RU2504097C1 - User interface for working with search engines and databases (versions) - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: information technology.

SUBSTANCE: user interface includes a screen with a working area on which there is a set of selectable objects in form of icons and display of the corresponding set of options in form of icons associated with the corresponding selectable objects. The interface also includes a control for moving a cursor used to select an object or option from said sets. In the interface, the working area of the screen is divided into a fixed number of background units arranged in rows one above the other to form a table in which each cell of the table is a background unit and in which each unit in one row is situated under a unit in an adjacent row to form columns. Each object and each option are in form of an icon situated on top of the background units and having a size equal to the size of one background unit or a multiple of background units in at least the horizontal or vertical direction. Icons of the set of selectable objects are arranged in one direction along rows of the table or columns thereof and include at least one icon corresponding to an option and the rest of the icons corresponding to objects. In each row, icons have a function of altering their appearance when pointed to by a cursor and a function of opening an underlying set of one or more selectable objects which, when opened, are situated in an adjacent row or column of the table on top of background units and along icons of a set opened prior. Icons of the set of selectable objects in each newly opened set are arranged in a direction which matches the direction of icons of a set opened prior, and include at least one icon corresponding to an option and the rest of icons corresponding to objects.

EFFECT: displaying the entire field of a search process by accelerating and simplifying navigation and the selection and control processes themselves.

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Description

The invention relates to means of user interaction with a structured system, a computer operating system, databases, search engines, catalog and archive systems, or a user program, or complex machines, devices and equipment.

A known interface for controlling a mobile communication device, which includes: providing a working area of the screen of a mobile communication device, displaying a set of one or more selectable objects in the form of icons in the specified working area of the screen; providing for the selection of one of the specified one or more selectable objects in the form of icons in the specified area of the screen;

highlighting the selected object from the specified one or more selectable objects, displaying a set of options in the form of icons for the specified selected object, the selected objects and options being located in opposing vertical and horizontal rows, and moving the cursor to change the multi-function selection to the option to select the option that you want apply to the selected object (RU No. 2396727, H04M 1/247, G09G 5/36, G06F 3/048, publ. 08/10/2010).

A disadvantage of the known interface is that traditionally the elements of objects or options in the form of icons occupy the entire menu or display screen, without any identification of the associated subordinate elements available to them (regardless of whether the menu form is selected as a list, a grid or a single main menu object). Thus, in order to achieve such subordinate elements, the user will first have to select a specific element (a certain icon), activate it, and then he will be presented with a secondary display screen on which available subordinate elements for selection are presented. Thus, the process of accessing the opened file or information hiding under the icon is a multi-stage process, in which each time the icon is activated, a new window appears on the screen, closing all the old previously opened windows. This path is good for accurately identifiable information, but it is not relevant when conducting extensive search operations or working with databases. An attempt in a well-known patent to ensure the transition from level to level while maintaining the initial window on the screen made it possible to solve the problem of selecting top-level options. And with an increase in the number of open levels, the screen becomes cluttered and a new additional window appears or the icons of the initial levels disappear from the screen, making it impossible to control the search process and adjust the path to the desired information.

The present invention is aimed at achieving a technical result consisting in ease of use and informativeness by eliminating operations to return to previously achieved levels of search operations and visualizing the entire field of the search process, by speeding up and simplifying navigation and the selection and control processes themselves.

The indicated technical result is achieved by the fact that in the user interface for working with search engines containing a screen with a work area on which a set of one or more selectable objects is placed in the form of pictograms and a corresponding set of one or more options is displayed in the form of pictograms associated with one or more selectable objects, while displaying a set of one or more options is in direct connection with the corresponding one or more selectable objects, as well as In order to move the cursor used to select an object or option from the indicated sets, the working area of the screen is divided into a fixed number of background blocks arranged in rows one above the other with the formation of a table in which each cell of the table is a background block and in which each block in one the line is placed under the block in the adjacent line with the formation of columns, each object and each option is made in the form of an icon placed on top of the background blocks and made the size equal to the size of one background of a block or a multiple of background blocks, at least in the horizontal or vertical directions, the pictograms of a set of one or more selectable objects are placed in the same direction along the rows of the table or along its columns and include at least one pictogram corresponding to the option, and the remaining pictograms corresponding to the objects in each row of the pictogram are made with the function of changing the appearance of the pictogram when you hover over it and the function of expanding the set of one or more selections below it objects that, when opened, are located in an adjacent row or column of the table above the background blocks and along the pictograms of a previously opened set, while the pictograms of a set of one or more selectable objects in each new opened set are placed in the direction coinciding with the direction of the pictograms of the previously opened set and include at least one icon corresponding to the option and other icons corresponding to the objects.

