Semantic Zoom within a Diagram of a System

• US 20130031508A1
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Kodosky, Jeffrey L., Fuller, David W. III, Correll, Jeffrey N., Shah, Mohammed Kamran, Kornerup, Jacob, Hayles, Timothy J., Gabbert, Adam K., Cifra, Christopher G., Loy, Jenifer M., Postma, Scott D., Ashby, Richard M., Crain, Charles E. II
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Providing zooming within a system diagram. Initially, a diagram of a system may be displayed. The diagram may include a plurality of icons representing physical components of the system. These plurality of icons may be initially displayed at a first level of magnification. User input to zoom on a first physical component in the diagram may be received. Accordingly, the first physical component may be displayed at a second level of magnification and other ones of the physical components may be displayed at a third level of magnification. The second level of magnification may be greater than the first level of magnification and the third level of magnification may be less than the first level of magnification. Alternatively, or additionally, different representations for various components of the system may be displayed in the diagram during or after the zoom.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for performing semantic zoom in a diagram of a system, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

display the diagram of the system, wherein the diagram comprises a plurality of icons representing physical components of the system, wherein the plurality of icons comprise a first icon representing a first physical component, wherein the first icon is displayed at a first level of magnification, wherein the first icon visually depicts a first representation of the first physical component;

receive user input to zoom on a first position of the diagram, wherein the first icon is displayed proximate to the first position of the diagram;

update the diagram to zoom on the first position in response to the user input, wherein said updating the diagram comprises displaying the fist icon at a second level of magnification that is greater than the first level of magnification, and wherein, after updating the diagram, the first icon visually depicts a second representation of the first physical component.

2. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first representation is less complex than the second representation.

3. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first representation comprises an image of the physical component.

4. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the second representation includes software components implemented by the first physical component.

5. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the second representation comprises a hardware schematic of the first physical component.

6. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first icon changing from visually depicting the first representation to visually depicting the second representation is based on the first icon exceeding a threshold level of magnification.

7. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 6, wherein below the threshold level of magnification, logical components corresponding to physical components are not displayed, wherein above the threshold level of magnification, logical components corresponding to the physical component are displayed.

8. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein the first icon changing from visually depicting the first representation to visually depicting the second representation is based on the first icon exceeding a threshold size.

9. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein during said displaying the diagram, other ones of the plurality of icons are displayed at a third level of magnification, wherein after said updating the diagram, the other ones of the plurality of icons are displayed at a fourth level of magnification that is less than the third level of magnification.

10. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said receiving user input comprises receiving a gesture to a touch interface.

11. A method for performing semantic zoom in a diagram of a system, comprising:

displaying the diagram of the system, wherein the diagram comprises a plurality of icons representing physical components of the system, wherein the plurality of icons comprise a first icon representing a first physical component, wherein the first icon is displayed at a first level of magnification, wherein the first icon visually depicts a first representation of the first physical component;

receiving user input to zoom on a first position of the diagram, wherein the first icon is displayed proximate to the first position of the diagram;

updating the diagram to zoom on the first position in response to the user input, wherein said updating the diagram comprises displaying the fist icon at a second level of magnification that is greater than the first level of magnification, and wherein, after updating the diagram, the first icon visually depicts a second representation of the first physical component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first representation is less complex than the second representation.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first representation comprises an image of the physical component.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second representation includes software components implemented by the first physical component.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second representation comprises a hardware schematic of the first physical component.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first icon changing from visually depicting the first representation to visually depicting the second representation is based on the first icon exceeding a threshold level of magnification.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein below the threshold level of magnification, logical components corresponding to physical components are not displayed, wherein above the threshold level of magnification, logical components corresponding to the physical component are displayed.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first icon changing from visually depicting the first representation to visually depicting the second representation is based on the first icon exceeding a threshold size.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein during said displaying the diagram, other ones of the plurality of icons are displayed at a third level of magnification, wherein after said updating the diagram, the other ones of the plurality of icons are displayed at a fourth level of magnification that is less than the third level of magnification.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving user input comprises receiving a gesture to a touch interface.