Patent Publication Number: US-10769120-B2

Title: Systems and methods for dynamically updating a user interface

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     There are numerous contexts in which people, and often teams of people, need to keep track of numerous pieces of information in connection with an ongoing investigation or other project. Failure to do so effectively and efficiently can result in details being missed. In the context of law-enforcement investigations, the consequences of such failures can be quite serious. 
     OVERVIEW 
     Disclosed herein are systems and methods for dynamically updating a user interface. One embodiment takes the form of a method that includes displaying, via a user interface of a computing device, a database-coordination workspace that includes a database-access area and a working area. The database-access area includes multiple selectable database-access elements that correspond to respective databases. Each database-access element is operable to display within the working area a database-management window for the corresponding database. The method also includes receiving, via the user interface, selections of the database-access elements, and responsively displaying a corresponding database-management window in the working area. When at least one database-management window is currently displayed in the working area, the working area is collectively fully occupied by the one or more currently displayed database-management windows, and each currently displayed database-management window initially occupies a predetermined respective fraction of the working area. 
     Another embodiment takes the form of a system that includes a communication interface; a user interface; a processor; and data storage containing instructions executable by the processor for carrying out at least the functions described in the preceding paragraph. Yet another embodiment takes the form of a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by the processor for carrying out at least those functions. 
     A number of variations and permutations of the above-listed embodiments are described herein. Moreover, it is expressly noted that any variation or permutation that is described in this disclosure can be implemented with respect to any type of embodiment. For example, a variation or permutation that is primarily described in connection with a method embodiment could just as well be implemented in connection with a system embodiment and/or a CRM embodiment. Furthermore, this flexibility and cross-applicability of embodiments is present in spite of any slightly different language (e.g., process, method, steps, functions, set of functions, and the like) that is used to describe and/or characterize such embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description, which is presented by way of example in conjunction with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals are used across the drawings in connection with like elements. 
         FIG. 1  depicts an example communication context that includes an example workstation, in accordance with at least one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  depicts an example architecture of the example workstation of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with at least one embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a flowchart of a method, in accordance with at least one embodiment. 
         FIGS. 4-38  depict various different screenshots, in accordance with various different embodiments. 
     
    
    
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference is made below to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, which are described below. The embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise form disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their teachings. Therefore, no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended. 
     In some instances throughout this disclosure and in the claims, numeric modifiers such as first, second, third, and fourth are used in reference to various components, data such as various identifiers, and/or other elements. Such use is not intended to denote or dictate a specific or required order of the elements. Rather, this numeric terminology is used to assist the reader in identifying the element that is being referenced and in distinguishing that element from other elements, and should not be narrowly interpreted as insisting upon any particular order. 
     Moreover, before proceeding with this detailed description, it is noted that the entities, arrangements, and the like that are depicted in—and described in connection with—the various drawings are presented by way of example and not by way of limitation. As such, any and all statements or other indications as to what a particular drawing “depicts,” what a particular element or entity in a particular drawing “is” or “has,” and any and all similar statements—that could in isolation and out of context be read as absolute and therefore limiting—can only properly be read as being constructively (unless actually) preceded by a clause such as “In at least one embodiment, . . . .” And it is for reasons akin to brevity and clarity of presentation that this implied leading clause is not repeated ad nauseum in this detailed description. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The entire disclosure of each of the following patent applications is hereby incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/217,385, filed Sep. 11, 2015 and now expired, entitled “Systems and Methods for Tracking Information;” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/232,724, filed Sep. 25, 2015 and now expired, entitled “Systems and Methods for Tracking Information;” International Patent Application No. PCT/US2016/050885, filed Sep. 9, 2016, published Mar. 16, 2017 under International Publication No. WO 2017/044697 A1, and entitled “Systems and Methods for Tracking Information;” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/758,909, filed Mar. 9, 2018, entitled “Systems and Methods for Tracking Information.” 
