Interactive Visualization of Sender and Recipient Information In Electronic Communications

• US 20110153635A1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ng, Kenney, Figueroa, Sarah Christine, Rauch, Thyra Lynne
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

An approach is provided that visually distinguishes between entity types in a communication system. A Data store with entities is queried, with entities connected to one another as senders and receivers, resulting in a query result. A node data structure corresponding to each of the entities is created and an edge data structure corresponding to each of the connections between the entities is also created. Nodes corresponding to the node data structures are displayed, along with edges (e.g., connection lines) corresponding to the edge data structures. A user selects one of the nodes that is displayed, and the selected node is visually highlighted. Different types of non-selected nodes are identified based on the selected node. Types of nodes may include sender type nodes, receiver type nodes, and sender/receiver type nodes. The types of identified nodes are highlighted in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

querying a data store containing entities, wherein a plurality of the entities are each connected to one or more other entities included in the data store, the querying resulting in a query result;

creating a node data structure corresponding to each of a plurality of entities included in the query result and an edge data structure corresponding to each of the connections of the one or more entities included in the query result;

displaying a plurality of nodes corresponding to the created node data structures and a plurality of edges corresponding to the created edge data structures on a display;

receiving a node selection corresponding to one of the displayed nodes from a user;

visually highlighting the selected node on the display;

identifying one or more types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein zero or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node, zero or more of the non-selected nodes as being a receiver type to the selected node; and

zero or more of the non-selected nodes as being a sender/receiver type to the selected node; and

visually highlighting the identified non-selected nodes in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sender type corresponds to direct senders to the selected node, the receiver type corresponds to direct receivers from the selected node, and the sender/receiver type corresponds to direct sender/receivers of the selected node.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sender type corresponds to indirect senders to the selected node, the receiver type corresponds to indirect receivers from the selected node, and the sender/receiver type corresponds to indirect sender/receivers of the selected node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field, the method further comprising:

during the identifying, updating the connection field corresponding to the plurality of nodes so that a connection type is identified from a group consisting of a direct type, an indirect type, and no type, and updating the role field corresponding to the plurality of nodes so that a role type is identified from a group consisting of a sender, a receiver, a sender/receiver, and no role.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an edge selection from the user corresponding to a selected one of the displayed plurality of edges;

in response to receiving the edge selection, selecting a set of a plurality of the displayed nodes, wherein each of the displayed nodes selected in the set is connected to the selected edge; and

visually highlighting the selected set of displayed nodes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each edge data structure includes a connection field and a role field, the method further comprising:

identifying a first set of one or more edges that are outgoing from the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the first set of identified edges as a recipient type edge;

identifying a second set of one or more edges that are incoming to the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the second set of identified edges as a sender type edge;

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are directly connected to the selected node as direct connections; and

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are not directly connected to the selected node as indirect connections.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a user selection of a graphical entity displayed on the display screen, wherein the user selection is selected from the group consisting of one of the plurality of displayed nodes and one of the plurality of displayed edges;

refining a query used in the querying based on the detected user selection;

re-querying the data store using the refined query, the re-querying re-performing the creating and displaying steps using the second query result.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

a nonvolatile storage medium accessible by at least one of the processors;

a display device accessible by at least one of the processors; and

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

querying a data store stored on the nonvolatile storage medium, the data store containing entities, wherein a plurality of the entities are each connected to one or more other entities included in the data store, the querying resulting in a query result;

creating a node data structure corresponding to each of a plurality of entities included in the query result and an edge data structure corresponding to each of the connections of the one or more entities included in the query result;

displaying, on the display device, a plurality of nodes corresponding to the created node data structures and a plurality of edges corresponding to the created edge data structures on a display;

receiving a node selection corresponding to one of the displayed nodes from a user;

visually highlighting the selected node on the display;

identifying one or more types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein zero or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node, zero or more of the non-selected nodes as being a receiver type to the selected node; and

zero or more of the non-selected nodes as being a sender/receiver type to the selected node; and

