U.S. patent application number 13/896280 was filed with the patent office on 2014-07-10 for zeroclick.
The applicant listed for this patent is Nes Stewart Irvine. Invention is credited to Nes Stewart Irvine.
Application Number | 20140195969 13/896280 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27579341 |
Filed Date | 2014-07-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140195969 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Irvine; Nes Stewart |
July 10, 2014 |
Zeroclick
Abstract
A GUI interface, a method of programming a GUI interface, and an
apparatus which enables functions of controls in the GUI to be
activated by a movement to a control and then another subsequent
movement related to that control. It may be defined more precisely
below, A GUI in which, when a pointer 0 is immediately adjacent or
passes over a control area 1, a procedure is initiated whereby
subsequent movement of the pointer over a predetermined path area 3
generates a `click` event which simulates direct clicking of the
control 1 and moving outside the predetermined path area 3 prior to
completion of the path 3 resets the control to as if the pointer
has never started along the predetermined path area 3.
Inventors: |
Irvine; Nes Stewart;
(Hertfordshire, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Irvine; Nes Stewart |
Hertfordshire |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
27579341 |
Appl. No.: |
13/896280 |
Filed: |
May 16, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12877994 |
Sep 8, 2010 |
8549443 |
|
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13896280 |
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10275863 |
Apr 11, 2003 |
7818691 |
|
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PCT/GB01/01978 |
May 3, 2001 |
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12877994 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/810 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20130101;
G06F 3/038 20130101; G06F 3/04812 20130101; G06F 3/04883 20130101;
G06F 3/0488 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/810 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20060101
G06F003/0482; G06F 3/0488 20060101 G06F003/0488 |
Claims
1. A device capable of executing software comprising: a
touch-sensitive screen configured to detect being touched by a
user's finger without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be
sensitive to a pressure of the finger contact on the screen; a
processor connected to the touch-sensitive screen and configured to
receive from the screen information regarding locations touched by
the user's finger; executable user interface code stored in a
memory connected to the processor, the user interface code
executable by the processor; the user interface code being
configured to detect one or more locations touched by a movement of
the user's finger on the screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be sensitive to the pressure of the
finger contact on the screen and determine therefrom a selected
operation.
2. The device according to claim 1 which is further configured by
one or more of the following: a) the device is operable by the
touch-sensitive screen without requiring the touch-sensitive screen
to be pressure sensitive including any of a mobile phone, or a
touch-sensitive pad, or another computer device with a
touch-sensitive screen; b) the device activates the touch-sensitive
screen, without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure
sensitive, by a start sequence of locations touched on the
touch-sensitive screen by a movement of the user's finger to start
operating one or more further functions of the user interface
selectable by one or more subsequent finger movements of the user
on the touch-sensitive screen to control the device by one or more
subsequent selected operations of the user; c) the device can
browse the internet; d) the device can play video files; e) the
device can play audio files; f) the device can display text; g) the
device can display a multimedia file; h) the device can edit text;
i) the device can search the internet or text by entering
characters; j) the device has a start sequence of locations to be
touched on the touch-sensitive screen by one or more finger
movements of the user on the touch-sensitive screen without
requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive to
start operating one or more further functions of the user interface
to control the device, and the start sequence does not require the
sequence of locations to be touched to be deducible by another user
from the appearance of the touch-sensitive screen displaying the
start sequence of locations to be touched; k) the device is
operated by touching the touch-sensitive screen in two or to more
areas sequentially without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to
be pressure sensitive; l) the device has one or more functions to
activate the touch-sensitive screen display from a very low power
mode; m) the device requires a sequence of locations on the
touch-sensitive screen being touched by one or more finger
movements on the touch-sensitive screen, without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive, thereby to
activate the selected operation of the user to control the device;
n) the touch-sensitive screen being touched by one or more finger
movements without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be
pressure sensitive can generate one or more functions by any of
placing a finger at a location on the screen, moving a finger in
contact with the screen, or not touching the screen at a location
of the screen; o) the device can operate a graphic program
including the ability to draw a line on the touch-sensitive screen;
p) the device further includes detecting on the touch-sensitive
screen, without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure
sensitive, a movement of a pen at one or more locations of the
touch-sensitive screen as a movement of the users finger at said
one or more locations on the touch-sensitive screen; q) the device
in which the user interface is further configured to respond to a
pointer speed at which the user's finger touching the
touch-sensitive screen without requiring the touch-sensitive screen
to be pressure sensitive moves along the screen; r) the device in
which the user interface is further configured to cause the user
selected operation to move a displayed desktop in a selected
direction; s) the device wherein the user interface is further
configured to execute a selected operation by the touch-sensitive
screen detecting coordinates of each of at least two of the user's
fingers touching different areas of the touch-sensitive screen
sequentially without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be
pressure sensitive; t) the device wherein said user interface is
further configured to make a triggering of the user selected
operation by a sequence of locations touched on the touch-sensitive
screen without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure
sensitive less probable to occur by accident than the user pressing
a physical button or requiring pressing on a touch screen to
trigger said user selected operation; u) the device in which the
user interface is further configured to cause the selected
operation to control the device by one or more functions in
addition to an appearance on the touch-sensitive screen by
detecting one or more coordinate positions of one or more finger
movements touching the touch-sensitive screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive; v) the device can
operate an application program within the user interface; w) the
device can deactivate the selected operation; x) the device wherein
the touch-sensitive screen is capable of detecting the finger in
dose proximity over the screen and the user interface is further
configured to execute a selected operation by the finger being in
close proximity but not touching the screen; y) a method of
operating the device; z) the user interface code is further
configured to cause one or more selected operations, which includes
one or more functions available to the user interface code of the
device, to deactivate while the users finger is touching one or
more locations on the screen; 1) the user interface code is further
configured to activate another selected operation by the selected
operation used in conjunction with an additional input method
available in a prior art GUI; 2) the use interface code is further
configured to execute the selected operation by the user's finger
on the screen being along a specified direction and within a
designated area of the screen over a specified distance; 3) the use
interface code is further configured to execute the selected
operation by the user's finger on the screen being along a
specified direction and within a designated area of the screen over
a specified distance then is removed from the screen; 4) a part of
a surface of the device as the touch-sensitive screen can be
configured to detect being touched by the user's finger without
requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be sensitive to the
pressure of the finger contact on the surface to operate as a
button without requiring pressure; 5) a surface of the device as
the touch-sensitive screen may include in whole or in part visual
feedback of a LCD screen, 6) a sequence of one or more locations
touched on a touch-sensitive surface of the device as the
touch-sensitive screen can include a sequence of contact on the
surface by a user's finger movement that may execute the selected
operation which would not be obvious to the user by a visual
feedback from the surface; 7) a touch-sensitive surface of the
device as the touch-sensitive screen can act as a pressure-less
switch or button on the device; and 8) the user's finger movement
detected by the touch-sensitive screen can be used interchangeably
as pointer movement.
3. The device of claim 1 in which said device comprises either a
touch-sensitive pad or mobile phone that is not required to be
pressure-sensitive, wherein the user interface code is configured
to detect more than one selected operation, which has the
capability to emulate a visible or invisible pointer movement
and/or a "click" event for one or more of the following: a control,
menu, desktop, internet browser, multimedia player, settings menu,
icon, button, phone dialer, multimedia recorder, word processor,
email program, graphical program, graphical user interface, other
application program, or pixel of the touch-sensitive screen, and
with the capability to provide visual, and auditory feedback
responsive to one or more locations being touched by the movement
of the user's finger, without requiring the exertion of pressure on
the touch-sensitive screen.
4. A mobile device according to claim 1 wherein the mobile device
is either a mobile phone or a touch-sensitive pad.
5. A method of operating a computer apparatus capable of operating
software by a graphical user interface GUI characterized by the GUI
detecting a coordinate input of pointer movement alone from a
pointing device and thereby activate one or more functions
available to the GUI.
6. A device capable of executing software according to the method
of claim 5 wherein, a touch-sensitive screen is the pointing
device, and the coordinate input of pointer movement alone means
the information detected by the user interface code of the GUI of
the location of the one or more coordinates being touched by
contact of a user's finger on the touch-sensitive screen and
thereby activate one or more said functions by a selected operation
of the user, comprising: the touch-sensitive screen configured to
detect being touched by the user's finger without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be sensitive to a pressure of the finger
contact on the screen; a processor connected to the touch-sensitive
screen and configured to receive from the screen information
regarding locations touched by the user's finger; executable user
interface code stored in a memory connected to the processor, the
user interface code executable by the processor; the user interface
code being configured to detect one or more locations touched by a
movement of the user's finger on the screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be sensitive to the pressure of the
finger contact on the screen and determine therefrom the selected
operation.
7. A method according to claim 5 wherein, said one or more
functions were previously activated by a prior art GUI detecting a
simultaneous coordinate input and an additional data input from the
pointing device wherein the additional data input is an input of
sensitivity from the pointing device of a touch screen to pressure
of a finger in contact on the screen, or mouse button data from a
pointing device or equivalent; instead of operating the GUI
according to the method of claim 5, in which the GUI is
characterised by detecting said coordinate input of pointer
movement alone, that is the input of X and Y coordinate
information, from the pointing device and thereby activate said one
or more functions available to the GUI.
8. The device of claim 6 in which, said device comprises either a
touch-sensitive pad or mobile phone that is not required to be
pressure sensitive, wherein the user interface code is configured
to detect more than one selected operation, which has the
capability to emulate a visible or invisible pointer movement
and/or a "click" event for one or more of the following: a control,
menu, desktop, internet browser, multimedia player, settings menu,
icon, button, phone dialer, multimedia recorder, word processor,
email program, graphical program, graphical user interface, other
application program, or pixel of the touch-sensitive screen, and
with the capability to provide visual, and auditory feedback
responsive to one or more locations being touched by the movement
of the user's finger, without requiring the exertion of pressure on
the touch-sensitive screen.
9. A method of operating a GUI as claimed in claim 5 wherein, the
pointing device is a touch-sensitive screen, and the GUI is
displayed on the touch-sensitive screen, which does not require to
be pressure sensitive to a pressure of finger contact on the screen
for the GUI to detect the coordinate input of one or more
coordinate locations of one or more finger movements of a user on
the touch-sensitive screen and thereby activate one or more said
functions of the GUI to control the apparatus of a device with the
touch-sensitive screen.
10. A method of operating the device according to claim 6 which is
further configured by one or more of the following: a) the device
is operable by the touch-sensitive screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive including any of a
mobile phone, or a touch-sensitive pad, or another computer device
with a touch-sensitive screen; b) the device activates the
touch-sensitive screen, without requiring the touch-sensitive
screen to be pressure sensitive, by a start sequence of locations
touched on the touch-sensitive screen by a movement of the user's
finger to start operating one or more further functions of the user
interface selectable by one or more subsequent finger movements of
the user on the touch-sensitive screen to control the device by one
or more subsequent selected operations of the user; c) the device
can browse the internet; d) the device can play video files; e) the
device can play audio files; f) the device can display text; g) the
device can display a multimedia file; h) the device can edit text;
i) the device can search the internet or text by entering
characters; j) the device has a start sequence of locations to be
touched on the touch-sensitive screen by one or more finger
movements of the user on the touch-sensitive screen without
requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive to
start operating one or more further functions of the user interface
to control the device, and the start sequence does not require the
sequence of locations to be touched to be deducible by another user
from the appearance of the touch-sensitive screen displaying the
start sequence of locations to be touched; k) the device is
operated by touching the touch-sensitive screen in two or more
areas sequentially without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to
be pressure sensitive; l) the device has one or more functions to
activate the touch-sensitive screen display from a very low power
mode; m) the device requires a sequence of locations on the
touch-sensitive screen being touched by one or more finger
movements on the touch-sensitive screen, without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive, thereby to
activate the selected operation of the user to control the device;
n) the touch-sensitive screen being touched by one or more finger
movements without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be
pressure sensitive can generate one or more functions by any of
placing a finger at a location on the screen, moving a finger in
contact with the screen, or not touching the screen at a location
of the screen; o) the device can operate a graphic program
including the ability to draw a line on the touch-sensitive screen;
p) the device further includes detecting on the touch-sensitive
screen, without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure
sensitive, a movement of a pen at one or more locations of the
touch-sensitive screen as a movement of the user's finger at said
one or more locations on the touch-sensitive screen; q) the device
in which the user interface is further configured to respond to a
pointer speed at which the user's finger touching the
touch-sensitive screen without requiring the touch-sensitive screen
to be pressure sensitive moves along the screen; r) the device in
which the user interface is further configured to cause the user
selected operation to move a displayed desktop in a selected
direction; s) the device wherein the user interface is further
configured to execute a selected operation by the touch-sensitive
screen detecting coordinates of each of at least two of the user's
fingers touching different areas of the touch-sensitive screen
sequentially without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be
pressure sensitive; t) the device wherein said user interface is
further configured to make a triggering of the user selected
operation by a sequence of locations touched on the touch-sensitive
screen without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure
sensitive less probable to occur by accident than the user pressing
a physical button or requiring pressing on a touch screen to
trigger said user selected operation; u) the device in which the
user interface is further configured to cause the selected
operation to control the device by one or more functions in
addition to an appearance on the touch-sensitive screen by
detecting one or more coordinate positions of one or more finger
movements touching the touch-sensitive screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive; v) the device can
operate an application program within the user interface; w) the
device can deactivate the selected operation; x) the device wherein
the touch-sensitive screen is capable of detecting a finger in dose
proximity over the screen and the user interface is further
configured to execute a selected operation by the finger being in
dose proximity but not touching the screen; y) the user interface
code is further configured to activate another selected operation
by the selected operation used in conjunction with an additional
input method of a prior art GUI; z) the user interface code is
further configured to cause one or more selected operations, which
includes one or more functions available to the user interface code
of the device, to deactivate while the user's finger is touching
one or more locations on the screen; 1) the use interface code is
further configured to execute the selected operation by the user's
finger on the screen being along a specified direction and within a
designated area of the screen over a specified distance; 2) the use
interface code is further configured to execute the selected
operation by the user's finger on the screen being along a
specified direction and within a designated area of the screen over
a specified distance then is removed from the screen; 3) a part of
a surface of the device as the touch-sensitive screen can be
configured to detect being touched by the user's finger without
requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be sensitive to the
pressure of the finger contact on the surface to operate as a
button without requiring pressure; 4) a surface of the device as
the touch-sensitive screen may include in whole or in part visual
feedback of a LCD screen, 5) a sequence of one or more locations
touched on a touch-sensitive surface of the device as the
touch-sensitive screen can include a sequence of contact on the
surface by a user's finger movement that may execute the selected
operation which would not be obvious to the user by a visual
feedback from the surface; 6) a touch-sensitive surface of the
device as the touch-sensitive screen can act as a pressure-less
switch or button on the device; and 7) the user's finger movement
detected by the touch-sensitive screen can be used interchangeably
as pointer movement.
11. A method of operating the computer apparatus of a mobile device
according to claim 5 wherein the pointing device of the mobile
device is a touch-sensitive screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive to contact of a
user's finger on the screen, and the coordinate input of pointer
movement alone from the touch-sensitive screen is the coordinate
input detected by the GUI of one or more coordinate locations
related to the screen of one or more finger movements over or on
the screen detected by the touch-sensitive screen and the mobile
device is either a mobile phone or a touch-sensitive pad.
12. A method of operating the graphical user interface GUI of claim
5 in which by the coordinate input being detected by the GUI, when
a pointer is immediately adjacent to or passes over a control area,
a procedure is initiated whereby subsequent movement of the pointer
over a predetermined path generates a `click` event, activating
said one or more functions of the GUI which simulates direct
clicking of a control.
13. A method of operating the graphical user interface GUI
according to claim 5 in which by the coordinate input being
detected by the GUI, a function related to a control area of said
functions is triggered by a pointer movement over the control area,
then by further movement over an additional area comprising the
steps of a. moving the pointer into contact with the control area
b. initiating activating the one or more functions associated with
the control area by moving the pointer to an additional area
related to the control area c. moving the pointer within the
additional area defined in b. and completing a specified movement
within the additional area to complete activation of the function
associated with the control area.
14. A method of operating a GUI in which by pointer movement alone
may activate functions, which were previously activated in existing
programs by other methods.
15. A method according to claim 14 in which said method of claim 14
is limited to activate a function of said functions and while said
method of claim 14 activates the function, said claim language of
claim 14 of "a method of operating a GUI in which by pointer
movement alone may activate functions, which were previously
activated in existing programs by other methods" expressly means "a
method of operating a computer apparatus capable of operating
software by a graphical user interface GUI characterized by the GUI
detecting a coordinate input of pointer movement alone from a
pointing device and thereby activate a function available to the
GUI, which may be previously activated in existing programs by
other methods".
16. A method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 15 wherein,
said other method of a prior art GUI is a standard click method
whereby said function was activated by the prior art GUI detecting
a simultaneous coordinate input and an additional data input from
the pointing device wherein the additional data input is: an input
of sensitivity from the pointing device of a touch screen to
pressure of a finger in contact on the screen, or mouse button data
from a pointing device or equivalent; instead of operating the GUI
according to the method of claim 15, in which the GUI is
characterised by detecting said coordinate input of pointer
movement alone, that is the input of X and Y coordinate
information, from the pointing device and thereby activate said
function available to the GUI.
17. A device capable of executing software to the method of claim
14 wherein, "by pointer movement alone may activate functions,
which were previously activated in existing programs by other
methods" of the claim language of claim 14 means "by the GUI
detecting a coordinate input of pointer movement alone from a
pointing device and thereby activate one or more functions of said
functions available to the GUI, which may be previously activated
in existing programs by other methods", and a touch-sensitive
screen is the pointing device, and the coordinate input means the
information detected by the user interface code of the GUI of the
location of the one or more coordinates being touched by contact of
a user's finger on the touch-sensitive screen activates one or more
said functions by a selected operation of the user, comprising: the
touch-sensitive screen configured to detect being touched by the
user's finger without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be
sensitive to a pressure of the finger contact on the screen; a
processor connected to the touch-sensitive screen and configured to
receive from the screen information regarding locations touched by
the user's finger; executable user interface code stored in a
memory connected to the processor, the user interface code
executable by the processor; the user interface code being
configured to detect one or more locations touched by a movement of
the user's finger on the screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be sensitive to the pressure of the
finger contact on the screen and determine therefrom the selected
operation.
18. The device of claim 17 in which, said device comprises either a
touch-sensitive pad or mobile phone that is not required to be
pressure-sensitive, wherein the user interface code is configured
to detect more than one selected operation, which has the
capability to emulate a visible or invisible pointer movement
and/or a "click" event for one or more of the following: a control,
menu, desktop, internet browser, multimedia player, settings menu,
icon, button, phone dialer, multimedia recorder, word processor,
email program, graphical program, graphical user interface, other
application program, or pixel of the touch-sensitive screen, and
with the capability to provide visual, and auditory feedback
responsive to one or more locations being touched by the movement
of the user's finger, without requiring the exertion of pressure on
the touch-sensitive screen.
19. A method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 15 whereby said
other method of a prior art GUI existing program operating a mobile
device by a keyboard is the prior art GUI detecting an input
sensitive to pressure of a finger in contact with one or more
physical buttons, or virtual buttons on a touch screen, of the
mobile device as an additional data input in conjunction with a
coordinate input of pointer movement, that is the input of X and Y
coordinate information, to activate said function; instead of
operating said mobile device with a touch sensitive screen as the
pointing device according to the method of claim 15, in which the
GUI detects said coordinate input of pointer movement alone, that
is the input of X and Y coordinate information, from the touch
sensitive screen by one or more locations touched by a user's
finger on the screen, without requiring the touch sensitive screen
to be sensitive to the pressure of finger contact, and thereby
activate said function.
20. A method of operating the device according to claim 17 which is
further configured by one or more of the following: a) the device
is operable by the touch-sensitive screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive including any of a
mobile phone, or a touch-sensitive pad, or another computer device
with a touch-sensitive screen; b) the device activates the
touch-sensitive screen, without requiring the touch-sensitive
screen to be pressure sensitive, by a start sequence of locations
touched on the touch-sensitive screen by a movement of the user's
finger to start operating one or more further functions of the user
interface selectable by one or more subsequent finger movements of
the user on the touch-sensitive screen to control the device by one
or more subsequent selected operations of the user; c) the device
can browse the internet; d) the device can play video files; e) the
device can play audio files; f) the device can display text; g) the
device can display a multimedia file; h) the device can edit text;
i) the device can search the internet or text by entering
characters; j) the device has a start sequence of locations to be
touched on the touch-sensitive screen by one or more finger
movements of the user on the touch-sensitive screen without
requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive to
start operating one or more further functions of the user interface
to control the device, and the start sequence does not require the
sequence of locations to be touched to be deducible by another user
from the appearance of the touch-sensitive screen displaying the
start sequence of locations to be touched; k) the device is
operated by touching the touch-sensitive screen in two or more
areas sequentially without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to
be pressure sensitive; l) the device has one or more functions to
activate the touch-sensitive screen display from a very low power
mode; m) the device requires a sequence of locations on the
touch-sensitive screen being touched by one or more finger
movements on the touch-sensitive screen, without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive, thereby to
activate the selected operation of the user to control the device;
n) the touch-sensitive screen being touched by one or more finger
movements without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be
pressure sensitive can generate one or more functions by any of
placing a finger at a location on the screen, moving a finger in
contact with the screen, or not touching the screen at a location
of the screen; o) the device can operate a graphic program
including the ability to draw a line on the touch-sensitive screen;
p) the device further includes detecting on the touch-sensitive
screen, without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure
sensitive, a movement of a pen at one or more locations of the
touch-sensitive screen as a movement of the user's finger at said
one or more locations on the touch-sensitive screen; q) the device
in which the user interface is further configured to respond to a
pointer speed at which the user's finger touching the
touch-sensitive screen without requiring the touch-sensitive screen
to be pressure sensitive moves along the screen; r) the device in
which the user interface is further configured to cause the user
selected operation to move a displayed desktop in a selected
direction; s) the device wherein the user interface is further
configured to execute a selected operation by the touch-sensitive
screen detecting coordinates of each of at least two of the user's
fingers touching different areas of the touch-sensitive screen
sequentially without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be
pressure sensitive; t) the device wherein said user interface is
further configured to make a triggering of the user selected
operation by a sequence of locations touched on the touch-sensitive
screen without requiring the touch-sensitive screen to be pressure
sensitive less probable to occur by accident than the user pressing
a physical button or requiring pressing on a touch screen to
trigger said user selected operation; u) the device in which the
user interface is further configured to cause the selected
operation to control the device by one or more functions in
addition to an appearance on the touch-sensitive screen by
detecting one or more coordinate positions of one or more finger
movements touching the touch-sensitive screen without requiring the
touch-sensitive screen to be pressure sensitive; v) the device can
operate an application program within the user interface; w) the
device can deactivate the selected operation; x) the device wherein
the touch-sensitive screen is capable of detecting the finger in
close proximity over the screen and the user interface is further
configured to execute a selected operation by the finger being in
close proximity but not touching the screen; y) the user interface
code is further configured to activate another selected operation
by the selected operation used in conjunction with an additional
input method in a prior art GUS; z) the user interface code is
further configured to cause one or more selected operations, which
includes one or more functions available to the user interface code
of the device, to deactivate while the user's finger is touching
one or more locations on the screen; 1) the use interface code is
further configured to execute the selected operation by the user's
finger on the screen being along a specified direction and within a
designated area of the screen over a specified distance; 2) the use
interface code is further configured to execute the selected
operation by the user's finger on the screen being along a
specified direction and within a designated area of the screen over
a specified distance then is removed from the screen; 3) a part of
a surface of the device as the touch-sensitive screen can be
configured to detect being touched by the user's finger without
requiring to the touch-sensitive screen to be sensitive to the
pressure of the finger contact on the surface to operate as a
button without requiring pressure; 4) a surface of the device as
the touch-sensitive screen may include in whole or in part visual
feedback of a LCD screen, 5) a sequence of one or more locations
touched on a touch-sensitive surface of the device as the
touch-sensitive screen can include a sequence of contact on the
surface by a user's finger movement that may execute the selected
operation which would not be obvious to the user by a visual
feedback from the surface; 6) a touch-sensitive surface of the
device as the touch-sensitive screen can act as a pressure-less
switch or button on the device; and 7) the user's finger movement
detected by the touch-sensitive screen can be used interchangeably
as pointer movement.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 12/877,994, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 10/275,863, which is the National Stage of International
Application No. PCT/GB01/01978 filed May 3, 2001. In addition to
the other disclosed priority documents in the Foreign Application
Priority Data, this specification cites document 0010535.3 (GB)
filed on May 2, 2000.
THE SUBJECT OF THE SEARCH
[0002] A GUI in which, when a pointer is immediately adjacent or
passes over a control, a procedure is initiated whereby subsequent
movement of the pointer over a predetermined path generates a
`click` event which simulates direct clicking of the control.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,628 Cecchini et all
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,165 Microsoft
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,853 AST Research Inc
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,439 JBA Holding PLC
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,716 Microsoft
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,979 Avid Technology
[0009] JP2000181779 Hitachi
[0010] Online printout from Gale Group computer database, Accession
No 1460825, "Connectix launches HANDOFF II), MacWeek, vol 5, n40, p
12(1), 19.11.91.
[0011] From the above documents the concept of activating some
element of a GUI without clicking is known. However, I was unable
to find any disclosure of the concept described in this application
of moving the pointer to a first zone and then to a second related
zone to activate the function of a GUI.
[0012] Smith (U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,853) is the nearest prior art to
this invention. In FIG. 1 of Smith, Smith described the typical
embodiment of the conventional graphical user interface GUI and how
it could be generated by a computer. There is a computer screen 16
in FIG. 1 of Smith, showing the Smiths spot interface GDE 10
overlaid on a window 12 of the conventional GUI. Within the window
12, Smith showed several visible icons of the GUI, including the
invention of Smith, which was also a visible icon, always on top of
any other graphical object unless disabled. Smith invention was
similar to the other icons of the conventional GUI, in that they
were all visible, so that the user need only `remember the icon`
and the user could directly move the pointer over the icon, then
select and execute that function by clicking the picture
representation of that function.
[0013] Smith described that the clicking was done by a mouse input
22 of FIG. 1 of Smith, and this mouse input had two features. The
first was an input to move the pointer; `a mouse is an input device
which, when moved over a surface, moves a mouse pointer across the
computer display in a corresponding manner`. The second was the
mouse buttons; `which when pressed, generate to the computer an
input relating the user and the location of the mouse pointer on
the computer display.`
[0014] Smith's GDE icon was similar to the conventional GUI in that
it was visible and had a distinct sphere appearance to remind the
user of its function. However, it differed from the conventional
icon which required a button press and release over the icon (e.g.
My Computer) to select the GDE. Smith's inventive step was that the
user could by the `movement of the pointer over said GDE, thereby
to select said GDE`. Once selected, this could trigger either the
immediate display of a collar in claims 13, and 17 of Smith or
start a timer function described in claim 18 of Smith as
`subsequent to said detecting selection of said GDE waiting a first
period of time prior to performing said displaying said collar
associated with said GDE`. Thus neither the collar being displayed
nor the timer could be initiated unless a click event of `selecting
said GDE` (step 704 of FIG. 7) occurred, and this occurred by the
pointer moving over said GDE.
[0015] This choice of Smith to execute a click event `to select
said GDE` by moving the pointer over said GDE, had a high chance of
the user accidentally moving over the icon and executing the click
event of selection of said GDE unintentionally. Smith had tried to
reduce this accidental triggering by limiting the size of the
control area (GDE) to the GDE 10 `being of minimal size`, and/or
causing a delay timer to be trigger after the click event of `to
select said GDE`. In addition, to prevent any of the secondary menu
being accidentally triggered, Smith emphasised `It should be
recognized that the buttons 302d operate in a conventional manner
in that they enable the user to open additional windows or initiate
execution of applications programs simply by clicking on the
appropriate button(s).` This emphasis of the conventional manner of
executing functions was `clicking`, would clarify to a person
skilled in the art to use clicks for all functions that Smith did
not describe executing a click event by moving the pointer over a
control area.
[0016] All these above methods have limitations. The icon has to be
displayed and visible of `sphere appearance` means that Smiths GDE
could not have any other appearance. This was so that the icon
conformed to the conventional GUI method that the user would see
this visible appearance of this icon and know it would behave in
its specific manner. Thus Smith shows a visible icon. Likewise the
icon in Jones (U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,345) in the independent claims 1
and 4 of Jones is `visually embedded` and therefore a visible icon,
with further visible display of a first border in c) and text in d)
of the independent claim meaning that in Jones the control area
(visible embedded subdocument) and further changes in c) and d) are
essential visible changes displayed on the screen of the method of
operating this GUI. Likewise the visible displayed icon in Smith
was a minimal size, to minimize accidental triggering and
obstruction of the underlying window. Therefore in Smith the icon
could not be any size but only minimal size restricting the GDE to
a maximum size of an icon. Furthermore if a timer was not used,
then there was a greater risk of accidentally triggering the
`click` event of selection of the GDE; and if a timer was used the
user was inconvenienced to having to wait for the timer to elapse
before the user could access the collar or secondary menu. In
addition once the user was over the secondary menu, the user could
not access any of the functions of the secondary menu without a
mouse button press or release. All the above were limitations which
affected the user.
[0017] Instead of having any of the above limitations, Irvine used
pointer movement in a different manner to Smith. In Irvine the
movement of the pointer over the first zone (GDE or control area)
did not generate a `click` event as in Smith. Therefore, there was
no accidental triggering of the selection of said GDE if the
pointer moved over said GDE. Therefore, the control area could be a
control of any size up to the full screen, not just the minimal
size of the icon as in Smith. Likewise the control area could be
invisible and indeed not displayed on a touch sensitive surface
with no visual feedback, and furthermore the control area could
trigger any function of the GUI because the user could design the
second specified movement to be a sequence of pointer movement
almost impossible to occur by a random movement.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Since the invention of the mouse, the mouse has had two
major functions. The first was the movement of a pointer over a
screen and the second was a button press/click. Consequently the
programming design for all graphical interfaces has been based with
the mindset of using the movement of the mouse (or other pointer
device) to locate a graphical user interface (GUI) control in
conjunction with the double click, the click, the up and down
button press to activate the function of the GUI control.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] This invention provides the design of the computer interface
to the movement of the pointer alone for both the location and
"click" events and offers the programmer and user an additional
"visual" click system to program increased functionality and
ergonomic design. This specification then develops the idea,
showing how all existing mouse functionality (or any other user
input device and keyboard functionality) may occur by mouse
movement alone. It then shows how this methodology may be applied
giving examples of character entry, number entry, date entry, data
entry using hierarchical structures (HCG), a collection of data
elements from a hierarchical structure (patternclick), a bordergrid
(defined later in program), a qualifier grid (defined later in
program), and a comprehensive example within a medical program
demonstrating all the previous features. In this specification, the
whole control of the computer can be a series of pointer
movements.
[0020] The methodology of the invention provides programmers and
users with a new GUI method to update their existing program design
based on the conventional programming model (of pointer movement to
locate a GUI control area and click) or create new programs to the
new methodology (of pointer movement to come into contact with the
GUI control area and second pointer movement to activate a click of
the GUI control area or to confirm it was the users intention to
activate that GUI control area) which enables more ergonomic, more
user friendly and more intuitive programs.