The indicated technical result is also achieved by the fact that in the user interface for working with search engines containing a screen with a work area, which contains a set of one or more selectable objects in the form of pictograms or multimedia contents and displays the corresponding set of one or more options in pictograms or multimedia content associated with the corresponding one or more selectable objects; the display of a set of one or more options is in direct connection with the corresponding one or more selectable objects, as well as the control for moving the cursor or the interaction mechanism with interactive objects used to select blocks of objects or blocks of options; the working area of the screen has markup for a fixed number of background blocks that are attached to the markup and displayed on top of visible or invisible background blocks, each object and each option is made in the form of an icon or multimedia content placed on top of the background blocks and made in the size equal to the size of one background block or a multiple of background blocks; the pictograms of options and objects are made with the function of changing the appearance of the pictogram when it is selected using the cursor or another mechanism for interacting with interactive objects and the function of revealing related sets of one or more blocks of selectable objects that are located on top of the background blocks in the layout adjacent to the sets equal to the selected blocks with the selected objects, with each new opened set of blocks includes one or more blocks of icons corresponding to the options and one or more blocks icons corresponding to the selected objects, grouped according to general criteria.

These features are significant and are interconnected with the formation of a stable set of essential features sufficient to obtain the desired technical result.

The present invention is illustrated by a specific example of execution, which, however, is not the only possible, but clearly demonstrates the possibility of achieving the desired technical result.

Figure 1 - screen field interface;

figure 2 - a set of selectable objects arranged in one line;

figure 3 - disclosure of a set of objects in figure 2;

figure 4 is another set of disclosed objects of figure 2.

5 is an example of the execution of the interface with the marking around the circle for background blocks.

According to the present invention, a new structure is considered - the interface design for the user by search engines and databases, based on the new principle of disclosing objects and / or options, which can significantly reduce the process of reaching the necessary information with a complete visualization of the search path itself.

In the user interface for working with search engines containing a screen with a workspace on which a set of one or more selectable objects in the form of blocks with pictograms or multimedia content is placed, and the ability to display the corresponding set of one or more options in the form of blocks with pictograms or multimedia content associated with the corresponding one or more selected objects, while displaying a set of one or more options is directly related to the corresponding one or Lee selected objects, as well as control member for moving the cursor or other mechanism for interacting with interactive objects used to select objects or blocks options blocks.

The working area of the screen has a markup that can be displayed in the form of a fixed number of background blocks that can be placed in the form of a table (Fig. 1), in circles (Fig. 2), in a spiral, or in an arbitrary order, while the blocks are attached to markup. Blocks of objects and options are tied to markup and displayed on top of visible or invisible background blocks. Examples of selectable blocks of objects can be blocks of a given size equal to the size of one background block or a multiple of the background blocks or matching in shape with one or more background blocks. Blocks of selectable objects can be associated with a set of options presented in the form of one or more blocks with pictograms or multimedia content, and with sets of selectable objects grouped according to general criteria. The pictograms of options and objects are made with the function of changing the appearance of the pictogram when it is selected using the cursor or another mechanism for interacting with interactive objects, and the function of revealing associated sets of one or more blocks of selectable objects, which, when opened, are attached to the markup and located on top of the background blocks and do not overlap sets of blocks with selected objects. Moreover, each new set of blocks to be opened may include one or more icon blocks corresponding to options and one or more icon blocks corresponding to selectable objects grouped by common criteria.

The following is an example implementation of a table type interface.

The user interface (Fig. 1) comprises a screen with a work area 1, on which a set 2 of one or more selectable objects 3 is placed in the form of pictograms and a corresponding set 4 of one or more options 5 is displayed in the form of pictograms associated with the corresponding one or more selectable objects 3, while displaying a set of one or more options is in direct connection with the corresponding one or more selectable objects. There is also a control to move the cursor 6, used to highlight the object 3 or option 5 from these sets. In this case, this dependence is the basis for almost all known interfaces, regardless of the form of their implementation.

In the interface according to the present utility model, the working area 1 of the screen is divided into a fixed number of background blocks 7 arranged in rows one above the other with the formation of a table in which each cell of the table is a background block and in which each background block in one row is placed under the background block in the adjacent row to form columns. Thus, the workspace is divided into separate blocks and presented in the form of a grid with a clear orientation horizontally and vertically. Rows and columns are fields for expanding objects or options in the selected direction - horizontally and vertically. Such a construction clearly defines the place of appearance and placement of objects in the form of pictograms on the workspace, which allows the user to concentrate on the place where the pictograms from one or another set appear.

