Patent · US Expired

System and method for using shading layers and highlighting to navigate a tree view display

US6990638B2 · kind B2 · utility

41Cited by
11References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 19, 2001
Grant dateJan 24, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 26, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0482
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for displaying layered data, such as data with a hierarchical relationship is provided. A flat tree view control is provided that indicates the level corresponding to individual data items without indenting data items. Colors or grayscale shading is applied to each data item to indicate the item's level within the hierarchy. Items within the same level use the same color or shading. When an item is selected by the user it is expanded or collapsed depending on whether the layers below the selected item already appear on the display screen. Additional level indicator values and level indicator bars can be used to further indicate the level of data items. A data item can also be highlighted to indicate a particular attribute corresponding with an individual data item.

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