Presenting node-link structures with modification

• US 6,377,259 B2
• Filed: 07/29/1998
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SAP America Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Inxight Software, Inc. (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Lamping, John O., Rao, Ramana B., Tenev, Tichomir G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU V
• Application Number:
  US09/124,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20010045952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 345/428, 345/629, 345/440, 345/473, 345/474, 345/475, 707/102, 707/526, 707/530
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A sequence of steps presents node-link representations on a display. The sequence includes a first step, a last step, and at least one intermediate step. The first step presents a first representation that represents a first node-link structure. The last step presents a last representation that represents a second node-link structure that is a modified version of the first node-link structure. Both node-link structures include a set of shared elements that include a moving element. The moving element is represented by features that have different positions in the first and last representations. Each intermediate step presents an intermediate representation that includes features representing a subset of the shared elements including the moving element, and each element in the subset is also represented by features in the first and last representations. The feature representing the moving element has object constancy through the sequence of steps. The modification can include both deletion and insertion, and the sequence can include a first subsequence in which features are deleted and a second subsequence in which features are inserted. Moving elements can follow paths that are not parallel straight lines. Separate changes can be concurrently animated.

Claims

1. A method of presenting node-link representations on a display;

the method comprising;

accepting signals indicating edits to a first node-link structure, including change data indicating requested changes to the first node-link structure;

accumulating a list of edits of the first node-link structure in response to said signals, edits in the list of edits corresponding to the change data; and

a sequence of steps including a first step, a last step, and at least one intermediate step;

the first step presenting a first representation that represents the first node-link structure;

the last step presenting a last representation that represents a second node-link structure that is a modified version of the first node-link structure according to a plurality of edits in the list of edits, with at least one insertion and at least one deletion in the first node-link structure;

the first and second node-link structures both including a set of shared elements, the shared elements including a plurality of moving elements that are represented by features that have different positions in the first and last representations;

each intermediate step presenting an intermediate representation that includes features representing a subset of the shared elements that includes at least one of the plurality of moving elements, each of the subset also being represented by features in both the first and last representations;

features representing the plurality of moving elements having object constancy through the sequence of steps.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the plurality of moving elements include a first moving element and a second moving element;

the second moving element being represented by features that have different positions in the first and last representations;

the feature representing the second moving element having object constancy through the sequence of steps;

each of the first and second moving elements appearing to follow a respective path from its position in the first representation to its position in the last representation;

the paths of the first and second moving elements not being parallel straight lines.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to the sequence of steps:

receiving signals requesting at least two separate changes in the first node-link structure;

based on the signals, obtaining change data indicating the requested changes in the first node-link structure; and

after the signals are received, adding the change data to the edit list, and using the change data and a first data structure defining the first node-link structure to obtain a second data structure defining the second node-link structure, the second node-link structure being a version of the first node-link structure in which the requested changes have been performed.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

modifying a first data structure defining the first node-link structure to obtain a second data structure defining the second node-link structure;

the first step comprising accessing the first data structure before it is modified;

the last step comprising accessing the second data structure.

5. A method according to claim 4 in which each feature representing an element has an area and in which the act of modifying the first data structure includes deleting an element of the first node-link structure;

the area of the feature representing the deleted element decreasing through the sequence of steps;

the areas of nearby features increasing through the sequence of steps.

6. A method according to claim 4 in which each feature representing an element has an area and in which the act of modifying the first data structure includes inserting an element into the first node-link structure;

the area of the feature representing the inserted element increasing through the sequence of steps;

the areas of nearby features decreasing through the sequence of steps.

7. A method according to claim 1 in which the shared elements include a first element that has descendants;

the first element being contracted in the first node-link structure and expanded in the second node-link structure.

8. A method according to claim 1 in which the shared elements include a first element that has descendants;

the first element being expanded in the first node-link structure and contracted in the second node-link structure.

9. A method according to claim 1 in which the sequence of steps includes a first subsequence and a second subsequence;

a first set of features representing elements being deleted during the first subsequence and a second set of features representing elements being inserted during the second subsequence.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which the first and second set of features represent the same elements.

