Information surfacing with visual cues indicative of relevance

Abstract

A user interface through which information is proactively provided utilizes visual cues indicative of the relevance of the information that is being proactively provided. Such visual cues include sizing, color, intensity, movement, and other like visual attributes. A single discrete visual element proactively presents information to the user. The user is provided with the opportunity to define discrete events, whereby information associated with such events is presented through other discrete elements. The physical orientation of such discrete elements indicates relationships between elements. Ranking functionality identifies more immediately relevant information and the rankings of related elements are increased based upon other, contextual information with which such information is associated, and on which the importance of such information is based. Information is surfaced to provide a vector through which the user responds or utilizes such surfaced information independently of specific application programs having discrete informational focus.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for notifying a user via a graphical user interface that is physically generated on a hardware display device by a computing device, the method comprising the steps of:
 obtaining a first notification;   generating, as part of the graphical user interface, a first discrete visual element to appear as if it is floating before the user, the first discrete visual element comprising the first notification;   obtaining a second notification differing from the first notification; and   generating, as part of the graphical user interface, and proximate to the first discrete visual element, a second discrete visual element to appear as if it is floating before the user, the second discrete visual element comprising the second notification;   wherein a visual proximity of the second discrete visual element to the first discrete visual element in the graphical user interface is indicative of a relationship between the second notification and the first notification.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the visual proximity of the second discrete visual element to the first discrete visual element is such that, if the second notification is explicitly related to the first notification, the first and second discrete visual elements share an edge, and if the second notification is implicitly related to the first notification, the first and second discrete visual elements are generated with a visual gap between them. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 obtaining a third notification;   generating, as part of the graphical user interface, a third discrete visual element to appear as if it is floating before the user, the third discrete visual element comprising the third notification surrounded by multiple edges of the third discrete visual element;   wherein a proximity between a first edge of the third discrete visual element and an edge of the first discrete visual element is indicative of a relationship between the third notification and the first notification; and   wherein further a proximity between a second edge of the third discrete visual element and an edge of the second discrete visual element is indicative of a relationship between the third notification and the second notification.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first edge of the third discrete visual element is on an opposite side of the third discrete visual element from the second edge of the third discrete visual element; and
 wherein further the generating the third discrete visual element comprises generating the third discrete visual element to appear between the first and second discrete visual elements.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the first edge of the third discrete visual element forms an angle with the second edge of the third discrete visual element; and
 wherein further the generating the third discrete visual element comprises generating the third discrete visual element to appear adjacent to both the first discrete visual element and to the second discrete visual element.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein at least a portion of a first edge of the first discrete visual element is shared with at least a portion of the first edge of the third discrete visual element and a further, different portion of the first edge of the first discrete visual element is shared with at least a portion of a first edge of the second discrete visual element, the second and third visual elements having been generated with a visual gap between them if the third notification is only implicitly related to the second notification. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 obtaining a first relevance associated with the first notification;   wherein the generating the first discrete visual element comprises generating first discrete visual element to have a first size, a first shape, a first color intensity and a first transparency, wherein at least one of: the first size, the first shape, the first color intensity or the first transparency are selected based on the first relevance so as to cause the first discrete visual element to visually appear as if it is floating before the user in an opaque medium at a depth corresponding to the first relevance.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 obtaining a second relevance associated with the first notification subsequent to the obtaining the first relevance associated with the first notification; and   regenerating, as part of the graphical user interface, the first discrete visual element by modifying at least one of: the first size, the first shape, the first color intensity or the first transparency in accordance with the second relevance so as to cause the first discrete visual element to visually appear as if it is moving out of the opaque medium towards the user if the second relevance is greater than the first relevance or to visually appear as if it is moving into the opaque medium away from the user if the second relevance is less than the first relevance.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the opaque medium is an opaque gaseous material such that the generating the first discrete visual element comprises generating the first discrete visual element to visually appear as if it is floating in a container of the opaque gaseous material at the depth away from the user and being observed by the user looking into the container. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the hardware display device is an LCD monitor, and wherein further the generating the first discrete visual element comprises generating the first discrete visual element, on the LCD monitor, as a two-dimensional projection that is visually evocative of an object in a three-dimensional space. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the generating the first discrete visual element comprises generating the first discrete visual element as a three-dimensional visual element. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the hardware display device allows at least some light through such that the generating the first discrete visual element as the three-dimensional visual element comprises generating the first discrete visual element as the three-dimensional visual element in an augmented reality comprising both the generated first discrete visual element as well as physical objects behind the hardware display device visible via the at least some light passing through the hardware display device. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first notification is based on a combination of information obtained from two or more separate and independent application programs. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the generating the first discrete visual element comprises generating first discrete visual element to have a graphically reduced clarity to simulate presence of an amount of opaque medium between the first discrete visual element and the user so as to visually appear as if the first discrete visual element is floating before the user in the opaque medium at a depth corresponding to a first relevance assigned to the first notification; and
 wherein further the first discrete visual element moves within the user interface with at least one of: a translational motion or a rotational motion so as to further visually appear as if the first discrete visual element is floating before the user in the opaque medium.   
     