Each object and each option is made in the form of an icon 8 (FIG. 2) placed on top of the background blocks and made equal to the size of one background block or a multiple of the background blocks, at least in the horizontal or vertical directions. Thus, the working area of the screen with its grid represents the positioning cells for each individual icon.

The pictograms of a set of one or more selectable objects are placed in the same direction along the rows of the table or along its columns and include at least one pictogram corresponding to option 5, and the remaining pictograms corresponding to objects 3. In each row, the pictograms are configured to change the appearance of the pictogram when hovering over it and the function of expanding the set of one or more selectable objects placed under it, which, when opened, are located in an adjacent row or column of the table above background blocks and along the pictograms of a previously opened set, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and 4. Pictograms of a set of one or more selectable objects in each new opened set are placed in the direction coinciding with the direction of the pictograms of the previously opened set and include at least one icon corresponding to the option, and the remaining icons corresponding to the objects.

Each object in the form of a pictogram contains visual information (picture, video, interactive application), text (comment, title or other verbal information). Also, an object or option may contain graphical information that prompts the user with its functionality (for example, a line separating the picture and the text along which the opening up or down). Another option for displaying additional functionality is to display a rating on a cell to transmit preliminary information to the user for decision making.

Each set displays up to nine (maximum ten) objects and / or options per line. Blocks may or may not be displayed depending on the task. The choice of a certain number of mappings is determined based on the solution of the Miller problem. The so-called "Miller's wallet" is based on the study of a person's ability to remember without any special mnemonic techniques. It turned out that the memory capacity is limited to seven numbers, seven letters or the names of seven items. This "magic number" is seven, which serves as a measure of memory, and was verified by Miller, who showed that memory, on average, cannot store more than seven elements; depending on the complexity of the elements, this number can range from five to nine. Applying the principle of “Miller's wallet” in the design of interfaces, you should group elements on the workspace (buttons on toolbars, menu items, bookmarks, options on these bookmarks, etc.), taking this rule into account, i.e. no more than seven in a group, in extreme cases - nine.

On the workspace, visual information is displayed on top of the background blocks (visible) or on top of their borders (if the background blocks are hidden) is displayed in boundaries that are multiples of the number of background blocks (for example, the size of 1 block or 2 blocks or any other amount vertically and horizontally ) Single blocks (the so-called icon or icon) (equal in size to one background block) are arranged in rows (figure 2). Also, blocks of arbitrary size can be arranged in rows, including together with single blocks. One of the main features of the interface is the ability to logically structure an arbitrary number of blocks of arbitrary size and group them into one level. A special case of the visual representation of a level is one or more rows filled in an amount from 1 element to the maximum possible number.

When you hover the mouse (or click on the touch screen, or select it using other pointing hardware and software, including brain activity), a block with information is visually highlighted (for example, by highlighting around the perimeter) (Fig. .2) which may be accompanied by sound. When you select a block (mouse click, click on the touch screen, etc.), it opens as a retractable extension of the block (slider) up or down from the block and its constituent elements displayed to the side of the slider. (figure 3). At the same time, elements that are at the same level as the horizontal one (and at the previous levels) change their appearance, for example, are replaced by their volume contours, become black and white, change their transparency, etc. One or more elements are located on the slider, which are filters 9 for displaying the elements displayed to the side of the slider. For example, ranking these items by novelty or rating. Also, if there are more elements than it fits in a row, the elements can sequentially fill the following rows. In this case, the user can select any element from the previous rows and reveal its contents instead of the displayed one (Fig. 4). The choice of a block does not necessarily lead to the disclosure of the slider, but can simply cause the disclosure of the next level (groups of blocks in one or more rows). All actions and consequences of actions can be animated and voiced.

The entire area of user interaction with the system is divided into key sections 10 displayed on the panel 11 at the top of the screen (figure 1). The markup 12, in which the background blocks stand, is not visible by default. The choice of another section leads to the deployment of a new field with different initial contents, but later functioning according to the principles indicated above. The panel contains functional controls (for example, mute), and an information field, which displays information about the system and the response to user actions. The second panel is located at the bottom of the screen and contains a history of user actions and / or functional elements fixed to it by the user. The selection of any history element is similar to the selection of this element on the field, starts a similar animation and leads to the re-disclosure of this element on the field.

All elements on the field are divided into several types:

1. Elements of the structure - blocks, the selection of which leads to the disclosure of the blocks enclosed in it and the appearance of a slider.