[0021] With the prior art, it is known that if a pointer is moved
over a GUI, the movement may trigger a function. These functions,
however, are functions where accidental triggering by unintentional
mouse movement is not serious and usually provide information like
hover text, animation, bitmaps, i.e. to provide further information
regarding the GUI that the mouse has moved over. In other words the
worst that may happen if a pointer is unintentionally moved over a
GUI control is more information is shown regarding the GUI
interface. In programs, where accidental activation of functions
are not wanted the movement to locate the GUI is used and then the
"click" functionality is used as a best compromise between speed of
activating a function and prevention of unintentional triggering of
function. In the prior art, there has been no extensive research
into a `click` by movement alone due to the existing effectiveness
and error prevention for all functions that require this dual
combination of functionality. This new Zeroclick method may allow
all functions that would have required a pointing device click or
key press in existing program to be activated by a pointer movement
instead of a click or a key press, when they were never previously
associated with a click by movement alone in the existing relevant
operating system and program context.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a computer screen 300 containing an area of the
screen 300 called a control area 1 with a pointer 0 adjacent to the
control area 1 and a predetermined path area 3. The `click` event
is generated by moving the pointer 0 from the control area 1 by a
subsequent movement to within the predetermined path area 3
according to a specified movement to generate a `click` event by
triggering a function related to the control.
[0023] FIG. 2 This shows a computer screen 300 containing an area
of the screen 300 called a control area 1 which contains two
predetermined path area 3 within the control area 1. It illustrates
the control area 1 can generate more than one `click` event; each
predetermined path area 3 can generate one or more different
`click` events by completing a pointer movement according to a
specified pointer movement for each predetermined path area 3.
[0024] FIG. 3 This show a screen area of a control area 1 which
contains a further screen area of the predetermined path area (3)
which has a left subarea 4 and a right subarea 6.
[0025] This describes how a `click` event can be generated by a
specified pointer movement by moving the pointer in a certain order
between the subareas. It illustrates a reverse movement (e.g. a
left reverse Zeroclick means that the pointer completes a specified
movement from subarea 4 to subarea 6 back to subarea 4 to generate
a `click` event while remaining within the predetermined path area
3) or a specified pointer movement which is the pointer moving in a
certain direction within the predetermined path area (3) to
generate a `click` event (e.g. A left to right direction Zeroclick
generates a `click` event by the specified movement of moving a
pointer from within subarea 4 to subarea 6 while remaining within
the predetermined path area 3). It then describes that the reverse
or direction specified movement can be in any direction.
[0026] FIG. 4 This shows a predetermined path area 3 containing
three subareas 7,8,9 at right angles. It describes how moving a
pointer within a predetermined path area 3 according to a specified
movement from contact with subarea 7, to subarea 8 to subarea 9 can
generate a `click` event called a right angled zeroclick. It then
describes how if the predetermined path area 3 is rotated to
generate right angled specified movement at any angle.
[0027] FIG. 5 this is a variation of FIG. 3. The subareas 4 and 6
are smaller and further apart in FIG. 5 to illustrate how FIG. 5
can generate a direction `click` event in a safer manner than FIG.
3.
[0028] FIG. 6,7,8,9,10 all show variations of the same four T
shaped Zeroclick. This described how the left single, right single,
left double and right double button `click` events may be generated
by different specified pointer movements between the subareas 12,
13, 14 or 15 within the predetermined path area 3. Then describes
how using other direction, reverse or angled specified movement may
simulate additional `click` events.
[0029] FIG. 11 shows different styles of subareas within the
predetermined path area 3 and by a subsequent movement of the
pointer according to a specified movement of a correct sequence of
the pointer moving over two or more subarea generates a `click`
event. These are only a few examples. The range in styles is
vast.
[0030] FIG. 11 shows some different styles of zeroclick. These can
be interchangeably swapped as different styles for the
predetermined path area (3). FIG. 3 shows 16, FIG. 4 shows 17, and
FIG. 5 shows 18.
[0031] FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 show a bordergrid 22 being generated by
moving over a control area 1.
[0032] FIG. 14, FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 show a method that the
bordergrid may be used for character and number data entry.
[0033] FIG. 17 and FIG. 19 shows an alternative style of
bordergrid.
[0034] FIG. 18 describes some features of the predetermined path
area (3) and/or the specified pointer movement that can be varied
for the purposes of improving the speed of completion of the
`click` event and/or improving the error prevention of the `click`
event. It describes the components of the path 3, the path length
303, the path width 306, the distance between subareas 304, the
height of the subarea 305 and the width of the subarea 302 and the
specified pointer movement within the predetermined path area (3)
that can be adjustable for these purposes.
[0035] FIG. 20 shows the search on the Hierarchical Cascading Grid
(HCG). FIG. 21 show a HCG keyboard replacement, FIG. 22 shows a HCG
keyboard replacement to write phrases. FIG. 23 shows HCG date
entry. FIG. 24 show a variation of date entry in the HCG, FIG. 25
and FIG. 26 shows numerical data entry in the HCG.
[0036] FIG. 27, FIG. 28, FIG. 29, FIG. 30, FIG. 31, FIG. 32, FIG.
33, FIG. 34, FIG. 35, FIG. 36, FIG. 37, FIG. 38, FIG. 39, FIG. 40
and FIG. 41 illustrate the features of the HCG with an example a
medical application.
[0037] FIG. 42a show a variation of the HCG in the form of a
hierarchical tree view.
[0038] FIG. 43 shows how the HCG could be operated by the keyboard
in addition to pointer movement.
[0039] FIG. 44 shows traditional computerised medical notes which
can operate by specified pointer movement.
[0040] FIGS. 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50 and FIG. 51 show data entry in
the HCG medical example.
[0041] FIGS. 52, 53,54,55,56,57,58, 59,60a,60b,61,62,63,64,65,66
illustrate a medical application which could operate by pointer
movement.
[0042] FIG. 67 show how a `click` event may be simulated by
specified movement over a touch screen or a touch pad being
completed by jumping from one location of the screen to another.
This is in addition to `click` events generated by specified
movements over a touch screen or touch pad with finger movements or
pointer movements.
[0043] FIG. 69,70, 71, 72,73,74,75, showing examples of
hierarchical medical menus accessible from an anatomical structure
and condition locator shown in FIG. 76
[0044] FIG. 68 shows a `click` event generated by pointer movement
over an invisible control area (1) and an invisible predetermined
path area (3).
[0045] FIG. 77 describes two ways that a pixel may be selected and
trigger a function by a specified movement of a certain direction
of pointer movement, for example a south west direction, or a
reverse pointer movement--the reverse zeroclick.
[0046] FIG. 78 describes the flow chart method that may be used of
simulating a `click` event by pointer movement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0047] The concept of a replacement methodology for the traditional
mouse movement and clicking has little development in the prior
art, and only in situations where it has been a necessity, like
small computers, or force feedback devices, or verity controls.
However, the intention of these were for a specialized market and
never for the broader market and there has been a failure to
address the major problem of considering a click replacement system
by movement alone, which is that the speed of a mouse click is
faster than a click in inexperienced users by movement and it has
lower unintentional error, better speed of activation and better
use of the graphical interface. Thus for any click system by
movement to offer a viable alternative to the conventional mouse
movement and click, the following problems need to be identified
and obvious solutions and benefits need to be made public so that
developer and user may be aware and understand the significant
evolutionary benefits of using the Zeroclick methods, to motivate
them to learn and adopt this GUI method seriously as an additional
method of a user controlling a GUI. For it to be a serious
competing method of operating a GUI, the user will need to perceive
the definite benefits and need for change before changing from such
a well accepted conventional methodology,
[0048] 1) Solutions need to be provided because the speed of a
mouse click is very fast, and it is difficult to design movements
of the mouse that would be specific enough as a click, but also
fast enough to equal the click. This is the major aspect that all
the prior art has failed to address. If a child or inexperienced
user is asked to click a button or to move a mouse to activate a
click then clicking a button will be a much faster activity. Thus
no programmer has seriously considered designing a GUI click
emulation by movement alone because the speed of a movement to
click would be slower than clicking a mouse to achieve the click
with the same degree of error prevention. Thus all the known and
commercial programs today have based their technology on using the
click buttons on the mouse and do not have additional or
replacement click emulation by movement for all their GUI controls
(except those functions which do not cause unacceptable
consequences if accidentally triggered by movement). Solution. 1.
The movement click should be a simple but distinct movement.
Usually this will mean horizontal, vertical movements requiring one
change of direction if 180 degrees over a certain line, or 90
degrees within a given path. 2. The path of the pointer movement
from coming in contact with the control should be as efficient as
possible and easy to navigate for the user. Thus the pathways from
the specific control should be accessed with the most appropriate
hierarchical structure. Thus the information may be organised
automatically according to user usage, common classification or
grouped according to useful groups of information specific to
achieving a certain useful task. An ideal combination of using
hierarchical structure dependent on appropriate classification,
common usage, useful combinations of subdata, and all the
supporting information will allow the user to appropriately use the
right function and know the implications of selection of that
function or data via user feedback. The possibility of having one
or more branching hierarchical data structures from every cell of a
grid, line of a list, item of a menu, icon of a toolbar or any
other subdata element of a grouped collection of data elements as
described in the bordergrid HCG enhances the efficiency of the
controls by a single control having numerous pathways. It may be
achieved by one or more bordergrids. 3. The path of the movement
click should be as educational as possible. Thus the pathway to
trigger a function may display information (e.g. speech, animation,
video, audio, photography) in any appropriate form on the screen
prior to the completion of the movement click, and provide
information afterwards of the implications of the click via
information. 4. The path of the movement should activate as many
functions as appropriate with the appropriate user feedback to
achieve 3. above. E.g. in a medical data recording program when a
user moves over a condition, all the necessary information may be
seen, and tailored to be displayed according to the doctors
preference, so that the doctor may as rapidly as possible get a
full picture of the clinical features that support the diagnosis,
and the steps of management and the cost of each management step,
all from a single movement over an individual cell. By moving over
any additional grid providing more information the screen will then
show the additional information so that the doctor may be fully
informed of the specific implications of the existing data of the
subject. The doctor never needs to type in or use any click
mechanism to select any data already inputted regarding the
condition. He then by a further movement may record any changes or
further details to any existing recorded data, thus saving the user
the need to input any data that is on the original system. One of
the options will be to record any new changes to existing recorded
data, and it will be hierarchically structured. After the doctor
has inputted the data, then the user will be presented with all
appropriate deductions from the data entered. Thus if the
information was a clinical feature, it will analyse whether that
clinical features has further confirmed the diagnosis, or has
increased the differential diagnosis, or the order of the
differential diagnosis regarding the clinical features entered. If
a management step (consultation, advice, drugs, operative
procedure, change in diet, lifestyle or any other remedy) has been
performed then any change in clinical feature or additional
clinical features (e.g. history, examination investigations) has
been recorded. Then the effectiveness of the management step may
automatically be deduced by recording the change in clinical
features that had occurred from the onset of the condition. The
change in clinical features may then also automatically suggest
different management steps according to the best evidence based
medicine using all the clinical data available of the patient. Thus
the advice given by the computer will consider the complete patient
picture and thus may give the entire range of managements available
and then arrange the most relevant management steps according to
best evidence for the condition in an order appropriate for the
whole patient's position. 5. The whole screen may be used to give
user feedback as shown in the medical program. 6. Speed--indicate
the exact pathway that needs to be followed to complete the
movement for a click. 7. The program may have an option to allow
the program to respond to standard clicks, both standard clicks and
Zeroclick, or Zeroclick alone to allow users to train and practise
with Zeroclick 8. User adjustment of the Zeroclick path and type of
movement and number of interactions and feedback enable faster
clicking and having the default type of Zeroclick to suit the
individual. Visibility may be switched on and off. 8) Filename
structure enables emails to drop files in background to local
workstations or personal computers and the filename structure and
file then seamlessly may add the web updated data, or the user
updated data locally to existing subdata or branching data. 9) All
keyboard functionality may be replaced by the mouse movement alone.
10) All data entered may be classified to a known hierarchical
code. Thus free text entered under a term with a known code may be
classified to the nearest appropriate code. 11) Provide one uniform
interface for all programming needs. It is based on the simplest
requirement of mouse movement. Thus for developers using programs
with controls with these events, then it would be known that the
information may be portable to all operating systems with mouse
input.
[0049] 2) Solutions need to be provided because the conventional
GUI allows the user to assume than no unacceptable functions will
be triggered by mouse movement alone, but will require a click or
key press. Zeroclick goes against the prior art. The conventional
design of all existing programs assumes if you randomly move your
mouse over a computer screen with a GUI then unless you have
clicked a button, or made a key press to activate a program or a
function, then there will be no triggering of any function which
would have unacceptable consequences if accidentally triggered.
Thus introducing a click system by movement alone will require a
learning curve, and require practice even by experienced mouse
users as they learn a new method of `clicking`, and learn to avoid
accidentally triggering functions, that would have previously
required a click, by pointer movements over the screen. Solutions
1) reducing the width of path makes unintentional triggering of the
movement click less likely 2) making the movement within the path
more complicated 3) having a further movement to undo the
consequences of activating a movement by accident, e.g. recording
data in the HCG 4) use feedback to warn the user what function is
about to be activated if the movement is completed. 5) Switch
turning Zeroclick on and off. 6) User adjustment for finding
optimum error prevention 7) Education and training of the user of
this new GUI which may have functions which were previously only
activated by the standard click or keyboard now being activated by
pointer movement alone. 3) Solutions need to be provided because
the controls activated by movement will require greater space than
standard clicks. A click with a mouse may occur over a very small
area, e.g. the X close icon or the toolbars in Window.TM.
applications. This occupies a small amount of space and requires no
adjustment for a click by movement. It can be located anywhere on
the screen without any problems of triggering the control by a
click. Thus the controls with the standard click have an efficient
use of the screen space. Solutions 1) Show the Zeroclick path only
when the pointer is in contact with the related control. 2) If it
would go off the screen, adjustment will be made that the Zeroclick
will be on the screen 3) Moving outside the original control and or
additional areas made visible will cause all the additional screen
changes to disappear. 4) The Zeroclick control would be
appropriately adjusted for all screen sizes. 5) The Zeroclick
Control will be adjusted to provide the optimum adjustment for
visibility. 6) Choose suitable transparency of the Zeroclick
Control for function e.g. if using the HCG for recording data from
a cell then make the path as transparent as possible. 4) The
controls should have a backward compatibility path. Solution. 1)
The existing programs should have a pathway for these programs to
be adapted so that the standard click may be adapted to the
Zeroclick (preferably without even needing to alter existing
programs but just their environment) 2) Able to offer both the
standard click functionality and click by movement functionality.
3) To retain the original style of the GUI interface as much as
possible by still having to move in contact with the control to
activate the ZCC. 5) Making known other indirect benefits or
unexpected benefits of a click system by movement alone so that
programmers and users become aware of the advantages of this
technology. In addition to those mentioned above additional
benefits are 1) The cost and increased effectiveness of touch
screens which do not need to be pressure sensitive but triggered by
movement alone. 2) The ability to fully operate programs without
reference to keyboard or input device buttons, or to truly surf the
web without the slow jerky movement of the user using mouse
buttons, making the surfing experience more enjoyable and
effortless. 3) The user may access and interact with data as fast
as their thought, without the coordination problem of slowing over
a particular area. 4) The noticeable difference in ease and speed
in using programs with Zeroclick methods compared to the standard
click system which seems slow and having an endless series of
additional clicks to achieve the same functionality. 5) The lack of
tension in holding the mouse due to no need to press the mouse
buttons means users may adopt much more relaxed posture. 6) Make
public the idea that clicking by movement alone is the next
evolutionary step to computing using any communication method e.g.
analogies like: --The skier going down the mountain needs to evolve
from the inefficient snow plough and leaning backwards from fear,
to overcoming their fear and leaning forwards and practicing until
they achieve a new level of control and efficiency as they glide
through the snow with increasing more efficient parallel turns. The
same analogy occurs with as swimmer struggling through waves
evolving to surfer gliding over the waves, or rowing boat evolving
to a sail boat. The same analogy applies to the traditional slow
process of jerky mouse movements with clicks, appears slow and
amateur compared to the evolution to effortless gliding of the
Zeroclick methods. Or asking question to make users or developer
recognise the evolutionary potential of clicking by movement alone:
--Do you clunk and click your way though the web or has your web
browser evolved to control the web by pointer movement alone? Or
have you experienced the next level of efficiency and control with
programs that have evolved to have added the clicking by pointer
movement alone, or are you still pointing and clicking with the
mouse?
[0050] 7) Show the evidence that the Zeroclick is evolutionary. It
is a fluid movement. The design leads to more ergonomic programming
and single movements as part of the predetermined path triggering
multiple functions. The software companies are given a method by
which this functionality may be rapidly achieved in existing
programs that do not have this functionality. The keyboard is not
needed for data entry, as the HCG with patternclick may rapidly
record data faster than conventional touch typing. The number of
functions that may radiate and be activated from a single control
may be thousands using a bordergrid. This system educates, and
mistakes by accidental triggering may be rectified. It is as safe
and it is as fast. There is a backward compatibility route, and a
mechanism by which the user may by trained in using the Zeroclick
method, and adjust it to their own preference Thus this
specification provides a public exploration of the unobvious
evolutionary benefits for clicking by movement by finding multiple
solutions and additional benefits by applying these solutions to
overcome the obvious disadvantages of the method compared to the
conventional GUI interface. By definition evolution means a
beneficial adaptation. Thus one very important method is convincing
the user to persevere with a new GUI interface skill (i.e. movement
to produce a click) that apparently seems more difficult and slower
than the traditional GUI activation of a function by a button press
(click) on an input device until they master the skill of
Zeroclicking. The lack of its implementation in existing programs
is proof that it is not obvious, natural or easy as clicking a
button to all users of the mouse. This is obvious as novices using
the mouse find pressing a button easier, and competent users of the
mouse are so accustomed to clicking the mouse buttons for
activation of the GUI function they also would need motivation to
perceive that the Zeroclicking was a necessary evolutionary
computer skill. Thus the motivation to change to a Zeroclick method
requires the following. The idea Zeroclick is a better way to
control computer inputs than the conventional clicking method needs
to be presented. E.g. slogans like Don't Clunk and Click but
Zeroclick or Do you really surf the web or are you one of those
people who just clunk around the web page with jerky mouse
movements and having to click to find or activate functions on the
web pages, or do you Zeroclick with the effortless continuous
gliding of the mouse to control every aspect of the web page in one
harmonious movement. Or comparing the traditional method of click
as someone snow ploughing down a mountain compared to the evolution
of a skier to performing narrow parallel turns. Thus it would
appear to be a backward step not a forward step. However, like many
evolutionary steps, where further research into apparent dead ends
may produce unexpected results, the Zeroclick methodology if
persisted proves to be evolutionary because the user becomes more
efficient because everything becomes a fluid movement. The whole
control of the computer is a series of movements. Thus for the
Zeroclick to become successful the user needs to believe it is the
next evolutionary GUI interface skill. Thus part of the Zeroclick
methodology must require the user or programmer having a
motivational aspect to use the Zeroclick being a more effective GUI
method than the conventional programming method. The user will need
convincing and persuading that Zeroclicking is worth pursuing and
that it is an essential interface skill that needs to be developed.
They need to improve their dexterity with mouse movement, until the
Zeroclick becomes more natural than the movement and click. The
movement clicks seem awkward. However, if persisted, not just
information or activation of functions without serious consequences
but the full control of programs may be achieved without a single
click. The users today have accepted that for most commercial
programs they have to activate the function by a standard click.
Thus with Zeroclick functionality it becomes very important to
maximize the ergonomics, educative and intuitive component of the
Zeroclick.
[0051] a) Ergonomics. The minimum movement that is easy for the
user is needed. Conventional programming relies on having a menu
system located in a certain area. The Zeroclick functionality will
try to have all the information flow hierarchically from the
location of the GUI. Thus from one GUI all the information
necessary for understanding and functioning that GUI will stern
from that GUI. Thus the user follows a movement path which
represents one or more choices to locate a certain specific
function or to perform a certain task. The user then does one
further movement and that activates the Zeroclick. Thus the user
becomes so used to using the mouse movement that one further
movement to activate the click becomes much more accurate and
intuitive than the traditional move to an area then click.
[0052] b) Educative. Conventionally the help section is part of the
menu. However, with Zeroclick the help section may be one of the
options of the bordergrid menu items, that the user may have a
context sensitive help activated by a Zeroclick or bordergrid menu
item. They also may have a hierarchical help menu selection. This
may be written, audio, multimedia or animation. This help function
may also educate the implications of using these functions so that
the user understands the choices and purpose of the function. They
could then activate the function by another Zeroclick.
[0053] c) It needs to be intuitive.
[0054] I) It needs to be backward compatible. The user is used to
the GUI remaining stationary and the pointer coming into contact
with it and then being able to be activated by a click.
[0055] II) The fourth point is that the Zeroclick must allow for
the user's familiarity and mouse dexterity in performing
Zeroclicks. The click on a mouse is easier to perform for a
beginner, than the movement of the mouse. Thus a Zeroclick method
preferably has some method that the user may switch on or vary the
Zeroclick to their liking. This may be achieved by having an option
on the program that allows the user to customise the GUI controls
to suit the user ability to move a pointer with a pointer device.
This could be altering the style, shape and interactions within the
path of the Zeroclick. It may also allow the user to have just
traditional clicking methodology, combined methodology, or
Zeroclick alone. Thus the programmer may control all the variables
in designing the Zeroclick and the most appropriate aspects of the
control for the user may vary for the Zeroclick.
[0056] Another aspect of the Zeroclick is to make sure that it
becomes available for existing technology. By adding the
functionality to click by movement alone at an operating level, or
any computer environment (e.g. web browsers with the Zeroclick
methodology or any terminal emulation environment or network
environment or operating system i.e. in any computer environment
connecting computers, or any operating system environment running
the program, or at a program level, or within a GUI development
environment a global event added to all controls and/or individual
controls and or functions or a set of functions in any programming
language) like the internet, or network software, will
automatically enable existing programs designed to run on that
operating system or in that computer environment to have the
additional functionality without needing to reprogram the
application. Thus at every development level there may be a group
of functions or events that may enable any program, operating
system or any computer network connecting more than one computer to
have Zeroclick functionality added, and it could be controlled by
any input device with which the user may control the movement of
the pointer. (touch screen, mouse, joystick, etc). An the above
enables all existing GUIs, which would only have their traditional
click methodology, to automatically be changed to add or replace it
with the Zeroclick methodology. It also may be applied as events in
visual development languages, or any functions or procedures or
code that enables the programmers to program the Zeroclick
functionality into existing programs.
[0057] Currently the operation of computer operating systems and
programs require a compromise between users using the mouse
(pointer device) and the keyboard. The user often has to switch
between the two, which is inefficient. Also the current program
control operation, design and data input methods often require too
many key presses or clicks to record data at speed. The purpose of
applying some or all of these methods partially or completely to
existing (or future) operating systems or programs is to allow a
reduction in key or mouse button presses (or other locator device)
in some or all of the operating system and/or program's operation,
functionality and data recording.
[0058] This has the advantage of having a single programming
interface for touch screens and mouse based computer systems. It
will enable users to only need to use the locator device and also
it will change the mindset of compromise of users and developers
still accepting the inefficiencies of the conventional GUI needing
to move between moving the pointer of a mouse, slowing the mouse
down to click, and switching to the keyboard to input data.
[0059] Using techniques of having a program react only to the mouse
position, and directional movement, without having the need of a
mechanical clicking device will streamline the design of all
current programs.
[0060] The potential and flexibility of using these methods may
develop a new style, called the Zeroclick Style.
[0061] Application of Zeroclick May be Comprehensive to all
Previous Software and all Future Software Development
[0062] These Zeroclick Methods may transform any operating system,
application or control into a GUI, which does not need to use any
mouse button or keyboard presses where they were used before. Thus
the Zeroclick Methods may be applied comprehensively to all
existing software and all future software development. One of the
most obvious application example demonstrating how the Zeroclick
Methods may be applied to applications is on an internet browser
(Zeroclick Internet Browser). Using the Zeroclick Methods, the user
would not need to use any mouse button press or keyboard presses to
completely surf the net. Instead of the user moving the pointer
then clicking, the user could truly completely control the
interaction with and data entry for the internet by mouse movement
alone. The browser could recognise the html or any internet
language and generate addition Zeroclick functionality for all the
control areas associated with any internet web page language. This
Zeroclick functionality may augment or replace the normal mouse
clicks and/or keyboard functionality to an appropriate Zeroclick or
bordergrid. The example of the bordergrid shows a generic way that
keyboard presses and mouse clicks may be emulated in addition to or
instead of the original web page editing. FIG. 15 or 16 (or any
additional necessary bordergrid menu items available to add
additional mouse button presses and/or any other group of
characters with the character grid.) show how any control area may
by transformed to have an associated bordergrid to replace
conventional editing.
[0063] Thus the internet browser could provide all the conventional
functionality of current internet browsers but in addition offer
the ability of the Zeroclick Methods to control the access to the
net through mouse movement alone (or any degree of increased
control above that previously by mouse movement). The browser could
initially transform any web page to be surfed using the Zeroclick
methods by adapting the response of the browser to the Web page
source code. However, future internet language could be extended to
contain language or functions to make it more compatible with the
Zeroclick internet browser. E.g. the HTML source code could have a
method that generic bordergrid menu item of Right Mouse Click could
be adapted so that it described the function. In this way the users
could use existing web pages immediately with the Zeroclick web
browser but later web pages could become completely customised to
the Zeroclick Methods as the web site programmers wish to add
Zeroclick functionality on their web sites. This method could also
apply to any other terminal emulator program which communicates
between two or more computers. The Zeroclick functionality may be
added to the language, but as previously described, the emulator
itself may have existing generic Zeroclick functionality. Thus both
internet browser or any terminal emulator may add Zeroclick
functionality to the existing communications with current internet
or terminal emulator language. The user may have the option of
retaining all the original functionality of the internet browser or
terminal emulator. Thus the user may use the Zeroclick internet
browser or a Zeroclick terminal emulator as a conventional internet
browser and terminal emulator. The Zeroclick browser or Zeroclick
emulator may have an additional Zeroclick Setting which could
allowed the Zeroclick Methods to be generated automatically in an
appropriate manner from web pages or the original terminal emulator
communication language. The user would also be able to customise
the Zeroclick methods.
[0064] Eventually there may be a situation where the developer or
user only wishes to use the Zeroclick functionality on the
Zeroclick internet browser or Zeroclick terminal emulator. The web
servers accessed by the Zeroclick internet browsers, or local
programs accessed by the Zeroclick internet browser, or servers to
the terminal emulators, may also wish to add the additional
Zeroclick functionality by developing new communication and
programming language functions to fully exploit the power of
Zeroclick methods available in the browser. Operating systems then
may add Zeroclick functionality, thus lessening the need for this
code at an individual program level.
[0065] U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,935 discloses a GUI including menu
functions illustrated at FIGS. 3(a) and 4. A user touches a touch
panel or presses on a stylus, which calls a menu. If the menu fits,
it is displayed at the location of the stylus, and the system
determines whether the stylus is over a menu item when the user
removes the stylus, and executes a corresponding function. If the
menu does not fit at the stylus location, the user is presented a
guide display 66 i.e. a visible adjustment path on the display from
the current location, and if the system detects that the stylus
reaches the new location, the menu is redisplayed in full at the
new location 74. The GUI of U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,935 differs from
the invention discussed further below in that following the path
does not select the "control area" (i.e. the "colors"), in that the
path reflects the movement to be applied to a menu for fitting it
on the screen, rather than corresponds to a predefined, standard
movement corresponding to a given function to be selected, and in
that the (popping up of the) path is dependent on the position of
the unfittable menu on the display, not of the user's intention to
have it appear by moving the pointer on a control area.
[0066] EP-A-0660218 describes (FIG. 8 and corresponding
description) following an invisible path upwards to change a
characteristic (capital e.g. "A" instead of small "a") of the
selection (character e.g. "a" of a virtual keyboard) obtained by
placing the pen or stylus on the key corresponding to the
character, and finally completing the stroke by lifting the pen.
FIG. 11 shows a menu mode, wherein a menu appears responsive to
pressing the pen and waiting a short interval. The navigation
through the menu is obtained by going over a selected item, and the
selection is confirmed when the pen is lifted.
[0067] U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,853, which is considered the closest
prior art, discloses a GUI used by means of a mouse, the GUI
displaying (see FIGS. 2 and 3) a spot interface comprising a collar
200 when the mouse pointer 23 is moved over a spot graphical
display element GDE 10, without a click being needed. Further
movement of the mouse pointer 23 into one of the quadrants of the
collar results in the display of a secondary interface 302, wherein
the user can finally initiate execution of functions by clicking
the appropriate buttons.
[0068] The invention is a GUI interface, a method of programming a
GUI interface, and an apparatus which enables one or more functions
of controls in the GUI to be activated by a movement of the pointer
to a control and then another subsequent movement of the pointer
related to that control; that is the completion of that subsequent
specified pointer movement related to a control area (1) activates
one or more functions of the GUI.
[0069] According to a first aspect of the present invention there
is provided a device capable of executing software without
requiring programming of any pressure components to control the
device comprising: a touch-sensitive screen configured to detect
being touched by a user's finger without requiring an exertion of
pressure on the screen; a processor connected to the
touch-sensitive screen and configured to receive from the screen
information regarding locations touched by the user's finger;
executable user interface code stored in a memory connected to the
processor, the user interface code executable by the processor; the
user interface code being configured to detect one or more
locations touched by a movement of the user's finger on the screen
without requiring the exertion of pressure and determine therefrom
a selected operation.
[0070] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method of operating a graphical user interface GUI
characterised by an input of pointer movement alone from a pointer
device activates one or more functions, which were previously
activated in existing programs by other methods.
[0071] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a method of operating a graphical user interface GUI in
which by pointer movement alone may activate functions, which were
previously activated in existing programs by other methods.
[0072] The present invention provides a group of methods that can
be applied partially or completely to any apparatus, or any program
(e.g. a computer operating system, and/or any program (e.g. a
computer operating system, and/or any computer application and/or
control), which enables the user to operate all or some of the
operating system or program functions by interaction with the
movement of a pointer alone in a GUI to facilitate efficiency of
the program through the pointer movement and/or produce a reduction
in clicks and/or keyboard presses.
[0073] These methods are called the Zeroclick methods and the
specific replacement of the mouse or the pointer device click
visual equivalent are referred to as a Zeroclick.
[0074] The Zeroclick Methods
[0075] This comprises of a method or methods or if appropriate
devices using a method or methods classified for convenience to
three main areas described below, all of which assist in improving
the speed and relevance of data input and the user's more efficient
control of the devices or programs (this could any program--e.g.
operating system program, or any applications or any controls) by
pointer movement alone.
[0076] 1) The Zeroclick Control, which enables a
click/command/function to be triggered by pointer movement alone
related visually to any control area of certain height or width.
The bordergrid is also a variation of the Zeroclick which enable a
pop up grid menu system associated with a control area to be
triggered and the grid menu items activated by pointer movement
alone. The bordergrid may provide a complete keyboard replacement,
a "click" replacement, further more efficient and powerful data
entry and display methods, and any other functions being accessed
for any control area by the interaction of the pointer movement
with the control area.
[0077] 2) Data input and display methods. Flexible user friendly,
educational, self classifying, rapid data entry recording methods
demonstrated by a hierarchical cascading grid (HCG), and modified
tree view both with increased functional efficiency by the
interaction of these grids with the movement of the pointer alone.
Any of these features may be transposed and/or applied to any
hierarchical data display method to increase its functionality.
