WO1999034278A1

WO1999034278A1 - Bubble edit

Info

Publication number: WO1999034278A1
Application number: PCT/US1998/027412
Authority: WO
Inventors: Prabhat K. Andleigh; Cheolwhan Lee
Original assignee: Infodream Corporation
Priority date: 1997-12-31
Filing date: 1998-12-22
Publication date: 1999-07-08
Also published as: GB2338810A; AU1944099A; GB9923073D0; GB2338810B

Abstract

A computer display system (100) for editing a data item displayed on the computer display system (100) comprises a user interface data field (128) for displaying a portion of a data item on the display (108), a data bubble box (302) associated with the user interface data field (128) for displaying the data item, and an edit box (402) associated with the data bubble box (302) for editing the data item. The user interface data field (128) displays an initial portion of the data item on the display (108). The data bubble box (302) is automatically displayed when the cursor is positioned proximate to a portion of the user interface data field (128) and displays the full data item. The edit box (402) is displayed in response to a signal from the cursor control device (104) that the edit box (402) has been activated.

Description

BUBBLE EDIT

Related Application The subject matter of this application is related to and claims priority from U. S.

Provisional Application Serial No. 60/070,074 entitled "Bubble Edit" by Prabhat K. Andleigh and Cheolwhan Lee, which was filed on December 31, 1997 and which subject matter is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

This invention pertains to the field of computer display systems, and more particularly, to computer display systems that use a bubble box to edit text.

Background Art Graphic user interfaces have been developed to facilitate human interaction with computer systems. Many user interfaces utilize metaphors, such as desk tops, notebooks, and the like, in the design of the interface in order to maximize human familiarity and to convey information between the user and the computer. Through the use of familiar metaphors the interface takes advantage of existing human mental structures to permit a user to draw upon the metaphor analogy to understand the requirements of the particular computer system.

In current generation systems, computer systems commonly incorporate display systems which utilize a "window" on a display in which combinations of text and graphics are displayed. Using a desk top metaphor, the window may take the form of a variety of objects, such as a file folder, or simple rectangles. In many window-based GUIs, these text or graphic data are stored in a database and may be displayed in various data fields in the user interface window. These user interface data fields are typically rectangular shaped boxes which display the full text or graphic data. When a user desires to edit the data displayed in the data field, the user usually positions the cursor over the data field, clicks the mouse or other cursor control device, and directly edits the text in the field using a keyboard. One disadvantage of such display systems is that data fields limited in size can display only a limited amount of text. Therefore, such display systems -ire not appropriate for displaying large quantities of text. Current display systems may utilize larger data fields which display larger amounts of data; however, this approach limits the number cf data fields which may be displayed at any one time in the window.

In a typical window-based GUI system, visually distinct display objects are also provided on the display screen, and are commonly referred to as "icons". Each of the icons represents a function or object on the desktop. In many systems, a cursor is also displayed. The cursor may be selectively moved in response to the movement of a mouse or other pointer control device. The cursor may be moved over the display objects which the user may select on the screen. Sometimes, users may not be familiar with the function of a particular icon. Thus, some window-based GUI systems provide a pop-up non-editable text bubble box associated with a particular icon to inform the user of the function of the particular icon. In other words, when a user selectively positions the cursor over a portion of the icon, a bubble box is displayed automatically. The bubble box which usually contains one or two words indicating the function represented by the icon. Such pop-up text bubble boxes cannot be edited by the user. Moreover, pop-up text bubble boxes are typically associated only with window icons and are used to display only one or two words which convey the corresponding function of the icon.

Therefore, what is needed is a system and method for a computer display system which can display large amounts of data in a user interface data field which has a limited size. More specifically, what is need is a computer display system which displays only an initial portion of the data in the user interface data field and provides a pop-up bubble box which displays the entire data stored in the user interface data field. Additionally, the computer display system should also provide a mechanism for editing the data in the bubble box.

