Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-23
2001-06-26
Herndon, Heather R. (Department: 2176)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253218
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data display method, particularly to a data display method for displaying data stored as a database on a display device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional display method of file data disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 129448/1995 (Tokukaihei No. 7-129448), is a method of displaying a list of the files. The attributes, such as the owner, size, and type of the files, are also displayed along the file titles. Since more than a screenful of data can not be displayed at one time, the user tries to find the necessary data by scrolling the screen.
Further, this method is often combined with another method of classifying and arranging the files using a directory or a folder as a managing system of a plurality of files, so that the data can be managed hierarchically.
In the case of an image database, a reduced image (thumbnail) is displayed to present a screen content as a data list display method. When a data volume exceeds a screenful of data, the user tries to find the necessary data by scrolling the screen like he does with the list of the files.
In the above data display methods, if the data are retrieved based on retrieval information inputted through an information input device, such as a keyboard and icons, a cursor moves to the extracted data (moving of view fixed point), or the extracted data are displayed in reverse or in another window.
In the conventional display method with hierarchal management, if the user wishes to display the data of a specific file, he can not know the data content in the files until he accesses the directory and checks the list of the files on the display. Thus, if the files are divided into many categories or managed in a deep hierarchy, the user has to access the directory more often and it takes a time to obtain the necessary information.
In the case of the list of reduced images of the image database, the user can readily understand the image content. However, as a volume of the data increases and exceeds a screenful of data, it becomes impossible to obtain the image content simultaneously with the information as to which images were created earlier than which.
In addition, neither the file titles nor attributes of the images in the files can be displayed simultaneously with the image contents. Thus, the corresponding data must be displayed separately for selected images alone, or a list of the file titles must be displayed separately with the attributes, such as the owner, size, or type of the files. In other words, to obtain accurate information, the above image display method must be combined with another data display method, and therefore, demands extra works, such as screen switching.
Further, the data containing both an image and a text can be handled only in the level of files. Thus, it is difficult for the user to handle the data of different formats while understanding the content thereof.
As has been explained, the conventional data display methods have a problem in that the user can not understand the characteristics of each item of the data at a glance while understanding a relationship among the data, such as positions in terms of time and categories, in a straightforward manner, thereby making it difficult for the user to manage the data or recognize the information he needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a data display method for, when the user retrieves the data as occasion demands through visualized relationship between individual data files in the database and each item of the data, enabling the user to understand the content of each item of the data at a glance. Further, the user can understand the position of the data in terms of time, categories or the like in a straightforward manner, thereby making it easy for the user to manage the data or retrieve the information he needs.
To fulfill the above object, a first data display method of the present invention is characterized by being furnished with:
storage means for storing more than one item of data each having both time information and category information;
coordinate space generating means for generating a time coordinate on a wall plane in a depth direction with respect to a screen and a category coordinate on a floor plane in a width direction with respect to the screen; and
figure generating means for generating a figure representing a content of the data,
wherein the above figure is displayed on a coordinate space composed of the wall plane and floor plane based on the time information and category information of the data.
Therefore, when the user retrieves the data as occasion demands, he can understand the content of each item of the data at a glance while understanding the position of the data in terms of time, categories, etc. in a straightforward manner. Consequently, the user can readily manage the data and retrieve the information he needs.
Also, a second data display method of the present invention is a data display method in a virtual 3-D coordinate space having an X axis in a lateral direction of a 2-D screen, a Y axis in a longitudinal direction of the 2-D screen, and a Z axis in a virtual depth direction with respect to the 2-D screen, characterized in that:
a content of data is generated as a reduced image;
an attribute of each item of the data is set to each of the X axis and Z axis within the space;
a list of the content of each item of the data is displayed on the screen by displaying the reduced image at a position having an X coordinate and a Z coordinate corresponding to a value of the attribute of each item of the data; and
a trace of view points, inputted in the space successively and each indicating of which part of the space should be displayed at which angle as an image, is superimposed on the reduced image within the screen.
Therefore, when the user retrieves the data as occasion demands, he can understand the content of each item of the data at a glance while understanding the position of the data in terms of time, categories, etc. in a straightforward manner. Consequently, the user can readily manage the data and retrieve the information he needs.
A third data display method of the present invention is a data display method in a virtual 3-D coordinate space having an X axis in a lateral direction of a 2-D screen, a Y axis in a longitudinal direction of the 2-D screen, and a Z axis in a virtual depth direction with respect to the 2-D screen, characterized in that:
a content of data is generated as a reduced image;
an attribute of each item of the data is set to each of the X axis and Z axis within the space;
a list of the content of each item of the data is displayed on the screen by displaying the reduced image at a position having an X coordinate and a Z coordinate corresponding to a value of the attribute of each item of the data; and
a display pattern of each item of the data is changed depending whether being suitable for retrieval or not so as to be distinguished visually in a clear manner.
Therefore, when the user retrieves the data as occasion demands, he can understand the content of each item of the data at a glance while understanding the position of the data in terms of time, categories, etc. in a straightforward manner. Consequently, the user can readily manage the data and retrieve the information he needs.
A fourth data display method of the present invention is a data display method in a virtual 3-D coordinate space having an X axis in a lateral direction, of a 2-D screen, a Y axis in a longitudinal direction of the 2-D screen, and a Z axis in a virtual depth direction with respect to the 2-D screen, characterized in that:
a content of data is generated as a reduced image;
an attribute of each item of the data is set to each of the X axis and Z axis within the space;
when there is not more than one item of the data having the same values of two attributes represented by the X axis and Z axis, the reduced image is displayed at a position having the X coordinate and Z coor
Aitani Yasuhiro
Aoki Atsushi
Nakamura Yoshimasa
Obuchi Yasuji
Ono Atsushi
Bashore William L.
Herndon Heather R.
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