       FIG. 1  depicts an example communication context  100  in which embodiment of the present systems and methods could be carried out. The communication context  100  includes a computing system (e.g., a laptop computer)  102  associated with a user  101 . The computing system  102  includes a display  104 , and is communicatively connected via a communication link  110  with a server  112  that is associated with a law-enforcement-agency (LEA) database  113 . The computing system  102  is also communicatively connected via a communication link  106  to a data network  108 , which could be an IP-based network such as the Internet and/or one or more other private and/or public data networks. As used herein, a “communication link” includes one or more wired-communication (e.g., Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and/or the like) links and/or one or more wireless-communication (e.g., LTE, Wi Fi, Bluetooth, and/or the like), and may also include any suitable number of relay devices such as routers, switches, bridges, and/or the like. 
     The communication context  100  also includes a cloud-based system  116  that is connected to the data network  108  via one or more communication links  114 . The cloud-based system  116  includes multiple servers  140 ,  142 ,  144 , and  146  and associated data stores, all of which communicate with one another via a LAN or other private network (e.g., VPN)  138 . The communication context  100  also includes a server  148  having an associated LEA data store  154 . The server  148  is connected to the cloud-based system  116  via a data link  150  and to the data network  108  via a communication link  152 . 
     Furthermore, the communication context  100  includes an LEA facility  120  that includes a network access server (NAS)  124  via which the LEA facility  120  is connected to the data network via a communication link  122 . The NAS may include VPN and firewall capabilities, among other functions. The NAS  124  is connected on an internal interface to a LAN  126 . Also connected to the LAN  126  are an LEA database  128 , a workstation  130  associated with a user  129 , a workstation  132  associated with a user  131 , a workstation  134  associated with a user  133 , a workstation  136  associated with a user  135 , and a workstation  139  associated with a user  137 . Any number of workstations and any number of users could be present in various different situations. Also, the connections of the various workstations to the LAN  126  could be wired or wireless. Furthermore, workstations may not be permanently associated with particular users, as different users may be able to log in and out of various workstations and accordingly gain differing levels of access, visibility, read/write privileges, and/or the like, depending on their respective account configurations. 
     The present systems and methods that are described herein could be carried out using a computing system such as the computing system  102 , one of the workstations  130 - 138 , and/or any other device that is suitably equipped, programmed, and configured to be able to perform the functions described herein. By way of illustration, embodiments of the present systems and methods are described in connection with the ensuing figures according to an example in which a user is using the workstation  130  at the LEA facility  120 . Further, although in various different embodiments the databases described herein could reside in any local and/or networked servers (e.g., one or more of the servers  140 - 146  in the cloud-based system  116 , the present systems and methods are primarily described herein using an example scenario in which all of the described databases are resident on the LEA database  128 . As such, the workstation  130  could have Internet connectivity via the NAS  124 , but does not need to have it in order to carry out the present systems and methods. 
       FIG. 2  depicts an example architecture of the workstation  130 . In  FIG. 2 , the workstation  130  includes a communication interface  202 , a processor  204 , a data storage  206 , and a user interface  208  that includes a display  210 , all of which are communicatively connected to one another via a system bus  212 . The communication interface  202  could include one or more components such as Ethernet cards and/or the like for wired communication and/or one or more components such as Wi-Fi chips and/or the like for wireless communication. The processor  204  could be a general-purpose microprocessor such as a central processing unit (CPU). The data storage  206  could be or include any suitable non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) such as memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM)), flash memory, a solid-state drive, and/or the like), and may contain instructions executable by the processor  204  for carrying out the functions described herein. The user interface  208 , in addition to the display  210 , may include one or more output devices such as speakers, indicator LEDs, and/or the like, and may further include one or more input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, a microphone, and/or the like. 
       FIG. 3  depicts a method  300  that is carried out by the workstation  130  in the below-described examples, though the method  300  could instead be carried out by one or more other suitable computing devices or combinations of such devices. The method  300  and various permutations thereof are described below in connection with  FIG. 3 , but also with reference to the screenshots that are depicted in  FIG. 4  through  FIG. 38 . 
     At step  302 , the workstation  130  displays a database-coordination workspace via the display  210  of the user interface  208 . An example initial screen of a database-coordination workspace  400  is depicted in  FIG. 4 , which shows the database-coordination workspace  400  as including a title bar  402 , a working area  404 , a databases UI element  406 , a calendar UI element  408 , a chat UI element  410 , a reports UI element  412 , and admin UI element  414 , and a logout UI element  416 . The function of the  406  is described below in connection with  FIG. 5 . The UI elements  408 - 410  are operable to launch and/or bring to the foreground associated modules related respectively to calendar functions, a chat interface, reporting capabilities, and administrative functions. The logout UI element  416  is operable to log a current user out of the database-coordination workspace  400 . The title bar  402  includes a minimize element  418 , a restore element  420 , and a close element  422 . 
