Logical zooming of a directed graph

• US 10,402,069 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Valmeti, Sreenivasulu
• Primary Examiner(s): Weng, Pei Yong
• Application Number:
  US15/286,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20170024111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method for displaying a relational diagram on a screen where at least one view of the relational diagram is larger than an available viewing area provided by the screen. The method comprises steps of detecting a predetermined action performed on a first element of the relational diagram, determining one or more relevant elements associated with the first element, and modifying a view of the relational diagram to display the first element and the one or more relevant elements on the screen.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a relational diagram on a display, at least one view of the relational diagram being larger than an available viewing area provided by the display, the method comprising:

displaying a portion of a relational diagram in a display screen of a computer, a portion of the diagram extending beyond a display limit of the display so as to be unviewable in the display, but viewable by manipulating a scroll bar on the display;

detecting a predetermined action performed on a first element of the relational diagram in a viewable area of the display screen; and

,

responding to the detection, by

first determining one or more relevant elements associated with the first element that is not present in the viewing area but is present in the portion of the diagram extending beyond the display limit of the display,

second determining a pre-set mode of view modification from amongst a selection of pre-set modes, the modes in the selection including pulling the one or more relevant elements from outside of the viewable area into the viewable area, moving a location of the viewable area to a location in which as many of the one or more relevant elements as possible are able to be displayed, with any remaining ones of the one or more relevant elements remaining outside of the viewable area pulled into the viewable area, centering a location of the viewable area on one of an originating one of the one or more relevant elements and a terminating one of the one or more relevant elements, with all other ones of the one or more relevant elements remaining outside of the viewable area pulled into the viewable area and moving a location of the viewable area to a location determined in accordance with a predetermined function, and

modifying a view of the relational diagram to display the first element and the one or more relevant elements not present in the viewing area within the viewable area of the display screen in accordance with the second determined pre-set mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining which of the one or more relevant elements are outside of a current view of the relational diagram, and wherein the step of modifying the view comprises dragging the one or more relevant elements determined to be outside of the current view into the current view of the display.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the view relocates a current view of the relational diagram to one of the relevant elements or the first element, and the method further comprises the steps of:

determining if any of the relevant elements and the first element are outside of the modified view; and

if it is determined that one or more of the relevant elements and/or the first element is outside of the modified view, dragging such elements determined to be outside of the modified view into the modified view.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the relevant element to which the current view is relocated is determined according to a priority of the relevant elements and the first element.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the relevant element to which the current view is relocated is determined according to a predetermined function.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of applying visual effects to one or more of the first element and the one or more relevant elements.

7. A system for displaying a relational diagram on a display, whereon at least one view of the relational diagram is larger than an available viewing area provided by the display, the system comprising:

a computer with memory and at least one processor and a display; and

a display program comprising program instructions that execute in the memory of the computer in order to display a relational diagram on the display by displaying a portion of a relational diagram in the display of the computer, a portion of the diagram extending beyond a display limit of the display so as to be unviewable in the display, but viewable by manipulating a scroll bar on the display, detecting a predetermined action performed on a first element of the relational diagram in a viewable area of the display screen and responding to the detection by first determining one or more relevant elements associated with the first element that is not present in the viewing area but is present in the portion of the diagram extending beyond the display limit of the display, second determining a pre-set mode of view modification from amongst a selection of pre-set modes, the modes in the selection including pulling the one or more relevant elements from outside of the viewable area into the viewable area, moving a location of the viewable area to a location in which as many of the one or more relevant elements as possible are able to be displayed, with any remaining ones of the one or more relevant elements remaining outside of the viewable area pulled into the viewable area, centering a location of the viewable area on one of an originating one of the one or more relevant elements and a terminating one of the one or more relevant elements, with all other ones of the one or more relevant elements remaining outside of the viewable area pulled into the viewable area and moving a location of the viewable area to a location determined in accordance with a predetermined function and modifying a view of the relational diagram to display the first element and the one or more relevant elements within the viewable area of the display in accordance with the second determined pre-set mode.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further operable to cause the computer to determine which of the one or more relevant elements are outside of a current view of the relational diagram, and wherein the modifying of view comprises dragging the one or more relevant elements determined to be outside of the current view into the current view of the display.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the modifying of the view relocates a current view of the relational diagram to one of the relevant elements or the first element, and the method further comprises the steps of:

determining if any of the relevant elements and the first element are outside of the modified view; and

if it is determined that one or more of the relevant elements and/or the first element is outside of the modified view, dragging such elements determined to be outside of the modified view into the modified view.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the relevant element to which the current view is relocated is determined according to a priority of the relevant elements and the first element.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the relevant element to which the current view is relocated is determined according to a predetermined function.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further operable to apply visual effects to one or more of the first element and the one or more relevant elements.

13. A computer program product for displaying a relational diagram on a display, at least one view of the relational diagram being larger than an available viewing area provided by the display, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a device to cause the device to perform a method comprising:

displaying a portion of a relational diagram in a display screen of a computer, a portion of the diagram extending beyond a display limit of the display so as to be unviewable in the display, but viewable by manipulating a scroll bar on the display;

detecting a predetermined action performed on a first element of the relational diagram in a viewable area of the display screen; and

,

responding to the detection, by

first determining one or more relevant elements associated with the first element that is not present in the viewing area but is present in the portion of the diagram extending beyond the display limit of the display,

second determining a pre-set mode of view modification from amongst a selection of pre-set modes, the modes in the selection including pulling the one or more relevant elements from outside of the viewable area into the viewable area, moving a location of the viewable area to a location in which as many of the one or more relevant elements as possible are able to be displayed, with any remaining ones of the one or more relevant elements remaining outside of the viewable area pulled into the viewable area, centering a location of the viewable area on one of an originating one of the one or more relevant elements and a terminating one of the one or more relevant elements, with all other ones of the one or more relevant elements remaining outside of the viewable area pulled into the viewable area and moving a location of the viewable area to a location determined in accordance with a predetermined function, and

modifying a view of the relational diagram to display the first element and the one or more relevant elements not present in the viewing are within the viewable area of the display screen in accordance with the second determined pre-set mode.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises the step of determining which of the one or more relevant elements are outside of a current view of the relational diagram, and wherein the step of modifying the view comprises dragging the one or more relevant elements determined to be outside of the current view into the current view of the display.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein, wherein the step of modifying the view relocates a current view of the relational diagram to one of the relevant elements or the first element, and the method further comprises the steps of:

determining if any of the relevant elements and the first element are outside of the modified view; and

if it is determined that one or more of the relevant elements and/or the first element is outside of the modified view, dragging such elements determined to be outside of the modified view into the modified view.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the relevant element to which the current view is relocated is determined according to a priority of the relevant elements and the first element.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the relevant element to which the current view is relocated is determined according to a predetermined function.

18. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises the step of applying visual effects to one or more of the first element and the one or more relevant elements.