Computer screen and memory organization enabling presentation of a tree

• US 5,606,654 A
• Filed: 12/21/1993
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schuur, Adrianus
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Application Number:
  US08/173,286
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 395/140, 395/133, 395/134, 395/138, 395/139, 395/120, 395/123, 395/155, 395/160, 395/161, 364/550
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method for displaying a n-ary tree graph (30) on a display screen (100) is disclosed. The method comprises a first step of dividing the display screen (100) into one or more equally sized portions, a second step of displaying in said display screen portions at most one node (10) of said n-ary tree graph (30) and a third step of displaying in the same display portion as the node (10), the child nodes (20) of said node (10) of said n-ary tree graph (30). On the display screen (100), symbols (120, 140) corresponding to said node (10) or said child nodes (20) are displayed in the top left hand corners of the display screen portions. These symbols may incorporate visual clues (`no more room`) to indicate that said child nodes (20) themselves have child nodes (i.e. grandchild nodes) which cannot be displayed and visual clues (`no more room`) to indicate that said child nodes (20) have siblings which cannot be displayed.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a N_H by N_V tree graph having vertically and horizontally related nodes defined vertically and horizontally by N levels where N is a whole number of 3 or greater on a display screen comprising the steps of:

dividing the display screen into multiple equally sized portions; and

displaying in said display screen portions at most one node of said N_H by N_V tree graph;

displaying in the same display screen portion as the node, all of the child nodes of said node of said N_H by N_V tree graph, wherein symbols corresponding to said node or said child nodes thereof are displayed in said display screen portions, and wherein said symbols incorporate visual icons to indicate that said child nodes have grandchild nodes which cannot be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying all of the child nodes comprises:

dividing said same display screen portion into k further equally sized display screen portions, where k is the number of child nodes of said node, and

displaying in said divided display screen portions at most one child node of said node.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein

said equally sized display screen portions are rectangular in shape and have an aspect ratio in accordance with an industry standard.

4. A method according to claim 2

wherein symbols corresponding to said node or said child nodes are displayed in the top left hand corners of said display screen portions.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein

an observer may use a pointing device to select one of said child nodes for display on said display screen the child nodes of said child nodes, causing said tree graph to be reordered for said display screen.

6. A method for displaying a directed acyclic graph using the method of claim 2 wherein

a selected one of said nodes is displayed on said display screen;

a child node is displayed in an equally sized display screen portion in a first part of the display screen; and

the child nodes of said node are displayed in equally sized display screen portions in a second part of the display screen.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

said equally sized display screen portions are rectangular in shape and have a specified aspect ratio.

8. A method according to claim 1

wherein said symbols corresponding to said node or said child nodes thereof are displayed in the top left hand corners of said display screen portions.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein

said symbols incorporate visual icons to indicate that said child nodes have grandchild nodes which cannot be displayed.

10. A method according to claim 1 in which

an observer uses a pointing device to select one of said child nodes for display on said display screen of the selected child nodes and grandchild nodes thereof, said display screen to present the tree graph in another screen and, thereafter, reordering.

11. A method for displaying a directed acyclic graph using the method of claim 10 wherein

a selected one of said nodes is displayed on said display screen;

the grandchild nodes of said node displayed in equally sized display screen portions in a first part of the display screen; and

the child nodes of said node are displayed in equally sized display screen portions in a second part of the display screen.

12. A method for displaying a directed acyclic graph using the method of claim 1 wherein

a selected one of said nodes is displayed connected with internodel channels of the tree graph on said display screen;

all the child nodes are displayed in equally sized display screen portions in a first part of the display screen; and

the child nodes of said node are displayed in equally sized display screen portions in a second part of the display screen.

13. Use of the method of claim 12 to display a configuration diagram for a computer system.

14. A workstation with display screen, upon which tree graphs are displayed, with processing unit incorporating a visual display unit controller characterized in that

at most one node of the tree graph is displayed in each of a plurality of equally sized portions of said display screen, wherein all of the child nodes of said node are displayed in the same display screen portion as the node, and wherein symbols corresponding to said node or said child nodes thereof are displayed in said display screen portions, and wherein said symbols incorporate visual icons to indicate that said child nodes have grandchild nodes which cannot be displayed.

15. The workstation according to claim 14 further characterized in that

said display screen portion is divided into k further display screen portions, where k is the number of the child nodes of the parent node, and

each child node is displayed in one of said k divided display screen portions.

16. A workstation according to claim 14 further characterized in that

a pointing device is incorporated in said workstation to allow an observer to select any node or child nodes thereof.

17. A workstation according to claim 14 further characterized in that

a pointing device is incorporated in said workstation to allow an observer to select any one of said nodes or child nodes.

18. A method of displaying a tree graph having the dimensions of N_H by N_V having vertically and horizontally displayed internodal channels, the method of displaying the tree graph comprising forming a first display screen showing a higher node in a display screen having a selected size, and showing a child or grandchild node thereof and interconnected by channels thereto in a second display screen wherein the first and second display screens are arranged to show a portion of the tree graph, and where N is a whole number of at least two and wherein visual icons indicate that said higher node has a child node which cannot be displayed.

19. A method for displaying a N_H by N_V tree graph having vertically and horizontally related nodes defined vertically and horizontally by N levels where N is a whole number of 3 or greater on a display screen comprising the steps of:

dividing the display screen into multiple equally sized portions;

displaying in said display screen portions at most one node of said N_H by N_V tree graph; and

displaying in the same display screen portion as the node, all of the child nodes of said node of said N_H by N_V tree graph, wherein symbols corresponding to said node or said child nodes thereof are displayed in said display screen portions, and wherein said symbols incorporate visual icons to indicate that said child nodes have sibling nodes which cannot be displayed.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of displaying all of the child nodes comprises:

dividing said same display screen portion into k further equally sized display screen portions, where k is the number of child nodes of said node, and

displaying in said divided display screen portions at most one child node of said node.

21. The method according to claim 19

wherein said symbols corresponding to said node or said child nodes thereof are displayed in the top left hand corners of said display screen portions.

22. A method according to claim 19 wherein

an observer may use a pointing device to select one of said child nodes to display on said display screen the child nodes of said child nodes causing said tree graph to be reordered for said display screen.