2. The ranking element of the issuance of blocks.

3. The input element.

4. Information element - an element of an arbitrary size (a multiple of background blocks) containing multimedia information, including video, photos and images or an audio file.

5. Content elements (collapsed) - the final level of information after the transition to all levels of the structure. (For example, sites nested in a subsection.) This element is visually different from the structure element, and may have additional parameters, for example, in the form of a rating bar.

6. Content element (expanded) - appears when you select a minimized version, is an information element and additional structure blocks.

Figure 5 presents an example of the execution of the interface in which the working area of the screen has a markup, which is displayed as a fixed number of background blocks that are arranged in circles, while the blocks in the form of a hex are attached to the markup. The blocks 13 of the first level when choosing one of the 14 blocks through the influence of the control are transferred to an altered state, in addition to the block 14, which was the impact of the control. Blocks 15 of the second level are opened, arranged around the blocks of the first level in a circle. In the district line of blocks of the second level, one of the blocks belongs to the category of blocks with a choice of options 16.

The main difference between the claimed interface and the known ones, including the prototype, is a new algorithm for the operation of blocks, based on the fact that the information field on which the information is disclosed is a set of positioned cells, each of which is the location of the block containing either information, which is then disclosed in a separate field, or is a functional unit that implements a control and movement function to build a path to this information. At the same time, a new construction of the opened or called blocks was introduced, according to which, the blocks of each subsequent level are opened in the direction coinciding along the grid of the workspace with the direction of the blocks already displayed on the grid. In addition, to objectively speed up the process of evaluating information or choosing the way to search for it, each set of blocks displayed on the grid contains no more than seven (maximum nine) blocks. When a set of blocks of the next level is displayed on the working area, blocks from sets of previous levels remain visually perceptible on the working area, but in a different altered image than blocks of the last disclosed level. Thus, the user clearly sees the entire search path and can at any time return to one of the previously disclosed levels to form a different picture of the disclosure of blocks.

The present invention is industrially applicable, can be implemented not only at the level of programmable complexes, but also at the level of construction using robotic systems and technologies.

Claims (2)

1. A user interface for working with search engines and databases, comprising a screen with a work area on which a set of one or more selectable objects is placed in the form of pictograms and a corresponding set of one or more options is displayed in the form of pictograms associated with the corresponding one or more selectable objects, while displaying a set of one or more options is in direct connection with the corresponding one or more selectable objects, as well as a control for moving the cursor, used to highlight an object or option from these sets, characterized in that the working area of the screen is divided into a fixed number of background blocks arranged in rows one above the other with the formation of a table in which each cell of the table is a background block and in which each block is placed on the same line under a block in an adjacent row with the formation of columns, each object and each option is made in the form of an icon placed on top of the background blocks and made in the size equal to the size of one background block or edge the number of background blocks, at least in the horizontal or vertical direction, the pictograms of a set of one or more selectable objects are placed in one direction along the rows of the table or along its columns and include at least one pictogram corresponding to the option, and other pictograms, the icons corresponding to the objects in each line are made with the function of changing the appearance of the icon when you hover over it and the function of revealing a set of one or more selectable objects placed under it, When opened, they are located in an adjacent row or column of the table above the background blocks and along the icons of the previously opened set, while the pictograms of the set of one or more selectable objects in each new opened set are placed in the direction coinciding with the direction of the icons of the previously opened set and include at least one icon corresponding to the option, and the remaining icons corresponding to the objects. 2. A user interface for working with search engines and databases, comprising a screen with a work area on which a set of one or more selectable objects in the form of pictograms or multimedia contents is placed and a corresponding set of one or more options in the form of pictograms or multimedia contents associated with it is displayed with the corresponding one or more selectable objects, while displaying a set of one or more options is in direct connection with the corresponding one or more selectable objects they, as well as the control for moving the cursor or the mechanism for interacting with interactive objects, used to select blocks of objects or blocks of options, characterized in that the working area of the screen has a markup for a fixed number of background blocks that are attached to the markup and displayed on top of visible or invisible background blocks, each object and each option is made in the form of an icon or multimedia content, placed on top of background blocks and made equal to the size of one background block or to a multiple of background blocks, the options and objects pictograms are configured to change the appearance of the pictograph when it is selected using the cursor or another mechanism for interacting with interactive objects and to reveal related sets of one or more blocks of selectable objects that are located on top of the background when opened blocks in the markup adjacent to sets of previously selected blocks with selected objects, with each new set of blocks being opened includes one or more block of icons constituents options and one or more block icons corresponding to selectable items grouped by general criteria.

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