[0078] 3) Other general design principles (See below relevant
section in patent description) to increase data input illustrated
by specific application to a medical recording program (but not
limited in use to it). All these principles can be applied to any
application in any other knowledge field if requiring similar
functionality as illustrated by the medical program.
[0079] Since these are methods that can be applied to all existing
operating systems and programs, these methods could be added in
addition to having the conventional complete keyboard control,
and/or mouse button presses (locator device commands). As users
need to evolve from existing systems to ones using new methodology,
the application of the methodology could be as full or partial
depending on user and/or developer preference or needs.
[0080] Definition of Terms Used. Brief Introduction to the
Combination of Words Control Area 1 Used in this Patent
[0081] This is a combination of the two words control and area. It
is referring to a pointer-sensitive area in a GUI that an object
(e.g. a command button or any control, component or any
pointer-sensitive area in a control, program or operating system
which may be associated with a function that may be activated by a
click when the pointer is over the area) may trigger a function
associated with the area when a pointer is clicked over that
area.
[0082] In other words a control area may be any control or object
in any existing program, which has the standard click to trigger
any function currently triggered by a click over a certain control
area or trigger any function that the developer/user wished to
associate with that control area.
[0083] Control Area 1
[0084] A control area will refer to the existing or future pointer
sensitive areas of an operating system areas and/or program areas
and/or control areas which have unique "click" action associated
with them and/or new pointer-sensitive areas to which the developer
wishes to add a Zeroclick control. A control area may be any
controls or components e.g. command buttons, labels, edit boxes,
list boxes, check boxes, option boxes, combo boxes, scrolls,
picture boxes, vertical and horizontal scroll boxes, shapes and any
other available controls or components, i.e. all these components
are pointer-sensitive areas and have an event, which can monitor a
"click" so the user can develop or use a function associated with
that "click" within that component area. A control area may also be
subareas of controls which have unique "click" action for each
subarea, e.g. a menu item of a menu, a row of a list box etc. A
control area also could be an area of a program that is mouse
sensitive (can detect a pointer movement, while over that specific
area, so that a function could be associated with that
pointer-sensitive area). In summary a control area may be all known
areas of operating systems and/or applications and controls
associated with a unique "click" action or any defined
pointer-sensitive area that the developer wishes to associate with
the unique triggering of an event when a pointer moves in contact
or over that specific pointer-sensitive area.
[0085] "Click" or "Clicking"
[0086] "click" or "clicking" will refer to any mouse click actions
and/or button press actions and/or pointer device clicks and/or
locator device button press actions (e.g. these could be mouse
down, mouse up actions, or any other mouse related buttons).
[0087] Unique "Click" Action
[0088] This is any mouse sensitive area of a program, which the
developer can assign a unique function related to any form of
pressing of a mouse button (or any equivalent pointer device with
buttons) while the pointer is within the boundary of that mouse
sensitive area. It may apply to all existing or future designs of
programs (e.g. operating system, applications or controls) which
have areas which have a unique "click" action.
[0089] The Pointer 0
[0090] The pointer means the arrow, cursor or other bitmap
indicating the pointer on the computer screen representing the
location of the mouse position or pointer device position in
relation to the computer screen 300. Cursor may also mean any
pointer. It may have any shape, size, appearance or colour.
[0091] The pointer device (or mouse refers to the generic pointing
device) (e.g. a mouse, touch pad, touch screen, joystick, pointing
device, graphic tablet, pen, direction arrows, voice activated,
etc) may move a pointer to a specific x,y coordinate on a computer
screen 300. They also usually have a minimum equivalent method of 2
buttons for all the functionality of clicking. The action that the
click has will be specific to the pointer location. For example,
clicking could be pressing a mouse button, voice activated command
at a specific pointer location, key strokes at a pointer location,
joystick button, etc.
[0092] And/or This is a term that is used with a list of two or
more features joined by the and/or conjunction. It means that the
user has the option of combining any one with any other or more of
the features (to the maximum of all the features) described in the
list.
[0093] Triggering of the Zeroclick
[0094] It stands for the triggering of a function related to a
control area by the interaction of a pointer movement with a PSA
(pointer sensitive-area) related to that control area.
[0095] ZC is Zeroclick. Zeroclick is defined as the triggering of a
function related to a control area 1, or the simulation of a click
for a control area 1, by the interaction of a pointer movement with
an additional area 3 or predetermined path area 3 as described in
the claims.
[0096] ZCC 2 is Zeroclick Control 2. This contains an additional
area 3 or a predetermined path area 3 which is a PSA which by the
interaction of the pointer movement on or within its boundaries
triggers a Zeroclick for the control area with which the ZCC 2 is
in contact, related and indeed has first been activated by the
pointer coming in contact with the control 1. In the drawings the
border of the Zeroclick Control (or the border of the area occupied
by the ZCC) may be assumed identical to the region 2 described in
the claims. This region 2 or the boundary of the ZCC 2 may also be
referred as the Zeroclick Shape 2. The Zeroclick Control 2 achieves
the Zeroclick for a given control 1 by having a predetermined path
area 3 or path 3 or additional area 3 within the Zeroclick Control
2, in which the pointer must perform a subsequent movement, after
the pointer has already come in contact with the control area 1 and
moved within or on the control area 1 boundary to come in contact
and to activate the related Zeroclick Control 2 to the control 1.
Sometimes the Zeroclick Control 2 has a predetermined path area 3
or additional area 3 mentioned in the claims and description which
is the same size as the ZCC 2 area or region 2. However, the
definition of the additional area 3 or predetermined path area 3 or
sometimes path 3 is that it is an area with a boundary shape
contained within the region 2 up to the maximum size of the
boundary of the region 2 area or the boundary of the Zeroclick
control area 2. ZCEC is the Zeroclick emulated Click, i.e. it is a
description of the pointer movement interaction with the ZCC or its
subareas that causes the activation of the function associated with
the "click" or control area. Sometimes the term Zeroclick
equivalent of the Right mouse Click refers to a Zeroclick which
emulates (triggers) the Right mouse click action. PSA is any
pointer-sensitive area. In other words the program can detect if
the pointer is over or is moving over this area. This sometimes is
referred to in the documentation as a mouse sensitive area.
[0097] Definition of a Zeroclick
[0098] As illustrated in FIG. 1, and further expanded in the
description of the Zeroclick below, a Zeroclick is an event by
which the user can trigger a procedure or function with a control
area 1 by pointer 0 movement alone coming in contact with that
control area 1 and then performing a subsequent pointer movement,
where the conventional methodology of obtaining that action would
have involved a "click" over that control area 1. Therefore a
Zeroclick may be defined as the movement click associated with a
control area 1 within a graphical user interface (GUI) as defined
or a method of movement clicking within a GUI or an apparatus as
defined in the claims, which uses this pointer movement click. Thus
instead of activating functions related to a control 1 by the
pointer coming into contact and clicking to confirm the selection
and triggering of a function related to the control I, with the
Zeroclick, the user confirms the selection and triggers a function
related to the control 1 by a subsequent pointer movement within a
predetermined path related to the original control area 1. The
claims in the next five paragraphs as originally filed give a more
precise definition of the Zeroclick: --
[0099] 1. A GUI in which, when a pointer is immediately adjacent or
passes over a control area, a procedure is initiated whereby
subsequent movement of the pointer over a predetermined path
generates a `click` event which simulates direct clicking of the
control and moving outside the predetermined path prior to
completion of the path resets the control to as if the pointer has
never started along the predetermined path. 2. A GUI as defined in
claim 1 wherein the control area may be any size, shape, or
appearance, and relates to one or more functions to be accessed via
the GUI. 3. A GUI as defined in claim 1 wherein the control in
claim 1 may be associated with one or more predetermined paths
generating one or more different `click` events. 4. A GUI as
defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined path may extend
outside the original control area and the appearance of said area
outside the control area and/or the control area may be adjustable
to provide feedback to the user. 5. The user feedback in claim 4
may be information how to complete the correct movement to simulate
the direct `clicking` of the control and may be aided by visible
subareas within the predetermined path. 6. The user feedback in
claim 4 may provide the user within all the movement stages from
the contact with the control area to final movement that leads to
the direct clicking of the control with the appropriate user
feedback that the user is provided with additional information that
he may understand the significance and implications of activating
the function by the simulated direct clicking of the control. 7. A
GUI as defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined path may be
adjusted so that it fits on the computer screen even if the
original position of the control area, would have meant that the
predetermined path would have gone off the screen and not be
accessible to the pointer. 8. A GUI as defined in claim 1 wherein
the predetermined path may be adjusted to suit a certain screen
size. 9. A GUI as defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined path
and subsequent movement within the predetermined path may be
adjusted for the purposes of error prevention. 10. A GUI as defined
in claim 1 wherein the predetermined path and subsequent movement
within the predetermined path may be adjusted for the purposes of
user preference. 11. A GUI as defined in claim 1 wherein the
predetermined path and subsequent movement within the predetermined
path may be adjusted for the purposes of speed of completing this
simulated click. 12. A GUI as defined in claim 1 wherein all the
possible clicks and multiple different clicks related to each
control in a program accessed via the GUI would have an equivalent
`click` as defined in claim 1. 13. A GUI as defined in claim 12
wherein the various clicks for controlling the control may be
listed. 14. A GUI as defined in claim 12 wherein list of clicks for
controlling the control includes a description of the function to
be selected. 15. A GUI as defined in claim 1 wherein the function
to be activated by the simulated click has previously only been
accessed by other methods in the existing program context. 16. A
GUI as defined in claim 15 wherein the previous other methods would
have been by a standard click method. 17. A GUI as defined in claim
15 wherein the previous other methods would have been by the
keyboard. 18. A GUI as defined in claim 1 is in the form of a HCG.
19. A GUI as defined in claim 1 is in the form of a bordergrid. 20.
A GUI as defined in claim 1 is in the form of a qualifier grid. 21.
A GUI as defined in claim 1 is in the form of a sequential grid.
22. A GUI as defined in claim 1 whereby the action of the simulated
click or activated function may be reversed by a subsequent
movement in an additional area of the control area. 23. A GUI as
defined in claim 1 wherein existing programs without the
functionality of claim 1 may have the functionality by means of a
transforming program in the operating system. 24. A GUI as defined
in claim 1 wherein the predetermined path of the simulated click
activates a pattern click. 25. A GUI as defined in claim 1 which
may be programmed easier by a set of procedures, functions or
controls. 26. A GUI as defined in claim 1 which by programming may
transform existing programs without the functionality of claim 1 to
have the functionality. 27. A GUI as defined in claim 1 which by
reinterpretation of the web source pages may transform existing
programs without the functionality of claim 1 to have the
functionality. 28. A GUI as defined in any preceding claim wherein
the `click` as defined in claim 1 may be used in conjunction with
standard clicks for controlling program functions through the GUI.
29. A GUI as defined in any preceding claim wherein the GUI is
displayed on a touch screen.
[0100] 30. A method of operating a GUI in which a function related
to a control area may be triggered by a pointer movement over the
control area, then by further movement over an additional area
comprising the steps of; a. moving the pointer into contact with
the control area b. initiating activating the function associated
with the control area by moving the pointer to an additional area
related to the control area c. moving the pointer within a certain
region containing the additional area defined in b. and completing
a specified movement within the additional area to complete
activation of the function associated with the control area. 31. A
method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 30 wherein the
function to be activated may comprise generation of one or more
further regions for further function activation. 32. A method of
operating a GUI as defined in claim 30 wherein the control area may
be a screen control of any appearance, size, shape or colour. 33. A
method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 30 wherein the
movement of a pointer over the control area makes another area or
areas visible within the control or in an area adjacent the control
area. 34. A method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 30
wherein the appearance of the control area and the certain region
may be varied to provide user feedback at different parts of the
movement described in b. & c. 35 A GUI as defined in any claims
30-33 wherein the `click` as defined in claim 1 may be used in
conjunction with standard clicks for controlling program functions
through the GUI. 36. A method of operating a GUI as defined in
claim 30 wherein the areas made visible may be in the form of a
bordergrid. 37. A method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 30
wherein the areas made visible may be in the form of a qualifier
grid. 38. A method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 30
wherein the areas made visible may be in the form of a HOG. 39 A
method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 30 wherein the areas
made visible may be in the form of a sequential grid. 40. A method
of operating a GUI as defined in claim 30 wherein the areas made
visible may be in the form of a pattern click.
[0101] 41. A method of operating a GUI in which by pointer movement
alone may activate functions, which were previously activated in
existing programs by other methods. 42. A method of operating a GUI
as defined in claim 41 where the other methods may be a standard
click method. 43. A method of operating a GUI as defined in claim
41 where the other methods may by the keyboard.
[0102] 44. A method of operating a GUI as defined in claim 30
wherein the additional area and subsequent movement within it may
be adjusted for the purposes of error prevention. 45. A method of
operating a GUI as defined in claim 30 wherein the additional area
and subsequent movement within it may be adjusted for the purposes
of speed of clicking. 46. A GUI as defined in any preceding claim
wherein the GUI is displayed on a touch screen.
[0103] 47. An apparatus incorporating an user-interface according
to any preceding claim. 48. An apparatus as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings. 49. A method as
hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
50. A GUI as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
[0104] A Description of the Zeroclick
[0105] To be industrially sound it will need to address the
disadvantages or problems inherent in activating a click by
movement alone compared to the traditional click, and design and
apply solutions that would enable programmers and users to adapt it
as an alternative or replacement method to the standard method of
clicking in a GUI. Below is one method.
[0106] FIG. 1 shows the boundary of a control area 1, which will
activate a function if a click is performed while the pointer is on
or within the boundary of the control area. This control area may
be any existing control, component or known pointer-sensitive area
which when clicked with the pointer over it triggers a function (or
functions if there are more than one different types of clicks
associated with the PSA) specific for the control area. The control
area 1 may be any future pointer-sensitive area, which may have an
associated function (or functions) of any appearance, shape, size
or colour. FIG. 1 shows the effect of the pointer 0 coming in
contact with the control area 1 activating another region 2 or
Zeroclick Control 2 which has a border or aspect in contact with
the control area 1. This region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 may be the
same area as the control area, or within the control area 1, as
shown in FIG. 2, or the region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 may only
partially overlap the control area 1, as shown in FIG. 1, or the
region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 may just have one aspect of the
region's boundary in contact with the control area's boundary. The
region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 may be visible, partly visible or
invisible. This region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 may be visible as
part of the control area 1, see FIG. 2, or may appear when the
pointer comes in contact with the control area 1, see FIG. l, This
region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 retains focus of the control area 1
(i.e. the region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 thus extends the
pointer-sensitive area of the control area 1 to the increased area
covered by the region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2), as shown in FIG.
1. If the pointer moves outside the region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2
and outside the control area then the control area resets to its
original state and appearance as if the pointer had never come in
contact with the control area 1. This region 2 or Zeroclick Control
2 contains an additional area 3. The boundary of the additional
area 3 may be within the region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 or it may
be the same area as region 2 or ZeroclickControl 2. The boundary of
the additional area 3 represent a boundary of a path that the
pointer must complete a predetermined movement within the path to
trigger a function related to the control area. The control area 1,
the region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2, the additional area 3 and any
other area of the computer screen may change to provide user
feedback in response to movement of the pointer coming in contact
with the control area 1, and within the region 2 or Zeroclick
Control 2 and all further movements within the path 3. The region 2
or Zeroclick Control 2 or additional area 3 (or alternatively named
path 3) may have any appearance, shape, size or colour. The
appearance of the path 3 or additional area 3 may be designed so
that the user may be guided as to the exact movement needed to
complete the pathway. To help this process there may be visible
subareas of any appearance, shape, size or colour (for example, 4,6
in FIG. 3; 7,8,9 in FIG. 4 and FIG. 8: 10,11 in FIG. 5; and
12,13,14,15, in FIGS. 6,7,9,10) and visible changes related to
these subareas and further user feedback 301 related to these
movements. This feedback may provide the information required to
complete the movement required for the function activation. It
mainly will consist of the control and the components of the
Zeroclick Control 2 changing appropriately to assist the user to
complete the movement required for the function activation.
Sometimes other areas of the screen may be used to give further
text, animation, movies to improve the user's Zeroclick technique.
Alternatively it may give sound in relation to the movements, or
both audio and visual components so the user's movements are
constantly being monitored by the computer and the computer
responds with the appropriate verbal or visual signals from the
computer to maximize the efficiency of the Zeroclick.
[0107] In addition to the user feedback to make the Zeroclick
movements intuitive to the user, the movements comprising the
Zeroclick (e.g. the pointer movement with the control, the ZCC 2 or
its components) may provide user feedback (audio and/or visual)
that is educational regarding the background information, and
implications of selecting a given function for a control 1, so that
the user may always make an appropriately informed decision
regarding the selection of a function. The information for this
informed decision may be supplied in the most appropriate form for
the user (e.g. text, animation, bitmap, sound bite, or movie) to
assist the user while making the Zeroclick movements. This
additional information may be located anywhere on the computer
screen 300, and may occupy one or more areas of the computer screen
300. The additional information may be any information available to
provide the user with all the relevant information to know that the
selection of the function by completing the movement within the
additional area is the correct function to select. After the
selection of the function there may be all the information
available regarding the implication of having selected that
function. Thus by movement alone the computer may provide the user
with all relevant information to accurately have all the relevant
background information to select a function, to know the
implications of having selected that function or recording that
particular data into the program.
[0108] There then may be an opportunity for the user to perform
another movement or click to reverse the effects of having selected
this function (FIG. 21,22,23,24,25--all these grids, movement on
the forward direction records data (i.e. in the left to right
hierarchical grid, movement to the right border of the grid to the
next grid records data. E.g. FIG. 23 moving the pointer from 116 to
next right grid (the month grid) records 1999 in the control text
box), movement back to the original grid removes that recorded data
and allows selection of a different year). In the HCG one Zeroclick
records data, and repeating the Zeroclick removes the recorded
data, see FIG. 38 157 the Zeroclick being performed to record 168.
FIG. 39 shows the repeat of the Zeroclick function causes the
recorded data to be removed 170.
[0109] Movement outside the additional area 3 or path 3 prior to
the completion of the movement to trigger a function with the
pointer resets the control area as if the pointer had never come in
contact with the additional area 3.
[0110] The programmer may also reset the function if the wrong
movement or wrong sequences of movement has been performed within
the additional area, and/or in relationship to the subareas within
the additional area 3. This may be described with reference to FIG.
7. The programmer may design four basic Zeroclicks to emulate the
standard single double left and right mouse clicks which have a
common pathway of starting at subarea 12 and moving to subarea 13.
Thus the control area 1 and the Zeroclick will reset if the mouse
moves from subarea 12 to 15 or subarea 12 to 14.
[0111] As shown by FIG. 2, the programmer may have one or more
regions 2 per control area 1 and/or one or more different
additional areas 3 or paths per region and/or one or more different
movements within each additional area 3 or paths 3 each triggering
different functions for the control area.
[0112] The FIG. 3 shows the subarea 4, subarea boundary line 5, and
subarea 6 within the additional area 3. A simple Zeroclick defined
as a left reverse Zeroclick, which the user moves the pointer from
subarea 4 (the left subarea) across the subarea boundary line 5 to
subarea 6 then reverses direction back across the subarea boundary
line 5 to the left subarea 4 while remaining within the
predetermined path area 3 or additional area 3 it completes the
Zeroclick, and hence the name left reverse Zeroclick. Thus the
right reverse Zeroclick occurs if the user moves the pointer from
the right subarea 6 across 5 to 4 then reverses direction from 4
across the subarea boundary line 5 back to the right subarea 6
while remaining within the path 3. Thus if the control area 1 or
region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2 was rotated through 90.degree.
clockwise, the left reverse Zeroclick as described above becomes
the top reverse Zeroclick, and the right reverse Zeroclick as
described above becomes the bottom reverse Zeroclick. A left to
right direction Zeroclick is achieved by moving from the left
subarea 4, across the subarea boundary line 5 to the right subarea
6 while the pointer remains within the predetermined path. A right
to left direction Zeroclick is achieved by moving the pointer from
the right subarea 6 across the subarea boundary line 5 to the left
subarea 5. By rotating the Zeroclick Control 2 through 90 degrees
clockwise, the left to right Zeroclick as described above becomes
the top to bottom direction Zeroclick and the right to left
Zeroclick becomes the bottom to top direction Zeroclick. The region
2 area may be rotated by any degree if user preferred to present a
Zeroclick Control 2 with a Zeroclick in any direction or any
reverse direction at any degree angle if the user prefers.
[0113] The FIG. 4 shows subarea 7, subarea 8, subarea 9 within the
additional area 3 or predetermined path 3. The pointer movement
required to activate a left to bottom right angled Zeroclick is to
move the pointer within subarea 7 through subarea 8 and then
through subarea 9 and remain within the additional area 3. Thus the
movement is a change of movement through 90 degrees through three
subareas. The pointer movement required to activate a bottom to
left right angled Zeroclick is to move the pointer within subarea 9
through subarea 8 and then through subarea 7 and remain within the
additional area 3. If the Zeroclick Control 2 or region 2 is
rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the original in FIG. 4 then the
left to bottom right angled Zeroclick as described above becomes
the top to left right angled Zeroclick, and the bottom to left
right angled Zeroclick becomes a left to top right angled
Zeroclick. If the Zeroclick Control 2 or region 2 is rotated 180
degrees clockwise from the original in FIG. 4 then the left to
bottom right angled Zeroclick as described above becomes the right
to top right angled Zeroclick, and the bottom to left right angled
Zeroclick becomes a top to right angled Zeroclick. If the Zeroclick
Control 2 or region 2 is rotated 270 degrees clockwise from the
original in FIG. 4 then the left to bottom right angled Zeroclick
as described above becomes the bottom to right angled Zeroclick,
and the bottom to left right angled Zeroclick becomes a right to
bottom right angled Zeroclick. These describe the range of right
angled clicks. Obviously clicks may be designed where the path or
subareas make other angled clicks than 90 degrees, and the angled
clicks may be rotated to any degree, not just 90 degrees. The user
may have a variation of the angled tick to be rotated with a path
and subarea user feedback that may look like a V or a tick. Keeping
the pointer movement within the V shaped additional area 3 or tick
shaped outline predetermined path area 3 from the beginning of the
v or tick to the end would trigger a tick Zeroclick or v
Zeroclick.
[0114] FIG. 5 shows a variation of the FIG. 3 Zeroclick Control 2
in the following way. The left subarea 4 is transposed to the left
subarea ellipse 10 in FIG. 5, and the space between subarea ellipse
10 and subarea ellipse 11 in FIG. 5 being varied from the subarea
boundary line 5 in FIG. 3 and the right subarea 6 being varied to
the right subarea ellipse 11. Consequently FIG. 5 may show the
complete variations of reverse Zeroclick and direction Zeroclicks
described by FIG. 3. This variation will be used later to discuss
the variation required for user, speed of click and error
prevention considerations.
[0115] Classification of different types of Zeroclicks Thus the
Zeroclick path may have any form of direction Zeroclick, reverse
Zeroclick, or angled Zeroclick or any combination of these
Zeroclicks using variation in shape of the predetermined path or
interaction with subareas. The T shaped Zeroclick shows a
combination of the reverse and right angled Zeroclicks to make the
equivalent of the left or right single or double mouse clicks. The
only additional classification of zeroclick is a contact zeroclick.
This is where the point comes in contact with the zeroclick control
additional area, e.g. FIG. 13 ZeroClick 24. This is rarely used and
only in combination with other zeroclicks, just because of the high
risks of accidental triggering, which usually is more of a
disadvantage than its slightly faster speed.
[0116] FIG. 6, 7,9,10 all show variations of the same four T shaped
Zeroclick. The FIG. 6 show the additional area 3 with a subarea 12
and subarea 13 and subarea 14 and subarea 15. This shows how a
single additional area 3 or predetermined path area 3 may have
several different subsequent movements to trigger different
Zeroclicks using a different interaction of the pointer with the
subareas while remaining in the additional area 3 E.g. If the
pointer movement remains within the additional area 3 then moving
the pointer in contact with subarea 12, subarea 13, subarea 14 may
trigger one function, e.g. the left mouse click equivalent for
control area 1. Moving the pointer to subarea 12, subarea 13 and
subarea 15 may trigger another function, e.g. right mouse click
equivalent for the control area 1. Moving the pointer to subarea
12, subarea 13, subarea 12, subarea 13 and subarea 14 may trigger
one function e.g. double left mouse click equivalent for control
area 1. Moving the pointer to subarea 12, subarea 13, subarea 12,
subarea 13 and subarea 15 may trigger another function, e.g. double
right mouse click equivalent for the control area 1. Obviously
other direction, reverse, or angle clicks may be used for
additional clicks.
[0117] As common to all Zeroclicks, movement outside the additional
area 3 or path prior to the completion of the movement to trigger a
function with the pointer resets the control area as if the pointer
had never come in contact with the additional area 3. The
programmer may also reset the function if the wrong movement or
wrong sequences of movement has been performed within the
additional area, and/or in relationship to the subareas within the
additional area 3. Also the user feedback may use any combination
of style to indicate the next movement or complete movement
required to perform a Zeroclick. All the components of the control,
region, additional area or subareas may change colour or appearance
to provide this user feedback. E.g. the appearance of the T shaped
Zeroclick may vary from 20 to 21.
[0118] Some Different Names for Different Types of Zeroclick.
[0119] FIG. 11 shows some different styles of zeroclick. For ease
of description these have been given the following names; the
double rectangle zeroclick 16 or the double rectangular zeroclick
16, the L shaped zeroclick 17, the 0 0 zeroclick 18, another L
shaped zeroclick 19, the T shaped zeroclick 20, and the arrow T
shaped zeroclick 21. However, in the drawing the zeroclicks shown
are only for illustration and may be swapped for other types, and
the appropriate zeroclicks required to activate these different
types of zeroclick controls may also be varied if developer or user
required. The developer may design a huge variation of zeroclicks
built on these and other variations in the description.
[0120] The above figures show just a few styles of the Zeroclick,
the variation in the appearance, shape, size and colour of the
control area, region and additional area and any subareas and the
possibility of user feedback at any stage of the pointer movement
in contact with the control area, region, additional area, and
subareas, and the position and visibility of the region area, and
the numerous variations of movement within one or more additional
areas triggering a function or functions by different
Zeroclicks.
[0121] The important aspect is that the programmer understands the
variations of the Zeroclick Control which may improve the error
prevention, improve the speed, and improve the user feedback of the
Zeroclick as illustrated by the drawings.
[0122] Aspects which improve the error prevention of the Zeroclick
from the drawings. FIG. 18 shows the various components of the path
3, the path length 303, the path width 306, the distance between
subareas 304, the height of the subarea 305 and the width of the
subarea 302.
[0123] The factors that improve the error prevention and make
intentional movement more likely are a decrease in the path area 3
(a reduction of size of the path area 3), a change of direction
within a path area 3 (a reverse Zeroclick or a angle Zeroclick--the
more specific the angle and the smaller area to change direction
the better), a reduction in width of the path area 306, an increase
of the distance between subareas 304, the smaller the subareas, the
more changes of directions within the path area 3, and the correct
sequence of change of direction. The changes of direction may be
between subareas or having a path that is bent at various angles.
Also resetting if wrong sequence of mouse movement occurs, and
making it easy for a user to reverse the change of a Zeroclick to
give confidence in using this GUI.
[0124] The factors that improve speed are simple, easy to learn
movement like right angled clicks or reverse clicks, that have a
short distance between subareas, but still give the user a
reassurance that the error prevention is as good as a mouse click,
otherwise the user speed slows due to fear of accidentally
triggering unwanted functions. The double rectangle Zeroclick 18 if
it is small enough is a good compromise of these features.
[0125] The tailoring of the Zeroclick to the user. Some users are
left to right (western), some are right to left Arabic etc. Some
users find some movements easier to manage. The user may have a
control option in the control panel or as a selectable function in
the program. This may enable to turn on and off the Zeroclick
features, and/or to change the various components of the path as
described above to suit the user's style.
[0126] In the case of the simplest Zeroclick the direction
Zeroclick, where the pointer moves from A to B e.g. subarea 10 to
subarea 11--the left to right direction Zeroclick, then there are
two main factors that influence the error of the accidental
triggering of the Zeroclick. The first is the width of the path
that the pointer may move between point A and point B. The narrower
the width of the path (i.e. the vertical distance of the path or
the vertical distance of the subarea boundary line 5 in FIG. 3 or
the vertical distance of the space between the lower horizontal
border of the area 3 and the upper horizontal border of the area 3
in FIG. 5), the less likely is accidental triggering. The more the
distance between the two subareas, the less likely is accidental
triggering of the Zeroclick.
[0127] E.g. the boundary line 5 horizontal distance in FIG. 3 and
the horizontal distance between subarea 10 and subarea 11 in FIG. 5
of the vertical, the less likely is accidental error. Thus the left
to right direction Zeroclick for the FIG. 5 Zeroclick control 18
than the FIG. 3 Zeroclick control 16 (because the narrower the
additional area 3 width between the minimum distance the pointer
has to move to activate) is less likely to activate the movement
click accidentally. Thus the 0 0 Zeroclick in 18 is less likely to
accidentally activate a Zeroclick than the double rectangular
Zeroclick in 16.
[0128] The control area 1, region 2 or Zeroclick Control 2,
additional area 3, or subareas may also respond to clicks. This
could be for any reason but it could allow for additional
functionality to be obtained with the clicking system. it also
could help a user get familiar with the Zeroclick by providing both
functionality.
[0129] The Design Considerations of the Zeroclick
[0130] This will require design considerations for an appropriate
minimum risk of accidental triggering the Zeroclick by user
performing the pointer movement unintentionally and/or the user
being able to perform the task as easily as a click and/or methods
for making Zeroclick as acceptable to the user and programming
community a method that can be used in conjunction with the click
or as an alternative method.
[0131] Commercial Design of the Zeroclick.
[0132] One way to achieve the description of the Zeroclick
commercially is to make the region 2 into a Zeroclick Control
(ZCC). The Zeroclick Control would be added in a default position,
with a default style to a control area (or there may be several
different default styles for different objects or controls) by
activating a single property e.g. ZeroclickOn=True. The click
function associated with the control area may be turned off by
another property e.g. TraditionalClickOff=True. The developer would
be able to fully control the style of the ZCC, and the user may be
able to adjust all the ZCC properties (e.g. to change appearance of
the ZCC, the shape of the path, the movement required to activate
the Zeroclick, the user feedback) to tailor the ZCC to their
particular use. The Zeroclick Control may be adjusted automatically
with reference to the computer screen (i.e. positioned and/or
resized to fit on the computer screen regardless of position of the
control or screen size.) These features may be built into all
programming languages. Thus developers may have additional
procedures, functions, properties and events for all their existing
and future controls that would easily allow the addition of the
Zeroclick functionality. Operating systems, all network
environments and even library patches for existing program
environments may enable the ZCC to be added to existing programs
without even changing the program, as event-driven operating
systems may detect the pointer coordinates and know which object
that the pointer is over, and thus a default ZCC may be added.
Likewise web pages written in source code may be reinterpreted to
add Zeroclick functionality by associating a ZCC with the original
control area.
[0133] Zeroclick Control Components
[0134] This section translates the description of the Zeroclick to
the ZCC. With reference to FIG. 2, the components of the Zeroclick
control are the Zeroclick shape (region 2) which represents the
mouse sensitive area of the Zeroclick control. The Zeroclick
boundary (additional area 3 or path), which represents the area the
pointer must remain within when perform a certain mouse and/or
locator device movement to emulate the click. The Zeroclick
boundary may be the Zeroclick shape (the preferred description
below) or an area within the Zeroclick shape. There are then
various subareas or shapes with the Zeroclick boundary as described
above.