     As part of step  302 , the workstation  130  displays a DCW that includes a database-access area and a working area.  FIG. 5  shows the DCW displaying those elements as a result of receiving a user selection (i.e., a UI input) of the databases UI element  406 , which is operable to toggle between displaying and hiding a database-access area  500 . Hereinafter, a click (and sometimes a double click) is used as an example user-selection input. This is by way of example and not limitation, and includes selection by tapping on a touchscreen as just one example. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the database-coordination workspace  400  includes the database-access area  500  that includes selectable user-interface elements  501 - 514  that are respectively associated with opening databases numbered 1-14 in this example. Any number of databases could be used in any given implementation. By way of example and for ease of explanation, the selectable UI elements  501 - 514  are referred to hereinafter as buttons  501 - 514 . Each of the buttons  501 - 514  is operable to display within the working area  404  a respective database-management window for the corresponding database. Examples are described below. 
     At step  304 , the workstation  130  receives, via the user interface  208 , selections of the buttons  501 - 514 . At step  306 , responsive to each such selection, the workstation  130  displays in the working area  404  a corresponding database-management window. As will be shown by way of example in connection with the numerous embodiments described herein, when at least one database-management window is currently displayed in the working area  404 , the working area  404  is collectively fully occupied by the one or more currently displayed database-management windows, and furthermore, each currently displayed database-management window initially occupies a predetermined respective fraction of the working area  404 . 
     In some cases, each currently displayed database-management window initially occupies an equal fraction of the working area. In such embodiments, when there is only one open DMW, that DMW occupies the entire working area  404 , when there is exactly two open DMWs, they each occupy half of the working area  404 , when there are exactly three open DMWs, they each occupy a respective third of the working area  404 , and so forth. 
     In other instances, the predetermined respective fraction of the working area that is initially occupied by a given currently displayed database-management window is different than the predetermined respective fraction of the working area that is initially occupied by at least one other currently displayed database-management window. Thus, in one such example, a first-opened DMW occupies one third of the working area  404 , and then a second-opened DMW occupies the remaining two thirds of the working area  404 . And clearly numerous other examples could be listed here. In at least one such case, the amount of the working area  404  that is initially occupied by a given DMW is determined by one or more of what are referred to herein as working-area-occupancy requirements of that database-management window. For example, in an embodiment, if a given DMW only requires a certain amount of width of the working area  404  in a given configuration, that DMW is initially displayed in a manner that only occupies that required amount of width. In some cases, this width requirement is determined by a data field in the particular DMW. 
     As is the case between  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , for the most part, the screenshot figures that are described herein relate to one another sequentially—e.g.,  FIG. 5  depicts the result of a click on the  406  in  FIG. 4 . Such is the case with  FIG. 4  through  FIG. 16 : starting with  FIG. 5  in that group, each figure in that group depicts the result of a particular UI input (e.g., click) on the previous figure. Those UI inputs are specified in the below descriptions of those figures. 
       FIG. 17  through  FIG. 24  are not sequentially related in that manner; rather each of those figures shows a particular one or more features that are present in at least one embodiment. In other words, the state of the database-coordination workspace  400  is substantially the same in each of  FIG. 16  through  FIG. 24  inclusive. The sequential nature of the figures then picks up again, as  FIG. 25  depicts a result of a particular click being received in the state of the database-coordination workspace  400  that is depicted in  FIG. 16 . This continues through  FIG. 32 . Thereafter, a new sequence begins and extends through the remaining figures, numbered  FIG. 33  through  FIG. 38 . This sequence begins with  FIG. 33  showing the same state of the database-coordination workspace  400  that is depicted in  FIG. 22 . 
