Visual representation of data within a database

• US 20050044079A1
• Filed: 11/11/2002
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Jackson, Matthew, Abineri, Robert F, Shackle, Terry
• Application Number:
  US10/494,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044079A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/024 using relational databases for representation of network management data, e.g. managing via structured query language [SQL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A display (27) provides a visual representation of data within a database (20) received via display generator (34). A first part of the display is concerned with a generated tree relating to selected data from the database. A second part of the display is concerned with a generated gauge which is displayed concurrently with the first part of the display and represents a visual indication of the state of the database or the data within the database.

Claims

1. A method of visually representing data within a database including the steps of

generating a display of selected data in the form of a tree and

generating an indication gauge concurrently with the tree to represent a visual indication of the state of the database or the data therein.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indication gauge is generated in the form of linear indicia which change status in dependence of the state of the data.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps include

setting or selecting a range within the current context of the database,

setting or selecting a value within the current context of the database, and

setting or selecting a threshold to trigger a change in status of the display.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein indicia provide a changeable display which corresponds to the result determined by Integer (current value/range)×

scale

where the scale corresponds to the number of incremental steps or is divisible by the number of incremental steps available with the display.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the display is configured as a segmented linear scale, the number of segments totalling the scale value.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the display is configured in animated form.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 including storing data within the database as object oriented data.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 including the steps of

assigning attributes of the classification object which affect their behaviour in relationship to an object tree and an object identifier to allow the objects to be stored on the database in the form of an object oriented database, whereby the data is stored in a modified object tree form to allow the indexing of a non-object oriented file therein and to allow visual representation of the tree.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 including the steps of:

defining classes concerning objects to be stored derived from the non-object oriented file,

selectively editing the object identifier dependent on the class of object, and

selectively allowing object classes to accommodate other objects.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 including the steps of:

accessing and viewing stored data in tree form by utilising stored object, identifier and stored class information.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of storing usage parameters with the stored data, the indication gauge providing visual indication of the degree of usage concurrently with the tree display.

12. A system for visually representing data within a database including

first generator means for generating a display of selected data in the form of a tree and

second generator means for generating an indication gauge concurrently with the tree to represent a visual indication of the state of the database or the data therein.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the second generator means is configured such that the indication gauge is generated in the form of linear indicia which change status in dependence of the state of the data.

14. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the generator means include

means for setting or selecting a range within the current context of the database,

means for setting or selecting a value within the current context of the database, and

means for setting or selecting a threshold to trigger a change in status of the display.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, including indicia to provide a changeable display under the control of the second generator means which corresponds to the result determined by

Integer (current value/range)×

scale

where the scale corresponds to the number of incremental steps or is divisible by the number of incremental steps available with the display.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the display is configured as a segmented linear scale, the number of segments totalling the scale value.

17. A system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the display is configured in animated form.

18. A system as claimed in claim 12 including database means for object oriented data.

21. A system as claimed in claim 12 including means for generating usage parameters for storing with the stored data, the indication gauge providing visual indication of the degree of usage concurrently with the tree display.

19. A system as claimed in 18 including

means for assigning attributes of the classification object which affect their behaviour in relationship to an object tree and an object identifier to allow the objects to be stored on the database in the form of an object oriented database, whereby the data is stored in a modified object tree form to allow the indexing of a non-object oriented file therein and to allow visual representation of the tree.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19 including

means for defining classes concerning objects to be stored derived from the non-object oriented file,

means for selectively editing the object identifier dependent on the class of object, and

means for selectively allowing object classes to accommodate other objects.