visually highlighting the identified non-selected nodes in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the sender type corresponds to direct senders to the selected node, the receiver type corresponds to direct receivers from the selected node, and the sender/receiver type corresponds to direct sender/receivers of the selected node, wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and wherein the actions further comprise:

during the identifying, updating the connection field corresponding to the plurality of nodes so that a connection type is identified from a group consisting of a direct type, an indirect type, and no type, and updating the role field corresponding to the plurality of nodes so that a role type is identified from a group consisting of a sender, a receiver, a sender/receiver, and no role.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the sender type corresponds to indirect senders to the selected node, the receiver type corresponds to indirect receivers from the selected node, and the sender/receiver type corresponds to indirect sender/receivers of the selected node.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving an edge selection from the user corresponding to a selected one of the displayed plurality of edges;

in response to receiving the edge selection, selecting a set of a plurality of the displayed nodes, wherein each of the displayed nodes selected in the set is connected to the selected edge; and

visually highlighting the selected set of displayed nodes.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein each edge data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a first set of one or more edges that are outgoing from the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the first set of identified edges as a recipient type edge;

identifying a second set of one or more edges that are incoming to the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the second set of identified edges as a sender type edge;

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are directly connected to the selected node as direct connections; and

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are not directly connected to the selected node as indirect connections.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the actions further comprise:

detecting a user selection of a graphical entity displayed on the display screen, wherein the user selection is selected from the group consisting of one of the plurality of displayed nodes and one of the plurality of displayed edges;

refining a query used in the querying based on the detected user selection;

re-querying the data store using the refined query, the re-querying resulting in a second query result; and

re-performing the creating and displaying steps using the second query result.

14. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions comprising:

querying a data store containing entities, wherein a plurality of the entities are each connected to one or more other entities included in the data store, the querying resulting in a query result;

creating a node data structure corresponding to each of a plurality of entities included in the query result and an edge data structure corresponding to each of the connections of the one or more entities included in the query result;

displaying a plurality of nodes corresponding to the created node data structures and a plurality of edges corresponding to the created edge data structures on a display;

receiving a node selection corresponding to one of the displayed nodes from a user;

visually highlighting the selected node on the display;

identifying one or more types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein zero or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node, zero or more of the non-selected nodes as being a receiver type to the selected node; and

zero or more of the non-selected nodes as being a sender/receiver type to the selected node; and

visually highlighting the identified non-selected nodes in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the sender type corresponds to direct senders to the selected node, the receiver type corresponds to direct receivers from the selected node, and the sender/receiver type corresponds to direct sender/receivers of the selected node.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the sender type corresponds to indirect senders to the selected node, the receiver type corresponds to indirect receivers from the selected node, and the sender/receiver type corresponds to indirect sender/receivers of the selected node.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and wherein the actions further comprise:

during the identifying, updating the connection field corresponding to the plurality of nodes so that a connection type is identified from a group consisting of a direct type, an indirect type, and no type, and updating the role field corresponding to the plurality of nodes so that a role type is identified from a group consisting of a sender, a receiver, a sender/receiver, and no role.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving an edge selection from the user corresponding to a selected one of the displayed plurality of edges;

in response to receiving the edge selection, selecting a set of a plurality of the displayed nodes, wherein each of the displayed nodes selected in the set is connected to the selected edge; and

visually highlighting the selected set of displayed nodes.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein each edge data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a first set of one or more edges that are outgoing from the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the first set of identified edges as a recipient type edge;

identifying a second set of one or more edges that are incoming to the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the second set of identified edges as a sender type edge;

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are directly connected to the selected node as direct connections; and

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are not directly connected to the selected node as indirect connections.

20. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the actions further comprise:

detecting a user selection of a graphical entity displayed on the display screen, wherein the user selection is selected from the group consisting of one of the plurality of displayed nodes and one of the plurality of displayed edges;

refining a query used in the querying based on the detected user selection;

re-querying the data store using the refined query, the re-querying resulting in a second query result; and

re-performing the creating and displaying steps using the second query result.