Graphical user interface for display of statistical data

• US 6,356,256 B1
• Filed: 01/19/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advent IP LLC
• Original Assignee: VINE Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Leftwich, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAIER, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US09/234,047
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 345/339, 395/140, 395/182, 707/3, 324/379
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) is described for providing access to performance data for T1 or E1 communication lines. Data, such as error statistics, usage statistics, and burst measurements can be displayed graphically in a manner that can be easily assimilated by a user. The GUI is generated by a Java applet, to enable remote viewing of the data over the Internet or other network. A user can zoom in on a portion of a displayed plot of data by clicking with a cursor control device and dragging the cursor over a selected portion of the plot. The plot is automatically redisplayed with the selected portion enlarged. Alternatively, the user may click on a point on the graph to zoom in on a portion of the graph centered at the selected point. A first and second plot of data are displayed as a line graph and a filled region, respectively, to provide visual contrast between the plots.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information on a display device at an altered scale, the method comprising:

causing the display device to display a first graph of a set of data at a first scale, the first graph including a first axis and a second axis, the first axis and the second axis associated with a first plot of data points, the first axis further associated with a second plot of data points;

causing a user-positionable indicator to be displayed on the display device concurrently with said first graph;

receiving user input associated with the user-positionable indicator, the user input for specifying a portion of the first graph;

responding to the user input by causing the display device to display a second graph representing the specified portion of the first graph at a second scale different from the first scale;

determining a current location of the cursor on the display device;

causing the display device to display a first indicator to indicate a location on the first axis that corresponds to the current location of the cursor, the location on the first axis representing both a first value of a data point of the first plot of data points and a first value of a data point of the second plot of data points;

causing the display device to display a second indicator to indicate a location on the second axis, the location on the second axis representing a second value of the data point of the first plot of data points, the second value corresponding to the first value; and

causing the display device to display a third indicator to indicate a second value of the data point of the second plot of data points, corresponding to the first value of the second plot of data points.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user input comprises user input specifying a movement of the user-positionable indicator relative to the first graph.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user input specifies a region of the first graph as the portion of the first graph.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user input specifies a point on the first graph as the portion of the first graph.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first graph and the second graph comprises a line graph.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said causing the display device to display the first graph comprises:

causing the display device to display a line graph representing a first plot of data points; and

causing the display device to display a region in proximity with the line graph, the region having a fill effect, such that a boundary of the region represents a line graph representing second plot of data points.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of data comprises performance data of a T1/E1 communication link.

8. A method of enabling a target computer to display information on a display device, the method comprising the step of transmitting sequences of instructions from a host computer to the target computer, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed on the target computer, cause the target computer to perform the method recited in claim 1.

9. A computer-implemented method of displaying data on a display device of a processing system, the method comprising:

generating a first graph of a set of data points;

causing the display device to display the first graph at a first scale, the first graph including a first axis and a second axis, each associated with a first plot of data points, wherein the first axis is also associated with a second plot of data points;

causing a cursor to be displayed on the display device concurrently with display of the first graph;

receiving user input indicating a movement of the cursor, the user input specifying a region of the first graph;

in response to the user input, generating a second graph representing a zoomed view of the specified portion of the first graph and causing the display device to display the second graph;

determining a current location of the cursor on the display device;

causing the display device to display a first indicator to indicate a location on the first axis that corresponds to the current location of the cursor, the location on the first axis representing a first value of a data point of the first plot of data points, the location on the first axis further representing a first value of a data point of the second plot of data points;

causing the display device to display a second indicator to indicate a location on the second axis, the location on the second axis representing a second value of the data point of the first plot of data points, the second value corresponding to the first value; and

causing the display device to display a third indicator to indicate a second value of the data point of the second plot of data points, the second value corresponding to the first value of the second plot of data points.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of the first graph and the second graph comprises a line graph.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said causing the display device to display the second graph comprises replacing the first graph on the display device with the second graph.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said causing the display device to display the first graph comprises:

causing the display device to display a line graph representing a first plot of data points; and

causing the display device to display a region in proximity with the line graph, the region having a fill effect, such that a boundary of the region represents a second plot of data points.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the set of data points comprises performance data of a T1/E1 communication link.

14. A method of enabling a target computer to display data on a display device, the method comprising the step of transmitting sequences of instructions from a host computer to the target computer, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed on the target computer, cause the target computer to perform the method recited in claim 9.

15. An apparatus for displaying data on a display device of a processing system, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a first graph of a set of data points, the first graph including a first axis and a second axis, the first and second axes associated with a first plot of data points, the first axis further associated with a second plot of data points;

means for causing the display device to display the first graph at a first scale;

means for causing a cursor to be displayed on the display device concurrently with display of the first graph;

means for receiving user input indicating a movement of the cursor, the user input specifying a region of the first graph;

means for generating, in response to the user input, a second graph representing a zoomed view of the specified portion of the first graph and causing the display device to display the second graph;

means for determining a current location of the cursor on the display device;

means for causing the display device to display a first indicator to indicate a location on the first axis that corresponds to the current location of the cursor, the location on the first axis representing a first value of a data point of the first plot of data points and a first value of a data point of the second plot of data points;

means for causing the display device to display a second indicator to indicate a location on the second axis, the location on the second axis representing a second value of the data point of the first plot of data points, the second value corresponding to the first value; and

means for causing the display device to display a third indicator to indicate a second value of the data point of the second plot of data points, corresponding to the first value of the second plot of data points.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of the first graph and the second graph comprises a line graph.

17. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for causing the display device to display the second graph comprises means for replacing the first graph on the display device with the second graph.

18. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for causing the display device to display the first graph comprises:

means for causing the display device to display a line graph representing a first plot of data points; and

means for causing the display device to display a region in proximity with the line graph, the region having a fill effect, such that a boundary of the region represents a line graph representing second plot of data points.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein the set of data points comprises performance data of a T1/E1 communication link.