Disclosure of Invention The present invention is a system and method for a computer display system ( 100) having a cursor ( 106) and a cursor control device (104) coupled to a display (108) for controlling the movement of the cursor (106) on the display (108). The computer display system ( 100) comprises a user interface data field ( 128) for displaying a portion of a data item on the display (108), a data bubble box (302) associated with the user interface data field (128) for displaying the data item, and an edit box (402) associated with the data bubble box (302) for editing the data item. The user interface data field (128) displays an initial portion of the data item on the display ( 108). The data bubble box (302) is automatically displayed when the cursor is positioned over a portion of the user interface data field ( 128) and displays the full data item. The edit box (402) is displayed in response to a signal from the cursor control device (104) that the edit box (402) has been activated.

The present invention also includes a method for editing a data item displayed on a computer display system comprising the steps of: generating and displaying (506) a user interface data field for displaying a portion of the data item on the display; generating and displaying (510) a data bubble box associated with the user interface data field in response to a signal that the cursor is over a portion of the user interface data field; and generating and displaying (519) an edit box associated with the data bubble box in response to receiving a signal that the edit box has been activated.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a computer display system incorporating the teachings of the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a representative screen display illustrating a window-display system utilizing the teachings of the present invention.

Figure 3 illustrates the data bubble box of the present invention. Figure 4 illustrates the edit box of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a flow chart of one embodiment for performing the steps of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring now to Figure 1. a computer display system incorporating the teachings of the present invention is shown. The computer display system 100 includes a display device 102, such as a CRT monitor or a liquid crystal display (LCD); and a cursor control device 104, such as a mouse, a track ball, a joy stick, or other device for selectively positioning a cursor 106 on a display screen 108 of the display device 102. Typically, the cursor control device 104 includes a signal generation means, such as a switch 110. As shown in Figure 1. the cursor control device 104 (hereinafter all types of applicable cursor control devices, such as mice, track balls, joy sticks, graphic tables, keyboard inputs, and the like, are collectively referred to as the "mouse 104") is coupled to a computer system 112.

The computer 112 comprises three major components: an input/output (I/O) circuit 114, a central processing unit (CPU) 1 16, and a memory 118. The I/O circuit 114 is used to communicate information in appropriately structured form to and from other portions of the computer 112. The CPU 1 16 is coupled to the 170 circuit 114 and the memory 118. These elements are those typically found in most general purpose computers, and computer 112 is intended to be representative of a broad category of data processing devices capable of generating graphic displays.

The computer display system 100 further comprises a keyboard 120 to input data and commands into the computer 112 as is well known in the art. A magnetic mass memory disk 122 is shown coupled to the I/O circuit 1 14 to provide additional storage capacity. In addition, a CD ROM 124 is further coupled to the I O circuit 1 14 for additional storage capacity. One skilled in the art will realize that additional devices may be coupled to the computer 112 for storing data, such as magnetic tape drives, as well as networks, which are in turn coupled to other data processing systems. As illustrated in Figure 1, the display device 102 includes the display screen 108 in which a window 126 is displayed. As is well known in the art, the window 126 may be in the form of a rectangle or other well known shape, and may include a user interface data field 128 displayed in the window 126. As is well known in the art, the movement of the mouse 104 may be translated by the computer 1 12 into movement of the cursor 106 on the display screen 108. The user interface data field 128 is described below in more detail with reference to Figure 2. The system illustrated in Figure 1 is intended to represent a general data processing system capable of providing a graphic user interface display. The window display 126 and window based display system is well known in the art. and hence, a detailed description is not necessary herein. In operation, the window based user interface of the present invention is generated and displayed using software stored in memory 1 18 and executed by the CPU 1 16 as is known in the art. Referring now to Figure 2. the display screen 108 of the display 102 is shown in additional detail. Illustrated within the display 108 is a graphic user interface for a software application 200. The graphic user interface 200 may include a menu bar 202 which horizontally spans the display screen 108 and typically includes a plurality of command options. Additionally, other control features may be displayed on the graphic user interface 200. The graphic user interface also comprises user interface data fields 128 as briefly mentioned with reference to Figure 1. The user interface data fields 128 display a portion of a data item on the display screen 108. As used herein, a "data item" refers to any type of data, such as text data, numerical data, or computer graphic data, which may be displayed by the graphic user interface of a software application. Each user interface data field 128 is associated with a data item. In other words, when a portion of a data item is associated with a user interface data field 128, a portion of that data item is displayed in the user interface data field 128. The user interface data field 128 displays only an initial portion of the data item. For example, if the data item associated with user interface data field 128 A in Figure 2 is the text string:

Responsible for lab support of TCP/IP based LAN network with Novell Netware as the operating system. Analyzed and resolved hardware and software problems in the lab

then, only an initial portion of the text string is displayed in user interface data field 128 A in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated in Figure 2, only the text "Responsible for lab support of is shown in the user interface data field 128 A. In an alternative embodiment, the data item may also comprise numerical data or computer graphic data. One skilled in the art will realize that the present invention is not limited to any specific type of data item but may apply to any range of data items which may be represented by the graphic user interface of a software application. Additionally, the user data interface field 128 is not limited to displaying only the initial portion of the data item, but may display any portion of the data item. Thus, the present invention advantageously allows a graphic user interface for a software application to be designed with small text fields to display the initial part of a data item stored in the database for that user interface data field. Referring now to Figure 3. a data bubble box 302 on the display screen 108 of the display 102 is shown. When the cursor 106 is positioned over any portion of the user interface data field 128, a data bubble box 302 associated with the user interface data field 128 is generated and displayed on display screen 108. Preferably, the data bubble box 302 is displayed automatically in response to a signal that the cursor is positioned over a portion of the user interface data field 128. The data bubble box 302 that is generated is of sufficient size to display the full data item as shown in Figure 3. As used herein, a data bubble box 302 is associated with a user interface data field 128 when a data bubble box 302 displays the data item which is associated with the user interface data field 128. One skilled in the art will realize that the data bubble box 302 is not limited to text data but may display any type of data represented by the data item. Additionally, although the data bubble box 302 illustrated in Figure 3 has a rectangular shape, the present invention is not limited to rectangles but may display a data bubble box 302 comprising any shape, such as a square or circle, which displays the full data item. Furthermore, the positioning of the data bubble box 302 which is generated in response to a signal that the cursor 106 is positioned over a portion of the user interface data field 128 is not limited to any particular location on the display screen 108 but is preferably displayed beneath the cursor 106 when the cursor 106 is positioned over a portion of the user interface data field 128.

Referring now to Figure 4. an edit box 402 on the display screen 108 of the display 102 is shown. The edit box 402 displays the data item and allows editing of the original data item. When an original data item is edited in the edit box 402, an edited data item is created and can then be stored in the database associated with the software application. The edited data item will then be displayed in the user interface data field 128 associated with the data item. The edit box 402 is generated and displayed when the user activates the edit box by positioning the cursor 106 over a portion of the user interface data field 128 and pressing the signal generation means 110 to send a signal to the computer 1 1 . Typically, this is accomplished by clicking the switch 110 of the mouse 104 while the cursor 106 is positioned over a portion of the user interface data field 128. In a preferred embodiment, the edit box 402 is displayed simultaneously with the data bubble box as illustrated in Figure 4. Alternatively, when the edit box 402 is activated, the data bubble box 302 may disappear from the display screen 108.

