|Numéro de publication||US8073858 B2|
|Type de publication||Octroi|
|Numéro de demande||US 11/525,506|
|Date de publication||6 déc. 2011|
|Date de priorité||23 sept. 2005|
|État de paiement des frais||Payé|
|Autre référence de publication||CA2627718A1, CA2627718C, EP1927078A2, US20070219935, WO2007038266A2, WO2007038266A3|
|Numéro de publication||11525506, 525506, US 8073858 B2, US 8073858B2, US-B2-8073858, US8073858 B2, US8073858B2|
|Inventeurs||Lakshitha C. Surasinghe|
|Cessionnaire d'origine||Millennium It (Usa) Inc.|
|Exporter la citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Citations de brevets (5), Référencé par (2), Classifications (12), Événements juridiques (2)|
|Liens externes: USPTO, Cession USPTO, Espacenet|
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/720,119, which was filed on Sep. 23, 2005, by Lakshitha C. Surasinghe for a METHOD OF SELECTIVELY DISPLAYING DATA and is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to data processing systems and, in particular, to systems that selectively display data.
2. Background Information
In known systems that use data that are updated frequently remote users download, for example, database tables, and are provided in real time updated data for the various entries in the tables. Thus, a remote user who makes use of one or more rows of a large database table must download the entire table to display the data in the rows of interest. In the example discussed below, a remote user who is a stock trader downloads a stock trading table that includes information for thousands of stocks in thousands of table rows. The thousands of rows are updated in real time, and thus, the remote user must utilize network bandwidth and front end memory that are sufficient to download, update and maintain the stock trading table.
Many users require the information for only a relatively small number of stocks. However, their front end systems must be capable of storing, maintaining and operating the entire stock trading table. Further, their networks must be capable of supplying updates to the various users in a sufficiently timely manner to promote trading. Accordingly, many of the users are required to have systems that have capabilities that are well beyond what would be required if only the data of interest are made available. What is needed is a system and method of operation that provides to respective users data of interest out of a larger collection of data in a manner that is sufficiently timely to promote real time use and updating of the data of interest.
The invention is a system and method of selectively providing data of interest to a user and making available to the user other data that may become of interest in a manner that promotes real time use of the data. The system includes a front end driver that operates between a user front end and data processing and storage devices. The front end driver controls the providing of data to the user front end based on what is visible to a user through the user front end at refresh times. The front end driver also controls the updating of the data such that the visible data are updated during the refresh cycles, which are shorter than the times associated with refreshing, scrolling and resizing operations performed through the user front end display.
More specifically, the front end driver maintains virtual objects that contain control information for the windows and controls that are open at the user front end. The control information associated with, for example, a database table, includes the top row then visible and the total number of rows visible in the given display, that is, within the dimensions of the associated window. The front end driver sends the data for the visible rows to the user front end and thereafter updates the data for the visible rows during refresh operations that occur at intervals that are fractions of a second. If the user changes the size of the respective windows or scrolls down a table, the system updates the associated control information and provides to the user front end the data for the newly visible rows at the next refresh cycle. The user front end thus need maintain only data that correspond to the visible rows, and yet the system has available to the user all of the data from the database table in a manner that appears to the user as real time, and given the timing of operations at the user front end is essentially real time.
The invention description below refers to the accompanying drawings, of which:
A system 10 that provides data from data processing and storage devices 130 to users includes for each user a user front end 100 through which the user logs onto the system, views data, and so forth. A front end driver 120 communicates with the user front end and also with the data processing and storage devices 130, to provide user-requested data to the user front end for display. One example of such a system is a trading system that provides to the users market information, information relating to selected stocks, and so forth. The information is updated at the devices 130 frequently with information provided over a network (not shown), and the front end driver controls the updating of the displayed information at the user front end in a manner that appears to the user as real time.
A stock trading table may have thousands of rows to provide information for thousands of stocks, though a particular user may be interested in viewing the information relating to only a few of the stocks at any given time. As discussed in more detail below, the front end driver 120 operates to provide and update data that are displayed at the user's front end and essentially avoids providing or updating data that are not displayed. Further, the front end driver provides data and updates in a manner that to the user appears as if the data is available locally, in real time, such that when the user scrolls down the table, resizes the display of the table to include more rows, and so forth, the appropriate data are displayed.
This is in stark contrast to conventional subscriber systems, which provide all of the table data to the user's front end when the user opens the table (or even before opening the table) and thereafter broadcast updates such that the user front end locally updates all of the data. The front end driver of the current system thus saves network resources and bandwidth and also frees memory resources at the user front end by providing at any given time only data and updates that correspond to the user's front end display.