     Returning now to  FIG. 6 , there is shown the result of a click in  FIG. 5  on the open-database-1 (DB1) button  501  (the “ODB1  501 ”). This results in the display in the entirety of the working area  404  of a DB1 DMW  601 , which includes a title bar  651  that itself includes a minimize element  620  and a close element  622 . With respect to DMWs in this disclosure, it can be seen in the figures that each one includes a respective minimize element and a respective close element in their respective title bars. These are not explicitly numbered in the ensuing figures. Moreover, it should be understood that the use of language regarding such DMWs being closed or minimized is a reference to these respective UI elements of those respective DMWs being clicked on. Moreover, as is the case in a number of the ensuing figures, the contents of DB1 that are shown in the DB1 DMW  601  are referred to only generally in  FIG. 6  as “DATABASE 1 INFORMATION.” In at least one embodiment, one or more of the database-management windows includes one or more database-management elements for one or both of viewing and editing information in the corresponding database. 
       FIG. 7  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 6  on the ODB2  502 . The working area  404  is occupied in respective halves by the DB1 DMW  601  and the DB2 DMW  602 , the latter of which corresponds to DB2. The DB2 DMW  602  has a title bar  652 . As can be seen, in the embodiment described here, the newly opened DB2 DMW  602  opened to the right of the DB1 DMW  601  that was already open. This is by way of example only, as certainly other approaches such as to the left, above, or under the already open DMW could instead be used. 
       FIG. 8  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 7  on the ODB5  505 . The newly opened DB5 DMW  605  has a title bar  655 , and opened to the right of the already open DB1 DMW  601  and DB2 DMW  602 . The working area  404  is occupied in respective thirds by the DB1 DMW  601 , DB2 DMW  602 , and the DB5 DMW  605 . In some embodiments, the lefthand column that contains the UI elements  406 - 416  and the database-access elements  501 - 514  can be minimized, causing the size of the working area  404  on the database-coordination workspace  400  to commensurately increase. It is further noted that the respective display sizes of the various DMWs and other elements that are described herein are computed in at least one embodiment using available pixel dimensions and accordingly dividing those available pixel dimensions by the number of, e.g., DMWs, to obtain a display size in pixels for each given UI element. Those of skill in the art are familiar with such arithmetic. 
       FIG. 9  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 8  on the ODB8  508 , which corresponds to DB8. In some embodiments, the working area is configured to concurrently display at most a working-area limit of database-management windows. In this embodiment being described in this sequence of figures, that limit is three. As such, when the three DMWs described in connection with  FIG. 8  were already displayed in the working area  404  and a click on the ODB8  508  was received, the system responsively adds a staging area  900  to the database-coordination workspace  400 . Moreover, the previously displayed DB5 DMW  605  is minimized into a DMW shortcut DB5  905  in the staging area  900 , which in  FIG. 9  is displayed next to and to the right of the working area  404  on the database-coordination workspace  400 . In at least one embodiment, DMW shortcuts have the appearance of being title bars without corresponding windows. Other options could be implemented as well, such as thumbnails and others. Moreover, in addition to minimizing the DB5 DMW  605  into the DMW shortcut DB5  905  in the staging area  900 , the system displays the newly selected DB8 DMW  608  in the righthand third of the working area  404 . The DB5 DMW  605  has a title bar  658 . 
     The transition between  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment in which the staging area  900  is not displayed on the database-coordination workspace  400  until it is needed—i.e., until one of the two events happens: either a DMW that is currently displayed in the working area  404  gets manually minimized by a user input, or the working area  404  is already at capacity and a user input is received that requests opening of a DMW associated with another database. In such embodiments, the working area  404  is dynamically shrunk whenever the staging area  900  is displayed and is dynamically re-expanded whenever the staging area is empty and therefore removed from the database-coordination workspace  400 . 
     In other embodiments, however, the staging area is always displayed on the database-coordination workspace regardless  400  of whether one or more database-management windows are currently minimized as DMW shortcuts. In still other embodiments that are described below, the staging area is never permanently displayed even when it contains one or more DMW shortcuts; rather it is hidden using a toggleable button or other UI control. 
       FIG. 10  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 9  on the DOB12  512 . This causes the DB12 DMW  612  (having a title bar  662 ) to take over the righthand third of the working area  404 , and also causes the DB8 DMW  608  to be minimized into a DMW shortcut DB8  908  in the staging area  900  along with the DMW shortcut DB5  905  that was already there. It is noted that, in the depicted embodiment, DMW shortcuts in the staging area  900  remain sorted in the same order in which the corresponding buttons appear in the database-access area  500 . In this example, that order is alphabetical, though it could be according so some priority ranking, most recently used (MRU), or some other approach deemed suitable for a given implementation. Moreover, although this is not the case in the embodiments depicted in the figures, in some embodiments the DMWs that are displayed at any given time in the working area  404  are displayed according to that common order as well. 