[0135] How the Pointer Movement May Interact with the Zeroclick
Control Components to Trigger a Zeroclick.
[0136] This is one of numerous possible examples of a Zeroclick
Control associated with a control area. A more comprehensive
discussion of the variation will be discussed in the next section.
This example will highlight some useful features that the Zeroclick
may have.
[0137] FIGS. 9 and 10 Show the control area and the Zeroclick
Control
[0138] The ZCC may be permanently visible related to the control
area or may appear when the pointer moves over the control area.
The ZCC may be visible, partially visible, or invisible and may be
activated by the movement of the pointer with the control area and
the ZCC and its components. The variation may be controlled by
developer and/or user preference. For use in a cell with text
within a grid it may be beneficial to have the ZCC invisible until
the cell/row is in focus so that user can read the underlying text
of the cells clearly. For control areas that are permanent features
it may be better that the ZCC is visible so that users can aim for
the ZCC before the pointer comes in contact with the control
area.
[0139] The ZCC may have an appearance, that is intuitive. The
design of the one horizontal arrow leading to two arrows in
opposite directions suggest that two possible activation of the
Zeroclick may occur, i.e. a moving the pointer through the
horizontal arrow 12 and either following the up arrow 14
(triggering one Zeroclick) or following the down blue arrow 15
(triggering another Zeroclick).
[0140] FIG. 5 shows the Zeroclick boundary line 5 being altered
from that in FIG. 3. This demonstrates by increasing the distance
between the subareas 10 and 11, it decreases the likelihood of
accidental triggering than the Zeroclick path boundary 3 in FIG.
3.
[0141] FIGS. 9,10 show how the Zeroclick may be applied to a grid
cell or a menu item. The border of the grid cell 1 or menu item 1
represents the border of the PSA of the control. The ZCC shape and
path boundary 2 is invisible in FIG. 9 but reflects the outside
borders of the arrows in the arrow T shaped ZCC 21 in FIG. 10. Thus
using this T shaped ZeroClick, the grid cell may have four
Zeroclicks attached to it. There may be two or more different
Zeroclick Controls within the PSA of the grid cell, and they may
have been of different types, if the user preferred.
[0142] FIG. 8. This shows the Zeroclick control 2 for this control.
It also shows three subareas (7,8,9) within the ZC control 2. To
emulate the standard mouse buttons (left and Right single and
double click actions) for the control 1, the movement of the
pointer would be as follows: Single left mouse click would be by
moving the pointer so that it came in contact with the subareas 7,
8, 9 in that order while keeping within the path 3. Single right
mouse click would be by moving the pointer so it came in contact
with the subareas 8, 7, 9 in that order while keeping within the
path 3.
[0143] Double left mouse click would be by moving the pointer so
that it came in contact with the red circle areas 7, 8, 7,8,9 in
that order while keeping within the path 3. Double right mouse
click would be by moving the pointer so it came in contact with the
red circle areas 8, 7,8,7, 9 in that order while keeping within the
path 3.
[0144] However, if the subareas were accessed in the wrong order or
the pointer moved outside the ZCC the ZCC would reset and the user
would have to move the pointer to have contact with the subareas as
described above within the ZC boundary to trigger any of the ZCECs
described above.
[0145] The Zeroclick May be Triggered Differently if User/Developer
Prefers
[0146] If the user wished to tailor the zeroclick or the ZCC this
may be achieved by a control in the program or the operating
system. In the control panel the user may be given a control to
setup the Zeroclick to their desired specification so that it
obtains the best compromise of ease of performing the Zeroclick
while minimising the risk of accidental triggering of a Zeroclick.
The next section, however, describes in more details the variables
of the components of the Zeroclick that may be adjusted to get the
most effective Zeroclick for a user/developer's preference.
[0147] The Appearance of the Zeroclick Control
[0148] The ZCC may be permanently visible related to the control
area or may appear when the pointer moves over the control area.
This depends on user preference. The appearance of the Zeroclick
Control may be different when inactivated, different when the
pointer moves over its control area, different when it moves over
the ZC shape, and different when the pointer interacts in different
ways with any of its components. All these differences may allow
the developer the exact control of the style and feedback of the
ZCC.
[0149] How the Zeroclick Control Performs a Zeroclick for the
Relevant Control Area.
[0150] To understand how the Zeroclick Control performs a
Zeroclick, the user will need first to understand the components of
the Zeroclick Control, then how the movement of pointer may
interact with these components to perform a Zeroclick in a
preferred Zeroclick shape, then the possible variation of
appearance of the Zeroclick control, possible variation of
directional pointer movement interaction with the various
components of the Zeroclick Control, and a discussion of some
aspects a programmer and user may need control to aid a better
Zeroclick Control design and functionality.
[0151] The Possible Variation of Zeroclick Appearance and Pointer
Movement Interaction with the ZCC Required for Activation of a
Function Related to a Control Area
[0152] The developer can have complete control of the pointer
movement interaction with the Z CC and its subareas.
[0153] The path of the pointer over a Zeroclick control can be
detected by X and Y pixel coordinates. The interaction of the
Zeroclick Control with the path of the pointer enables the
programmer an almost infinite range of possibilities of how to
display and program the pointer's interaction with any one of the
features of the pointer movement with the ZCC or any number of
subareas (this could be one or more areas which could be up to the
size of area of the ZCC) within the Zeroclick Control (ZCC).
[0154] Some of the possible interactions of the pointer with the
ZCC could be: --start location of pointer, finish location of
pointer, direction of pointer, distance pointer moves in a certain
direction related to a certain location, speed of pointer, path of
pointer, pattern of pointer movement, pointer movement related to
the ZCC or its subareas.
[0155] The Developer could have Complete Control of the Appearance
of the ZCC.
[0156] The ZCC may be permanently visible, permanently invisible,
or appearing when the pointer moved over the control area or
subareas of the control area that activate it. The appearance of
the Zeroclick control if visible may vary from one component to all
components being visible depending on user/developer/design
preference.
[0157] The optimum design is a balance between consistency,
aesthetics, intuitive, educational, functionality, prevention of
errors, speed and programming considerations (response of the
program).
[0158] Consistency
[0159] This is probably the most important feature. Having a
Zeroclick which is uniform in design and used as a standard by many
software developers would make the Zeroclick more familiar and
useful for the user. This could be adjusted once per user in the
control panel and used for all programs. For example the user may
choose the FIG. 3, the reverse direction Zeroclick as the standard
single click.
[0160] Aesthetics,
[0161] The ZCC should be attractive to look at.
[0162] Intuitive.
[0163] The appearance of the Zeroclick Shape should be intuitive.
I.e. the user should be able to guess the common movements of for
example the ZCC in FIG. 21, which is a picture of three blue arrows
heads show the direction of the pointer. A user may almost guess
that two of the Zeroclick movements are following the horizontal
arrow across and then turning up and a second movement would
probably be following the horizontal arrow and then turning through
a right angle and following the downward arrow.
[0164] Educational.
[0165] If a standard design of Zeroclick is universally adapted by
software developers. E.g. an intuitive and recognisable icon, this
could have predictable feedback with the arrows changing colour as
the Zeroclick is being activated by the pointer movement. It could
be then linked to a bordergrid (See next section). This would then
show a list of grid menu items, educating the user as to the
possible functions of the control area. These menu items could be
triggered with another Zeroclick to perform the relevant function.
It will also enable the user to enter any relevant keystrokes or
data by using the bordergrid character data entry style.
[0166] Functionality may also be suggested by bitmaps indicating
the function trigger at the end of the pathway. The appearance of
the control and the appearance of the ZCC and pathways for each
function may be suggested by the graphical appearance.
[0167] Prevention of Errors.
[0168] In the preferred ZCC, the variation of pointer movement
required to prevent accidental triggering of the ZCC could be
almost infinite. Both the Zeroclick path and the sequence of
movement required to simulate the click for the control may be
varied. It ends up being a compromise of the user performing
actions that are fast (e.g. easy to do, like horizontal and
vertical movements) yet are very unlikely to be triggered
accidentally. In the preferred Zeroclick this may normally be
accomplished by the pointer starting in a certain location and the
pointer changing direction once between two points (reverse
direction 180 degrees) or once per three points (e.g. 90 degree
change). However, there are certain circumstances where simpler
Zeroclick or more complicated Zeroclicks are needed.
[0169] Speed.
[0170] The simpler, easier (e.g. vertical, reverse or horizontal
lines), more familiar and less far apart the movement and the wider
the path, the easier and faster it is to trigger the Zeroclick.
This needs to be balanced by making the movements sufficiently
complicated as not to cause accidental triggering of the Zeroclick.
Size of the ZCC. If the ZCC shape is too small it can become
difficult for the user to accurately trigger the ZCEC with the
pointer movement. In these conditions the ZC shape could be
increased in size to sometimes greater that the related control
area in order for the ZC to be easily triggered by the user.
[0171] Programming Considerations.
[0172] The programmer has a large variation of manipulating the
various aspects of the pointer movement with the control area, and
the ZCC. The simpler the movements, the easier to program and the
faster the program responds to the interaction of the pointer
movement with the ZCC. Thus horizontal and vertical movements are
usually the best, but these can be varied depending on
user/developer preference. The important aspect to note regarding
the variations and descriptions of variations of the Zeroclick
appearance and triggering is that despite providing a few
variations of the Zeroclick, from the definition of the Zeroclick
it is obvious, that there are a vast number of possible variations
for the design of the Zeroclick.
[0173] Components that Use a Specific Version of the Zeroclick.
[0174] The application of the Zeroclick method could be universal
to all existing programs or software and control areas, and the
functionality may be added to all future programs or software.
[0175] Any control area that would normally have a click to
activate a specific function could have a Zeroclick shape related
to it to emulate a click action. Thus the Zeroclick method enables
a developer a complete pointer based emulated click command sub
system for any control area e.g. any command buttons, radio
buttons, text boxes, grids, drop down combo, that use the Zeroclick
method to enable them or a pop up qualifier grid. This would enable
a complete sub system to be added.
[0176] The Word Processor Adaptation of Zeroclick.
[0177] See 222 in FIG. 52 The current word processors would operate
identically using the traditional key based and mouse click
function. The Zeroclick could be added to the original functions
where there was a click function existing. A specific modification
of the "textbox" control area of the word processor could occur.
Each word of text could get focus (see 323 in FIG. 52) and could
become highlighted by a specific zeroclick over the word or phrases
as shown in FIG. 68. The Zeroclick illustrated is a combination of
a vertical downward zeroclick, followed by a horizontal left to
right direction zeroclick over the word, and then completing the
zeroclick by an upward direction zeroclick. These all occur in a
hidden or invisible additional area 3 or predetermined path area 3
being the word (or phrase) plus the spaces either side to perform
the vertical zeroclicks. This is just one example of zeroclick over
the word that may activate a bordergrid. This would activate a
Zeroclick for each word. I.e. each highlighted word or phrases by
mouse movement could become a control area for a Zeroclick Control
or bordergrid (88) using each word to activate a bordergrid. This
may be shown to be applied to the medical program. If the user
moved over any clinical feature 323 in FIG. 52 or management step,
the user may use the bordergrid to record new changes related to
the selected (it may be highlighted) term underneath the pointer or
perform a relevant function by selecting the appropriate range of
functions for that term. Thus those doctors who would like to read
the notes may get a comprehensive overview of the patient's history
in the traditional recorded notes, yet may use all the recorded
information to record further changes to the clinical features or
management. There would be relevant bordergrid menu items to record
new clinical features or management steps. The information may be
organised in chronological date order or from the last entry
backwards depending on user preference.
[0178] Other key areas of the word processor that could activate
the Zeroclick would be the margin of the textbox. The borders of
the text box could be to locate different pages or lines e.g. the
upper border of the text box activates the Zeroclick to enable page
up (see FIG. 42, 180) or line up (see FIG. 42, 181). The bottom
border enables page down (183) or line down (182). The right border
could enable selection of individual pages, and location of
specific text by word, bookmark or line search.
[0179] The left border could activate the free text data entry. The
alphabet grid is modified to enable multiple words to be entered
into the text box without alphabet grid becoming too large (see
text regarding 114 of FIG. 22). To enable multiple words to be
added using this text entry method means that after the space is
applied after each word, it adds the previous word to the word
processor text box and it restarts the alphabet grid to enable
another word to be entered. The use of the Zeroclick to mirror the
click function of existing programs means any device with a touch
screen could operate existing programs without needing screen
pressure but using just the location of the pointer aspect of the
screen.
[0180] The Border Grid. (Also Written Bordergrid)
[0181] Definition
[0182] A bordergrid is a control area 1 that triggers the
appearance of a grid or menu (e.g. 22 in FIG. 13, which is the
equivalent region 2 of the zeroclick), and by subsequent movement
to the bordergrid menu item from the control area 1 to the grid and
then by a subsequent movement within a selected menu item or grid
cell (the predetermined path area 3) or a zeroclick control within
a selected menu item (the predetermined path area 3, e.g.
performing a zeroclick by zeroclicking the ZCC 24), a function from
the menu item of the bordergrid is initiated and activated as if
that function had been initiated by a click over the menu item (or
in the specific example a left mouse click over the original
control 1). As may be seen by this definition, a bordergrid is a
variation of a ZeroClick with usually multiple different
predetermined path areas 3 as the bordergrid has multiple different
zeroclicks, with usually at least one per menu item (except where
the function for the menu item is solely to activate another right
hand grid by movement over the menu item--which is the default
method for the HCG, bordergrid and qualifier grids to activate
showing the next right hand grid). Now we will look further at the
description of a bordergrid, and the variations illustrated by
examples from the figures.
[0183] As already described in FIG. 13, the simplest form of the
bordergrid is where the pointer moves in contact with or over a
control area 1. This triggers the bordergrid menu 22, which would
be equivalent to the region 2. The position of the bordergrid
usually is on the border of the control. However it may be any
position so long as the pointer may move directly from the control
area 1 to the region 2 without losing focus due to some aspect of
the control area 1 and the region 2 being in contact with each
other. Thus the position of the region 2 or menu 22 may vary from
completely overlapping the original control to only having a
partial aspect of its border in contact with the control area. To
enable the completion of a zeroclick, the pointer moves to a menu
item by a pointer movement within the control area 1, through the
area in contact with the region 2 thus to the bordergrid menu 22,
to the specific menu item (e.g. the Left mouse click 23). The
pointer then comes in contact with the ZCC 24 (this may be any of
the ZCC described in the zeroclick section, and performs the
appropriate zeroclick (this may be any zeroclick as previously
described appropriate for the ZCC) to activate the relevant menu
function, which would be the simulation of the left mouse click for
the control area 1. If the menu item and related function for the
original control area 1 to be selected is on a subsequent grid e.g.
in FIG. 14 if the function to be selected is to record a by a left
reverse zeroclick starting at 10 with the 0 0 Zeroclick control,
then the pointer movement would need to pass in contact from the
control area 1, to the menu 22, down to the lower case alphabet
menu item 25, horizontally across to the character grid 27, and
then up to the menu item and to perform the left reverse zeroclick
with the 0 0 zeroclick in that menu item. The region 2 area would
have increased in size from the menu 22 area to include the extra
character grid 27 area. Thus as more grids are generated the region
2 of the bordergrid (since it is a zeroclick variation) increases
to include all the grids and may increase to include the related
areas that may be generated for user feedback, and fully informing
the user of the function about to be activated by the highlighted
menu item zeroclick.
[0184] The appearance and the activation of the bordergrid from a
control area 1 by the pointer coming in contact with the control
may require a more precise movement if the developer or user
prefers. The developer or user may not like bordergrids appearing
by random movement over the screen. Therefore an additional ZCC
(e.g. ZCC 21 in FIG. 12) may be need to be triggered by a zeroclick
to make the bordergrid appear and be activated. Indeed the
developer may find it beneficial to allow grids to appear by
contact with the control area 1, but not be activated (by
"activated" is meant that unless activated, a Zeroclick may not
occur even if the pointer movement performs the correct subsequent
movement over the visible but inactivated additional area 3 e.g.
24) unless a zeroclick was performed on a ZCC (e.g. ZCC 21 in FIG.
13). In this example until the appropriate zeroclick is performed
on the ZCC 21 (e.g. left to top right angled zeroclick), then no
further zeroclicks on any items of the menu 22 will work. It is a
further form of error prevention. It has the benefit that the user
is able to see the grids rapidly without having to do a specific
zeroclick but by just corning into contact with a certain control
area 1, but with the reassurance that the bordergrid would not have
a function accidentally triggered by a random movement. Thus by the
appropriate use of these variations the developer and/or user may
adjust the bordergrid to have the exact required functionality and
error prevention.
[0185] The user feedback may be the same as the zeroclick. If there
is any information needed to further aid the selection of a certain
function or record data via a menu item selection, then as
previously described regarding the Zeroclick, the user feedback may
not only inform the user how to activate the Zeroclick but may use
any additional part of the screen to provide all the information
needed in the appropriate format (e.g. text, graphics, image,
animation, video clip) that may provide a comprehensive
understanding of the function and its implications. Also the
functionality of moving outside the control area 1 and region 2
area resetting the control area 1 to the state of never having
being activated, and moving outside the predetermined path 3 area,
having the effect of restoring the additional area 3 to the state
prior to the pointer coming in contact with the additional area 3,
as the default applies.
[0186] Description of a Bordergrid.
[0187] This expands the definition by more reference to the
drawings. In FIG. 12 the pointer moves in contact with the control
1. This may make visible the appearance of the region 2 in FIG. 13
which has the appearance of a grid 22 and/or activate it. Thus the
programmer may make the bordergrid visible to show the contents of
the bordergrid immediately the pointer made contact with the
control area 1. However, to increase the error prevention
activation of the bordergrid, may require an additional Zeroclick
e.g. 21 to activate it by a left to top right angled Zeroclick.
Alternatively both the visibility and activation may occur by the
pointer coming in contact either with the control area 1 or both
being activated by ZC 21.
[0188] The bordergrid's menu items provide a replacement for the
mouse clicks (illustrated by the first four menu item in grid 22
which show the common single and double left and right mouse
clicks.
[0189] if more complicated button presses are required by the
pointer device then further menu items may comprehensively deal
with all the variations. The next three menu item show how the
bordergrid may be used to simulate the keyboard. It illustrates the
Upper case alphabet, lower case alphabet, or character groups
(these may be numerical, date, other groups of useful key
presses).
[0190] The mouse click emulations are performed by activating the
relevant Zeroclick in each menu item. Thus once the bordergrid is
visible and active, the pointer movement, provided it stays within
the control area 1 and the grid 22, may perform a Zeroclick e.g.
left mouse simulated click by the correct movement in conjunction
with circle Zeroclick 24. This may be direction, reverse or angle
Zeroclicks or any more complicated Zeroclicks, as described in the
Zeroclick section. However, because it is a bordergrid, it may also
just require the pointer movement to come into contact with the
circle Zeroclick 24 area, as it may have already had one Zeroclick
e.g. 21 for error prevention. This method is not recommended, but
is an available option, as the reverse and right angle Zeroclicks
may provide better error prevention, with only a marginal decrease
in speed and a much greater reassurance of prevention of accidental
triggering. The normal circle Zeroclick 24 shape will be a generic
symbol for any type of Zeroclicks, and if any Zeroclick symbol is
used e.g. 21 it may be assumed that they may be replaced with other
Zeroclicks if the user/developer prefers.
[0191] The character grid 27 operates in the following method. The
pointer movement over the lower case alphabet 25 menu item in FIG.
14 makes visible and activates the character grid 27, in this case
it is the default lower alphabet key. The movement of the pointer
from 25 in FIG. 15 horizontally to the character grid 27 then up to
the e character 28 then across to the 0 0 Zeroclick control within
the e menu item. A Zeroclick (e.g. left reverse) adds the letter e
to the textbox 30. The user may move up and down the character grid
adding letters in a similar fashion, and two Zeroclicks (e.g. left
reverse) on 28 would cause two e's to be added to the textbox 30.
By performing another type of Zeroclick (e.g. right reverse) this
would remove the last letter. Alternatively the action grid may be
used to further record and edit further free text. The action grid
32 may contain complete word processing functions.
[0192] The action grid 32 may be activated and appear when the
pointer is over any of the menu items in the character grid. It
would move up and down in the default setting with the inactive
blank space 38 on the same horizontal level as the menu item the
pointer is over. By moving the pointer to the action grid, the
default setting is that the pointer would activate the action grid
by moving the pointer to the menu item 38. It then may move up and
down the action grid to use any of the additional word processing
functions. Moving over delete all 34 and zeroclicking the ZCC 33
would delete all the text in the editable text box. Moving over
delete word 35 and performing a zeroclick would delete the last
word in the editable text box. Moving over the delete last letter
and performing a zeroclick would delete the last letter in the
editable text box 30. Moving over the check spelling and performing
a zc would check the spelling and provide options like that shown
in 96 of FIG. 20 on the word or words in the editable text box. The
words in the editable text box may be listed as a grid to the right
of action grid as separate words and moving over words that are
incorrectly spelt may cause further hierarchical grid to select the
correct spelling of the right word. The options 41 provide a space
and 42 to 47 other characters which by a zc in the correct menu
item may cause those characters to be added to the editable text
box 30. Search provides a non hierarchical search of any data
source. It may have the ability to perform this search and locate
the information in the exact hierarchical position in a
hierarchical grid as shown in FIG. 20. Exit and save the data into
the underlying database or file and may return the control to its
inactivated appearance.
[0193] FIG. 16 shows a bordergrid being used to record numerical
data. This FIG. 16 demonstrates one method that this may be done.
Depending on programmer's preference the pointer moves to the
control; this may make the bordergrid visible. The bordergrid's
appearance may be the combined editable textbox 30 and the
replacement mouse and keyboard functions as shown in the right hand
grid to the control areal in FIG. 16. In FIG. 16 the pointer has
moved over the numerical data 52. The numerical data grid 54 is
activated by the pointer being over the bordergrid's Numerical menu
item. The numerical grid appears. This lists the numbers in the
grid, the decimal point, and further mathematical functions. It may
be used to enter numerical data or to calculate numerical data. To
enter numerical data it works the same way as the character grid.
The user moves the pointer to the relevant number (e.g. 1 53) and
adds it by a left reverse Zeroclick (and may remove it by a right
reverse Zeroclick if required). This enters the information in the
text box 55. It shows that 1 has been entered. This occurred by the
pointer moving to the 1 menu item 53 and performing a left reverse
Zeroclick (again different Zeroclick controls e.g. 16-21 or
movements may be chosen from this default version). To cause the
numerical grid to calculate numerically, numerical data or operator
would be added using the numerical grid as described above. If
operators were used with more than one number e.g. 132 in FIG. 25
then by performing a left reverse Zeroclick on the equals would
cause the = sign to appear in the textbox and also calculate the
data. In the same way as the character grid, the action grid may be
accessed by moving horizontally across from the numerical grid (the
grid containing the numbers and operators in FIG. 16). The
functions of the action grid may be as comprehensive as the
numerical functions required for the purpose. To record blood
pressure the systolic reading would be entered as described above
and then the/61 would be selected and then the diastolic reading
entered in. The user would just save the reading without
calculating. The numerical grid may be tailored with other
operators or characters if useful for other mathematical functions
or purposes.
[0194] FIG. 17 shows a variation of the bordergrid, which may be
used with the HCG (hierarchical cascading grid) described later.
The features that are noteworthy are that the bordergrid area 64 is
an integral part of the grid structure. In the inactive appearance
the HCG looks like a hierarchical grid which the subdata grid
(right grid) reflect the subdata for the grid that the pointer is
over e.g. the pointer is over do cough and the subdata grid (right)
reflects the relevant subdata for that do cough menu item. To
activate the bordergrid in the HCG, the pointer is moved
horizontally over to the portion of the bordergrid 66. Activation
only may occur in the default version horizontally in this
direction. The programmer may have user feedback at this point. The
square 66 may alter in appearance e.g. in colour and shape (254 in
FIG. 62), or alternatively as another example, show two arrows one
above say a red thin rectangular line around the border of the 66
rectangle. The upper arrow pointing vertically upwards with a tiny
arrow pointing downward in the midline over the rectangle indicates
there is a Zeroclick route (a bottom reverse Zeroclick starting in
66 moving to 67 then back to 66). This may cause the bordergrid 88
to appear. There is a downward arrow with a small reverse upward
arrow from the bottom side of the 66 rectangular red outline. It is
indicating there is a top reverse Zeroclick (moving the pointer
within the three rectangles 66,68,66) designed for recording the do
cough entry into the recorded data column shown in FIG. 50. Further
top reverse Zeroclick would remove the do cough entry from the
recorded data section. If the user performs the bottom reverse
Zeroclick the bordergrid becomes visible 88 (moving the pointer
with the three rectangles 66,67,66). The appearance of the
bordergrid now gives the user multiple branching hierarchical grids
relevant to the do cough symptom. Thus the bordergrid allows the
doctor to record cio cough with a menu item by performing a left
reverse Zeroclick in the record menu item 71. A Zeroclick in the No
72 menu item would cause No do cough to be added to the recorded
data. This is an example of a descriptive qualifier i.e. adding No,
the descriptive term, to the original term, c/o cough. Repeating
the Zeroclick (e.g. left reverse Zeroclick) would cause that No c/o
cough entry in the recorded data to be removed. The menu items
73-76 would allow other descriptive terms to be added or removed by
Zeroclick to the recorded data. Search would allow the web or other
databases to be searched for data on cough. 78 would allow all
other functions of the program to be accessed hierarchically from
the bordergrid. This minimizes the movement to switch functions. 79
would provide a comprehensive list of all background information
for the symptom all arranged in grid format so all clinical
features and management textbook advice would be able to be
recorded (E.g. FIG. 70). 80 list a differential diagnosis (252 in
FIG. 61 as an example--see further description later) based on the
clinical features already added by the system. 79-85 looks through
the comprehensive history, examination, investigation, and
management of cough according to evidence based medicine. The
Patternclick 2 87 will give the default most useful pattern of
symptoms for certain conditions, e.g. urti cough, sore throat,
pharyngitis, chest clear, Rx symptomatic. See Patternclick section
for description of Patternclick 1 86. Thus with one press you may
record the general pattern. By further Zeroclicking on individual
selected items this default template may be tailored exactly to the
patient. All data will be related hierarchically to the do cough
even free text. The computer will constantly be showing the doctor
the differential diagnosis and how the diagnosis and treatment
varies as the clinical features are added. This may be displayed as
user feedback with a differential diagnosis list (e.g. 252 in FIG.
61) and management list (e.g. 253 in FIG. 61) while data is being
entered. The doctor may then Zeroclick on the suggested management
minimising his data entry.
[0195] FIG. 20 shows the search on the HCG. This search function
may be used on any bordergrid or control. The find icon 89 is
activated by positioning the pointer over the find icon and
performing a top reverse Zeroclick from 89, 89a, 89. This activates
and makes visible the text data entry and the character grid. The
letters cough are selected in the default manner for the cough grid
by Zeroclicking (left reverse) over the relevant letters to enter
coug in the textbox 90. Thus after Zeroclicking the g the pointer
moves horizontal to 93, down to 94, then Zeroclicks 95. This
searches the HCG for all the entries with those letters, by moving
the pointer over a particular entry c/o cough 96 the search
positions the user in the exact hierarchical position. The relevant
hierarchical level may be set by the user. It may be set for the
subset of the relevant data, or any hierarchical level related to
the selected element. The purpose is that the user may use the
hierarchical grid, and learn its classification even while
performing free text searches. Its advantage is that every word
searched may be seen in its useful clinical setting.
[0196] FIG. 21-FIG. 26 This shows an alternative data entry method
for character, date and numerical data. All these assume that they
are activated by a Zeroclick from a control or a menu item from a
bordergrid. FIG. 21 shows a control area 1 activated by a Zeroclick
(left to upper right angled Zeroclick) activating the cascading
character grid to replace needing a keyboard. The default is the
lower case. The user wishes to add a capital H by moving the
pointer to Caps 98. This changes the lower case alphabet to upper
case. Then to H 99. As with all bordergrids, qualifier grids, or
HCG the next right grid is generated by movement over the menu
items of the grid. Moving to a preceding grid or control e.g. over
the control removes the H letter and restores the default lower
case setting. Moving the pointer forward to the next right boundary
to the next right grid allows access to the next right vertical
lower case grid e.g. 100,101,102 enabling Hell to be written in the
editable text. An automatic search is performed when the selection
of possible words with those letters is equal to or less than a
given number e.g. 3. It then gives a list of the three possible
words with that spelling and displayed in another right grid.
Moving the pointer to 103 selects Hello and moving to save and
Zeroclicking saves the Hello.
[0197] FIG. 22 shows a similar type of cascading character grid.
Using the method described above it allows a phrase to be written.
107,108,109,110,111 a man. When it is time to save, search or
further modify the text, the pointer moves to the save 112 and then
confirms this with 113. Alternatively, access to other word related
functions may be achieved by other menu items on this grid
(containing 113). The menu item restart with space 114 allows the
cascading character grid to never get wider than one word i.e. when
a space is selected the word is saved and the pointer is placed in
the first letter column of the character grid. The default use of
the space would be to add a space to the text box. The Restart with
space 114 function allows the user to reset the cascading character
grid after a word is entered. The space signals the word is
automatically added to the text box, then the grid resets to the
first column again. This may also reset the pointer position to
restart at the beginning. This pointer reset as well as the
restarting of the grid after each word is optional. If the user
moves over the original control then it enables the user to access
the previously entered word, with the pointer and grids being
generated to the appearance of the grid just prior to the space
resetting the character grid and pointer (if required). Thus the
previous word or previous words may be edited if a mistake was
made.
[0198] FIG. 23 Date entry. This shows a cascading date entry
method. Again it works on similar principles. The control with or
without a Zeroclick 21 (left to top right angle Zeroclick)
generates the date grid. The difference with this is the entire
date control is shown. It shows a sequential grid rather than a
cascading grid. If the user wished to just record a year then the
user would move the pointer from cell 115,116,123. By moving the
pointer over the correct decade 115, year 116, correct month 117,
and correct day of the months (the correct 10's 118 and the correct
1's 119), the correct date may be entered in the control area 1 if
the user moves to the save cell and Zeroclicks 121. Then this is
the Zeroclick 121 that saves the date information. (e.g. in the
textbox 127). This date data input mechanism shows how by one last
Zeroclick, four pieces of data are entered in the correct manner.
This date mechanism illustrates the sequential HCG. Related data
that is necessary to ask to complete a task e.g. to record a date
accurately the year, the month and the day (118,119) need to be
recorded. Likewise for any other task where sequential related
information is needed a sequential HCG is a very useful format that
several different aspects of related information may be recorded
with a single Zeroclick. Another example of a sequential grid is
the drug grid shown in FIG. 55. Thus by a left to right movement
using a grid an entire thought may be captured. Thus this
illustrates that for sequential grids, which do not change and are
limited in size it is better that the control is shown completely
so that the user can see the various aspects highlighted by each
grid that are required for one complete sequential thought. It
enables important items not to be missed.
[0199] FIG. 24 shows a variation over FIG. 23 for date entry. It
enables users who require centuries for historical figures to
select the century, decade, then normal year, month and day
grids.
[0200] FIGS. 25 and 26 show a cascading numerical grid, which works
in an identical fashion.
[0201] The Purpose and Function of the Bordergrid
[0202] This enables the developer the opportunity of adding a
bordergrid to every control area. The bordergrid may provide a
complete keyboard replacement, a "click" replacement, further more
efficient and powerful data entry and display methods later
described in the HCG section, and any other functions. Thus by
movement alone all these functions may be accessed for the control
area. Thus this function may be accessed for any control area by
the interaction of the pointer movement with the control area.