     
         35 . A graphical user interface, physically generated on a hardware display device by a computing device, for notifying a user, the graphical user interface comprising:
 a first discrete visual element visually appearing as if it is floating before the user and comprising a first notification; and   a second discrete visual element proximate to the first discrete visual element, the second discrete visual element visually appearing as if it is floating before the user and comprising a second notification;   wherein a visual proximity of the second discrete visual element to the first discrete visual element in the graphical user interface is indicative of a relationship between the second notification and the first notification.   
     
     
         36 . The graphical user interface of  claim 35 , wherein the visual proximity of the second discrete visual element to the first discrete visual element is such that, if the second notification is explicitly related to the first notification, the first and second discrete visual elements share an edge, and if the second notification is implicitly related to the first notification, the first and second discrete visual elements are generated with a visual gap between them. 
     
     
         37 . The graphical user interface of  claim 35 , further comprising: a third discrete visual element visually appearing as if it is floating before the user and comprising a third notification surrounded by multiple edges of the third discrete visual element;
 wherein a proximity between a first edge of the third discrete visual element and an edge of the first discrete visual element is indicative of a relationship between the third notification and the first notification; and   wherein further a proximity between a second edge of the third discrete visual element and an edge of the second discrete visual element is indicative of a relationship between the third notification and the second notification.   
     
     
         38 . The graphical user interface of  claim 35 , wherein the first discrete visual element has a first size, a first shape, a first color intensity and a first transparency, at least one of: the first size, the first shape, the first color intensity or the first transparency being selected based on a first relevance, associated with the first notification, so as to cause the first discrete visual element to visually appear as if it is floating before the user in an opaque medium at a depth corresponding to the first relevance. 
     
     
         39 . The graphical user interface of  claim 35 , wherein the first discrete visual element has a graphically reduced clarity to simulate presence of an amount of opaque medium between the first discrete visual element and the user so as to visually appear as if the first discrete visual element is floating before the user in the opaque medium at a depth corresponding to a first relevance assigned to the first notification; and
 wherein further the first discrete visual element moves within the user interface with at least one of: a translational motion or a rotational motion so as to further visually appear as if the first discrete visual element is floating before the user in the opaque medium.   
     
     
         40 . A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) device comprising liquid crystals, the liquid crystals being physically ordered to display multiple three-dimensional visual elements to visually appear as if the multiple three-dimensional visual elements are floating before a user of the LCD device, the multiple three-dimensional visual elements comprising:
 a first three-dimensional visual element comprising a first notification; and   a second three-dimensional visual element comprising a second notification;   wherein a visual proximity of the second discrete visual element to the first discrete visual element, as displayed by the physically ordered liquid crystals of the LCD device, is indicative of a relationship between the second notification and the first notification such that if the second notification is explicitly related to the first notification, the first and second three-dimensional visual element share an edge, and if the second notification is implicitly related to the first notification, the first and second three-dimensional visual element are displayed with a visual gap between them.