US5874954A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Centricity-based interface and method
Assignee: ACORN LLC
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Filing: 1996-04-23
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Granted: 1999-02-23
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Expires: 2016-04-23
Abstract
Abstract A processing architecture includes an object instantiation and interaction engine, an CUE interface, and remote processes to create, access, and process objects in a distributed manner. The CUE interface uses an interface wheel divided into portions denoted who, what, when, where, why, how, and now. Selection of a particular portion provides the user with control related to that portion. The interface is adaptable for use with a wide variety of machines, including computers, televisions, telephones, security systems, and automobiles. The wheel is implemented as a display on a video monitor or as a physical disk. Each portion of the wheel is assigned a color that serves as a mnemonic for that portion. A hierarchical network of engines provides distributed storage and access to data in conjunction with the CUE interface.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard A.C. Kilmer
- 👤 Scott J. Dankman
- 👤 David B. Craine
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 04:57
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06F3/0482; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/904; G06F16/95; G06F16/954; G06F3/02; G06F3/0202; G06F3/0219; G06F3/0487; G06F3/0489
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
A system for providing interaction between a human and a machine, comprising: an interface structure accepting as input instructions from said human and providing as output a control signal, the interface structure including a "who" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to personas; a "when" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to events; a "where" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to locations; a "why" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to goals; a "what" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to unstructured data and documents; a "how" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to resources; and a "now" portion pertaining to machine functions pertaining to current activities; wherein the interface structure is disposed in the form of a wheel, and wherein the "who," "what," "when," "where," "why" and "how" portions each comprises substantially a radial wedge of the wheel, and further wherein the "now" portion comprises a hub of the wheel; and a processor for controlling said machine responsive to said control signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
170 words
A system for providing interaction between a human and a machine, comprising: an interface structure accepting as input instructions from said human and providing as output a control signal, the interface structure including a "who" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to personas; a "when" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to events; a "where" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to locations; a "why" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to goals; a "what" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to unstructured data and documents; a "how" portion providing access to machine functions pertaining to resources; and a "now" portion pertaining to machine functions pertaining to current activities; wherein the interface structure is disposed in the form of a wheel, and wherein the "who," "what," "when," "where," "why" and "how" portions each comprises substantially a radial wedge of the wheel, and further wherein the "now" portion comprises a hub of the wheel; and a processor for controlling said machine responsive to said control signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system as in claim 1, each of the "who," "what," "when," "why," and "how" portions being implemented using corresponding "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how" objects.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein the "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how" portions each is displayed in a distinct mnemonic color.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein the "who" portion is displayed in a magenta color, the "what" portion is displayed in a blue color, the "when" portion is displayed in a cyan color, the "where" portion is displayed in a green color, the "why" portion is displayed in a yellow color, and the "how" portion is displayed in a red color.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein the interface structure is implemented as a display on a video screen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein the interface structure is implemented as a physical device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
A system as in claim 6, wherein the physical device is disk-shaped.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein the interface structure is detachably coupled to said machine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as in claim 1, wherein the interface structure is adapted for use with a plurality of machines in addition to said machine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system as in claim 1, further comprising a computer network coupled to said machine for storing and accessing information in response to said instructions from said human.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of providing interaction between a human and a machine, the method comprising: providing an information processing environment for accomplishment of the human's goals by presenting wheel interface to the human, the wheel interface: (i) providing a "who" portion for categorization of persona-related information; (ii) providing a "what" portion for categorization of information other than the group of persona-related information, event-related information, location-related information, goal-related information and resource-related information; (iii) providing a "when" portion for categorization of event-related information; (iv) providing a "where" portion for categorization of location-related information; (v) providing a "why" portion for categorization of goal-related information; (vi) providing a "how" portion for categorization of resource-related information; detecting user actuation of one of said "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how" portions; and controlling the machine in response to said detecting.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
134 words
A method of providing interaction between a human and a machine, the method comprising: providing an information processing environment for accomplishment of the human's goals by presenting wheel interface to the human, the wheel interface: (i) providing a "who" portion for categorization of persona-related information; (ii) providing a "what" portion for categorization of information other than the group of persona-related information, event-related information, location-related information, goal-related information and resource-related information; (iii) providing a "when" portion for categorization of event-related information; (iv) providing a "where" portion for categorization of location-related information; (v) providing a "why" portion for categorization of goal-related information; (vi) providing a "how" portion for categorization of resource-related information; detecting user actuation of one of said "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how" portions; and controlling the machine in response to said detecting.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as in claim 11, said presenting further comprising providing a "now" portion for user control of current actions, detecting user actuation of said "now" portion, and controlling the machine in response thereto.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of providing a computer environment, comprising: presenting an interface wheel; accessing items relating to personas in response to user selection of a "who" portion of the wheel; accessing items relating to events in response to a user selection of a "when" portion of the wheel; accessing items relating to locations in response to a user selection of a "where" portion of the wheel; accessing items relating to goals in response to a user selection of a "why" portion of the wheel; accessing non-specific items in response to a user selection of a "what" portion of the wheel; accessing resources in response to a "how" portion of the wheel; and accessing current items in response to a user selection of a "now" portion of the wheel.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of providing a computer environment, comprising: presenting an interface wheel; accessing items relating to personas in response to user selection of a "who" portion of the wheel; accessing items relating to events in response to a user selection of a "when" portion of the wheel; accessing items relating to locations in response to a user selection of a "where" portion of the wheel; accessing items relating to goals in response to a user selection of a "why" portion of the wheel; accessing non-specific items in response to a user selection of a "what" portion of the wheel; accessing resources in response to a "how" portion of the wheel; and accessing current items in response to a user selection of a "now" portion of the wheel.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as in claim 13, wherein the "who," "what," "when," "where," "why," and "how" portions each comprises substantially a radial wedge of the wheel, and further wherein the "now" portion comprises a hub of the wheel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-02-22 | 2002-08-24 | 2003-02-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-22 | 2006-08-24 | 2007-02-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-22 | 2010-08-24 | 2011-02-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |