TECHNIQUES TO PRESENT HIERARCHICAL INFORMATION USING ORTHOGRAPHIC PROJECTIONS

• US 20120233573A1
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Wimmer, Frank Lee, Sullivan, Lee Ann, Benson, Jordan Riley, Ramarajan, Rajiv, Hankey, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/848
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Techniques to present hierarchical information as orthographic projections are described. An apparatus may comprise an orthographic projection application arranged to manage a three dimensional orthographic projection of hierarchical information. The orthographic projection application may comprise a hierarchical information component operative to receive hierarchical information representing multiple nodes at different hierarchical levels, and parse the hierarchical information into a tree data structure, an orthographic generator component operative to generate a graphical tile for each node, arrange graphical tiles for each hierarchical level into graphical layers, and arrange the graphical layers in a vertical stack, and an orthographic presentation component operative to present a three dimensional orthographic projection of the hierarchical information with the stack of graphical layers each having multiple graphical tiles. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving hierarchical information for nodes at different hierarchical levels;

generating a graphical tile for each node;

arranging graphical tiles for each hierarchical level into graphical layers;

arranging the graphical layers in a vertical stack; and

presenting a three dimensional orthographic projection view of the hierarchical information with the stack of graphical layers each having multiple graphical tiles on a display.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising presenting node information when a graphical tile is selected.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising moving a graphical layer to a top layer of the vertical stack when selected.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising modifying a visual characteristic for graphical tiles representing child nodes when a graphical tile for a parent node is selected.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising moving a first set of graphical tiles from a graphical layer to a top layer of the vertical stack when the graphical tiles are selected.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, comprising generating a border around the first set of graphical tiles when presented in the top layer.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising presenting textual information for a path to a graphical tile when the graphical tile is selected.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising switching a graphical layer between the three dimensional orthographic projection view and a two dimensional view.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising animating a transition between the three dimensional orthographic projection view and a two dimensional view.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising generating a graphical chart for a set of graphical tiles or a graphical layer when the set of graphical tiles or graphical layer is selected.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising presenting different graphical tiles representing a same numerical attribute with a same size area within each graphical layer.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a storage medium containing instructions that when executed enable a system to:

generate a tile for each node of hierarchical information;

arrange tiles for nodes of a same hierarchical level into a planar layer;

arrange the planar layers in a vertical stack; and

generate a three dimensional orthographic projection with the vertical stack of planar layers each having multiple tiles.

13. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to receive user control directives and generate different graphical user interface views for the three dimensional orthographic projection based on the received user control directives.

14. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to animate a transition between different graphical user interface views for the three dimensional orthographic projection.

15. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to render the three dimensional orthographic projection with the vertical stack of planar layers each having multiple tiles for presentation on a display.

16. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to present node information when a tile is selected.

17. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to move a planar layer to a top layer of the vertical stack when selected.

18. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to modify a visual characteristic for tiles representing child nodes when a tile for a parent node is selected.

19. The article of claim 12, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to move a first set of tiles from a planar layer to a top layer of the vertical stack when the tiles are selected.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

an orthographic projection application arranged to manage a three dimensional orthographic projection of hierarchical information, the orthographic projection application comprising;

a hierarchical information component operative to receive hierarchical information representing multiple nodes at different hierarchical levels, and parse the hierarchical information into a tree structure;

a orthographic generator component operative to generate a graphical tile for each node, arrange graphical tiles for each hierarchical level into graphical layers, and arrange the graphical layers in a vertical stack; and

an orthographic presentation component operative to present a three dimensional orthographic projection of the hierarchical information with the stack of graphical layers each having multiple graphical tiles.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, the hierarchical information comprising a tree structure of nodes comprising a root node, interior nodes and leaf nodes.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, a hierarchical level of the hierarchical information comprising a set of nodes having a same distance from a root node.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, each graphical layer comprising a tree map structure of graphical tiles.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, comprising a navigation component operative to receive user control directives and generate different graphical user interface views for the three dimensional orthographic projection based on the received user control directives.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, comprising an animation component operative to animate a transition between different graphical user interface views for the three dimensional orthographic projection.