       FIG. 11  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 10  to close the DB12 DMW  612 . This results in a split between the DB1 DMW  601  and the DB2 DMW  602  in the working area  404 , with the DMW shortcuts DB5  905  and DB8  908  still staged in the staging area  900 . 
       FIG. 12  matches  FIG. 10 , showing the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 11  on the ODB12  512  to reopen the DB12 DMW  12 . 
       FIG. 13  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 12  on the DMW shortcut DB8  908 . This results in a swap between DB8 and DB12, where the DB8 DMW  608  takes over the righthand third of the working area  404 , and the DB12 DMW  612  gets minimized to a DMW shortcut DB12  912  in the staging area  900 . 
       FIG. 14  shows a further swap between DB5 and DB8, resulting from the database-coordination workspace  400  having received a click in  FIG. 13  on the DMW shortcut DB5  905 . The result of this is that the DB5 DMW  605  takes over the righthand third of the working area  404 , while the DB8 DMW  608  gets minimized into the DMW shortcut DB8  908 . 
       FIG. 15  shows the cycle come all the way around again via a swap between DB5 and DB12, resulting from database-coordination workspace  400  having received a click in  FIG. 14  on the DMW shortcut DB12  912 . The result of this is that the  612  takes over the righthand third of the working area  404 , while the  608  gets minimized into the  908 . 
       FIG. 16  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 15  on the ODB4  504 , resulting in the DB4 DMW  604  (having a title bar  654 ) taking over the righthand third of the working area  404 , and resulting in the minimization of the DB12 DMW  612  into the DMW shortcut DB12  912  in the staging area  900 . This substantive state of the database-coordination workspace  400 —i.e., with the working area  404  split three ways between the DB1 DMW  601 , the DB2, DMW  602 , and the DB4 DMW  604 , and further with the staging area containing the three DMW shortcuts DB5  905 , DB8  908 , and DB12  912 , is maintained throughout  FIG. 17  through  FIG. 24  for illustration of various other features in various embodiments. 
     In some embodiments, the database-coordination workspace  400  visually indicates in the database-access area  200  which (if any) one or more of the corresponding databases are currently displayed in the working area  404 , which (if any) one or more of the corresponding databases are currently minimized to DMW shortcuts in the staging area  900 , and which (if any) of the corresponding databases are neither. 
       FIG. 17  depicts an embodiment in which these statuses are represented with different types of icons. Checkmark icons  1701 ,  1702 , and  1704  respectively indicate that the databases DB1, DB2, and DB4 are currently displayed as DMWs in the working area  404 . Tilde icons  1705 ,  1708 , and  1712  respectively indicate that the databases DB5, DB8, and DB  12  are currently minimized to respective DMW shortcuts in the staging area  900 . A lack of icon next to every other button indicates that those respective databases are neither. 
       FIG. 18  depicts an embodiment in which these statuses are represented with different colors highlighting the corresponding buttons. A first color highlights the buttons  501 ,  502 , and  504 , while a second color highlights the buttons  505 ,  508 , and  512 , and no color is used to highlight the remaining buttons. In other embodiments, colored fonts are used instead of or in addition to colored highlight fills of the buttons. 
       FIG. 19  depicts an embodiment in which these statuses are represented less granularly, in that all of the buttons corresponding to the active and minimized databases have simply been removed from what is labeled in  FIG. 19  as the dynamic database-access area  1900 . Such an embodiment may make it easier for a user to quickly ascertain which databases are currently closed, as opposed to having the entire list on the lefthand side of the screen the entire time, though there are certainly benefits to that as well. 
       FIG. 20  shows an embodiment in which two additional functional modules are displayed on the database-coordination workspace  400 . The first of those two is an upcoming-events module  2002  that displays event data, perhaps in integration with the calendar UI element  408  and with one or more databases that relate to time-and-date-type events. The second is a chat window  2004  that displays a chat interface, which users of the system at different workstations and in various different locations could use to communicate with one another securely through the system. In some embodiments, one or both of the upcoming-events module  2002  and the chat-window module  2004  are displayed on the database-coordination workspace  400  at all times. 