[0203] Thus all the mouse clicking function and additional
functions that the developer considered should be linked to that
control area can be displayed directly in a associated bordergrid.
This educates/reminds the user of the functions provided by every
control area. It also provides a way of allowing the user to
trigger these functions by the directional movement of the mouse
alone.
[0204] The bordergrid can also contain a HCG, qualifier grids and
patternclicks allowing a full range of data input and display
methods.
[0205] The method the bordergrid performs the following further
functions for the control area are:
[0206] The way the bordergrid provides a mouse replacement.
[0207] FIG. 13 shows a bordergrid 22 with the first four rows
showing the minimum mouse replacement. Additional mouse or locator
buttons could be listed below if required. By moving the pointer
over the red circle 24 in the "left Mouse Click" row would simulate
the action of the Left Mouse Click and trigger the function
associated with a left mouse click for that control area. To repeat
the click, the user would need to move to another row then move
over the red circle. However, this Zeroclick action may be varied
for developer and/or user preference and the Zeroclick could be any
Zeroclick design instead of the circle (e.g. FIG. 11 (16-21)).
[0208] In reality, the developer would never use the term left
mouse click for a menu item unless it was modifying an existing
program or web page not designed for Zeroclick functionality or it
was purely educational to change the users thinking of using
control areas with clicks to control areas with bordergrids as the
new development in programming. The developer would probably use a
grid menu item describing the function that the "Left Mouse Click"
did for that control area.
[0209] However, it is easy to see by listing the mouse functions as
in the first 4 rows of the bordergrid, how every control area could
have their mouse/locator "click" action replaced or duplicated by
that action being performed by a bordergrid menu item specifying
that function and using a Zeroclick to activate the function.
[0210] The Way the Bordergrid Provide a Keyboard Replacement.
[0211] In FIG. 13. the upper case and lower case alphabet 25 and
other character bordergrid menu items illustrate how key presses of
all the keyboard (and thus all characters available as the
bordergrid is not restricted by the number of keys) may be emulated
by using the bordergrid as an alternative or replacement character
data input method.
[0212] I.e. in the same way the group of lower case alphabet
letters is shown under the bordergrid menu item "lower case
alphabet", the bordergrid could provide a menu item with a
descriptive label for a selection of characters in groups suitable
for the user purpose. (E.g. alphabet and relevant editing function
for specific tasks, numbers and their operators, function keys, and
various different character groups useful to the user/developers
purpose.) Thus by several bordergrid menu items labelling different
groups of characters the entire keyboard could have all the key
actions duplicated by the bordergrid.
[0213] To emulate the pressing of a character key with the
bordergrid the user moves the pointer to the relevant bordergrid
menu item and highlights it, e.g. "Lower Case Alphabet" 25. In the
same way as a HCG, this causes the appearance of a list of the
alphabet (subdata grid) specifically called the character grid 27
in FIG. 15 with a Zeroclick for each row. If the user wishes to
enter a letter (e.g. the letter e 28) the user moves to the
relevant row with the letter and performs the appropriate Zeroclick
(e.g. moves the pointer from the left circle 10 to the right 11
then back again. --the left reverse zeroclick on the 0 0 ZCC). This
causes the letter to be added to the bordergrid edit textbox. By
repeating this appropriate Zeroclick the pointer movement would
continue to add duplicate letters to the edit text box. By
performing a different Zeroclick the letter may be removed (e.g.
move the pointer from the right circle 11, to the left circle 10,
to the right circle to delete the selected letter in the 0 0
Zeroclick shown). By moving over the row with the space at the
bottom of the character grid 27 and performing the appropriate
Zeroclick this would add a space to the bordergrid edit box so that
the user could add another word. In reality the example Zeroclick
for the menu items is the same as described in FIG. 5. It may be a
different design like FIG. 4 or any other ZCC. The FIG. 15 also
shows that the pointer over the character grid 27 generates the
action grid 32. The appearance of the action grid 32 may have a
central empty menu item 38 on the same row as the selected
character. Thus if the user by accident moved to the boundary of
the cell and triggered the action grid 32 then the user would need
to change to another direction to move the pointer to a menu item
with a Zeroclick. The menu items in the action grid 32 enable the
user to select the full range of relevant functions for the
previous highlighted item. The action grid 32 shows some of the
range of editing and word processor functions. However, a skilled
use of designing appropriate hierarchical grids may achieve
comprehensive functionality for all functions that the original
control needed. Each function of the action grid may be activated
by a Zeroclick, appropriate to the programmers need. Thus if the
user wished to record the letter e, the user may use the
illustrated Zeroclick (10,11,10) or may move to the right border of
the e cell, then enter the blank cell 38 then move the pointer down
to perform a zeroclick in the record letter cell 39. Likewise if
the user wished to select and change the e to a capital letter 40
then, the pointer may move to perform a zeroclick in the capital
letter cell. If the user was searching for a word beginning with e
or some further letter, the user may move to the search cell and
perform the Zeroclick for that cell. Thus all useful features may
be accessed by the hierarchical structure of the bordergrid. FIG.
16 shows a more simplified action grid if the user wished faster
speeds. The character grid 27 would work as described in FIG. 15.
The action grid in FIG. 16, however, is simpler and faster. To
activate the delete previous character function 56, e.g. if the
character grid had recorded e, the user may move the pointer
horizontally to the empty menu item 55 and then move the pointer
into the cell to delete previous character 56. That movement may
delete the e. Alternatively if the user may wish to save the e, the
user may move to the empty menu item 55, and then move the pointer
to the save menu item 57. This description has tried to show that
there are numerous way the Zeroclick Control may be defined to
activate the individual menu items. It depends on the various
factors previously discussed in the Zeroclick section, and the
developer or user's needs.
[0214] The action grid can tailor the data entry to be the faster
for the specific purpose of the bordergrid. The action grid is
specific for the highlighted row. It is in effect a bordergrid for
each row of the character grid.
[0215] The developer or user could add or remove any menu items so
that the action grid reflected the ideal action grid for the exact
purpose of the bordergrid.
[0216] By this means the user can replace both keyboard and any
mouse button presses by using the interaction of the control area
with the movement of the pointer alone. The bordergrid may provide
qualifier grids for that control area, flowchart educational
recording pathways. FIG. 69, data entry methods as described
above.
[0217] Variation of the Bordergrid
[0218] This could vary by having a different style of Zeroclick
Controls for different grids to trigger different functions of the
bordergrid. The bordergrid could also have different types of
Zeroclick to trigger the grid menu item function. The appearance of
the bordergrid could vary like that of a HCG.
[0219] The Appropriate Zeroclick to Activate the Bordergrid
[0220] This depends on the user requirements. See definition and
description of the bordergrid.
[0221] The Border Grid in the HCG
[0222] Definition
[0223] This is a vertical border 64 in FIG. 17 with horizontal
divisions with the rows separating the grid and their derivative
grids in the HCG. Its function is to act as a menu system specific
for the individual highlighted cell/row.
[0224] This is a menu system, at the vertical boundary (in the
preferred left to right style of the grid) of the grids in the HCG.
It also can be applied to any grid or any control area.
[0225] It provides menu items for individual selected rows and/or
menu item which can affect the recording and display of the grid
and its elements either side of the border grid. It can allow
recording of an element.
[0226] Border Grid's Appearance Before Activation
[0227] Its preferred appearance would be a discrete border divided
with rows. In the preferred system, it would show no text until
activated. However, this could vary with user/developer preference
as the grid could be visible, of normal width for the menu
items.
[0228] The Inactivated Appearance
[0229] A user using the HCG would not be aware that the border grid
was anything else that a border that indicated the row position of
the next grid.
[0230] How the Border Grid is Activated
[0231] It is activated when the pointer passes from highlighted row
of the grid in focus to over the border grid to the sub data grid
which causes the pointer to pass over the rectangular border grid
cell (66). In the preferred activation of the grid, the grid would
only change from its inactivated appearance to its activated
appearance if the pointer moved up or down vertically a user
defined distance (e.g. one row). See FIG. 17 and previous
description in the bordergrid's section.
[0232] Border Grid's Appearance after Activation
[0233] The effect of this activation is to change the border into a
border grid with multiple useful function to rapidly, accurately,
and relevantly document all details regarding the highlighted
element. The items choices of the border grid enables the user to
access all necessary data so that the user can effectively record
all useful information in a classified manner related to the
highlighted cell of the grid in focus. This then can allow multiple
branching menus specific to the highlighted element to appear from
the border of a HCG. The border grid would operate like any HCG
grid except the Zeroclick mechanism for each row could be simpler
as the user already has to move the pointer in a right angled
movement to activate the border grid. Thus the user by deliberately
accessing the border grid is already aware that he wishes to
perform one of the functions of the border grid.
[0234] The Qualifier Grid
[0235] Description of the Qualifier Grid
[0236] Qualifier grid elements allow systematic description of the
selected item or control. They work identically to the bordergrid.
The bordergrid may have all the functionality of the qualifier grid
and may be used interchangeably with regard to function. It was
originally used for the illustration of the qualifier
characteristics in the HCG.
[0237] The qualifier grid is a dynamic grid that provides a grid
structure specific for the purpose of systematically describing the
selected element of hierarchical data and also to increase the
functionality of the grid.
[0238] The components needed to maximise the usefulness of the
qualifier grid are: It could provide general functions, which are
applicable for the whole grid, which could improve the function of
the grid and possible access to any appropriate function of the
rest of the program.
[0239] It could provide recording tools. These could be either
general or specific adjective descriptions or general or specific
structured data related to the selected element.
[0240] It could provide common and specific appropriate adjective
descriptions to make the classification system more accurate. E.g.
the specific location, further sub classification of the
highlighted item, the highlighted element e.g. no 72, no change 73,
worse 75, better 74, verbal adjective descriptions appropriate to
the highlighted element and/or an associated code that the
modification could be easily searched.
[0241] Specific appropriate adjective descriptions. This is where
more objective accurate description could supplement or replace the
vaguer more general term. E.g. for claudication pain instead of the
vague descriptive term no change, worse, better, it could be
replaced with a more objective description: claudication at rest,
claudication occurring before walking 25 metres, claudication
occurring before walking 50 metres.
[0242] Thus for every symptom, sign, investigation. Rx and any
other medical term, specific appropriate adjective descriptions
could be provided. If these are used in conjunction with free text
and numerical data, exact specific clinical details could rapidly
be recorded for every patient, despite the gaps of descriptive
terminology with current classification systems. If there was a
code associated with every qualifier grid systematic descriptive
term, adjective description and free text, and numerical data this
would provide a complete accurate description of the diseases
recorded for a given population, which would be completely
statistically analysable.
[0243] Thus by using this data and by doctors creating and using
specific appropriate adjective descriptions and sharing these in
the medical world, this would soon lead to an exponential growth of
sub classification for each medical term and its medical
management. Thus classification for medical conditions would become
as accurate as the entire population, when the doctors were using
this hierarchical grid.
[0244] It could provide tools to add free text and add numerical
data to any of the selected term and/or the general and/or specific
systematic description and/or the general and/or the specific
adjective description.
[0245] The advantage of this associated code in addition to the
verbal description would be the precise definition in coded form of
any classified data. Thus in a medical example the read code or any
other medical classification system may not be precise enough to
classify exactly the nature of a certain type of pain in relation
to duration, timing, etc. The qualifier grid would be able to
provide all the descriptive terms that the classification of the
symptom could be statistically analysable. Thus this program stores
data and records record sets of data under the medical
classification heading.
[0246] Application of the Qualifier Grid.
[0247] It provides the user instant further detailed information
regarding the subject selected. It also provides the tools to
record that information. It also enables access to any function of
the existing program so that the user can remain in the same
position yet have access to any function other than function that
the application provides. When these general functions are selected
then it remembers the exact position within the grid and enables
the user to return back to the position after that function was
performed.
[0248] Activation of the Qualifier Grid
[0249] When the qualifier grid is made visible either by a click
(Right Mouse Click*) or the Zeroclick method, the qualifier grid
appears centred over the element selected (the position of the top
of the qualifier grid in relationship to the selected element could
be varied). The header of the qualifier grid indicates which
element of the underlying hierarchical grid has been just selected.
The qualifier grid consists of elements/cells, which allows further
qualifiers of data specific to the highlighted element clicked over
to be recorded. If the menu is left without an element being
selected no data is recorded in the preferred system. However, if
an element in the qualifier grid is located and recorded as
described in the hierarchical grid section, the qualifiers are then
recorded as subheadings or sub data under the highlighted element
data in the editable text box.
[0250] E.g. if the highlighted cell for the qualifier grid was
impaired exercise tolerance, then by moving the pointer in the
conventional hcg, bordergrid, or qualifier manner over onset 195
across to the next grid, then movement across onset date 196 to the
next grid, then highlight 1999 116, and subsequent movement
117,118,119 then across to then next grid to move to the save cell
and zeroclick 121, this would record the onset date Mar. 14, 1999
202 under the impaired exercise tolerance grid was recorded as a
main heading and subsequently the onset was recorded as a qualifier
of the impaired exercise tolerance as Onset Mar. 14, 1999 as shown
in 202 in FIG. 48. If the user wished to add further qualifier,
duration 203, as shown in FIG. 49, the user moves the pointer back
through the date recording grids to the grid containing 203, and in
a similar fashion via pointer movement through 204,205,206 and
finally zeroclicking on 207 data is recorded. Duration 14 minutes
208 in the exact hierarchical context of impaired exercise
tolerance. Thus both these qualifier grids show sequential HCG
where related groups of data (e.g. component of the date under the
impaired exercise tolerance heading) is added by one zeroclick.
[0251] Variation to the Qualifier Grid.
[0252] The qualifier grid can vary in action to the normal mode of
action of the hierarchical grid. Its purpose is to add specific
subdata to already selected data. It therefore also can be
triggered by moving to the right hand boundary of a grid. The grid
can have the normal edit features. Moving over the different column
elements can trigger different editing features. Free text has a
free text entry control. Moving over the review date can trigger
the date data entry control or a calendar control. Moving over a
number data entry column can trigger a number data entry control.
The qualifier menu for the specific highlighted row of the grid
with the different data entry methods for each of its columns is
placed to the right border of the grid with focus. Only by passing
through the right border at the level of the highlighted row can
the user access the relevant submenu.
[0253] Some of the submenus of the qualifier menu may require free
text entries for text, calendar, formula and numeric values. Thus
when the pointer moves over an element which requires a free text
entry the left border of the appropriate control most suited for
entering that free text will appear on the right hand border of the
grid with the mouse over the selected element, the different
controls for entering further data are discussed below.
[0254] The elements of the qualifier menu could also be adapted for
activating other functions, e.g. in a medical recording program if
an inquiry was made during another patient's consultation, the
ability to access all the other aspects of the clinical program yet
be able to return to the precise location of data recording for the
current person when the request regarding another patient was
sorted.
[0255] Systematic Qualifiers--EduRecordDataElement.
[0256] These are other structured data regarding the highlighted
element which are used for informed educational data recording. The
unique aspect of this information is that all the useful
information for recording data in the correct context is divided
into hierarchical information in units of data useful for providing
education FIG. 70, hierarchical flowcharts FIG. 69 and recording
data.
[0257] Thus this structured information can be used directly in the
recording process. These units of data also provide information
which can all be used to educate and guide the thought processes of
a user reducing the likelihood of making mistakes. Thus the very
structure of the ideal protocol for a specific element may be used
in a recording process. Thus text box information if divided and
organised provides a simultaneous dual function of education and a
perfect recording template.
[0258] Thus systematic data that can be isolated from textbooks
describing the usual range of descriptive terminology and effective
management steps, as well as useful information for the background
of the condition, can be useful in simultaneously documenting
information.
[0259] Tools to Add Free Text and Adding Numerical Data
[0260] Many variations of these tools have already been described
in the bordergrid section. They allow any keyboard keys to be
entered using a mouse/pointer device so the user does not need to
switch to the keyboard. A variety of styles have already been
demonstrated. The default method of entering any characters would
be via the character grid 27.
[0261] Character Grid Style 1 (Cascading Character Grid See FIG. 21
or 22 and Previous description)
[0262] This is a specific modification of the cascading grid for
free text. A blank space, the alphabet, numbers and other
characters (the most useful for the user) are listed as a grid
column. As the pointer moves across the right border of the grid
the current element of the grid selected is recorded in the text
box. E.g. in the record of Hello (see FIG. 21) The first grid
highlighted element is h, and is converted to a capital H by a
right mouse click* (the effect of a right mouse click or the
Zeroclick equivalent is to change the alphabet from lower case to
upper case by selecting Caps 98 as previously described), the
second grid's highlighted element was e and so on for the entire
word Hello. This data is then recorded from the Character Grid
Style 1 textbox to the hierarchical cascading grid recording area
by pressing the left mouse click* or the Zeroclick equivalent.
[0263] If the user makes a mistake with the last grid, he can
remove the last character entry by moving to the preceding grid and
selecting another alphabet letter, number or character. It also
resets the alphabet style to lower case.
[0264] If the user wishes to use this grid to enter a capital
alphabet letter. The effect of a right mouse click or the Zeroclick
equivalent is to change the alphabet from lower case to upper case
and vice versa. Please note the effect of the right mouse clicking
or Zeroclick is to change the letters of the active grid into
capital letters (e.g. the capital H in the first column of the
Hello example--where the alphabet letters all are in upper case) in
the preferred system to give the user feedback. To store the
selected letter the user clicks (Right Mouse Click*) or Zeroclick
equivalent. This free text will be stored as sub data of the
element selected from the qualifier grid. It also could be used in
another context as a text string to search a database where a
database used the string as a value as a filter. Depending on the
circumstances this could be a word or a multiple word search if
appropriate. The result of this search would then be displayed as
data elements in the next grid to the right of the active one, and
thus the user could then enter the dictionary word or any other
word or words that the filtered recordset has found.
[0265] This process of using this grid as a free text search could
even be made automatic (i.e. without even needing a click (Right
Mouse Click*) or Zeroclick equivalent). This works by the grid
automatically searching a database as the letters are selected
entered into the text box. That process continues in background
until the computer has recognised that the returned recordset
number of the filtered recordset is small enough for the next grid
at the right border of the current active grid to display the
results of the filtered recordset as elements of that grid. The
exact number or less of the filtered recordset number that
activates the display in the grid to the right of the last letter
selected for the search can vary due to user choice, preference,
and speed consideration (whether the automatic process would slow
down the use of the grid due to lag time waiting for the filtering
process to finish; if this was the case then it would be better to
make the process manual).
[0266] The Visual Qwerty Keyboard
[0267] Adding Date Data.
[0268] FIG. 48 shows a Zeroclick date entry. The date is present in
the most logical format for recording. The year 116, the month 117,
and the date in unit of 10's 118 and the date in units of 1's 119.
The example shows how the qualifier grid may add an onset date 202
under the impaired exercise tolerance heading. The user may
generate the qualifier grid by a Zeroclick in the cell Impaired
exercise tolerance, or may use a bordergrid to show the qualifier
grid for the cell. Since the Impaired exercise is a symptom the
qualifier grid automatically shows qualifier relevant to symptoms.
By using the pointer to move from the onset 195, it accesses the
onset menu, and by moving the pointer over the onset date 196 it
shows the date entry (columns 116, 117, 118, 119, 121). By moving
the pointer over the correct date, correct month and correct day of
the months (the correct 10's and the correct 1's), the correct date
may be entered. If the user moves to the save button on the last
menu 121, then this is the Zeroclick that saves the date
information. This date data input mechanism shows how by one last
Zeroclick, four pieces of data is entered in the correct
hierarchical manner. This date mechanism illustrates the sequential
HCG. Related data that is necessary to ask to complete a task e.g.
to record a date accurately the year 116, the month 117 and the day
118, 119 needs to be recorded. Likewise for any other task where
sequential related information is needed a sequential HCG is a very
useful format that several different aspects of related information
may be recorded with a single Zeroclick.
[0269] Tools that only need to add numerical data.
[0270] The Patternclick
[0271] Definition
[0272] This is when a user by a single click or Zeroclick over a
highlighted cell is able to record a pattern of several row/cells
within a HCG. These normally would be from the specific sub data
grid and subsequent related hierarchical grids for that highlighted
element as this will localise the patternclick items to a
derivative path from the patternclick, but the rows or cell may be
from any part of the HCG. To illustrate this principle if the
pointer movement zeroclicks over the patternclick 1 85 menu item in
the bordergrid 88 in FIG. 19. This would have the effect of
recording a pattern of several rows/cells within the HCG (e.g. the
c/o--cough 65, blood in sputum 211 and breath symptom 212 in FIG.
50--or whatever the selected pattern of several grouped cells) by a
single zeroclick over the patternclick 1 85 (normally it would be a
more specific name to the nature of the collected group of clinical
features or management--or appropriate description for any other
subject/specialty). This is shown recorded in 213. The user can
then record further row/cells or remove those row/cells as
appropriate from the recorded data by further Zeroclicks or Clicks
on the relevant row/cell according to the HCG recording mechanism.
E.g. FIG. 51 The user may move to the c/o cough 65 cell, deselect
it by zeroclicking, move to the no cough 157 cell and record it by
zeroclicking, and it would show that the patternclick 1 data now
has been changed to 215.
[0273] Activation of the Patternclick
[0274] As for the conventional bordergrid, the qualifier grid may
have menu items activating qualifier grids for the given HCG cell.
The Patternclick may be activated by a click/Zeroclick equivalent
within the highlighted cell that generates the sub data grid with
its default Patternclick (variable depending on developer or user
preference), e.g. right double pointer device/the Zeroclick
equivalent of the Right double mouse click within the highlighted
cell.
[0275] Effect of the Patternclick
[0276] This records elements that are preset with the submenu
template and also makes it easy to add the qualifying data to any
selected elements. Thus by a single click multiple sub data entries
are recorded.
[0277] Multiple Default Patternclick
[0278] In the modify mode one of the options is to allow multiple
defaults to be set for various click patterns. These can be
accessed using the qualifier grid or the bordergrid.
[0279] Automatic Patternclick
[0280] The grid could have a separate database which records the
commonest recording patterns for each grid. After watching the user
for a while it could automatically generate default Patternclick
based on the user usage pattern.
[0281] The Hierarchical Cascading Grid. (HCG)
[0282] This invention can be a method or device, which enables an
element of hierarchical data to be located in a hierarchical manner
and supply further sub data information of that element (if
available) and/or provides the option of displaying further
qualifying information (the qualifier grid and/or the border grid)
of the selected element of hierarchical data and/or recording the
element's data and/or its related qualifying information and/or
using a quick default macro (see Patternclick and/or The border
grid, which by one click and/or Zeroclick it chooses to record a
default combination of elements of the sub data menu) by a pointer
device by design methods of interaction of the grid with the
directional movement of a pointer alone to facilitate a reduction
in clicks or keyboard presses. The bordergrid and qualifier grids
are HCG structures and may have all the above functionality. They
have been named differently to emphasise the particular uses of the
functions. However, if the developer wished all the features below
may be applied to these structures. The following components are a
more detailed description of the hierarchical cascading grid:
--
[0283] I) To achieve the location of an element of hierarchical
data in a hierarchical method via the pointer device. [0284] a) The
method of data entry requires a grid containing hierarchical data
and a pointer device. [0285] b) The grid action is triggered by
moving the pointer over the following area. See figure
"Terminology" to understand the description below.
[0286] 1) Over the row (cell or element of data if single column,
row if multiple columns) (e.g. 143 of FIG. 27) of the grid is to
highlight the element and display sub data of hierarchical data
related to the element highlighted in the grid (this now will be
known as the grid in focus) to the right of the current grid (this
now will be known also as the subdata grid).
[0287] This can be achieved by the search being triggered by the
pointer movement, highlighting the underlying cell, and also
performing a search on a data source (see the section on Creating
and a user modifying a hierarchical grid) to find the data
recordset for the subdata grid. This search is performed only once
when the pointer moves inside a cell and highlight it. It will not
be triggered again unless the pointer moves outside the highlighted
cell and then enters it again. The developer will use all design
methods to improve the speed of display of the subdata grid. The
HCG control will be loaded in memory even when not visible, the
data of the grids will be loaded into memory. If the database is
very large for the HCG then it might be subdivided into smaller
recordsets and/or stored in memory so they can be searched and
loaded faster. This is so the subdata grid appears as instantly as
possible when the pointer moves over the highlighted item in the
grid in focus.
[0288] The only exception to this might be if the search time of
the subdata grid was long or developer preference, then the
developer could have a switch that allows a simple Zeroclick (e.g.
a direction Zeroclick) or "click" to trigger the search for subdata
grid for those rows or all rows of that grid instead of moving over
the row triggering the search (e.g. the simple Zeroclick could
be--if the user moved the pointer horizontally a certain distance
within the cell/row to lookup the data for the subdata grid).
[0289] 2) Movement Up over the header in central area 144 causes
the menu to page up for every time the pointer moves over this area
(but to cause a second page up the pointer needs to move outside
this page up header area then return to it), in lateral header area
(the up arrow 145) scrolls up one record at a time. This only works
if there are hidden elements that can be viewed in this up
direction. This style can be varied for user preference by the
header area needing clicks or Zeroclick equivalent to create the
page up and/or scroll up function. (See FIG. 27).
[0290] 2b Movement to the Top Left corner of the first (and or
subsequent grids if preferred) grid over the "find icon" 89 in FIG.
27 causes an edit box 90 in FIG. 20 with a visual keyboard to
appear. By moving the pointer within the edit box 90 and then
within the character grid 27 the letters of coug may be recorded by
a series of zeroclicks in the appropriate menu item (e.g. a left
reverse zeroclick with the 0 0 zeroclick control in the cell/menu
item, a right reverse zeroclick may remove the character or last
character) in the relevant grid cell (e.g. c 91, etc). After
zeroclicking the last letter of the text to be searched (e.g. g 92)
the pointer moves horizontally to 93, then downwards to perform the
search 94 by performing a zeroclick with zeroclick control 95. This
manually searches the data source entries in the HCG and produces a
list in the right hand grid. (This search may be done automatically
where by entering the text to be searched in the character grid 27,
the data source of the HOG is automatically searched and then
displays a list when the letters entered are sufficient to makes a
specific enough part of a word (or part of a phrase with some data
sources) to enable a list equal to or less than a certain number of
items. This number, that the list of searched item found in the
data source needs to be equal to or less, may vary to any number,
but in the example of FIG. 20 we will assume it is four. Thus the
list 331, when only "cou" is entered by the character grid 27,
would not show because there would be too many entries in the list
greater than four. Only when coug is entered and the searched list
331 was four or less the list 331 would appear. The position of the
list 331 may vary. It may be next to the character grid or as shown
in FIG. 20. The list 331 grid may have a more typical bordergrid
appearance with a blank space like 70, the menu items above the
blank space would be the list, and below the functions like
removing characters etc. Thus this automatic search occurring in
background as the characters are entered, then showing a list when
the search entries were specific to less than a certain number, may
be an option to eliminate the user even needing to activate the
search manually by a zeroclick 95.) After either a manual or
automatic search, the pointer is moved horizontally to the list 331
grid, then upwards to select a menu item (e.g. c/o cough 96). This
then repositions the underlying HCG with the correct hierarchical
grids so that the next right hand grid of the underlying HCG
selected (e.g. do cough entry 65) shows the selected entry in its
correct hierarchical context within the HCG. Depending on the speed
of searching of the data source, this may be activated by pointer
movement over the menu items, the normal default, but may also be
activated by a zeroclick in over the menu item, (e.g. even though
not illustrated in do cough 96 there may be a zeroclick control of
any type for the menu item and a zeroclick). The default
hierarchical display of the term searched in the HCG (e.g. do cough
96) would be the normal hierarchical menu context that the term
would be normally found, and as shown in FIG. 20 it would be the
next grid to the grid with the selected menu item (96). The purpose
is to provide a manual or automatic search engine, which can find
an item in the cascading hierarchical grid within its context of
grids within the hierarchical grid. Once the user moved from the
list 331 grid to the underlying HCG, the appearance of the HCG
would return to that before the find icon was zeroclicked. Thus the
user would be positioned in HCG in the correct menu with the
selected item do cough with the same functionality as if the user
had found it hierarchically. The default display to the right of
the list 331 grid would normally be grid 166 with c/o cough 65 in
this grid, however, this may be varied and the search may have the
option of having this default varied if different levels of
hierarchical context were needed on the search term (e.g. the
subdata grid e.g. (167) or the preceding grid 165 may be grid
displayed and repositioned to the right of the list grid 166). Also
the default location of the find icon or appearance of the icon may
vary on the HCG. This text search to locate the hierarchical status
may be used in any appropriate context.
[0291] Thus in summary, a manual list is created by the user
selecting the first few letters of the word to be searched for then
selecting search.
[0292] The automatic search is monitoring constantly the first few
letters you are entering and as soon as the number of possible word
options for those letters in a particular hierarchical cascading
grid (or any data source the user wishes to search) becomes equal
or less than a certain number, a list is displayed. In another
example, FIG. 21, if the user/developer selected the certain number
of list size to be 3 and the data source only had 3 words beginning
with hell as shown in the list box in FIG. 21, the list box (i.e.
the box containing Hello 103) with the 3 words would appear
automatically. Whereas when the user only typed hel the number
generated from the data source would be greater than 3 and
therefore the list box would not show.
[0293] The advantage of the automated search would be that the word
options would automatically appear with a manageable amount of
options to select. The disadvantage may be that the grid reacted
slower due to the grid being processed. The manual search also
gives the user more control. The automated or manual search could
be selected depending on user preference. Whether using the
automated or manual process, the user then selects the appropriate
word from the search. Once selected the term (e.g. 65) is shown in
its correct position in a grid 166 within the HCG next to the list
331 grid. Moving to this HCG grid 166 restores the HCG appearance
prior to the find icon been activated, and the HCG has the same
functionality as if the term had been found hierarchically.
[0294] 3) Moving Down over footer (e.g. 148 in FIG. 27) in central
area causes the menu to page down one page for every time the
pointer moves over this area (but to cause a second page down the
pointer needs to move outside this page down footer area then
return to it), in lateral footer area scrolls down one record at a
time (e.g. 149 in FIG. 27). These areas only work if there are
hidden elements that can be viewed in this down direction. This
style as the header can be varied for user preference.
[0295] 4) Moving the pointer through the right border of the
highlighted element of the grid accesses the hierarchical sub data
related to that element in the grid on the right border of the
highlighted element. e.g. 150 FIG. 28, the example shows the
preferred arrangement whereby moving the pointer within and through
the right border of the row containing the cell "Examination of
patient" accesses the sub data related to "Examination of patient"
in the grid (with header "Examination of patient"). When the
pointer moves from the grid in focus to the subdata grid, the
pointer passes over a border. While the pointer is over the border
it can access a menu system called the bordergrid (See FIG. 16,
FIG. 17). See section on the bordergrid for further description.
With this style both left and right sides of each grid will have a
border 64 (it also is shown schematically in the drawings as 69).
This border menu could trigger any function but usually it provides
data and additional functions for the adjacent grids.
[0296] Variation in Style of Access to the Subdata Grid
[0297] The normal style (FIG. 40) where the left border of the
subdata grid lies on the right border of the grid in focus may also
be varied due to user/developer preference to the Overlap Grid
Style.
