Process Communication Method and System

• US 20120169710A1
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Inventors: Senescu, Reid Robert, Haymaker, John Riker
• Granted Patent: US 9,558,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention is implemented in a web browser that facilitates the visualization of dependencies between digital information and situations where changes in one piece of information or project can affect another. In such an embodiment, the user is presented with two personalized home page windows: a hierarchy view and a graph view. The hierarchy view is used to navigate through a hierarchy of documents or other digital information. The graph view is used to graphically display certain dependencies and is further used to graphically display changes to any dependencies.

Claims

1. A method for visually representing dependencies among digital information, comprising:

receiving a first set of data for a first node;

receiving a second set of data for a second node;

associating first digital information with the first node;

associating second digital information with the second node;

providing a visual representation for the first and second digital information;

receiving input for a relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information;

receiving an indication that the first digital information has changed;

providing a visual representation that the first digital information has changed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the first and second digital information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second set of data include status information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indication that the first digital information has changed is stored within the first set of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of data includes a name for the first digital information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of data includes a name for the second digital information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information is visually represented as an arrow.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a direction of the arrow indicates a manner of dependency between the first digital information and the second digital information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the visual representation that the first digital information has changed is indicated by changing a color of the visual representation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that the first digital information has changed is determined by comparing a first version of the first digital information to a second version of the first digital information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first digital information is an electronic file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second digital information is an electronic file.

13. A computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to visually represent dependencies among digital information, by performing the steps of:

receiving a first set of data for a first node;

receiving a second set of data for a second node;

associating first digital information with the first node;

associating second digital information with the second node;

providing a visual representation for the first and second digital information;

receiving input for a relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information;

receiving an indication that the first digital information has changed;

providing a visual representation that the first digital information has changed.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising receiving the first and second digital information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first and second set of data include status information.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the indication that the first digital information has changed is stored within the first set of data.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first set of data includes a name for the first digital information.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the second set of data includes a name for the second digital information.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information is visually represented as an arrow.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein a direction of the arrow indicates a manner of dependency between the first digital information and the second digital information.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the visual representation that the first digital information has changed is indicated by changing a color of the visual representation.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the indication that the first digital information has changed is determined by comparing a first version of the first digital information to a second version of the first digital information.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the first digital information is an electronic file.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the second digital information is an electronic file.

25. A computing device comprising:

a data bus;

a memory unit coupled to the data bus;

a processing unit coupled to the data bus and configured to

receive a first set of data for a first node;

receive a second set of data for a second node;

associate first digital information with the first node;

associate second digital information with the second node;

provide a visual representation for the first and second digital information;

receive input for a relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information;

receive an indication that the first digital information has changed;

provide a visual representation that the first digital information has changed.

26. The computing device of claim 25, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, cause the processing unit to visually represent dependencies among between the first and second digital information.