     Most of the embodiments described above include the staging area, when displayed, shown as a right-side column next to the working area  404  on the database-coordination workspace  400 . In some embodiments, however, as mentioned above, the staging area is toggleable with respect to being displayed or not using a staging-area-toggling user-interface element. 
       FIG. 21  shows one such embodiment. It is noted in the database-coordination workspace  400  of  FIG. 21  that the working area  404  is able to take up significantly more area of the database-coordination workspace  400  than in embodiments in which the staging area  900  is displayed. Moreover, the database-coordination workspace  400  of  FIG. 21  also includes a resources bar  2100  across the top of the database-coordination workspace  400 , positioned where the ribbon feature of many Microsoft Office products and the favorites bar of many web browsers, as well as the toolbars of numerous native and web-based applications are commonly positioned. As depicted in  FIG. 21 , the resources bar  2100  includes a number of resource-bar buttons  2102 , though  2210 , including a staging-area-control button  2108 . In  FIG. 21 , the depiction is of the database-coordination workspace  400  with the display of any staging area currently toggled off. 
       FIG. 22  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 21  on the staging-area-control button  2108 , resulting in display of a staging area  2112  that includes the aforementioned DMW shortcuts DB5  905 , DB8  908 , and DB12  912 . In the depiction of  FIG. 22 , the staging area  2112  overlays a portion of the working area  404 . Moreover, the staging area  2210  is attached to (though obscuring) the  2108  in the fashion of a dropdown menu. 
       FIG. 23  is quite similar to  FIG. 22 , other than that a staging area  2114  is shown as being detached from the  2108 , though having the same content as the  2112  of  FIG. 21 . In some detached-staging-area embodiments, the  2114  is movable by the user; in others it is not. Either way, some users may prefer a more central display of the staging area as compared with  FIG. 21 , while certainly others will prefer the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 21 . 
     This description now returns to the sequence of screenshots that is discussed above prior to the description of  FIG. 17  through  FIG. 23 . 
       FIG. 24  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 16  on the DMW shortcut DB8  908 . This results in a swap between DB4 and DB8, with the DB8 DMW  608  taking over the righthand third of the staging area  900 , and with the DB4 DMW  604  being minimized to the DMW shortcut  904  in the staging area  900 . 
       FIG. 25  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 24  on the ODB7  507 , resulting in the DB8 DMW  607  (having a title bar  657 ) taking over the righthand third of the working area  404 , and resulting in the DB8 DMW  608  being minimized to the DMW shortcut DB8  908  in the staging area  900 . 
       FIG. 26  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 25  on the ODB3  503 , resulting in the DB3 DMW  603  (having a title bar  653 ) taking over the righthand third of the working area  404 , and resulting in the DB7 DMW  607  being minimized to the DMW shortcut DB7  907  in the staging area  900 . 
       FIG. 27  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a minimization in  FIG. 26  of the DB2 DMW  602 , resulting in the DB1 DMW  601  and the DB3 DMW  603  splitting the working area  404 , an also resulting in the DB2 DMW  602  being minimized to the DMW shortcut DB2  902  in the staging area  900 . Furthermore,  FIG. 27  shows the DB1 DMW  601  as including a first tab  2702  called List Data and a second tab  2704  called Add New. The List Data tab  2702  is associated with a first DB1 sub-window (SW)  2706 , which is displayed in the foreground in  FIG. 27 . The Add New tab  2704  is associated with a second DB1 sub-window that is not in the foreground in  FIG. 27 . Moreover, the DB2 DMW  603  includes a List Tab  2712  associated with a DB3 DMW  2716  that is also displayed in the foreground in  FIG. 27 , and DB2 DMW  603  also includes an Add New Tab  2714  that is associated with a second DB3 sub-window that is not in the foreground in  FIG. 27 . 
       FIG. 28  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 27  on the Add New tab  2702  in the DB1 DMW  601 . In an embodiment, the Add New tab  2702  can be used to add a new record to DB1, while the Add New tab  2712  can be used to add a new record to DB3. The selection of the Add New Tab  2704  results in foreground display of a DB1 sub-window  2802  that includes a data field  2804 , a data field  2806 , a data field  2808 , and a data field  2810 , as well as a Save button  2814  and a Cancel button  2816 . 