[0298] The Overlap Grid Style (FIG. 41)
[0299] The pointer moves within and past a certain proportion of
the horizontal length of the grid row (if multiple column grid) or
cell (if single column grid) e.g. Moving the pointer further
horizontally past the point 172 in the respiratory symptoms grid
166, it triggers the left border of the grid containing the sub
data of the highlighted element in focus, to move the sub data
grid's left border horizontally to overlap the grid in focus to the
horizontal position of the tip of the lead line 172. This enables
the user to transverse wide grids quicker by only having to move
the mouse a proportion of the horizontal length of the grid row. It
also enables the grid in focus and its subdata grid to be of normal
size enabling more grids to fit on the screen.
[0300] 5) Moving the pointer to an element of the grid to the left
of the current grid then causes the display of the current grid to
show the sub data of the selected cell (150) in the previous grid.
e.g. FIG. 27 shows that the subdata grid reflects the grid in focus
selected element (143). The pointer over the history/symptoms 143
causes the appearance of the History/symptoms subdata grid. Moving
horizontally from the element 143 to the subdata grid with header
History/Symptoms then causes this grid to become the grid in focus
and further triggering other subdata grids if they existed for the
cell that the pointer was over in the grid with the header
history/symptoms. Moving the pointer from the History/Symptoms grid
left back to the Clinical description grid then causes the element
highlighted in that grid to generate a subdata grid for that
element. Thus if pointer is moved back over the grid cell
Examination of Patient (150 in FIG. 28) causes the subdata related
to that element to be shown in the right subdata grid thus to be
changed from history/symptoms subdata to the examination of patient
151 subdata. Any other subsequent hierarchical grids derived from a
previous different clinical description cell prior to moving the
pointer back from the subdata grid to the clinical description grid
over 150 are made invisible and the subsequent right grids will
only reflect subdata related to that item. If the pointer moves
back to a cell in a previous grid with no subdata related to it,
there will be no grid generated for that item or if the developer
prefers the grid generated will be empty. (e.g. in FIG. 29 the
pointer is over 157. The user moves back to the grid to the left
and moves the pointer over 155 in FIG. 30. Because respiratory
symptoms NOS 155 has no associated subdata, there is no grid to the
right of the grid containing 155.)
[0301] 6) Consequently any data in a hierarchical structure can be
located rapidly via a hierarchical method for a particular element
found.
[0302] 7) The user/developer may prefer the width of preceding
grids not in focus to be reduced in width and/or overlapped. E.g.
in the circumstances when there are multiple grids displayed in the
cascading grid, required then to enable the grid to fit in the
screen, the grids preceding the one with the focus would be
concatenated (FIG. 62), and only the grid in focus will be of a
size that makes the element text of the grid in focus and the next
right hand grid with the sub data of the element in focus
appropriately visible (e.g. FIG. 62 the last two left hand grids
are larger than the previous concatenated grids prior to the grid
in focus headed Significant History). In some circumstances the
width of the grid in focus may be dynamically expanded as well as
concatenating the width of the other grids to improve the
visibility of the elements of the grid in focus and the sub data
related to it in the next grid to the right. The ultimate shrinkage
of the preceding grids to the one in focus would be when the grids
form the width of a line. When moved over the line that grid
becomes in focus, and expands to a visible size along with the
right hand grid with the sub data of the element. Alternatively the
preceding grids could be overlapped (FIG. 41). Moving the pointer
back in a left direction from the right subdata grid to the
preceding overlapped grid causes it to become fully visible and not
overlapped with normal width e.g. the width of the FIG. 40 grid
compared to the same grid overlapped in FIG. 41.
[0303] 8) Alternatively when the grid reached the boundary of the
area allocated for the cascading grids, the grid could reverse
direction and go backwards over the existing cascading grids. (See
FIG. 33) Thus to trace back to the beginning of the hierarchical
grid you would have to first move to the right most boundary and
then back to the left where the grid originated. The reverse grid
(e.g. grid 167 containing 157) may be at a lower level so that all
the preceding grids (e.g. the rest of the grids on FIG. 33) could
be accessible to the pointer so that the user could move directly
to any of the existing preceding grids. If the Zeroclick was used
the direction of the Zeroclick path may also transposed for the
reverse grid's new direction depending on user preference. Also if
bordergrids were used they may be in the normal position for the
grid but they may also be transposed for the reverse direction
depending on user preference. This style of reversing the grid
could be continued if the cascading grids return back to the left
hand boundary. In this case it would be the original direction of
the grid but at a lower level. This process could continue with
further boundaries. 9) In the circumstance when the user wished to
show more rows than could be visible due to the vertical screen
distance being unable to support the distance required for the
resolution of the text of the row, the height and width of row in
focus would be of normal size and the remaining rows would have
their height reduced. As the user moved the mouse over these
remaining rows, the row in focus would expand to be readable (e.g.
157 of FIG. 37) 10) If the headings and subheadings of the grid in
focus were of such a long length, the row in focus could have the
row height made wider to support multiple lines. 11) The grids have
been described for users who have a left to right preference. For
those with a right to left preference or up to down or down to up
the grid structure and functions could be transposed to adapt to
that user's direction preference. E.g. the HCG could start on the
right hand side of the screen for Arabian text, and the other grids
would appear with the grid in focus on the right and the subdata
grid on the left. the left. This transposition feature may also be
applied to the bordergrid or qualifier grids and may be user or
developer adjustable. 12) The border, style, text font properties,
colour etc of the grid could be varied to user preference. The HCG
grid shows the width of the grids being equal and on the same
horizontal level. The scroll bar allows the user to see the
complete word or any other fields. If user/developer preferred the
text may be adjusted automatically to fit the length of the largest
word or phrase in a given element of the grid. If space were at a
premium using the following techniques 7-10 the text in the
highlighted element of the active grid would be visible. The scroll
and other current features of grids may or may not be present.
[0304] II) To record the element of hierarchical data and/or its
hierarchical status. Depending on user need and preference this can
be done by a click (e.g. Left mouse click*) or using the Zeroclick
method described below. A further click or Zeroclick would delete
that recorded data for that particular element. Thus by repeated
clicking or using the relevant Zeroclick click, the element of data
would be recorded and deleted repeatedly. It is thus easy to add or
remove data for every element of data in the hierarchical grid When
the data is recorded the element of the grid selected would be
highlighted in a different colour e.g. red and/or style and/or
checked style from the highlight colour showing the position of the
mouse. If the user goes back to the selected item to remove it. The
colour and/or style would return back to an unselected item, and it
would be deleted from the recorded data. In the diagrams showing
the HCG, there are no ZeroClick controls shown. This is because it
is an optional style. As the HCG is used primarily for displaying
and recording data in functions (as opposed to the bordergrid and
qualifier grid structures which may activate up to all functions of
the program) the zeroclick control in the cell which is under the
pointer will only usually appear for that cell; the other cells of
the HCG will not show any zeroclick control until the pointer moves
over that particular cell. The appearance of a cell with a
zeroclick control is shown in FIG. 10. This illustrates the T
shaped zeroclick. Thus in one method to record the No Cough via a
zeroclick, the pointer needs to perform a left to top right angled
(pointer movement in contact with 12,13,14 within the arrow
boundary of the arrow T shaped 21 ZCC which is the boundary of the
path 3) zeroclick. To remove No Cough the user just repeats the
left to top right angled zeroclick.
[0305] Recording Data Features.
[0306] 1. Pointer device Single click or Zeroclick equivalent
records the highlighted element of data.
[0307] 2. Repeated Pointer device Single Click or Zeroclick
equivalent removes the highlighted element of data.
[0308] 3. In the preferred system the highlighted data is recorded
in an editable textbox with its hierarchical status. The
hierarchical status can be stored as a code. Every bit of recorded
data whether in code form or free text will be classified to a
known code. Thus all data elements stored can be compared. See "The
record structure required for the modification of the HCG" for
further details.
[0309] 4. The recorded data in the preferred system is stored in an
editable recordset.
[0310] III) To access a qualifier grid this can be done by a click
(e.g. Right mouse click) over the underlying element of
hierarchical data or using the Zeroclick control described below.
This allows the user to add structured sub data, which can
systematically describe the selected element of hierarchical data.
To access the qualifier grid using the example of FIG. 10, a left
to bottom right angled zeroclick is used (pointer movement in
contact with 12,13,15 within the arrow boundary of the arrow T
shaped 21 ZCC which is the boundary of the path 3).
[0311] IV) Easy importing and exporting of data into the grid. Any
hierarchical data may be imported into the grid. This may be
indented text, outlines, or databases with codes. The data would be
analysed to see if there was an associated code (e.g. the Read
Code) with the heading. The data would then be displayed in the HCG
format. i.e. the highest level of heading would be shown in the
first grid, and subsequent grid based on the subdata grid for the
highlighted element/cell/row of the preceding grid.
[0312] V) How the cascading grid works. Moving the pointer over an
element of the grid highlights the cell or row underneath the
pointer. It also triggers a search for sub data related to the
highlighted element. Each element of the first menu would then have
an associated code, which searches/filters for an appropriate
recordset or file (storing a recordset) or sub array of data
containing the recordset of the next level of elements related to
that sub data level. (FIG. 48). That sub data recordset would be
the data source for the next grid on the right hand border of the
highlighted element.
[0313] VI) Easy modification of grids. Hierarchical data can be
imported from the grid and modified within the grid by normal
editing (adding, deleting, modifying) of the columns. There is the
ability to use drag and drop (or a zeroclick equivalent to select
the item and another zeroclick to paste the item) to bring a
element with a code from another cascading grid or within a
cascading grid or grid and drag it into any position on the new
users grid. The sub data associated with the code would then
automatically be accessed unless the user decides to design their
own structure by overriding the default code [e.g. read code] with
their own recordset/cascading hierarchical structure for the new
element). User defined recordsets may then include the default read
code sub data as one of its choices.
[0314] VII) Creation and modification of Grids. There would be a
menu with items related to "Grid Options" (the menu name and menu
items, and their location, could be altered for user preference, or
the GUI chosen to activate these options). There would be a menu
item to change the mode of the grid from the normal recording mode
to the mode which allows modification of the grid. There would be
separate menu items allowing for importing and exporting of data
from the grid, creation of a new grid, opening one or more other
grids so data can be dragged and dropped from the source grid to
the destination grid being modified.
[0315] VIII) The Variations in style of the hierarchical grid To
show the variation of style of the cascading hierarchical grid, in
effect, it may become a tree view, which could locate an element of
hierarchical data by pointer movement alone. For example, as
described in 7) above, the ultimate shrinkage of the preceding grid
would be a mouse sensitive line. If further modification of the
style of the grids were changed the tree view styles in FIG. 42a-d
may be imitated [e.g. the grid would have an icon column (which
could have various icons--open, shut, various on icons which
describe the classification of the current text element) a line
column (allowing for the horizontal lines and/or vertical lines of
the tree view), with a column for text, and the rest of the grid
made invisible (e.g. the cell lines and borders may be made
invisible) and the position of the top of the right hand grid with
sub data was positioned underneath, indented and below the
highlighted element of the preceding grid. It is possible to see
how the tree view structure (FIG. 32) can be formed by rearranging
the cascading grid in the tree view pattern. It also could be
rearranged for any form of hierarchical grid, which needed to be
adapted to be sensitive to mouse movements alone to traverse the
hierarchical grid. FIG. 42a-d shows two types of modification of
the tree view enabling them to be operated by pointer movement
alone in addition to the standard activation. They show a couple of
different appearances of the tree view but the appearance may be
modified for developer/user preference. The tree view shown in FIG.
42a-d operates in the following fashion.
[0316] To locate the hierarchical subdata the pointer needs to come
into contact and may require a further zeroclick over the tabbed
folder 176 (please note that the folder icon may be varied to any
icon 176), It would have a closed and an open appearance (and/or
+/- signs--not shown for simplicity) to represent whether subdata
is showing. The hierarchical tree view would show the main headings
to locate data. In the preferred method of using the tree view to
locate data without needing mouse clicks, the tree view would be
activated by mouse movements over its structure. Moving the pointer
over the text would highlight text 174 under the pointer, and a
zeroclick control associated with the text would appear to enable
the user to record data like the HCG as described previously in
section II of the HCG and activation of a qualifier grid in section
III of the HCG section. Moving the pointer over the icon 176 would
access the subdata (176 in FIG. 42a before the pointer comes in
contact with the icon 176 shows no subdata. However, after contact
with the icon, or contact with the icon and a zeroclick, this makes
the subdata 179 in FIG. 42b appear). To make the subdata 179
disappear and the tree view shrink to the appearance prior to the
expansion required for the subdata, the pointer needs to be moved
back to the vertical line 175 in FIG. 42b. The appearance of the
grid then reverts to FIG. 42a prior to the subdata being open. If
the user moves the mouse to the vertical line 177 then the subdata
for history (e.g. CVS symptoms, Respiratory symptoms and any
further subdata symptoms on the screen related to the history)
would become closed and only history would show as the highest
level of the tree view. To reopen the subdata related to history
the pointer would need to come in contact with the icon 173 and in
addition may require a further zeroclick on it depending on the
programmer/user preference. Accessing the sublevels is achieved by
coming into contact and in addition may require a further zeroclick
depending on the developer/user preference with the folder icon
relevant for the sublevel. Thus moving the pointer back to
appropriate vertical level collapses and closes the tree view
subdata to the right of that vertical line. Moving the pointer to
the appropriate central header area 180 to page up, header area 181
to scroll up, footer area 183 to page down, and footer area 182 to
scroll down may be achieved in an identical manner as already
described for a HCG grid previously. When the pointer moves over
the appropriate area e.g. 180 to page up, if there are further
items above out of view then the tree view pages up. The user would
need to move off area 180 and then return to page up a second time.
This mechanism applies to the scroll up, page down and scroll down
areas as well.
[0317] The position of the folder icon 176 in the preferred tree
view would be after the text as opposed to the standard tree view.
This reduces the accidental triggering of the subdata expanding as
the pointer movement over 176 is more unlikely during the pointer
movement either to highlight the text 174 to record it or moving
back to preceding vertical line 177 to get to a higher data level.
The position of the icon that activates the subdata would be done
so that the movements would flow better and minimises the risk of
activating the highlighted element. This position of the icon e.g.
173 and 176 may be varied to have the traditional appearance of the
tree view. Additional care would be needed to avoid accidental
triggering of the icon, and the best way to achieve this would by
requiring a zeroclick with a ZCC (any one of FIG. 11). If the
developer/user did not wish a zeroclick associated with the icon,
then to reduce the likelihood of accidental triggering when the
user moves the pointer back to the preceding vertical lines to
close the subdata folders to that level or while trying to
highlight the text of that subdata may be achieved by making the
icon smaller and increasing the gaps 184 between Folders.
[0318] The default action of moving to preceding vertical levels
would always close the data to show the hierarchical path as a
heading to the grid. (This could be changed to the normal or other
user preference.) The effect of using this grid would be similar to
using the cascading hierarchical grid except the preceding grid to
the active one would be decreased in width to a vertical line.
Using the Tree View would enable the same functionality of the
hierarchical cascading grid in a much smaller space. The method of
using the tree view to record text, remove text, or activate the
qualifier grid would be the same as described in section II or III
of the HCG. The highlighted text (e.g. 174, 179) would have a
zeroclick control as described in the sections illustrated by FIG.
10. The icon 176 may activate the subdata related to that heading
to appear by the pointer coming into contact with the icon if the
user prefers speed of access to subdata. However, the icon 176 may
require a further zeroclick by the appearance of a zeroclick
control related to that icon to activate the appearance of the
subdata tree. The tree view may also respond to standard click
methods. The importing of data into the grid and the modification
of data as described in points IV and V of the hierarchical
cascading grid also apply.
[0319] The above describes the default way that the tree view could
be used to locate and record data with one click and/or ZeroClick.
Other variations achieving the same functionality could also be
used.
[0320] The second variation is that any the grids can have multiple
columns. The grid works in the same manner that the highlighted row
controls the sub data shown in the right hand grid yet when the
mouse moves over each column of the row it could have difference
responses to the mouse clicks and the Zeroclick for each column.
Thus each column may have independent actions of different columns
but all would show the same sub data in the right hand grid related
to the row highlighted.
[0321] IX) Any style of hierarchical grid may be modified using the
above principles and thus require less clicks and/or become more
efficient. The modification of the Tree View demonstrates how any
hierarchical grid may locate an element of hierarchical data and if
appropriate to record the data by pointer movement alone. (See FIG.
42 a-d for diagram and description above of two examples of this
modification.) In essence the Tree View is a hierarchical grid
which can be expanded or reduced by clicks. The modified tree view
is a hierarchical grid, which is expanded or reduced by mouse
movements. Using Zeroclick principles and adapting the above
methods, any style of hierarchical grid could be modified to be
used for design of hierarchical grid and may usually be improved to
need less clicks to implement the location and selection of an item
of hierarchical data. Thus methods of the cascading hierarchical
grid being operated by pointer action alone may be applied to any
hierarchical grid.
[0322] X) Variation of the hierarchical grid in displaying recorded
data. The hierarchical cascading grid is also very useful in
displaying recorded data which has already been recorded by using
the cascading grid. The medical recording system shows a variation
using a combination of the above features. Recorded medical data
enable the doctor to get an overview of the patients medical
conditions. See medical section FIG. 52. Medical Conditions,
Screening Details. Financial Details. The best display for the
medical conditions is a multiple columned grid. Highlighting a
specific condition row would trigger a specific qualifier grid.
This qualifier grid would be at the right hand side of the medical
condition grid. It would have a default, as seen in overview. The
qualifier grid for displaying data has additional functionality of
displaying all useful data, which is recorded under the condition.
Thus the menu items after a condition is selected show the most
common views. The most important principle in displaying previously
recorded data is that the user should never need to duplicate data
previously entered. The different views should enable the user to
be reminded of the previously recorded data, be able to modify the
changes since the last record and the effectiveness of the last
management step, and to be prompted within the recording process of
the additional worthwhile clinical data to record.
[0323] The Design of the Grid for the User to Use Keyboard
Independently from the Mouse.
[0324] The usual arrangements of tabs for different controls on a
form apply. Care would be taken that the users may be able to
transverse the HCG without having to use a mouse. This may be done
by arrows. In addition the HCG may have the option of the user
having an alphabet (187 of FIG. 43) to represent the rows of the
grid in focus. By pressing an alphabet key it would move, highlight
and focus the element of the row represented by the alphabet letter
chosen. The letters a-z represent a row of the elements within the
grid. Each grid would have a number 1-9. (See 185, and 186 of FIG.
43). If there were more than 9 cascading grids the grids would be
numbered 01-09. If further grids then 001-009. Thus by pressing the
alphabet letters the user could locate any element in a
hierarchical manner without needing to use the mouse. Function keys
or other character keys or standard keys (e.g. delete) could be
used for record, delete, qualifier grid, border grid, patternclick
and for any other needed function. The normal pointer movement keys
could traverse the grids in the most appropriate style e.g. up,
down, left (preceding grid), right (subdata grid). To increase
speed the spacebar could access the right subdata grid, and the
backspace could access the preceding grid. The pressing of the
alphabet could be altered to avoid the spacebar or right arrow
being needed to move to the subdata grid. By pressing the letters
of the alphabet it would have the effect of pressing the alphabet
letter and the spacebar. This allows rapid location of any element
in the hierarchical grid as it saves the additional pressing of
buttons. Pressing a shift with the alphabet letter would allow
movement within the current grid without the effect of moving to
the subdata grid by the pressing of the spacebar or right arrow.
The use of Ctrl and the alphabet letter would have the effect of
just moving to the current alphabet letter in the grid and
recording it. Enter could have the effect of recording the
currently highlighted grid. Repeating this process would remove the
recorded item. The design of each form could have a HCG with
alphabet rows that by pressing a letter would enable location of
any control area on the form (which would have normally have been
done by the tab key). Having located the control area, this would
activate a bordergrid with an alphabet using rows for each control
area, enabling any function for that control area to be done by
keyboard entry alone. Subsequent alphabet hierarchical cascading
grids could then give the user access to the entire functionality
of the form without needing to use a mouse.
[0325] XII) Uses of the HCG
[0326] This could be used for any display or data input for any
hierarchical data. The HCG is also a good format to perform a
search engine. The user selects a search mode for the HCG. This
would then allow the user to select features for the population of
records that the user would search. E.g. for medical records the
population statistics of patients and the different features would
be included as a field that would generate the appropriate HOG,
listing all the possible features regarding that patient population
that the doctor wished to search. It then may be presented in an
HCG format. Thus the HCG could show all the data from the most
broad classification to the most detailed. E.g. if a search was for
colds, the user would change to search mode and the diseases of the
practice would be counted and listed in the hierarchical format.
The doctor would move from the respiratory system disease. It would
list the breakdown of the respiratory diseases with numbers or
percentages reflecting the practice population. The doctor would
then select infections (which would have the total number listed)
then select the urti subdata from that. This would enable the
doctor to get a complete overview of the practice data. The search
would then be able to find all the patients under one condition,
and then all the clinical features and managements used for that
condition. Since all the data is hierarchical and all the data is
related to a read code, all information regarding a patient would
be statistically analysable using conventional search operators.
Then the doctor could use the border or qualifier grids in search
mode to specific the exact features from the read codes that the
user would need to specify the exact clinical features or therapies
that the user would need to include or exclude from that given
population. Two very important search structures would be listing
the management for a given condition. The subdata grid for the
condition would show the variation in the patient population of the
different managements of the patient for a similar condition. The
subdata groups for each management would look for how that
management changed clinical features. Thus if the cost for each
management is known for a given change in clinical features a given
cost effectiveness may be attributed. This would be done for all
the different management steps for the conditions. Automatically,
this is producing a wonderful research database about the cost
effectiveness of each management for each clinical change. These
could then compared as further research into the most cost
effective managements for each condition. Since all data is linked
to read codes, even free text, all the data recorded may be
analysed. This may be done by the border grid or qualifier grid
giving the user search criteria for each read code as follows:
[0327] Search Criteria. This lists some of the criteria that may be
used. These operator apply to Numerical Data fields or Date fields
Greater than, Less than, Equal to, Not Equal to Range between two
values or dates using a bordergrid character style to enter
figures
[0328] These operators apply to Text Fields Equal to, Not Equal to
Type the characters using a bordergrid character style to enter
figures x_means multiple wild characters, ? means wild single
character Order of Records displayed Display Criteria Every Record,
Group Heading 1, Heading, Total
[0329] XIII) Tips for Designing User Defined Templates Using the
HCG.
[0330] The structure of hierarchical data in the HCG should be
organised for most rapid data entry,
[0331] e.g. in a medical system with common conditions, their
clinical features and therapies easier to access than the rarer
ones. In medicine there are default details which are recorded the
most. This will also occur in other specialty fields.
[0332] The organisation of the data grid must reflect ideal
recording patterns for each given clinical setting E.g. the
patternclick would be used for the group of clinical features and
therapy Try and have only one key press for each common recording
pattern (e.g. clinical features or treatments that usually go
together) using the patternclick. Have the common variation nearby,
preferably the same grid as the common patternclicks, which can be
accessed by the bordergrid. Thus the user can deselect certain
individual items from the Patternclick and also record other
features by selecting other items in the grid. Have the flexibility
for adding user preference. Make the recording process educational
e.g. teaching the correct management. Make the recording process
eliminate mistakes. The branching multiple cascading hierarchical
grid. This is a design of a cascading hierarchical grid that allows
for every selected element (or elements) of a grid the opportunity
for multiple menu choices to be selected and activated for that
single element by pointer movement alone, yet to maintain the
function of the cascading hierarchical grid. The multiple menu
choices could be views of related data to the element chosen,
control of the function of the grid or objects displaying that
data, a menu choice accessing a qualifier grid, menu choices with
default record patterns. A way to achieve this is to have a border
which is pointer sensitive between the grid with the highlighted
element of data and the grid with the sub data of the element. If
the user moves horizontally across the border between the grids,
the hierarchical cascading grid (HCG) works as described above. If
the pointer changes direction and moves vertically up or down
within the border area horizontally aligned to the element then it
could activate the additional menu choices for that specific
highlighted element.
[0333] These menu choices could have any function but the following
example can show the recording function.
[0334] XIV) The Function of the Click or Zeroclicking Action of the
HCG May be Varied for the User or Developer Preference.
[0335] The left mouse click causing the recording and removing of
cells or rows of data usually in a hierarchical manner, the right
mouse click activating a qualifier grid, the left mouse double
click activating a patternclick, the right mouse double click being
user defined are the preferred actions of the mouse clicks for the
hierarchical grid. However, these all could vary depending on user
preference and different mouse devices with extra buttons or
controls. In effect the user/developer has the choice of at least
four mouse clicks (left and right single or double clicks) and four
Zeroclick emulated clicks. In an advanced option of changing the
grids, the user may be given the option of changing the default
grid reaction to attach the recording and qualifier grid to their
preferred mouse click or Zeroclick style. The user also may have
the option of activating other application or HCG functions with a
click or Zeroclick action of their choice.
[0336] Modifying the HCG
[0337] The user will have the ability to change and reorganise the
HCG to any structure they would prefer. E.g. the default
organisation for the HCG for a medical recording system would be to
organise the data in specialities. Under each specialty would be
listed the history, examination, investigation, treatment and all
the common conditions with structured data and defaults for each.
However, if the user wished to regroup or design their own HOG
structure e.g. adding a list for chronic disease management to the
main menu, the following or similar record structure would be
required to give the user this flexibility of the grid.
[0338] The Record Structure Required for the Modification of the
HCG
[0339] To achieve this you will need a comparable (see section on
variation of data implementation described below) recordset/array
structure or a record with fields that fulfil the following
functions. The developer could design a HOG with the fields that
were necessary for the degree of modification or functionality he
wished to allow the user. I.e. lesser functionality may require
less necessary fields. The structure will be described as a record
with the following fields. This will allow a data driven HCG (names
may be different, but function will be the same).
[0340] Definition Field (DF)
[0341] This requires a description of the term, which is visible to
the user.
[0342] Hierarchical Identifier Code (HIC) Field
[0343] This is a code classification system, where the descriptive
term is classified. It is preferable that this code is the most
useful and/or authoritative and can be related to all other codes.
It will be this code, which is the principal code that governs the
structure of the hierarchical grid. Based on this code the
highlighted cell in focus will use this code to search for the
derivative data to fill the subdata grid unless a descriptive term
has a UDC instead or no HIC code. User defined Code (UDC) to locate
sub data Field This allows the user to define a code, which will
trigger a recordset based on this code instead of the HIC field
code, to fill the derivative subdata grid. This is a code that
enables the user to get the derivative record set of data for the
highlighted element. This could be done by using the code as a
pointer to a recordset (e.g. a recordset within a database or a
recordset within a file structure or any data source).
[0344] Location Identifier Code (LIC) Field of the current
element/cell within the hierarchical grid.
[0345] This is a hierarchical code relating to the current
hierarchical grid. This is unique and generated for each data
element within the HCG. This represents the relative position of
any cell or element of data within the complete hierarchical data
structure. It allows the computer to classify every term in the HCG
in relationship to a known HIC value.
[0346] An Automatic Classification System.
[0347] The computer can classify any term in relationship to a
known HIC. If a term has been user defined within the
classification system, when that term is recorded it will be
normally be recorded with its HIC code (the read code in our
example e.g. the term "Impaired Exercise Tolerance with the code
185..). If there is no HIC then the computer automatically creates
a code related to most specific HIC code selected within the
hierarchical manner to get to the current description.
[0348] How the Computer Classifies a Term with No HIC to the
Nearest HIC
[0349] This could be done in numerous ways.
[0350] E.g. if a user wished to select a read code term "Impaired
Exercise Tolerance" (stored in the DF). Its associated HIC would be
185.. (the read code). If the user wished to further define the
Impaired Exercise tolerance with its onset (Mar. 14, 1999)--See
FIG. 48.
[0351] The HIC for the onset would be r185..|tonset|d14/3/1999 R
tells the computer this is a read code. In reality the r would
refer to a specific version of a read code at a given time. Thus
the computer would always be able to compare any data recorded by a
doctor with another doctor even if the medical code system and/or
the read code system changed. 185.. is the read code for "Impaired
exercise tolerance".
[0352] The | would be a delimited character informing the computer
of another piece of qualifying data. The letter t would represent
free text. I.e. it would inform the computer what type of
qualifying data was coming and how it should be interpreted and
processed. The onset would be free text. It could, however, be a
read code, e.g. time since symptom started; 1D3 . . . .
[0353] In this case the HIC for the onset is
r185..|r1D3..|d14/3/1999. In this way any data whether coded or any
type of free text data can be classified with its exact
hierarchical status The | would be a further delimited character
informing the computer a further piece of qualifying data was
occurring. The d would represent that the qualifying data was a
date. Mar. 14, 1999 would be the qualifying date data.
[0354] The single character after the delimited character could
classify all the different types of data that were likely for the
HCG. E.g. r could stand for a further read code, n for numerical
data, p for patient.
[0355] Also if a qualifier grid was chosen for a term in the HCG
which did not have a defined HIC, the nearest defined HIC will be
used, even if it was a few grids previous to the qualifier grid.
E.g. supposing "impaired exercise tolerance" did not have a read
code defined in the HIC, the computer would then look for the next
nearest defined HIC, which would be "Cardiovascular Symptoms" with
18 . . . as its read code. The computer would then automatically
assign the HIC for Mar. 14, 1999 being the onset of impaired
exercise tolerance as 18..|timpaired exercise
tolerance|tonset|d|14/3/1999. Thus every data recorded (e.g. in
patient's notes) would be linked to the nearest read code (or any
other authoritative medical code), thus all recorded data including
free text will be analysable. Thus any data shared with other
doctors would be recognisable. E.g. if a doctor wished to send
another doctor information regarding a patient e.g. the onset of
impaired exercise tolerance it could be sent.
[0356] pPatient NHS number (or any other unique
identifier)|aDrIrvine|r185..|tonset|d14/3/1999 P is the code
informing the computer this is a Patient's NHS number), | delimiter
for new qualifying data, a is the qualifying code to inform the
computer of the author of the information.
[0357] From the above example the pattern of delimiter (|), a
single character for a qualifying code and the remainder of the
data until the next delimiter is one way an automatic accurate
classification system can be created based on any existing
hierarchical code structure and shared between different
practitioners. This pattern could allow for numerous different
types of data to be transmitted by having different qualifying
codes for each. Standards could them be applied to the qualifying
code. This could also apply to any other hierarchical code outside
the medical field. These new automatic classifications once they
become standardised could then become the classification e.g. the
"New" read code.
[0358] Thus every piece of information recorded. would be
classified according to it exact hierarchical status and easily
accessible for statistical analysis.
[0359] For the existing terms with read codes, they would be
recorded in an appropriate manner according to their code. The
structure of recording would always to link all clinical features
to a condition. If one was not supplied the computer would allow a
provisional free text description. Other linked data sources (OLD)
field is the code that links the data required for the Bordergrid,
other branching HCG's, Qualifier grids, and Patternclicks for the
relevant highlighted item. The structure of the data source pointer
for the other data grids associated with the selected element may
be any method that could store data for those functions. One way to
do this would be to have a recordset for the bordergrid. The
bordergrid in modify mode would be a recordset with records that
may have the following structure.
[0360] The pointer for OLD would point to another recordset in a
data source. This recordset may have records that may have the
following structure.
[0361] DF for the menu item.
[0362] SGDC for sub grid data code. This is the code that points to
any data source for the data for the recordset for the grid. Each
recordset would be appropriate for the function of the grid. E.g.
FC for the function code. This instructs the computer what type of
menu item the FC is, and how it is to operate. The user would
select from a drop down list of various alternatives. These also
may be any other function that the developer wished to include for
any useful function within the general program.
