Patent · US Expired

Browser for hierarchical structures

US6434564B1 · kind B1 · utility

130Cited by
13References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 2, 2001
Grant dateAug 13, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 2, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99933
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A browser for viewing data representing text, pictures, sounds, virtual reality worlds, links, or other objects, and organized in a hierarchical structure is provided to display and interact with links to the data. A retrieved set of data is displayed in a lens, and subsequently retrieved sets of data that are deeper in the hierarchical structure are displayed in further stacked lenses, creating a visual representation of the hierarchy. A label on each lens provides information on the data originally displayed in the lens. A user may choose to view the originally displayed contents of any lens on the screen. A user may also modify a personal hierarchical data structure comprising links to sets of data in the first hierarchical structure. In doing so, a user creates an entirely new hierarchical structure that customizes the organization of data according to personal preferences and takes advantage of natural association to reduce the number of perceived levels in the new hierarchical data structure.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.