     Each of the four data fields  2804 - 2810  have a certain predetermined display width. The greatest of those belongs to the data field  2810 , which has a required field width  2812 . As can be seen in  FIG. 28 , the DB1 DMW  601  has been reduced to a width  2818  to accommodate that maximum required field width  2812  among the fields of the DB1 sub-window  2802 , and the remainder of the width of the working area  404  has been allocated to the DB3 DMW  603 . This occurs dynamically in response to the user selection of the Add New tab  2704  of the DB1 DMW  601 . 
       FIG. 29  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 28  on the Add New tab  2714  of the DB3 DMW  603 . This results in the foreground display of a DB3 sub-window  2902  that is associated with the Add New tab  2714 . The DB3 sub-window  2902  includes a data field  2904 , a data field  2906 , a data field  2908 , and a data field  2910 , as well as a Save button  2912  and a Cancel button  2914 . In response to receiving the user selection of the Add New tab  2714  when the Add New tab  2704  was already selected, the system dynamically evenly splits the available width of the working area  404  between the DB1 DMW  601  and the DB3 DMW  603 . 
       FIG. 30  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received clicks (in either order) that minimized the DB1 DMW  601  to the DMW shortcut DB1  901  in the staging area  900 , and that selected the List Data tab  2712  in the DB3 DMW  603 . These clicks resulted in display of the DB3 MW  603  occupying the whole working area  404 , and furthermore in  FIG. 30  additional detail is shown as to what a List Data sub-window looks like in at least one embodiment. The DB3 sub-window  2716  is shown as including a table  3000  that includes four columns for four different data properties  3004 ,  3006 ,  3008 , and  3010  listed in a header row  3002  of the table  3000 . Moreover, data records are represented in rows  3012  through  3028 , with vertical ellipses shown therein to indicate that an arbitrary number of records could be stored. 
     In an embodiment, the database-coordination workspace  400  is used to coordinate law-enforcement investigations, and the databases are interrelated with one another and collectively pertain to a particular law-enforcement investigation at a given time. In an embodiment, instead of the 14 databases described by way of example in connection with most of the herein-described embodiments, the following 28 databases are implemented in connection with various example implementations of the present systems and methods:
         1. Addresses   2. Add Requests   3. Arrests   4. Bank Accounts   5. Branding of Drugs   6. Cell Site   7. Coded Words   8. Commercial Flights   9. Credit Cards   10. Drug Transactions   11. Emails   12. Export As   13. Fire Arms   14. Luggage Tags   15. Meta Data   16. Miscellaneous   17. Money Transactions   18. Money Wires   19. Names Mentioned   20. Package Tracking   21. Plane Info   22. Players Involved   23. Private Flight Plans   24. Seizures   25. Subscribers Info   26. Target Info   27. Vehicles   28. Vocabulary       

     Those of skill in the art will appreciate the usefulness of the present systems and methods in connection with law-enforcement investigations that involve databases such as those. In some embodiments, one or more of those databases are linked with one another, such that updates to one automatically result in updates to one or more others. In some cases these are one-way updates (i.e., populations of data), whereas in other cases these updates are two-way (i.e., syncs). 
     Some additional user-interface features of various embodiments of the present systems and methods are now described below.  FIG. 31  (with reference back to  FIG. 30 ) and  FIG. 32  depict what is referred to herein as a vertical mode, while the remaining figures,  FIG. 33  through  FIG. 38  depict and are described in connection with what is referred to herein as the “3-1-4” feature. 
       FIG. 31  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a double click in  FIG. 30  on the title bar  653  of the DB3 DMW  603 . It is also noted that, in the state of the DCW as depicted in  FIG. 30 , the staging area  900  included the six DMW shortcuts DB1  901 , DB2  902 , DB4  904 , DB5  905 , DB7  907 , DB8  908 , and DB12  912 . The double click in  FIG. 30  on the title bar  653  of the DB3 DMW  603  results in seven DMWs being depicted in a vertically scrollable arrangement, as depicted in  FIG. 31 , where a bottom portion of the DB5 DMW  605  and a top portion (including the title bar  657 ) of the DB7 DMW  607  can be seen. 