[0363] Other Fields. Rich Text/ordinary text fields, Multimedia
data, or any other files may also be linked to the record depending
on the use of the HCG. E.g. if a
textbox/photo/sound/video/multimedia is needed to be shown in
conjunction with a highlighted cell. To prevent slowing of the grid
these other fields would normally point to the data elsewhere than
the record in memory, so not to slow the HCG grid down. The data
may only be displayed by a click, Zeroclick, bordergrid menu option
or qualifier menu option to prevent slowing of the HCG, unless the
computer system was of sufficient speed and memory capacity to
store all this type of data in memory and display it with minimum
delay. This type of data may be used for additional information for
correct selection, implication of selection, and other user
feedback. Thus this record structure if fast enough may show any
form of multimedia data related to every cell of the HCG, in
addition to the normal subdata of the HCG. This may provide any
ZeroClick with suitable multimedia data so that all additional
information required precise knowledge about a function to be
activated, and/or its implication may be made known prior to the
completion and even after the completion of the function (telling
the user the full consequences of having trigger the function) so
that the user is fully informed.
[0364] Variation of the design of the data structure to achieve the
above functionality of the HCG. The fields could vary per record to
run this data. The user could add more fields to subdivide the
sections e.g. the OLD field or could use one field for a pointer or
pointers for several of the fields described above. Thus a variety
of data implementations could be done to achieve the above
functionality depending on developer preference to drive the data
and functionality of the HCG grid specific for the developer's
need.
[0365] How the structure works to allow the creation and
modification of the HCG. How to achieve the design of the HCG where
user can freely modify and change the hierarchical order of the
data within a HCG structure based on a known classification system.
One way to achieve the HCG is shown below by an example with the
read code.
[0366] E.g. the read code is a known medical classification system,
which currently has five characters to indicate the hierarchical
classification of most medical terms in relationship to the Read
Code structure. A medical term (term, term.sub.--30 characters
long, term.sub.--60 characters long) would be visible in the OF.
The read code would be in the HIC field. Normally when a term is
highlighted, the HOG would use this code in the HIC field to search
for sub data related to it and show it in the grid to the right of
the grid in focus. Thus provided the UDC field was empty and there
was a read code in the HIC field then this would be the default
action of the grid. If the UDC in a record had a defined user
defined code as well as a defined code in the HIC field then the
HOG when searching for the relevant derivative sub data for the
subdata grid of an element in focus would use the code in the UDC
field to look for the user defined recordset. The HCG uses this UDC
to search for the relevant subdata for that highlighted record.
This UDC may point to any data source that the user chooses e.g. in
files, databases, delimited text etc (i.e. and structured data
source that could generate a recordset/array with the appropriate
recordset structure). One example, of the UDC would be a delimited
text file. This has the advantage that it may be sent as an
attachment by email and dropped into a relevant directory so that
the program may read the filename as a UDC in this directory. Thus
by email the HOG may be continuously kept up to date in background
mode.
[0367] If the given record had both the HIC and UDC field empty
then it would rely on the LIC code. Recording of data. The data
recorded could be just the OF. However, the data recorded would
normally be associated with a HIC code.
[0368] Thus when a user recorded data from the HCG the DF and the
HIC of the record would normally be recorded.
[0369] If the HIC was empty, and the record had no definition code
in the HIC, the computer would create a HIC based on the nearest
defined HIC. This automatic classification code generated by the
computer (explained in a previous section) would normally be
recorded along with the term within the OF. Thus the exact
hierarchical status of every item recorded in the HCG will be known
and comparable to any other using the same HIC codes in their
HCG.
[0370] How users could share UDC data for a HCG. --The HCG would
have a mechanism for sharing UDC data from other sources
automatically. It could be shared on a temporary basis to try out
and/or it could be shared on a permanent basis. It could either
overwrite existing UDC data or be added on as a new UDC data. This
can be done in many ways. One way would be by using the above
delimiter, qualifying code, qualifying data structure for the
recordset file. The HCG would be able to automatically search for
this file (in two different directories, one designated for
temporary the other for permanent data) and be able to tell by the
filename classified according to the above structure exactly which
data element and in what manner (qualifier
grid/bordergrid/patternclick) the user wished this recordset (HCG)
to be added. E.g. if a doctor wished to share a HCG qualifying grid
linked to a particular cell in the HCG, the HOG would be able to
automatically add this as a temporary addition to the
bordergrid/patternclick/qualifier grid or add it as a permanent
addition due to the bordergrids allowing multiple HCGs originating
from a single term with an associated HIC (e.g. a read code). Then
allowing the user to add a grid relevant to any HIC would be very
easy. The grid data could be in a recordset which was a *.dat file.
The name of the *.dat file would be listed with the a name in the
following pattern. It would begin with the HIC (e.g. read code)
that it should be linked to as a menu item of a bordergrid. There
would be a delimiter after that code. Then there would be further
qualifier if relevant.
TABLE-US-00001 Derived field Delimiter Qualifier code Qualifier
Delimiter This is This may be the HIC that Single character the
Recordset would It represents the be part of the type of data
Bordergrid or the qualifier is Qualifier grid
[0371] e.g. Read Code|A Authors Name|r185|aDrIrvine|bDr Irvine's
special grid for impaired exercise tolerance|d1-1-2000 r stands for
read code 185 is the read code for impaired exercise tolerance.
Note--Its full stops have been removed due to not being compatible
with the file structure. HIC will automatically be adjusted to be
compatible with the file structure. | is the delimiter a is
author's name Dr Irvine is the author of the additional menu to be
shared | is another delimiter b means that this should be added as
a bordergrid item to the element with the read code 185.. Dr
Irvine's special grid for impaired exercise tolerance is the menu
item of the bordergrid--in reality it would be a shorter name!
[0372] | is another delimiter d is the date d1-1-2000 was when this
was authored. If this is absent it could be the date of the file.
The computer will automatically make sure the filename uses
delimiters and characters that are compatible with the filename
structure for that operating system. The above are just examples as
is the qualifier code listed below. Using this descriptive system,
data could be downloaded automatically from any other user over the
web or emailed as an attached file from a source to the appropriate
directory, which would not require any user delay, and integrated
instantly into the HCG. There are some examples of possible
qualifier codes. This in reality may be much more carefully
structured using the entire ASCII range of characters, or if needed
later two character or more characters could become this
standard.
TABLE-US-00002 Qualifier Code A Author's Name B Bordergrid Menu
Item Description C Cost D Date E Effectiveness F G H I Improvement
J K L M Management Change N Numerical Date * Qualifier Menu Item
Description P P; R Read Code S Same T Text Data U Units V W
Worsom
[0373] Thus this ability of the HCG to have an option for filenames
within a directory to add multiple qualifier grids for one disease
or read code, and that these files may be sent via downloaded or
attached email files to temporary or permanent directories means
that the web or gpnet may constantly be updating the local computer
in background while the doctor is working (or files for any other
subject or profession may be continuously updating). The filenames
downloaded to the directory providing they do not have the exact
same filename means that multiple subdata qualifier grids may be
added to a bordergrid for a particular read code. If filenames are
sent by the same organisation or person, and have the same title,
then the HCG when searching the directory may just show the most up
to date qualifier grid for that particular condition. An example of
the power of this HCG structure may be seen in the clinical section
under adding new data.
[0374] Clinical Use of the existing data as a structure for
recording of new data.
[0375] If a user wishes to build a hierarchical cascading grid
rapidly, then the following options for doing this are:
[0376] 1. Importing any known method of representing hierarchical
data. e.g. databases with codes representing their hierarchical
structure, any outline method used with word processing, any
patterned text method which could be converted into a HCG
structure. The grid would then have an import routine which allowed
the converting of this hierarchical data into the HCG
structure.
[0377] 2. In the modify mode there could be the opportunity of two
or more grids to be visible. One would be the grid the user wished
to create and the other the grid that the user wished to add
hierarchical data from. The user may then drag cells or use
zeroclicks in the source cell and receive cell or any other method
to add data to the new grid. The drag and drop or zeroclicks may
enable the user to have the control of adding entire sub data
cascading hierarchical grids by just moving one element. Or the
user may have the ability to choose exactly the depth of cascading
grids (i.e. the number of sub data grids) that the user wished to
add.
[0378] 3. The user would be able to drag and drop or use zeroclicks
from the source and receive cell for any highlighted text. In the
absence of the text having the appropriate clipboard delimited
format (that the new grid would recognise and subdivide into the
record format of that HCG) then the user may be able to construct a
grid using just pasted text which would be placed in the OF. The
HIC and UDC fields would be empty. But the program would
automatically assign that row/cell of OF data a LIC. The user can
also paste data into a subdata grid for a highlighted element of a
grid. This may be done using the bordergrid (or qualifier grid) for
that highlighted element having a menu item allowing the option of
adding a sub data grid. Zeroclicking or "clicking" this menu item
will add the subdata grid for that highlighted element. Elements
may be dragged to this grid. The program will generate all
necessary LIC to maintain the new hierarchical structure.
[0379] 4. The user can move any row of data to any other position
on the grid. If all the HIC fields and UDC fields were empty then
the LIC would control the grid. If there were HIC fields defined
and controlling the sub data grids then the computer would
automatically create a UDC for the row of data that would generate
the appearance of the grid to which the row of data was moved.
[0380] 5. The hierarchical grid would have the ability in modify
mode to add delete, modify all of the data fields associated with
that record using the normal pointer and arrow movement. Additional
keyboard functions may also allow movement of the cells. Drag and
drop or zeroclicks in the source cell and receive cell may be used
for moving the cells around the HCG. Editing functions for each
cell may be added by a border grid menu items.
[0381] 6. Adding a Border grid, other branching HCGs (Qualifier
grid), and Patternclick for each highlighted item is done in modify
mode by activating a border grid for that relevant highlighted
item. Moving over an unlabelled menu item of a border grid gives
the user further bordergrid options of adding or importing a new
bordergrid item, a new qualifier grid, or a new patternclick. Then
the user enters the descriptive name for the grid which appears as
a menu item for the bordergrid. If the user has selected adding a
new grid then the user can use drag and drop, or direct grid
editing to create the rows of the grid and further subdata grids
for that grid. If the user imports a previous created grid stored
as a file on the hard drive, all is needed is to select the
descriptive name. If the user moves over a bordergrid menu item
already entered, by using a bordergrid mechanism for that menu item
the user has the option to modify that grid. For a patternclick the
user adds a descriptive term, then clicks/Zeroclicks the relevant
selection from the subdata grid. The first patternclick created
using this bordergrid mechanism will be the default patternclick.
In the same way the first qualifier grid created will also be the
default qualifier grid.
[0382] Additional Techniques to Increase Data Input Speeds
Illustrated by a Specific Application in Medical Recording (but
these Features May be Appropriately Transposed to be Used in Other
Data Recording Applications)
[0383] To provide an electronic record of any data requires a data
entry method (recording of data) and a data display method. The
methods that the medical system highlights is defined by another
term called proximity software design. Proximity software design
(PSD) is using the Zeroclick methods in an application to achieve
the minimal amount of pointer movement to achieve the maximum
amount of functionality for the given control area for its given
functions. The PSD tries to provide the functionality to any
control area in a HCG bordergrid (this is a bordergrid menu which
has menu items which cause relevant subdata grids to appear for
that specific grid menu item by moving the pointer over that item).
Through this structure the commonest and/or the most logical used
functions can be ordered closest to the control area in the
hierarchical grid (i.e. on the first bordergrid menu) and radiate
out to the more uncommon functions. The bordergrid just as the HCG
can have a click and/or a Zeroclick to activate a function on a
highlighted bordergrid menu item while also displaying a subdata
grid to that bordergrid menu item.
[0384] This medical program shows the following Zeroclick
methods.
[0385] It shows the following techniques in a medical application.
The medical application is chosen because it is essential that
information is rapidly (large workload and delay in treatment may
cause death) and accurately recorded (inaccurate data may cause
death). Thus if the Zeroclick methods may be effective in this
program then they will have credibility in all other commercial
programs. In Britain doctors may have to record accurately three or
four medical complaints within a five minute period, as well as
examine the patient. The doctor therefore requires access to the
existing patient medical information to be presented in the most
efficient manner possible and be able to rapidly move from
different complaints and to find the precise medical information
possible for each complaint and then use that information to record
further changes in clinical data and further management of the
patient.
[0386] FIG. 52 shows a patient's record. The following explanation
of the different components of the patient's record explain how to
achieve this display and recording of this information.
[0387] The demographic data is located in area 305 in FIG. 52.
Moving the pointer to this area 305 (or zeroclicking the area if
preferred) enables a bordergrid to the right of this area to edit
and change the demographic field order and arrangement in this
area. The user may also arrange a small line of demographic data,
which expands to show the entire demographic data if the user moves
the pointer over the demographic area or zeroclicks the demographic
data.
[0388] The disease grid or conditions grid 216. The doctor may then
by moving the pointer over the different conditions highlight all
the information relevant to the selected condition by the pointer
being over that row, so the doctor may get a comprehensive summary
of that condition and its management (e.g. the pointer moving over
the condition URTI highlights the comprehensive summary or overview
of the patient's clinical details and management of that
condition--this is illustrated by FIG. 52). Thus by moving over
URTI the qualifier 217 of FIG. 52 or the bordergrid 217 of FIG. 53
appears set on the general overview appearance, the management grid
218, the clinical details 219, the clinical protocol grid 220, the
drug grid 224, and the clinical history notes 222 related to the
condition highlighted in the condition grid 216 (URTI in this
example). The preferred position of the clinical history notes 222
would be underneath the condition grid 216. This will allow the
maximum use of space for the clinical history 222. The condition's
bordergrid 217 located on the right border of the conditions grid
216 is shown in FIG. 53. A further list describing some of the
important features of this bordergrid is listed in table form in
FIG. 60 a & FIG. 60 b. Thus at a glance the doctor may know the
following information regarding any condition of a particular
patient by a single movement of the pointer over the row containing
the condition in the condition grid 216. With the default setting,
the conditions will be listed according to when last seen, with the
last seen at the top, the required review date, the onset of the
condition and the classification of the condition. The default
setting of the bordergrid would be the overview 223, which would
show the following the grids listed above as the comprehensive
summary.
[0389] The management grid 218 list the management steps that have
been performed, the date they were done and the clinical features
that supported this action. The default setting would be listing
the last management step for the condition first but this may be
reversed to a chronological manner by the bordergrid for the
management grid to the right of this grid.
[0390] The clinical details grid 219 lists the entire range of
clinical details that has been recorded for this condition, noting
the date of the last entry and a more detailed description or
history of the presenting complaint (HPC) of the given clinical
feature. These clinical features may be positive and relevant
negative history, examination and investigation results. The
clinical details grid would normally just show the last recorded
detail of the symptom. By moving over the last entry date with the
pointer for any given symptom, the complete listing of that symptom
with its full HPC in chronological or reverse date order would
appear in a grid format, with the top of the grid one row below the
row of the clinical feature. This would remain as long as the
pointer was in the last entry column, and the user may make this
grid disappear by moving the pointer to the Last Entry Description.
If there is a detailed last entry description of the feature then
this may be expanded so that the full HPC of the clinical feature
may be seen. The program will automatically summarise whether this
clinical feature has got better or worse. It will also indicate
whether that clinical change occurred during a new management step.
Thus the last entry description allows the clinical program to
assess how that particular clinical feature has changed in
relationship to time and in relationship to the medication or any
management steps (advice or referral). The program if needed could
also measure the degree of improvement or worsening compared to the
medical resources used (doctor's time, cost of medication or other
management steps) as an additional summary at the bottom of the
clinical summary. Thus the medical effectiveness and cost
effectiveness of the management may be known for every symptom. The
pointer moving over the clinical feature may allow rapid recording
of how this has changed. The movement of the pointer over the
relevant change in severity, change in value, descriptive change
column for the given clinical feature row will enable the doctor to
rapidly ask the patient and record the changes to the clinical
features that was associated with the condition.
[0391] This is done by the top of a relevant change grid
automatically appearing one row lower, and the left hand corner of
the change grid approximately 1 cm to the left of the right border
of the column for the row that the pointer is in. This allows the
user a diagonal south east movement of the pointer to gain focus of
the change grid (the change grid may be positioned in relation to
the highlighted column of the row in a similar manner requiring
diagonal pointer movement north east, south west, north west of the
cell in focus if developer prefers). The appearance of the change
grid will vary depending on the cell that the pointer is over and
consequently highlighted.
[0392] The change in severity column will generate a change grid
with the appearance of bordergrid 88 with entries similar to
75,74,73. The descriptive terms of getting better or worse or no
change would be tailored exactly to the clinical feature and would
be an accurate graduation of whether that clinical feature was
getting better or worse. Thus the user would just need to move over
the change in severity for a given clinical feature and move to the
change grid in a diagonal fashion with the pointer movement passing
directly from the highlighted cell to the change grid. Then the
user would just need to zeroclick the appropriate change (e.g.
getting better). This would then automatically record the change of
clinical feature, the change of severity of it, and the current
date with a single zeroclick or click. If it were a value then a
numerical grid would appear in a similar relationship to the value
cell of the clinical feature, and the user would use the numerical
grid 54 to enter the value of the clinical feature by zeroclicking
the appropriate entries. Likewise if there was a descriptive change
regarding the clinical feature, then a qualifier grid like 193 in
FIG. 47 would appear except the heading would be the relevant
clinical feature. In addition to the various relevant descriptive
menu items shown in history grid 193 there would be a lower case
alphabet 25 menu item, which, if the pointer moves over generates a
character grid 27 to the right of the highlighted cell so free text
may be entered. Thus the doctor may be given all the range of
descriptive terms relevant for a clinical feature, in addition if
the appropriate term was not present, then the doctor may enter
free text for the entry. This free text would automatically be
classified to the nearest read code or other appropriate medical
classification and thus be fully statistically analysable.
[0393] The clinical protocol grid 220 functions identically to the
clinical features grid. However, the clinical protocol clinical
features are generated by the program so that if the doctor checks
all these features (history, examination, investigations) then, as
best as clinical evidence based medicine can provide, the clinical
protocol grid w be suggesting all the correct management steps to
confirm the diagnosis and have all the relevant clinical features
to base management on the best evidence based medicine. Moving over
the clinical feature column for the particular clinical feature,
will enable a grid to appear with a similar location relative to
the highlighted cell that will enable the doctor to zeroclick the
relevant test required and medical treatment. The bordergrid will
also give the doctor the option to print out these tests and
prescriptions after the correct ones have been selected. The action
of this grid would include additional information provided to the
user when the user enters data and/or and or is about to enter
data. As clinical features and their details are added there would
be an option for the grid to show the differential diagnosis and
the management according to the specific clinical features grouped
for the given condition (but the program will also be watching the
total clinical features of the patient to check that another
diagnosis is not being missed, and other management steps are not
being considered). The differential diagnosis will be based on
probability. For every clinical feature the program would have a
probability of any given differential diagnosis according to
incidence of that clinical feature for the given demographic
features of that the patient data. This would then be weighted by
the syndrome data, i.e. the combination of features that equal a
different diagnosis. This would then influence the original
differential diagnosis for the individual clinical features. Then
there would be clinical features that automatically mean a specific
diagnosis. This will further weight the diagnostic information. The
medical management will then be based on the most likely diagnosis,
and the appropriate best evidence based medicine for that series of
symptoms for that given condition. This will be gathered from
medical guidelines based on evidence based medicine. Unfortunately
this evidence based medicine is often based on meta analysis which
is based on assumptions which may be inaccurate. Thus the most
important feature is that the recording mechanism keeps accurate
records. This is achieved by the clinical feature or the protocol
grid suggesting all important clinical features and their changes
that need to be documented, and providing a mechanism for this, and
for all information to be recorded hierarchically so that even free
text may be analysed to the nearest read code. The protocol grids
will suggest the best treatment. However, the program if used on a
large enough population will be using all the data of all the
patients using the system to come to its own conclusion regarding
the effectiveness of given medication. It will be checking whether
this information is actually accurate according to the population
who have been treated with that given management. Thus if this
information was collated for a whole population of a country, this
medical recording would rapidly produce its own conclusion
regarding the effectiveness of any given treatment, and would be a
much more accurate source of information than clinical trials. This
program will minimize the doctor's essential recording task to just
document the changes in clinical features of all given patients,
and the management each patient was on. The program from this
information may calculate whether any drugs or any combination of
drugs are effective for any given condition. This then leads to a
revised protocol, revised differential diagnosis, and revised
management according to the new data.
[0394] Thus the ability for the program to easily transmit better
protocols for given conditions is very important, and for these
protocols to be integrated and upgrade the old protocols for given
conditions is very important, as medical management is constantly
changing in the light of new clinical evidence. The medical program
has a very rapid way that a non programmer may devise a protocol.
Thus non technical doctors may use a word processor in outline mode
to describe the clinical history 242, significant history features
243, examination features 244, specific ole findings 245,
investigations 246, and specific investigation 247, management 248
and specific management protocols 249. The outline mode also will
enable the doctors to emphasize different differential diagnosis
for given clinical features or combination of clinical features and
the appropriate management for these clinical features or changes
of clinical features on given treatment. These protocols when
devised by an authoritative source may then be shared and become
the new standard for treating that condition. As described already
the HCG enables email or downloading of files to a certain
directory which the filename enables these downloaded data files to
be listed in the appropriate bordergrid of the HCG for specific
read code terms. The filename of the data files for the specific
term allow the grid to be given a title for the downloaded file to
show in the relevant bordergrid for the specific read code, and it
also will inform the user who has sent the downloaded file. The
bordergrid default mechanism will automatically show the latest
date/time stamp file from each author, and the user may select only
to display downloaded files from certain authors. This date/time
stamp ensures that every file for every downloaded file is unique
and thus may be backed up. Encryption and data security codes will
enable the program to verify that the downloaded filename is from
an authentic source before it uses (or removes) the file.
[0395] FIG. 61 shows an alternative management protocol which the
doctor may include as another HCG in the overview picture or which
may be accessed by the condition bordergrid 217 menu item
"Management Protocol." This will then lead to a HOG similar to FIG.
61 appearing from the bordergrid. It will list disease conditions
241 from specialities 240. These conditions for given specialities
may be generated by downloaded or emailed files from the web in a
certain directory in addition to the original data structure of
HCG. Thus they may be constantly updated by the web. The conditions
in this management protocol are then organised into a sequential
HOG. This is in addition to the option of the doctor adding new
data by having information organised in the conventional
hierarchical structure of the read codes. In other words the data
is not hierarchical but rather a sequential sequence of grids on a
related subject, and consequentially by moving from left to right
(or whatever the preferred direction) the user may have the
reassurance that no step or information is missed, and all relevant
information is recorded in the correct sequence. This is a very
powerful use of the HOG structure because it is educational,
comprehensive, very efficient as it only requires movement from
left to right to record multiple entries (if additional entries are
required for each grid these may be zeroclicked in the appropriate
grid in addition to the one automatically recorded by moving to the
next grid (right in left to right sequence) and also may guarantee
the doctor acts to an agreed protocol without error if used
properly as a correct recording method E.g. to ensure the correct
management for any given condition, or clinical feature in a
specialty, the doctor would have to ensure that the appropriate
history 242, the significant history questions 243, the examination
244, and significant 0/E findings 245, investigations 246, specific
investigations 247, management 248 and specific management 249 are
recorded. Thus using a sequential grid the doctor need not miss any
important feature and if he uses it properly from left to right, no
important features need to be missed according to the highest
medical standard known. As the doctor selects a certain clinical
feature e.g. chest pain (highlighted in 241), the program
automatically presents a differential diagnosis 252 and management
253 for the condition. The differential diagnosis and management
may alter as clinical features are recorded or the pointer moves
over new features (if the computer is fast enough). This enables
the doctor to see the diagnosis and management implications of
recording any clinical features before even recording them. As
clinical features are added the differential diagnosis is changing,
and the diagnosis with the highest probability will be listed
first. The management gives general advice, and may give advice or
treatment taking into account all the relevant and other clinical
features of the patient. These management pathways may be generated
by non computer technical doctors, and as these management pathways
are developed more and more accurately for all given conditions,
the protocols on the medical program will reflect the highest known
standard of care. FIG. 61 shows chest pain 251 being recorded in
the history textbox 255 AND shows further details being added. It
is as this data is added the diagnosis 252 and management 253 grids
are altered to suit the exact clinical picture of the patient. If
the doctor moves over the differential diagnosis 252 grid, then a
bordergrid or qualifier grid for each diagnosis may appear. This
would provide a complete comprehensive text book description of
each of these conditions providing the comprehensive medical
background, clinical features and management of each of these
conditions, with any appropriate multimedia files. This is
illustrated by FIG. 70. Assuming the pointer moves over the
differential diagnosis grid 252 menu item 1. MI (heart attack to
the lay person), FIG. 70 gives an example of the additional
information generated. It shows a grid listing incidence, symptoms
etc from the pointer movement over the entry. By further moving
over the incidence a further right grid in FIG. 71 appears. In the
same way moving over the symptoms cell makes grid in FIG. 72
appear. Moving the pointer over the signs cell similarly causes
grid in FIG. 73 to appear. Moving the pointer over the
investigation menu item similarly causes the grid in FIG. 74 to
appear. Moving the pointer over the management menu item similarly
causes the grid in FIG. 75 to appear. Each item of information will
be broken down to a single item of information e.g. a single
clinical so the information may be a useful symptom or pattern of
symptoms to record. So as the doctor is being educated, he may use
any of the information received to record further data,
investigations or management for the particular patient from the
information he is reading. Because the HCG may be constantly
updated with information specific to any read code, he has full
confidence that the information regarding this condition is up to
date. Indeed the downloaded filenames updating information
regarding the specific read code may be accessed in the text book
information under a heading or similar heading of medical
management updates for this condition from the web. Similarly, if
the user moves over the management section 253, then if there is a
specific management recommended, if the user moves over that item,
all the relevant information regarding the management step would be
presented. Thus if an antibiotic was mentioned in the management
grid 253, moving the pointer over that antibiotic would further
list all text book information regarding it, mode of action, side
effects, cautions. It would then supply all the reference to its
effectiveness of a treatment in a concise form, then hierarchically
allow the user to view relevant trial papers if necessary. There
would also be another bordergrid option which would assess the
suitability of the drug for the patient's condition, and other
options for the doctor to prescribe the treatment for the patient,
e.g. if a drug needed to be prescribed the further qualifying
information may be added by the sequential grid shown in FIGS. 54
and 55. The bordergrid of this would allow for the doctor to print
the treatment. In addition the management section of the program
would analyse the clinical entries, demographic details of the
patient and effects of previous management to see if that
management was suitable for the given patient. (e.g. interaction,
contraindication, etc from the patient's file). In short for any
patient with any clinical features, the standard of information
presented to the doctor would be the highest known standard, as
recently updated by the web (thus information need not be more than
a few minutes old) The doctor would very rarely need to write free
text because the relevant information for him to ask and collect
(examine and investigate) from the patient will be prompted before
he has thought comprehensively of it. If he needs any further
detailed information the hierarchical structure will allow him to
access any new data.
[0396] The clinical history grid 222 allows the doctor to write
notes in the conventional paragraph manner. The information in this
grid would be presented in a traditional medical history pattern
(e.g. Hutchinson's clinical methods), of history, examination,
investigation, differential diagnosis, provisional diagnosis, and
progress of the condition, with reference to the specific features
related to the condition. This clinical history grid may be in
chronological order, or reverse chronological order listing the
latest entry (for most doctors this would be the preferred method.)
The page locator 221 would allow the doctor to rapidly move to any
page. It would work in the standard HCG method (i.e. pointer
movement over 1-9 shows the page numbers 1-9 in the next grid and
moving over the appropriate page number e.g. 1 shows the first
page. Moving the pointer back to the upper left margin of the page
enables the page locator grid 221 to reappear and the doctor to
select another page. Although the notes would be recorded in
traditional format, every individual word or groups of words
(condition, grouped management) would be enabled to be highlighted
when the pointer moved over them and performed a ZeroClick (306 in
FIG. 68, and the same zeroclick in FIG. 52). This is in essence a
combination of three directional zeroclick over an invisible
control area 1 which would be the word or phrase in addition to the
space either side of the word. Any zeroclick may be used instead of
this triple directional zeroclick to activate the bordergrid. Thus
the normal editing functions of the text box may be retained but by
using the zeroclick method the doctor would be able to use all the
recorded information, via a bordergrid to record new information
regarding that highlighted clinical feature or management step.
(e.g. moving over runny nose, a bordergrid would appear enabling
all related information regarding the change of the runny nose, to
recording any of the associated symptoms, investigations and
treatment for the URTI (in the bordergrid 88 in FIG. 52, the word
cough should be replaced by runny nose) Thus by the doctor reading
the notes in the conventional manner, he may also use all the
details to record any further changes of the condition, and
prescribe drugs by just highlighting the relevant drug and
accessing the normal bordergrid that would have been associated
with drug grid 224. As is the common pattern, there would be a
bordergrid for the clinical history grid on the right hand side of
the clinical history grid 222. The bordergrid would allow the
doctor to print all known variations of the data stored in the
clinical database (different referral letters, standard hospital
clerking, insurance medicals and reports etc) and would be able to
design their own layout of letters and information. If there was a
referral necessary, there would be a HCG grid listing hospitals,
specialities, then the consultants.degree. names under the
hospital, and then type of referral letter to sent to the
consultant. The doctor may then zeroclick or type in a few words of
information why the referral was necessary, and then the program
would order the entire data of the patient's notes around that
referral. Thus a comprehensive referral letter would only take a
few seconds to write, and it may be printed, or sent by the web/GP
net. If sent electronically the doctor at the hospital may combine
his electronic record with GP's record, without losing data or
duplicating data as each piece of clinical feature, their changes,
and every management step for a patient is transmitted as a
hierarchical classified piece of data, which is time stamped,
related to a doctor/surgery.
[0397] The drug grid 224 provides the doctor with the drug and its
details, type of prescription e.g. acute or repeat, NHS or private,
last prescription date, the effectiveness of the drug (the program
automatically assesses the change of clinical features since the
start of treatment, and highlights the clinical changes due to this
drug which may be related to efficacy or lack of it. Consequently
as long as the doctor records the clinical features and their
changes accurately the program is constantly assessing
effectiveness of management), Rx No is the number of prescriptions
(moving over this column gives the details of the prescriptions in
a grid with a location and access similar to that described in the
change grid in the clinical details grid 219), onset, side effects
(moving over this column for a specific drug allows the doctor to
see all the new clinical features or change of features since
starting the drug and select a clinical feature which then may be
described as a side effect). The bordergrid for the drug grid is
shown in 225. This is the menu items for the selected drug that the
pointer passed through the right border of the grid. The bordergrid
enables the printing, printing a copy, modifying the drug, seeing
the details of previous prescribing, recording an allergic reaction
of the drug, recording side effects, recording effectiveness by
selecting the clinical changes related to the drug, and providing
comprehensive information regarding the drug e.g. indications,
contraindication, interactions, prescribing in pregnancy, cost of
the drug, mode of action, generic name etc. It also allows the
adding of new drugs, and may show the total number of current
drugs, and previous drugs (these menu items are not shown) that the
patient has been prescribed. If the user moves the pointer over the
menu item providing information, it may either open a further
qualifier grid in the form of a HCG or it may present the
information in text form in a text window which then would have the
relevant word or phrases useful to record accessible as described
in the clinical history grid, via a bordergrid for each word or
phrase. These two methods of data presentation may be used as the
right hand grid for any bordergrid menu item that provides
additional information regarding its given subject. Multimedia
files (animation, video, sound, pictures) may also be shown in the
right hand grid space or elsewhere on the screen to illustrate the
information in the most effective manner.
