Object-oriented computer user interface

Claim 2

A computer user interface comprising: means for graphically representing a set of objects as instances of types of semi-structured objects, wherein each object type has a set of actions that can be performed upon instances of such object type and wherein an object has a set of fields and one of the fields may contain information of any type, and wherein a first object may contain, as part of the value of one of the fields of the first object, a link to a second object, and wherein a graphical representation of the first object includes a display of an indication the link; means for arranging the objects in a hierarchy of increasingly specialized types of a generic object type, and for causing each object type to inherit fields and actions from any parent thereof; and means for defining each type of object by means of a template.

Claim 3

A computer user interface according to claim 1, wherein the displayed indication of the link includes at least one of a symbol for the second object and a template associated with the second object.

Claim 4

A computer user interface according to claim 1, further comprising: means for causing display of the second object when the displayed indication of the link is selected by a user.

Claim 5

A computer user interface comprising: means for graphically representing objects that collectively are instances of a plurality of object types, wherein a data record is one of such object types; means for causing at least some of the objects to be semi-structured in that each such object has at least one field in which the permitted value is not restricted to a specific kind of information and wherein at least one object includes at least one link to another object; means for displaying an object including means for displaying an indication of any link from the object to another object; means, responsive to user selection of a displayed indication of a link from one object to another object, for displaying the other object; and means for providing a tailorable summary display of objects in response to user selection of fields of the object type.

Claim 6

A computer user interface comprising: means for graphically representing objects that collectively are instances of a plurality of object types, wherein a data record is one of such object types; means for causing at least some of the objects to be semi-structured in that each such object has at least one field in which the permitted value is not restricted to a specific kind of information and wherein at least one object includes at least one link to another object; means for displaying an object including means for displaying an indication of any link from the object to another object; means, responsive to user selection of a displayed indication of a link from one object to another object, for displaying the other object; and means for providing a tailorable summary display of objects in response to user selection of fields of the object type.

Claim 7

A computer user interface according to claim 4, wherein the means for providing a tailorable summary display includes means for tailoring the summary display by user selection from a displayed list of alternatives.

Claim 8

A computer user interface according to claim 4, wherein a folder, comprising a collection of instances of an object type, is a pre-defined type of object.

Claim 9

A computer user interface according to claim 4, wherein the means for displaying the first object displays a graphical indication of the link.

Claim 10

A computer user interface according to claim 7, wherein the means for providing a tailorable summary display includes means for causing the selectable summary display of a collection of objects and of the relationships, represented by links, between the objects.

Claim 11

A computer user interface according to claim 4, wherein the at least one field may include a plurality of links to other objects.

Claim 12

A computer user interface, comprising: means for graphically representing objects that collectively are instances of at least one object type, each object type is semi-structured by having a set of fields, wherein at least one field contains information of any type, wherein a first object may contain, as part of the value of one of the fields, a link to a second object; means for displaying the first object and an indication of the link; means, responsive to user selection of the displayed indication of the link from the first object to the second object, for displaying the second object; and means for providing a tailorable summary display of objects in response to user selection of fields of the object type.

Claim 13

A computer user interface, comprising: means for graphically representing objects that collectively are instances of at least one object type, each object type is semi-structured by having a set of fields, wherein at least one field contains information of any type, wherein a first object may contain, as part of the value of one of the fields, a link to a second object; means for displaying the first object and an indication of the link; means, responsive to user selection of the displayed indication of the link from the first object to the second object, for displaying the second object; and means for providing a tailorable summary display of objects in response to user selection of fields of the object type.

Claim 14

A computer user interface according to claim 10, wherein the objects collectively are instances of a plurality of object types.

Claim 15

A computer user interface according to claim 11, wherein a data record is one of such object types, and an agent is another of such object types.

Claim 16

A computer user interface according to claim 12, wherein a folder is one of such object types.

Claim 17

A computer user interface according to claim 4, wherein the means for displaying the first object displays a template of the second object embedded in the display of the field of the first object.

Claim 18

An object-oriented computer user interface system, comprising: a first semi-structured object type, wherein an instance of the first object type comprises: a collection of fields, wherein information in at least one of the fields may be of any type, and wherein a value in at least one field includes a link to another instance of any object type; a display method for displaying the instance of the object type, including displaying an indication of the link to the other instance of any object type; a display link method for displaying the other instance of any object type upon selection by the user of the displayed indication of the link; and a second semi-structured object type, wherein an instance of the second object type comprises: a collection of fields, wherein information in at least one of the fields may be of any type, and wherein a value in at least one field includes a link to another instance of any object type; a display method for displaying the instance of the object type, including displaying an indication of the link to the other instance of any object type; a display link method for displaying the other instance of any object type upon selection by the user of the displayed indication of the link; and means for displaying a summary view of a plurality of instances of an object type, wherein fields to be displayed are selectable by a user.

Claim 19

An object-oriented computer user interface system, comprising: a first semi-structured object type, wherein an instance of the first object type comprises: a collection of fields, wherein information in at least one of the fields may be of any type, and wherein a value in at least one field includes a link to another instance of any object type; a display method for displaying the instance of the object type, including displaying an indication of the link to the other instance of any object type; a display link method for displaying the other instance of any object type upon selection by the user of the displayed indication of the link; and a second semi-structured object type, wherein an instance of the second object type comprises: a collection of fields, wherein information in at least one of the fields may be of any type, and wherein a value in at least one field includes a link to another instance of any object type; a display method for displaying the instance of the object type, including displaying an indication of the link to the other instance of any object type; a display link method for displaying the other instance of any object type upon selection by the user of the displayed indication of the link; and means for displaying a summary view of a plurality of instances of an object type, wherein fields to be displayed are selectable by a user.

Claim 20

The object-oriented user interface of claim 15, wherein the means for displaying includes means for displaying the summary view in a format selected by a user.