Method of managing elements in an information element array collating unit
View Patent ↗The present invention provides solutions to the potential undesirable effects the insertion and removal of information elements and documents may have on axes of elements using a collation function and collation units and further allows for displaying the elements with a first layout until the number of elements to be displayed in the collation unit exceeds a maximum number of elements displayable with the first layout, the elements displayed in the collation unit being displayed with a second layout when the number of elements to be displayed in the collation unit exceeds the number of elements displayable with the first layout. The invention can be effectuated as a method, a device and an apparatus carrying out the method described herein.
1. A computer-implemented method of displaying a plurality of elements in a collation unit on a display, the method comprising:
assigning a collation function to an axis of elements where each of the elements have time property;
separating the axis of elements in collation units, wherein collation units are measures of time assigned by the collation function to the axes of elements, each of the collation units including a respective axial length for displaying a respective maximum number of elements therein along the axis of elements and displaying a general layout that include a rectilinear arrangement of the elements along the axes of elements;
collating the plurality of elements to assign the plurality of elements to the axes of elements by matching their time property to one of the collation unit measurement of time;
determining if the respective maximum number of elements displayable within the respective collation unit axial length with the general layout is exceeded;
when there is a determination that the respective maximum number of elements displayable within the respective axial length of a collation unit is exceeded, allocating, within the rectilinear arrangement, an interactive receiving space that will maintain, at most, the respective maximum number of elements within the respective collation unit by allocating the exceeding element to the interactive receiving space;
displaying the elements in their respective collation unit with the general layout when the number of elements to be displayed is not exceeding the respective maximum number of elements to be displayed; and
displaying the elements in their respective collation units with the interactive receiving space when the number of elements to be displayed is exceeding the maximum number of elements displayable in the collation units within the constant axial length provided by the general layout, the interactive receiving space allowing the respective collation unit to display a number of elements exceeding the maximum number of elements displayable within the respective axial length of the collation unit.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving space includes scrolling capability thereof.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of elements are user-selectable.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the elements displayed with the general layout are displayed with a size that is different from a size of the elements displayed with the interactive scrolling receiving space.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the general layout is displaying elements with a substantially similar geometric outer shape.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving space is stacking elements displayed therein.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein an axial length of the interactive scrolling receiving space is shorter than the respective axial length of the collation unit it is allocated in.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the collation function is a chronological order.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the general layout is allocating the receiving space on a basis of an additional element to be displayed in the collation unit outnumbering the maximum number of elements displayable within the collation unit predetermined constant axial length.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving space includes a visually distinctive feature differentiating the receiving space from the general layout.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations for displaying a plurality of elements on a display, the operations comprising:
assigning a collation function to an axis of elements where each of the elements have time property;
separating the axis of elements in collation units, wherein collation units are measures of time assigned by the collation function to the axes of elements, each of the collation units including a respective axial length for displaying a respective maximum number of elements therein along the axis of elements and displaying a general layout that include a rectilinear arrangement of the elements along the axes of elements;
collating the plurality of elements to assign the plurality of elements to the axes of elements by matching their time property to one of the collation unit measurement of time;
determining if the respective maximum number of elements displayable within the respective collation unit axial length with the general layout is exceeded;
when there is a determination that the respective maximum number of elements displayable within the respective axial length of a collation unit is exceeded, allocating, within the rectilinear arrangement, an interactive receiving space that will maintain, at most, the respective maximum number of elements within the respective collation unit by allocating the exceeding element to the interactive receiving space;
displaying the elements in their respective collation unit with the general layout when the number of elements to be displayed is not exceeding the respective maximum number of elements to be displayed; and
displaying the elements in their respective collation units with the interactive receiving space when the number of elements to be displayed is exceeding the maximum number of elements displayable in the collation units within the constant axial length provided by the general layout, the interactive receiving space allowing the respective collation unit to display a number of elements exceeding the maximum number of elements displayable within the respective axial length of the collation unit.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the receiving space includes scrolling capability thereof.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein at least some of the plurality of elements are user-selectable.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the elements displayed with the general layout are displayed with a size that is different from a size of the elements displayed with the interactive scrolling receiving space.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the receiving space is stacking elements displayed therein.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the collation function is a chronological order.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the general layout is allocating the receiving space on a basis of an additional element to be displayed in the collation unit outnumbering the maximum number of elements displayable within the collation unit predetermined constant axial length.
18. A device, comprising a processor configured to present a graphical user interface for displaying a plurality of elements along an axis thereof, the processor being programmed to perform the steps of:
assigning a collation function to an axis of elements where each of the elements have time property;
separating the axis of elements in collation units, wherein collation units are measures of time assigned by the collation function to the axes of elements, each of the collation units including a respective axial length for displaying a respective maximum number of elements therein along the axis of elements and displaying a general layout that include a rectilinear arrangement of the elements along the axes of elements;
collating the plurality of elements to assign the plurality of elements to the axes of elements by matching their time property to one of the collation unit measurement of time;
determining if the respective maximum number of elements displayable within the respective collation unit axial length with the general layout is exceeded;
when there is a determination that the respective maximum number of elements displayable within the respective axial length of a collation unit is exceeded, allocating, within the rectilinear arrangement, an interactive receiving space that will maintain, at most, the respective maximum number of elements within the respective collation unit by allocating the exceeding element to the interactive receiving space;
displaying the elements in their respective collation unit with the general layout when the number of elements to be displayed is not exceeding the respective maximum number of elements to be displayed; and
displaying the elements in their respective collation units with the interactive receiving space when the number of elements to be displayed is exceeding the maximum number of elements displayable in the collation units within the constant axial length provided by the general layout, the interactive receiving space allowing the respective collation unit to display a number of elements exceeding the maximum number of elements displayable within the respective axial length of the collation unit.
19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the receiving space includes scrolling capability thereof.
20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the receiving space is stacking elements displayed therein.