[0398] To add a new drug the pointer would be moved horizontally
across from "add a new drug" 226, across "drugs used in infections"
and out of a list (not shown) "Erythromycin 500 mg tablets" would
be selected. Then a sequential HCG grid is used where related
qualities of a particular description of a certain process is
arranged in a left to right sequence, e.g. number 229, frequency
230, route 231, quantity 232, review 233, type of prescription 234.
Thus by completing a horizontal movement across, the six
descriptive features necessary for a GP to qualify the drug is
recorded by a single zeroclick at the end. 236 allows free text to
be added per feature via a character grid appearing underneath. If
the user preferred there would also be the ability to search for a
particular drug using the HCG search facility described with the
find icon, thus by a text search the exact hierarchical data of the
drug would be found.
[0399] The adding of new details 273 may be done using the
traditional HCG or the management protocol method FIG. 61 as
already described. The user may also use the find icon method of
the HCG to find the particular term searched for by text search in
its hierarchical location. Full implementation of the user feedback
principle of providing the user with full information regarding the
significance of activating a particular function, and the ability
to reverse that function. Thus as previously described, as
information is being recorded or even about to be recorded the
program is constantly providing user feedback of the significance
of recording that data. It will use all the stored data, and
correct management protocols to feed back appropriate diagnostic
and management steps to the doctor. The user may quickly undo that
function in the location that the zeroclick was done (e.g. a second
zeroclick to remove data in the HCG)
[0400] Zeroclick features illustrated by the Medical Program
[0401] 1 When recording changes in clinical data, the Zeroclick
methods may provide the full implications of the change in clinical
data with reference to diagnosis and management. The range of
differential diagnosis may be changed, the order of the
differential diagnosis may be changed (if ordered on probability),
the range of medical management (information, advice,
investigations, procedures, medicines, operations etc) may be
changed, the order of the management may be changed (i.e. evidence
based medicine may suggest a different management order precisely
tailored to the patient's condition), the prognosis may be changed.
The analysis may be based on analysing the details under a single
condition or all conditions.
[0402] 2 The Zeroclick Method would allow the doctor to reverse the
change in data in the vicinity of the selection of the data.
[0403] 3. The doctor may move over additional data to get further
information or use that data as a means of recording further
information for the patient.
[0404] 4. The presentation of data may be tailored to the user's
feedback needs. The data display for recorded data may reflect the
user's preference. The list of data categorised by column in the
multi columned grid may be adjusted. The data shown by the
bordergrid items may be adjusted. The date may be adjusted to be
chronological. The grid's and bordergrid's behaviour of expanding
and contracting in size may be adjusted to maximise the
effectiveness of multiple zeroclicks being activated. The user may
switch on or off the zeroclick, and the controls may behave with
normal point and click functionality. This allows the user to train
with the zeroclick, and get used to the functionality in their own
time.
[0405] 5. All other functions that may be implied by selection of
data may prompt the user for that function or automatically perform
the function.
[0406] 6. Multiple functions may be triggered by one movement to
provide the necessary information for the correct Zeroclick to be
performed.
[0407] 7. The flexible update structure of the HCG allows
continuous updates of information from the web by email in
background. Thus the information on the local computer is
continuously kept up to date and accurate with no time lag in the
Zeroclick method.
[0408] 8. Necessary user defined i programmer controls to increase
the efficiency of Zeroclick programming These grids show an
important principle with zeroclick programming with multiple
zeroclick controls. Care is need in planning. Once the pointer
moves from the condition grid, to the condition bordergrid to e.g.
the management grid, the principle that applies is the highlighted
grid should expand to the maximum useful size so that the doctor
may see the full functionality of that grid. However, the other
grids should decrease in size to the extent that they do not
obstruct the pointer accessing any other zeroclick grid or control,
but not shrink to such an extent that the maximal information
should be achieved by the appropriate showing of information from
each grid, to have quick access and a knowledge of the important
information from each of the grids. Thus as the pointer moves from
management grid to clinical grid to clinical protocol grid, the
sizes of the relative grids may be constantly changing to give the
optimum performance of each of the grids but also maximizing the
information from the other grid. All this shrink and expand grid
functionality may be programmed by the appropriate bordergrid so
that the optimum balance is achieved for the given user. Thus the
bordergrids may have controls for grids and bordergrid rules for
expanding and contracting, bordergrids shrinking to move out of the
way, constant resizing of grids when moving over them. The
bordergrids allow the user to adjust the columns for each grid, how
the columns respond, and the order that the information is
displayed in the grids and the functions accessed by each
bordergrid for each grid.
[0409] Background
[0410] The default structure for the HCG recording new data would
group medical problems by specialty. FIG. 56 shows the specialty
listing the normal clinical recording process for each specialty
for example the cardiovascular system, as this is the most familiar
way that doctors group conditions. The user can modify this
standard approach by adding their own classification e.g. This may
be by aetiology, body systems, or common clinical groups. FIGS. 46,
47, and 48 for example show that the HCG would enhance the standard
Read Code by having additional branching HCGs as a bordergrid or
qualifier grid from each clinical feature. The clinical features
(symptoms, signs, and investigations) would have branching
hierarchical grids in three main areas: Listing the possible
variation of that clinical feature, giving a differential diagnosis
for that clinical feature, and a management route for that symptom.
The variations list the variations in description of the clinical
feature. A row will represent a single variant of description and
this can be hierarchically arranged by several grids. The
differential diagnosis lists the possible conditions that cause the
clinical feature. The order of the differential diagnosis will be
the incidence that condition occurs with that feature. It will be
calculated initially by the differential diagnosis listing all
conditions that may have that clinical feature and then arranging
the order of that list of condition to be dependent on the incident
of the condition and the probability that that condition would have
that particular manifestation of the clinical feature. The
manifestation of the clinical feature could vary if it were a
symptom, sign or investigation. The variation of symptom could vary
in all the conventional ways that a symptom could be described.
Each different descriptive pattern could have a different
likelihood of being a cause of a certain condition. The signs could
be listed by how they could vary with regard to their descriptive
pattern. Likewise the investigations could vary with the ranges of
values or different patterns of values. Each variation could have a
probability. Thus the computer could list the differential
diagnosis with most likely probability (i.e. incidence of condition
(more common condition), to the specificity which the patient's
symptoms match the pattern of the condition or match another
condition's pattern.
[0411] The clinical feature would have a management pathway
reminding a doctor of he correct pathway to manage any one clinical
feature.
[0412] The doctor would then select the most likely diagnosis or
condition based upon the features. Having selected a condition then
the doctor would wish to record as many clinical features that
confirm that condition. This can be done because the condition will
have a bordergrid and/or qualifier grid that would allow the doctor
to add any unique clinical feature that could describe the
condition. The doctor could then order any appropriate tests to
confirm diagnosis and aid management of the condition. The doctor
then could manage the condition. This is because the system allows
exact text book data to be divided into hierarchical data in unique
description per row of each of the hierarchical grids. This data
would be classified to the nearest read code HIC as described in
the HCG section. Thus the system offers the user a recording system
which can use the latest medical information directly within the
recording system. Thus the very recording process is educational,
safe for the patient and time saving as the user has all the
information to hand.
[0413] How the medical system would store the data of the recording
system.
[0414] The normal way that the system would add data to a
particular patient record is that the doctor would record the
clinical features of a patient using a HCG. This may be any read
code clinical feature. It may be a clinical feature from a
bordergrid or qualified grid related to a clinical feature. The
doctor could order appropriate investigations (to provide further
clinical feature data) and also start an appropriate management for
that patient using the HCG. All these would normally be stored
under a condition. The program would know all the codes for
conditions and when the hierarchical data was to be saved to the
patient's notes.
[0415] The method of saving the newly added data may be any command
button in the patient's medical record. Likewise the method of
clearing the recorded data by the HCG may be any other command
button. The developer may even continue to use the bordergrid
method on the left hand border of the recorded data grid from the
HCG. This could provide menu options to save or clear the data.
They could be triggered by clicking or Zeroclicking.
[0416] Once the data is saved the computer will look for a
condition among the saved data. It would then save all the other
clinical features and management data under that condition. It
would check to see if that condition was already previously
recorded in the patient's notes. If the condition was recorded it
would give the user the option of filing the newly added data under
and in conjunction with the existing condition's data. If no
condition was specified the computer would then prompt the user to
select a condition. If the user was unsure of the condition he may
use any or the nearest read code to define that condition. It may
be any clinical feature. The user also has the option of writing a
free text description (this could done using a character grid or by
keyboard). Later the user could change the condition description
and/or the read code term to more accurately reflect the
condition.
[0417] How the Medical Program Stores the Medical Data.
[0418] The patient has their demographic fields e.g. some
illustrated in FIG. 59 (this may be all known patient data fields
or useful fields to the patient). The patient has an internal
record number (e.g. recordnum) that can relate this demographic
data to other databases. The patient also would have a NHS number
(or another government classification number that the patient could
be identified by). This demographic data also includes a drcode
field which would relate the demographic data to the registered
doctor's details (and practice details).
[0419] This recordnum then relates the patient demographic data to
the patient's conditions. This has the ability to store any further
clinical feature data within the condition. Each clinical feature
can be described with more detail. E.g. symptoms may be described
either with conventional read code qualifiers. Signs may be
described with conventional read code qualifiers. Investigations
may be described with their values and/or a descriptive implication
of their values. All these features may be described by any
qualifier or bordergrid description relevant to that clinical
feature, even free text qualifiers.
[0420] The recordnum then relates the patient's demographic data to
management of that condition. The management database has the
following fields recordnum, Description of the management, code for
the type of management (this could be ordering any investigation,
drug treatment, patient advice, procedures, operations or referrals
to other specialities) condition code--i.e. for which of the
patient's conditions was this prescribed for, management number for
the condition, date that management was actioned, memo field
storing the results of management (Further diagnostic clues, and
further management steps and when they were implemented). This
database allows the user to know every management step for a
particular condition. These may be compared to standard government
protocols and/or ideal management plans for given conditions, thus
the management of the individual patient may be compared to the
highest standards of medical care. This information would be
integrated into the recording process, and a computer feedback
monitoring the doctor's management may alert the doctor if it
deviated significantly from the standard management. Thus at the
moment of recording the doctor may be reminded of management which
may clarify the exact diagnosis of the condition, and/or the degree
of severity of the condition and/or the best management based on
the exact recorded data. The relational database structure of the
underlying medical recording needs to be sufficient to allow for
all the functions of the HCG and the recording and display of this
medical information. This is one relational structure to do this:
however, this may be done in different ways.
[0421] The Display of the Medical Data.
[0422] One of the most important observation for analysing doctors
using the computer is that the doctor needs to be informed of the
following information regarding a condition so that the doctor can
be reminded of a complete overview of the current management of a
patient's specific condition. The most important information the
doctor needs to know is the management that the patient has, the
date the management occurred and the clinical feature and/or
changes that prompted it. This management grid in the preferred
design will organise the management with the last management at the
top. However clicking on the date column heading could reverse this
to the management arranged in chronological date order. Each
management (e.g. investigation, advice, drugs, procedures,
operations) will be classified and recognised according to type by
the read code. They will also be listed numerically from the first
management step tried for the condition to the last. Thus each
group of managements may be analysed. The government can analyse
which drugs doctors use first (or investigations, or advice, or
procedures etc). These could be compared against standard
protocols. But more important the effectiveness of these
managements may be automatically checked by the computer. Although
this multiple column grid style is the preferred displayed style,
this management grid (or all or some of the other multiple column
grids shown in FIG. 52) may be arranged in the normal HCG style
rather than a multiple column style if the developer prefers.
[0423] This is done by the computer showing the next grid. This
next grid lists all the clinical features that have been previously
entered for that given condition. The doctor therefore has an
instant reminder of the clinical features that the patient has
previously described to justify the diagnosis and current
management. He could quickly see how the patient's symptoms have
changed since the last consultation as this grid give a
comprehensive view. The doctor has the option of describing how the
symptoms have changed. The grid lists enables the doctor to rapidly
record the changes in severity, value, or descriptive change for
each clinical symptom. This is done by moving the pointer over the
relevant column cell for the particular clinical feature that
changes. Pop up qualifier grids may occur by clicking or
Zeroclicking. This will allow HCG qualifiers so that for each
symptom accurate and relevant descriptive choices are available in
a hierarchical cascading grid format. The doctor can compare the
clinical feature changes with the last one recorded.
[0424] The clinical protocol grid. This reminds the doctor of all
the necessary clinical features that need to be asked or asked for
to enable the more certain diagnosis and better management of this
particular condition of the patient. It reminds the doctor of
further symptoms, signs and investigations that need to
investigated. Further qualifier grid or bordergrids could enable
these clinical features to provide HCG which could lead the doctor
down a clinical management pathway (as shown in FIGS. 52, 53 and
69). The multiple columned grid then allows the severity of these
clinical features in the protocols to be recorded (e.g. no symptom
is a useful feature). The protocol grid would also list the
appropriate investigations and drugs to be prescribed and via
qualifier grids, click or Zeroclicks enable the doctor to initiate
these with a single or minimum user pointer movement.
[0425] The drug grid shows how drugs are related according to a
condition. This is different from the management grid. It groups
all the drugs together. The figure drug menu shows how using a
bordergrid can control the drug grid with a minimum of mouse
movement and user activity. The bordergrid on the right side of the
drug menu could also be applied to the management grid and the
clinical features and protocol grids allow the relevant bordergrid
menu items to control the grids. Clicking over the headers of the
grid may allow the user the choice of how many columns should
appear in the individual grids and the contents of the bordergrid
items.
[0426] The last grid shows a traditional way of displaying medical
notes. It has a page locator for which the program calculates the
number of pages. It then displays the appropriate number of
columns. By navigating in a traditional bordergrid or HCG style
(i.e. moving the pointer over the 1-9 pages and then over the 1
page of the page locator) enables the first page to be displayed.
If the mouse is moved over the data entry then data, which was
entered as one row of data via the HCG, can be modified as a single
entry. Each line of data could be highlighted and be used as a text
bordergrid as described in the previous word processor section (222
of FIG. 52). In this case it would be a line of data rather than a
word that would be highlighted and then the Zeroclick which
triggers the bordergrid would be a horizontal movement over the
line and then a vertical movement up or down immediately in the
white space after the line. This would allow for editing of the
line of data. Any edited data would be stored so all changes to the
medical records could be traced. The right hand border of the text
box could be used as safeguard for editing of the notepad. There
could be a bordergrid which gives the user the option of saving all
the modified data (moving horizontally across into the bordergrid
and moving vertically downwards highlighting the save option of the
bordergrid--see the action grid 32 in FIG. 16 as an example) or
removing the modified changes to the text box data (moving
horizontally into the bordergrid and then vertically upwards and
highlighting the undo modified data--instead of "Delete Previous
Character"). By clicking or Zeroclicking on the upper horizontal
border (header area of the grid and all the other grids) the user
would be given the option to modify the grid by a HCG bordergrid
related to that click. The modifications could be numerous.
However, the data could be displayed in reverse order with the most
recent details first. Also the data may be displayed in a letter
form. This creates a letter style from the existing patient note
data. It is an intelligent letter creation method. It would
automatically know what the highlighted condition was and based on
the data entered in the recent consultation it would suggest the
appropriate person for the referral. It would use the existing data
of the computer to write a letter. E.g. thank you for seeing this
two year old girl toddler with the present complaint: the computer
would have deduced the description of the girl toddler from the age
and sex, and the presenting complaint would be the problem just
recorded--i.e. the management steps in the previous consultation
and the current degree of severity and/or degree of change of
clinical features and any other management steps started in the
current consultation. E.g. still poor hearing for 6 months despite
a course of erythromycin 125 mg qds for 2 weeks in a child with
glue ear. She has been commenced on Sudafed and referred to you for
assessment whether grommets are appropriate. The automatic letter
then will list all the clinical features that support the diagnosis
of glue ear. The automatic letter then will list all the management
that has been done for the glue ear in chronological order.
[0427] Other data from the other areas would be provided. Thus the
automatic letter would list a comprehensive history and management
of the current problem as the HPC. It then would write in paragraph
form under the relevant heading of the traditional clerking the
other data medical data of the patient. This could be as
comprehensive as all the data entered regarding the patient or the
user would have the option of making this data less comprehensive
by checking options on the bordergrid related to the header, under
the section user preference for referral letter. Eventually all
notes would be going electronically so that the consultant would
receive the entire patient notes and able to display it in the same
manner as the GP. The letter then would need to be very brief as in
E.g. still poor hearing . . . above, as he could rapidly find all
the information regarding the patient.
[0428] Display of the consultant's finding. The consultant (or any
other medical referral person) would just add any additional
clinical features noted that could further confirm diagnosis or aid
management of the conditions. The system would automatically record
the doctor or health professional who made the relevant
entries.
[0429] Thus every doctor's performance for every condition of every
patient they ever treated could be monitored accurately by the
changes record in clinical features that they generated with their
management. The system would be able to cost each management to the
penny, know the cost of the therapeutic management and also a cost
based on that health professional's time. This would be calculated
by the computer monitoring the time the doctor was on in each
condition for a given patient's notes, and multiplying it by the
minute rate of that health professional. The computer would know
the beginning of the consultation time, the end of the consultation
time and how long the patient was waiting. If the doctor preferred
he/she may modify the ratio of time spent on the various conditions
or even divide then evenly over the total consultation time if the
doctor left the computer in one of the patient's conditions longer
than the real time.
[0430] The HCG would be the ideal way of displaying an overview of
the all the statistical data of any population group (practice,
PCG, regional, country).
[0431] The default overview of the practice medical conditions
would not require any effort. Every condition for every patient
would be counted. The total number of patients would be the total
relevant population. By moving through the hierarchical grid, the
numbers of patients with the relevant condition or management would
be listed with the relevant read code displayed. If the user then
used the bordergrid all the qualifier data recorded under the
relevant heading could be grouped. Because of the dual
classification of data with a HIC being created for every detail
and it being related to a relevant read code, immense detail can be
analysed. E.g. user may look at the cough and see all the detail
written in the practice describing different types of cough. If a
number is Zeroclicked in association with a term via a bordergrid
then the full breakdown of the patients and their conditions can be
listed. For larger populations, percentage would be a better way
with the number of patients in brackets. This data for larger
population statistics could have the personal data omitted so that
the individual patient could only be traced by the doctor the
patient was registered with.
[0432] For the specific search, the doctor would use the HCG. An
additional HCG allows the doctor to select the population group
(i.e. the ability to select all the patient data that should be
included--demographic data and condition related data). Then the
user could select which aspects of given conditions for that given
population were need to be searched for and counted and displayed
in a given manner. All this could be done using a HCG and various
bordergrid and qualifier grids. The data searched for then could be
displayed in a traditional report.
[0433] List of Unique Features
[0434] Adding New data. This is the done with a HCG. Using the HCG
provides all the functionality of the HCG to adding medical data.
E.g. to list a few: The read code is the preferred HIC code for the
British medical classification system. This medical classification
may vary for user or developer preference. Any term and/or its HIC
may be found in a hierarchical manner without a click and/or by a
find icon without a click. Any term and/or its HIC may be recorded
with a single click and/or a Zeroclick and/or a bordergrid. Any
term and/or its HIC may have any qualifying data linked to it.
[0435] Displaying Existing Data.
[0436] All clinical features and therapies are linked to a
condition. Prompting the user with data which was previously
recorded for a given condition to see if the recorded data has
changed. Automatically linking this data to any change in
management of the condition. Generating the change in management
effectiveness from last consultations due to the recording of
clinical features of the condition. Every management for every
patient will have a cost.
[0437] Consultations will have a time element associated for every
condition and the status of the person spending the time. The
program then can assign a cost for every consultation. Every
management step will also have the ability for an additional
costing in addition to the health professional's time so that the
costs of every management step can be calculated.
[0438] Thus the calculation of cost effectiveness for every
condition treated in the NHS could be known.
[0439] The drugs will all be linked to a condition. Therefore the
compliance to protocols could be monitored accurately. The doctor
will be given all the medical knowledge to accurately record the
clinical symptoms and start the appropriate therapy in the minimum
amount of steps. The degree of certainty of diagnosis could be
recorded or estimated by computer by the correlation to the typical
textbook description. The degree of effectiveness can be measured
by improvement of clinical features. The degree of conformity of
the treatment by doctors could be compared to protocols. Thus if a
consultant elicits more clinical features suggestive of a
condition, then the consultant will have further confirmed
diagnosis. The effectiveness of the management suggested by any
doctor can be monitored. Patient subjective assessment of doctors
can be recorded. The quality of the explanation, lifestyle advice,
compliance of patient to all guidelines. Protocol
compliance--checks the given management steps with those done by
the doctor for every condition. Diagnosis match--This checks all
the recorded clinical features of the patient and tries to match
the closest match. It will check according to conditions, but also
can check all conditions. Overview search. Rapidly updatable.
[0440] locator Menu FIG. 76 The locator menu 274 may be accessed by
the FIG. 52 menu item. This can be used in conjunction with a
qualifier grid for data entry for describing location of any
object. (e.g. within the medical context this would be a picture of
a body, with parts of the body. This is in essence the applying of
a hierarchical grid which are activated by hotspots. The only
difference is the recorded data is recorded on a separate grid.
[0441] The visual recording of new medical details (the Locator
Menu) This shows a same sex diagram/picture front and back of a
body which has hotspots. Associated with each hotspot (which is
activated by the mouse moving over the body) is a cascading
hierarchical grid. The grid related to each hotspot has the
following structure: the anatomical areas and names related to the
hotspot area, the common conditions related to the area and the
ability to customise the hierarchical grid according to the needs
of the user. This user defined customisation is done by having two
modes for operating the grid; the recording mode and the modifying
mode. The modifying mode allows the grid to be customised. This
could occur by any method, but in the preferred system drag and
drop or importing. Elements can be added, moved, edited or deleted
to each grid related to the hotspot.
[0442] The locator menu has a third mode, where existing details
can be displayed. The locator menu may also be used to display the
patient's existing conditions with the medical terms positioned in
the most appropriate body location (allowing for best access and
visibility of the conditions). The default would display the
important conditions and the last consultation's conditions. They
could be highlighted in a different colour. Thus it would be easy
to recognise the last consultation. The default style would place
minor/trivial conditions under a heading of miscellaneous if they
were not seen in the last consultation. However, the user could add
different colours/font styles for the different types of clinical
conditions or recording e.g. chronic condition, recurrent
conditions, acute conditions, and trivial conditions. They would
have the option of changing the default to use the body to show all
conditions, the miscellaneous conditions alone, or any of the
combination of conditions according to which category was
selected.
[0443] Adding New Details 273 of FIG. 52 This allows either the
traditional data entry via the HCG or the previously described data
entry by the management protocol. Screening 275 and Financial
details 276 Any data which should be collected but has not been
recorded under these two headings would cause these screening or
financial items to flash. By moving the pointer over them the
relevant screening data, e.g. a missed cervical smear, will be
highlighted, or a missed claim under the financial section would be
highlighted. The other features of the bordergrids triggered by
these screening or financial items, would be a structured
classification of the relevant screening and appropriate NHS or
private claims that may be charged for the patient. This would
normally be shown underneath the important unrecorded items.
[0444] Analysis from the Medical Program.
[0445] Effectiveness of Medical Treatment may be assessed by the
following Speed of Diagnosis, Speed of Treatment, Health
Professional Manner, Effectiveness of Treatment. Cost of Medical
Treatment may be calculated by Heath Professional Staff Cost, and
the cost for the management (e.g. drugs, procedures etc). Isolation
of Problem areas in medicine; High Cost/High Effectiveness--Must
tell patients what is the best treatment, Decide what the NHS can
afford. High Cost/Low Effectiveness--Inefficiency, Inappropriate
treatment. Low Cost/High Effectiveness--Learn what is being done
right. Low Cost/Low Efficiency--Redirect fund.
[0446] Electronic Filing Tray.
[0447] This has sections for investigation. These are ordered
according to abnormality. The patient's name, the abnormal values
would be described and the reason why the investigation sent. In a
similar manner to the conditions grid, moving the mouse over the
relevant patient row would activate a left top corner of the
qualifier grid positioning the full patient details, and the full
results in a window to the right of the patient's details. Moving
towards the window would show a hierarchical grid offering the
doctor the option of various actions for the results. Clicking or
Zeroclick could access the full patient notes. The results are
automatically filed in the relevant section of the notes. Thus the
exact context of the investigation would be known. Investigations
sent electronically from the laboratory will have two ranges, the
serious range which requires immediate urgent action and the
abnormal rang, the results would be filtered according to their
severity and listed accordingly, the most immediate and severe
first. (For very abnormal results--the patient could be
automatically contacted by phone if the results came when the
primary care centre was closed, or a message activated, which would
notify the current GP immediately that action was required.) Thus
no serious investigation would ever be unnoticed in a pile of
returned results. It has a section for referral letters. These
would be listed according to whether action was required or the
letters sent just to provide further information. The letter would
be listed with letters requiring immediate urgent action first,
followed by those requiring action. For those letters which provide
additional information to that provided by the GP, these would be
listed next ordered by change of management required, referral
letters which have confirmed diagnosis, or made important
management decisions, and then routine follow ups with little
change.
[0448] The Slider Control.
[0449] By moving the pointer horizontally, for example over a
horizontal slider with measurements and/or a changing value by the
movement in the horizontal direction, enables by synchronous
movement of the slider pointer with the horizontal pointer movement
to select a certain value on the slider measurement by the slider
pointer. A rectangular area, around the slider measurement area
with the slider pointer pointing to a certain figure, either
visible or invisible would be the area within which the pointer
movement was done to move the slider pointer to a certain value.
Once the certain value was selected, moving the pointer vertically
outside this rectangular area sets the slider control at that
certain value. There would be another control area within the
control area containing the slider, which let the user zeroclick
the value to be saved. As with all zeroclick controls if the user
moved outside the larger control area containing the slider control
and save button, if the save button control area had not been
zeroclicked, the slider control would be reset to the setting prior
to the slider control being in contact with the pointer. Thus using
this form of zeroclick all values which may be represented by a
slider range may be zeroclicked.
[0450] A Zeroclick Device.
[0451] This could be a pointer device that works entirely by mouse
movement. Thus a touchpad or a touch sensitive screen may have
Zeroclicks to activate the mouse clicks by specific movements alone
over the touch sensitive pad. Thus the touch screen or touch pad
would not need any pressure sensitive component and therefore be
much cheaper to produce. Using the zeroclick methodology a control
area 1 may activate a region 2 with an additional area 3 as shown
in FIG. 67. Thus by locating a finger in the control area 1, the
region 2, additional area 3 and the two subareas 321 and 322 will
be activated and made visible if they were not already visible.
Then since the touch screen or touch pad does not require
consecutive movement of the pointer, the programming of the
subsequent movement of the pointer in the predetermined path area 3
may be jumping to area 321, then area 322. Movement of the pointer
to any other area may deactivate the zeroclick and in addition may
deactivate the control area 1. Thus unless exact finger movement is
placed sequentially on the control area 1 then subarea 321 then
subarea 322 (or any further or more complicated sequences if
required) then the control area 1 deactivates until the exact
sequence of pointer movements occurs with no touching of any other
areas. The more complicated this sequence the more impossible for
the sequence to occur by random. Optimum sequences to switch on
devices, press buttons, and deactivate devices using this
programming may be devised and thus this may be an ideal apparatus
to control any electrical components without the need for any
buttons requiring pressure. E.g. the latest mobile phones may be
just controlled by a touch screen, with programming that did not
use any pressure components. A start sequence like that showed in
FIG. 67 may activate the phone display from a very low power mode.
The touch screen e.g. LCD or TFT or any other may then show
telephone buttons. There may be a series of sequences from a
control areal button to activate pressing the sequence of phone
numbers, then another sequence of buttons to confirm this was the
intention to telephone the number. All during this time the buttons
may be informing the user what to do next e.g. to activate ringing
the phone number the control area 1 in FIG. 67 as an example may
say press me to ring the phone number, the control when the finger
was located within that area and nowhere else would generate a
message on 321 to say touch me to confirm ringing the phone number,
and then 322 would say touch me to finally confirm ringing the
phone. Thus the whole process, which relies on movement alone of
the finger, being located within each button, requires no pressure,
requires no mechanical parts, and by careful research into the
probability of different sequences being accidentally triggered by
average user, may make a phone at least as reliable as the
mechanical devices, requiring no mechanical pressure, and able to
surf the net on the phone, and control all functions using the
zeroclick technology. It may be used as pressure-less switches on
all electrical appliances, locks on cars, doors or any other
suitable function. Although having the feedback of a LCD or TFT
screen would be the preferred design, location sensitive devices
made of any suitable material which had buttons engraved on the
material may be able to use this pressure-less switch if there was
a way that a sequence of button presses known to the user may
activate a certain function. The marked buttons on the material
with appropriate labelling would provide reminders to the obvious
sequence of finger locations on the buttons to trigger the function
(this use may be for electrical appliances like switching on a
kettle having three buttons engraved on its side describing the
sequence to switch it on or switch it off--the more complicated the
more impossible for children to activate unintentionally), or not
obvious to anyone bar the owner who set the sequence--e.g. a door
lock code. Thus this zeroclick technology may be applied to any
control panel or switch on any device mechanical or electrical that
had a requirement for an electrical control panel or switch. The
more obvious application would be a computer with a touch screen,
like a notepad, which worked on the finger movements or pointer
movements, and may be used for retrieving or recording any
information in any multimedia format.
[0452] Graphical Interface.
[0453] How may specific pixel location be located using a zeroclick
method? FIG. 77 shows one method. A control area 1 containing a
zeroclick control 21 would move synchronously with the pointer. In
all directions except a south-east direction (135 degrees) the
movement of the control area 1 would be synchronous with the
pointer, but at this specific degree the pointer would be able to
move over the ZCC. Once over the control area 1, the pointer would
be able to move freely within the control area and any other
regions or additional areas activated by this control area 1. Thus
when the user wished e.g. to change a certain pixel colour from
white to red over the right little finger of the body drawing to
indicate that location, the pointer would move to that location in
horizontal and vertical movements avoiding the diagonal south east
movement. Once the pointer was over the desired pixel the user
would move the pointer in a south-east direction, the original
location of the pixel would be remembered, and may be highlighted
in a different colour e.g. blue. The user then would move over to
the zeroclick control 21 (or any other ZCC or bordergrid, qualifier
grid) and activate a zeroclick, which would then change that pixel
from white to red. Thus any pixel position may be located by a
zeroclick. The further problem of how to draw may be questioned?
How without the tedious process of repeated zeroclicking individual
pixels may a line be drawn quickly? One way may be using a
synchronous control areal as described above. The pointer may be
located at the start pixel location as described above. The user
then activates another zeroclick or a different menu item, which is
the draw function. This allows the user to move the pointer
anywhere, which draws in free text. In this circumstance there
would be no restriction of movement as in this draw mode the
control area 1 will move in all directions while the pointer is
drawing. When the user has finished drawing, the user will move
back over the line that he has just drawn. This in effect would be
a reverse zeroclick on the line that was drawn. In this way free
text drawing may be done. The reverse zeroclick may be altered to
any appropriate more complicated zeroclick. The initial pointer
movement of the zeroclick, however, would be a reverse movement
over the line just drawn previously. The program would remember the
exact point that the reverse movement occurred over the line, and
provided the zeroclick was completed as specified, that point would
represent the end of the line drawn. Thus full graphics programs,
and other zeroclick applications may be devised using the
synchronous control area 1 zeroclick control.
[0454] The application has claimed priority, which provide further
examples and programming source code, and early descriptions to
support the claims of this application.
* * * * *