graphics and hyperlinks, in rich text. In addition, intelligent filters can be applied on a topic-by-topic basis, and further allow for further subdivision of information about topics that include large amounts of news. The third application is a "unified inbox". Traditionally, users have been required to use separate applications for email, voicemail, and fax. The integrated inbox wraps all three types of incoming messaging into a single interface. Users can read e-mails, listen to voicemails and browse faxes, all coming from the same integrated inbox application. Other small utility applications, such as accounting calculators and graphing utilities, can also be invoked within the montage view.

Of course, the present invention is capable of forms that differ from those specifically described. However, the scope of the invention is only determined by the appended claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG.

FIG.

FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a view of a display example provided by the present invention.

FIG. 6A,

FIG. 6B illustrates one embodiment of a process using the display system of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an aspect of processing of data acquired by the display system of the present invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a model / view paradigm used in a preferred variant of the present invention.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE ), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR, BY, CA, CH, CN, CU, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GB, GE, GH, GM, HU, ID, IL, IS, JP, KE, KG, KP, KR , KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, UA, UG, UZ, VN, YU, ZW (71) Applicant 2 Rector Street New York, NY 10006 USA (72) Inventor Marsek Mark Jay USA New York 110021 New York, East 79th Street 301 F-term (reference) 5B069 AA01 CA03 CA14 LA03 5B085 BA06 BE07 CE03 5E501 AC07 AC25 BA03 EA08 EA10 EA14 EB01 FA06 FA23

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A method for generating a display for a computer system, comprising: receiving from a server data from one or more data sources to which the computer system has subscribed; Generating a display image divided into display areas of the following; and selecting at least one data source of the one or more data sources received in the receiving step for display. Displaying the selected at least one data source in the divided corresponding display area. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of dividing one of the divided display areas into a plurality of sub-display areas. 3. Selecting at least one data source displayed in the corresponding display area, dragging the selected data from the display area, and placing the dragged data in one of the subdivision display areas. 3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of dropping. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of operating an application in another display area of the plurality of divided display areas. 5. The method of claim 2, further comprising running an application in one of the plurality of sub-display areas. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: operating a second application in another of the plurality of sub-display areas. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the application is two parts of a single predefined group of applications. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the application is not part of a single predefined group of applications. 9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of setting display conditions for performing the display step. 10. A computer system, comprising: data from one or more data sources subscribed by the computer system, the data being pushed from a server to the computer system;
Receiving means for receiving from the server; a display unit for displaying an image; dividing means for dividing an image displayed on the display unit into a plurality of display areas; Selecting means for selecting at least one data source from one or more data sources, wherein the display unit displays the selected at least one data source in the corresponding display area. A computer system characterized by the above-mentioned. 11. The computer system according to claim 10, further comprising: means for dividing one of the divided display areas into a plurality of sub-display areas. 12. A means for selecting at least one data source displayed in the corresponding display area, dragging the selected data from the display area, and dropping the dragged data on one of the sub-display areas. The computer system according to claim 11, further comprising: 13. The selection means comprises one or more virtual buttons,
The computer system of claim 11, wherein each of the virtual buttons corresponds to one of the sources of the data. 14. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when loaded into a programmable device, cause the device to perform a method, the method comprising: applying from a server to a computer system; Receiving data from one or more data sources, generating a display image that is divided into a plurality of display areas, retrieving at least one data source of the received one or more data sources; Displaying at least one data source of the selected data in the corresponding display area, selected for display, the computer readable storage medium.