     Also depicted in  FIG. 31  is a vertical scroll bar  3102  having a scroll-up arrow  3104 , a scroll-down arrow  3106 , and a scroll element  3108 , all of which can be used to effect vertical scrolling through the set of seven DMWs that from top to bottom includes the DB1 DMW  601 , the DB2 DMW  602 , the DB3 DMW  603 , the DB4 DMW  604 , the DB5 DMW  605 , the DB7 DMW  607 , the DB8 DMW  608 , and the DB12 DMW  612 . In the embodiment that is depicted in  FIG. 31 , the working area  404  has been allocated additional room due the removal of the (now-empty) staging area  900 . 
       FIG. 32  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a double click in  FIG. 31  on the title bar  657  of the DB7 DMW  607 . This results in an exit from vertical mode, and the display of the DB7 MW  607  occupying the entirety of the working area  404 . This also results in the return to being minimized in the staging area  900  for the six DMWs other than the DB7 DMW  607  listed in the preceding paragraph. In various embodiments, user inputs other than a double click on a title bar could be used to enter and/or exit from the vertical mode. 
       FIG. 33  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  in the state that is also shown in  FIG. 22 . This is the “3” state of the “3-1-4” feature. 
       FIG. 34  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received clicks in  FIG. 33  to toggle off the display of the staging area  2112 , and to minimize the DB1 DMW  601  and the DB2 DMW  602  to the staging area  2112 . It is noted that, in  FIG. 34 ,  FIG. 36 , and  FIG. 37 , unlike in  FIG. 21 , the staging area  2112  retains its label in the toggled-off state. This is simply another possible embodiment. Thus, in  FIG. 34 , the staging area  2112  is toggled off for display (though not empty), and the DB4 DMW  604  occupies the entirety of the working area  404 . This is the “1” state of the “3-1-4” feature. 
       FIG. 35  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 34  on the staging area  2114 , to toggle the staging area  2112  on for display. It can be seen that there are five DBs minimized in the staging area  2112  into the DMW shortcuts DB1  901 , DB2  902 , DB5  905 , DB8  908 , and DB12  912 . 
       FIG. 36  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received in  FIG. 35  a click to toggle the staging area  2112  off for display (which is unnecessary in some embodiments), and then a double click on the title bar  654  of the DB4 DMW  604 . This results in a very similar transition as to what occurred between  FIG. 30  and  FIG. 31 . In this case, the five minimized DMWs and the DB4 DMW  604  are all arranged and displayed in a vertically scrollable arrangement.  FIG. 36  includes a vertical scroll bar  3602  having a scroll-up arrow  3604 , a scroll-down arrow  3606 , and a scroll element  3608 , all of which can be used to effect vertical scrolling through the set of six DMWs. In  FIG. 36 , in  FIG. 31 , where a bottom portion of the DB1 DMW  601  and a top portion (including the title bar  652 ) of the DB2 DMW  602  can be seen. 
       FIG. 37  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a double click in  FIG. 36  on the title bar  652  of the DB2 DMW  602 . This results in a display of the “4” state of the “3-1-4” feature. In this four-quadrant arrangement, the upper left is the DB2 DMW  602 , the upper right is the DB4 DMW  604 , the lower left is the DB5 DMW  605 , and the lower right is the DB8 DMW  608 . 
       FIG. 38  shows the database-coordination workspace  400  after having received a click in  FIG. 37  on the staging area  2112 , showing that the other two of the six databases that were displayed in the vertically scrollable arrangement have been minimized to DMW shortcuts in the staging area  2112 . In an embodiment, if a user double clicks on any of the title bars of any of the four DMWs shown in the four-quadrant arrangement, the working area  404  will return to displaying three DMWs in the above-described three-column arrangement. Thus, the “3-1-4” cycle can continue. In an embodiment, whichever one of those four the user selects by double clicking on its title bar will be included in the three-column arrangement. In other embodiments, that will be the one that is excluded from the three-column arrangement. 
     Moreover, while numerous embodiments are described above in connection with managing views of databases in a database-coordination workspace, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the display principles disclosed and claimed herein could be applied to any windows or other display elements on a display screen, whether they be within a given application across multiple applications on an operating-system desktop, embedded modules on a webpage, and/or the like.