We explain the system 10 in terms of opening tables to display data. The system may be used with other types of data display, and is particularly adapted for use with data that are frequently updated. Thus, while the illustrative embodiment described below is directed to displaying particular entries, rows, and/or columns of a table, the system may be used to display any number of selected data items of a plurality of data items. For example, the selected data items may be particular entries of a table, particular elements of a graphic, particular colors of a palette, or any other subset of a plurality of data items as would be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Referring now also to
At the same time, the front end driver 120 creates a corresponding virtual user front end 100 v with a main window object 102 v. When the user opens, through the menu 103, a window 104 for a stock trading table 105, the front end driver opens a corresponding stock table window object 104 v and a stock table object 105 v. Similarly, when the user opens a second window 106 for a bond trading table 107, through the main window 102 or through the stock table window 104, the front end driver opens a second table window object 106 v and a corresponding table object 107 v, and so forth. The user front end 100 provides to the table objects control information, such as, for example, first table row displayed and number of rows displayed, and so forth. The front end driver then determines which rows of the respective tables are visible to the user through the user front end display.
The front end driver 120 communicates with the data processing and storage devices 130, and in a known manner downloads the data for the opened tables 105 and 107 to the associated virtual user front end, or more particularly, to the associated table window objects 104 v and 106 v, respectively. The front end driver then through the control information provided to the table objects 105 v and 107 v determines which table rows are visible in the display at the user front end. At selected refresh intervals, for example, fractions of a second, the front end driver provides to the user front end 100 the data that correspond to the rows that are determined to be then visible in the display 110. At a first refresh time after the table is opened, for example, the front end driver provides to the user front end the data for each of the visible or partially visible rows in the two opened tables.
As the data processing and storage devices 130 update data for the full tables 105 and 107, the updated data are provided to the front end driver 120. The front end driver then updates the tables and sets dirty flags 112 for the updated rows. The updated data are not provided to the user front end 100, however, until a next refresh cycle.
When a refresh timer 122 goes off, the front end driver 120 calls a Display Data function associated with the virtual user front end 100 v and does the same for every other virtual user front end (not shown). The virtual user front end 100 v Display Data function then calls, for each window object 104 v, 106 v open within it, a Window Display Data function that, in turn, calls respective Table Display Data functions for the table objects 105 v, 107 v open within the respective windows. Each Table Display Data function checks the rows of the associated full table that correspond to the rows that are visible in the user front end, to determine if any of the rows have dirty flags 112 set. If one or more flags are set, the Table Display Data function calls a GetCellData function, which provides the data for the flagged rows to the user front end. At the end of the refresh operation, the front end driver resets the dirty flags 112.
As noted, the timing of the refresh intervals differ from the timing of the table update intervals and the data transfer rates may vary as well. The table update interval timing may vary due, for example, to an amount of network traffic between the front end driver 120 and the storage devices 130, while the refresh interval may be regulated by the front end driver 120 to conform to the bandwidth and processing capacity of the user front end 100. Thus, during a table update interval large amounts of data may be provided to the front end driver 120 at a high data rate through a connection specially suited to that purpose, while the selected data may be provided to the user front end 100 at a lower data rate through a more conventional connection within the user's network.
At the user front end 100 the data for the visible rows are maintained in a memory 101 and the data for the rows that are not then visible are discarded. Accordingly, the memory need only be large enough to maintain the maximum amount of data that can be displayed at a given time in the main window 102. The user front end then displays the data held in the memory 101 in the windows 104, 106.
When a user scrolls down a displayed table, for example, table 105, the user front end 100 sends updated control information to the front end driver 120, to inform the front end driver of the new top row and the number of rows that are visible in the front end display. The front end driver then updates the control information in the associated table object, and sets dirty flags for the newly visible rows in the table that is contained in the corresponding window object. At a next refresh cycle, the front end driver provides to the user front end the data for any flagged rows, which include the newly visible rows and also any updated rows that are then still visible. As discussed, the refresh cycles occur at a rate that is selected to provide data to the user front end in what appears to the user to be real time. The data are thus provided at a rate that is faster than the scroll rate of the display, and there is no perceived delay at the user front end.
Similarly, when a user resizes a window to display more of a table, the front end driver 120 updates the control information to reflect the new number of rows and the new top visible row and flags the new rows in the table of the corresponding window object. The front end driver then provides data for flagged rows, that is, the newly visible rows as well as the updated rows that remain visible at the next refresh cycle. As discussed, the refresh operation provides the data in what appears to the user to be real time.
The user thus has available essentially at all times all of the data in the tables 105 and 107 and all of the updates to the data, while the user front end receives and stores only the data which at a given time is displayed to the user, and network resources and bandwidth are thus saved. As described, the updating of the information that is visible to the user is done at predetermined intervals, regardless of when the information is updated in the database tables, again preserving network bandwidth and resources and providing an orderly, managed flow of data to the user front end. The updating, however, occurs at a rate that provides the user with the ability to resize and/or scroll down through, for example, a table, to view other rows in what appears to the user to be real time. Remote users are thus able to view data and perform operations based on that data, without having to download and maintain locally associated data that is not then of interest.