Although the edit box 402 illustrated in Figure 4 has a rectangular shape, the present invention is not limited to rectangles but may display an edit box 402 comprising any shape, such as a square or circle, which displays the full data item. Furthermore, the positioning of the edit box 402 is not limited to any particular location on the display screen 108 but may be displayed anywhere on display screen 108 and is preferably displayed on a portion of the display screen 108 such that a portion of the edit box 402 does not overlap the data bubble box 302. Thus, the present invention advantageously allows a graphic user interface for a software application to be designed with small text fields to display the initial part of a data item stored in the database for that user interface data field. Moreover, when a user positions the cursor proximate to a portion of the user interface data field, the field blows up automatically into a bubble box of sufficient size to display the full data item. When the user clicks on a portion of the data field, an edit box is activated which allows a user to edit the text or other data item in the edit box. Accordingly, the present invention advantageously allows a large amount of information to be effectively displayed in a display screen with very small screen real estate. Referring now to Figure 5, a flow chart of the steps of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The steps are divided into those steps which are performed by a user 502 of the invention and those steps which are performed by the computer display system 504. First, the user display system generates and displays (506) a user interface including a user interface data field 128 which in turn displays an original data item. The user 502 then positions (508) the cursor 106 over a portion of the user interface data field 128 using the cursor control device 104. The system 504 of the present invention then generates and displays (510) a bubble box 302 on the user interface in response to a signal that the cursor is positioned over a portion of the user interface data field 128. The bubble box 302 displays the full data item as described above with reference to Figure 3. The user 502 then activates the edit box (512) preferably by clicking the switch on the mouse 104 while the cursor 106 is positioned over a portion of the user interface data field 128. In response to the signal by the user to activate the edit box 402, the system 504 generates and displays (514) an edit box 402 associated with the bubble box. The edit box displays the full original data item. The user 502 may then edit (516) the original data item in the edit box 402 by using conventional editing techniques. The system 504 generates an edited data item which represents the edits made by the user and stores (518) the edited data item in the database where the original data item was stored. When the edited data item has been stored to the new database, the edited data item replaces the original data item and the system 504 displays (520) the edited data item in the user interface data field 128. The above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiments and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims. From the above discussion, many variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art that would yet be encompassed by the spirit and scope of the present invention.

W at is claimed is:

Claims

1. A computer display system having a cursor and a cursor control device coupled to a display, the cursor control device controlling movement of a cursor on the display, said display system comprising: a user interface data field for displaying a portion of a data item on said display; a data bubble box associated with the user interface data field for displaying the data item; and an edit box associated with the data bubble box for editing the data item.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data bubble box is displayed on said display in response to a signal that the cursor is proximate to the user interface data field.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data bubble box has a portion that does not overlap the edit box.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the edit box is displayed in response to a signal that the user has activated a switch on the cursor control device while the cursor is positioned proximate to a portion of the user interface data field.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising: an edited data item, said edited data item being edited using the edit box and said edited data item being stored in the user interface data field for replacing the data item.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data item is a text data item.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the data item is a graphic data item.

8. A computer display system having a cursor and a cursor control device coupled to a display, the cursor control device controlling movement of the cursor on the display, said display system comprising: a data item: a user interface data field for displaying a first portion of said data item on said display, said first portion of said data item corresponding to an initial part of the data item; a data bubble box for displaying a second portion of said data item, said second portion of said data item corresponding to an entire portion of the data item, said data bubble box being displayed on said display when the cursor is proximate to the user interface data field; and an edit box for editing the data item, the edit box being displayed on said display when the cursor control device is used to activate the edit box.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the data bubble box has a portion that does not overlap the edit box.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the edit box is used to create an edited data item, said edited data item being stored in the user interface data field and replacing the data item.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the data bubble box is displayed automatically when the cursor is proximate to the user interface data field.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the data item is a text data item.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the data item is a graphic data item.

14. A method for editing a data item displayed on a computer display system having a display, a cursor displayed on the display, and a cursor control device for controlling the cursor, the method comprising the steps of: generating and displaying a user interface data field for displaying a portion of the data item on said display; generating and displaying a data bubble box associated with the user interface data field in response to a signal that the cursor is proximate to the user interface data field; and generating and displaying an edit box associated with the data bubble box in response to receiving a signal that the edit box has been activated.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the data bubble box has a portion that does not overlap the edit box.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the data bubble box is generated and displayed automatically in response to a signal that the cursor is proximate to the user interface data field.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of: generating an edited data item in response to a signal that the data item has been edited; storing the edited data item in place of the data item; and displaying the edited data item in the user interface data field.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the data item is a text data item.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the data item is a graphic data item.