When a user has open a plurality of windows that are nested, the respective associated virtual window objects may contain control information that pertains to what data would be visible if each window were unobstructed. Accordingly, all of the data associated with what would be visible without the nesting may be sent to the user front end 100. Alternatively, the system may send only the data associated with the portions of, in the example, the rows or columns that are actually visible within the respective windows through the nesting of the windows. Further, if some of the windows are instead “minimized” or entirely obscured, the system may but need not send the data for these windows. Thus, network bandwidth, processing resources, and memory 101 may be conserved, as appropriate, even when a large number of windows are “open” but their data contents are not then visible at the user front end 100.
The front end driver 120 may service multiple user front ends 100. To accommodate multiple users opening the same database table, the virtual window objects 104 v and 106 v will contain “row-pointer tables” rather than the full database tables. The row pointer tables contain rows that correspond to the rows of the associated database tables, and contain in the respective rows pointers to the corresponding rows of the full database table. Thus, a full database table is stored once at the front end driver and multiple pointer row tables are stored for the multiple users that are viewing the same table.
The row pointer table also includes, in the respective rows, flags that are set to indicate the rows that are visible at the user front end. The front end driver thus sets the flags based on the control information contained in the corresponding table object. The system uses the flags to determine which rows to check for updates, that is, which rows of the full database table to check for set dirty flags, during the refresh cycles.
The respective row-pointer table may also be re-arranged to correspond to the arrangement of the table at the user front end. For example, the row-pointer table may have the rows arranged in the alphabetical order of the entries in a given field of the full database table. The control information provided from the user front end corresponds to the re-arranged rows, and thus, the system readily accommodates the updating of the visible rows, scrolling down the rows, and so forth.
The system described above may be used with other control information from which the front end driver can determine the data of interest, and the system operations are thus not limited to database tables. Further, the data of interest may be selected columns of a database table or particular entries of selected table rows. The dirty flags may thus be set for the columns as well the rows. Alternatively, the system may send all column entries of interest for newly visible or updated rows.
The front end driver 120 downloads data from the data processing and storage devices 130 in a known manner in accordance with any privileges associated with the user. For example, a given user may have rights to view particular market information, and thus, the tables downloaded for this user will contain only those entries that the user is entitled to view. While the users are generally remote users and thus benefit from acquiring and maintaining the relatively small amount of data that is displayed at the user front ends, the front end driver is typically located and/or operates to communicate with the devices 130 in a manner that allows fast downloading of, for example, data for the full table, and the updating of the full table data. The network bandwidth and resources are thus freed for other system operations.
It will be appreciated from the above-described embodiment that a system embodied in accordance with the invention facilitates the development and maintenance of user front ends because almost all of the business logic is implemented in the front end driver. This provides a significant advantage in a system that includes hundreds of users but only one front end driver. In a system embodied in accordance with the invention, front end start-up is also extremely quick, essentially instantaneous. This also provides the advantage of assuring rapid access to requested data by system users.
It can thus be seen in the advantages set forth above, including those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained with the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications may be made to the specific embodiment described herein without departing from the scope of the invention.
|Brevet cité||Date de dépôt||Date de publication||Déposant||Titre|
|US6408282||15 avr. 1999||18 juin 2002||Wit Capital Corp.||System and method for conducting securities transactions over a computer network|
|US20030182220||27 sept. 2002||25 sept. 2003||Dlj Long Term Investment Corporation||Method and system for providing financial information and evaluating securities of a financial debt instrument|
|US20050075965 *||23 juil. 2002||7 avr. 2005||Stephen Cutler||Securities market and market maker activity tracking system and method|
|US20050187855||20 févr. 2004||25 août 2005||Brennan David P.||Method for analyzing trade data|
|US20060174189 *||2 févr. 2005||3 août 2006||International Business Machines Corporation||Focusing on areas of the display of tabular data through hierarchical collapsing and expanding of cell areas|
|Brevet citant||Date de dépôt||Date de publication||Déposant||Titre|
|US20090031243 *||23 juil. 2008||29 janv. 2009||Ntt Docomo, Inc.||Method and apparatus for controlling display of windows|
|WO2015191180A1 *||1 mai 2015||17 déc. 2015||Google Inc.||Display mode based media player switching|
|Classification aux États-Unis||707/757|
|Classification internationale||G06F17/30, G06F7/00, G06Q10/00|
|Classification coopérative||G06Q10/06, G06F17/3048, G06Q40/04, G06Q10/10|
|Classification européenne||G06F17/30S4P4C, G06Q10/06, G06Q40/04, G06Q10/10|
|8 juin 2007||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: MILLENNIUM IT (USA) INC., NEW JERSEY
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:SURASINGHE, LAKSHITHA C.;REEL/FRAME:019402/0862
Effective date: 20070601
|8 juin 2015||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4