11. The method of claim 1, including accepting said signals indicating edits from a plurality of edit sources.

12. A system comprising:

a display; and

a processor for presenting node-link representations on the display;

the processor, in presenting the node-link representations, accepting signals indicating edits to a first node-link structure, including change data indicating requested changes to the first node-link structure, accumulating a list of edits of the first node-link structure in response to said signals, edits in the list of edits corresponding to the change data; and

performing a sequence of steps including a first step, a last step, and at least one intermediate step;

in the first step, the processor presenting a first representation that represents the first node-link structure;

in the last step, the processor presenting a last representation that represents a second node-link structure that is a modified version of the first node-link structure according to a plurality of edits in the list of edits, with at least one insertion and at least one deletion in the first node-link structure;

the first and second node-link structures both including a set of shared elements, the shared elements including a plurality of moving elements that are represented by features that have different positions in the first and last representations;

in each intermediate step, the processor presenting an intermediate representation that includes features representing a subset of the shared elements that includes at least one of the plurality of moving elements, each of the subset also being represented by features in both the first and last representations;

features representing the plurality of moving elements having object constancy through the sequence of steps.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor accepts said signals indicating edits from a plurality of edit sources.

14. An article of manufacture for use in a system that includes:

a display;

data storage access resources; and

a processor connected for presenting images on the display and for receiving data accessed on a storage medium by the storage medium access device;

the article of manufacture comprising;

data storage;

a list of edits of a first node-link structure stored in the data storage, edits in the list of edits readable by the processor and corresponding to change data indicating requested changes to the first node-link structure; and

instruction data stored in the data storage;

the instruction data indicating instructions the processor can execute;

the processor, in executing the instructions, presenting node-link representations on the display;

the processor, in presenting the node-link representations, performing a sequence of steps including a first step, a last step, and at least one intermediate step;

in the first step, the processor presenting a first representation that represents the first node-link structure;

in the last step, the processor presenting a last representation that represents a second node-link structure that is a modified version of the first node-link structure according to a plurality of edits in the list of edits, with at least one insertion and at least one deletion in the first node-link structure;

the first and second node-link structures both including a set of shared elements, the shared elements including a plurality of moving elements that are represented by features that have different positions in the first and last representations;

in each intermediate step, the processor presenting an intermediate representation that includes features representing a subset of the shared elements that includes at least one of the moving elements, each of the subset also being represented by features in both the first and last representations;

features representing the plurality of moving elements having object constancy through the sequence of steps.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the edits in the list of edits arise from a plurality of edit sources.

16. A method of transferring data between first and second machines over a network, the second machine including a display, memory, and a processor connected for presenting images on the display and for accessing the memory;

the memory being for storing instruction data;

the method comprising;

establishing a connection between the first and second machines over the network; and

operating the first and second machines to transfer instruction data from the first machine to the memory of the second machine;

the instruction data indicating instructions the processor can execute;

the processor, in executing the instructions, presenting node-link representations on the display;

the processor, in presenting the node-link representations, accepting signals indicating edits to a first node-link structure, including change data indicating requested changes to the first node-link structure, accumulating a list of edits of the first node-link structure in response to said signals, edits in the list of edits corresponding to the change data; and

performing a sequence of steps including a first step, a last step, and at least one intermediate step;

in the first step, the processor presenting a first representation that represents the first node-link structure;

in the last step, the processor presenting a last representation that represents a second node-link structure that is a modified version of the first node-link structure according to a plurality of edits in the list of edits, with at least one insertion and at least one deletion in the first node-link structure;

the first and second node-link structures both including a set of shared elements, the shared elements including a plurality of moving elements that are represented by features that have different positions in the first and last representations;

in each intermediate step, the processor presenting an intermediate representation that includes features representing a subset of the shared elements that includes the at least one of the moving elements, each of the subset also being represented by features in both the first and last representations;

features representing the plurality of moving elements having object constancy through the sequence of steps.

17. The method of claim 16, including accepting said signals indicating edits from a plurality of edit sources.

18. A method of presenting node-link representations on a display;

the method comprising;

accepting signals indicating edits to a first node-link structure, including change data indicating requested changes to the first node-link structure;

accumulating a list of edits of the first node-link structure in response to said signals, edits in the list of edits corresponding to the change data; and

a sequence of steps including a first step, a last step, and at least one intermediate step;

the first step presenting a first representation that represents the first node-link structure;

the last step presenting a last representation that represents a second node-link structure that is a modified version of the first node-link structure according to a plurality of edits in the list of edits, with at least one insertion and at least one deletion in the first node-link structure;

the first and second node-link structures both including a set of shared elements, the shared elements including first and second moving elements that are each represented by features that have different positions in the first and last representations;

=p1 each intermediate step presenting an intermediate representation that includes features representing a subset of the shared elements that includes the first and second moving elements, each of the subset also being represented by features in both the first and last representations;

the feature representing the first moving element having object constancy through the sequence of steps;

the feature representing the second moving element having object constancy through the sequence of steps;

each of the first and second moving elements appearing to follow a respective path from its position in the first representation to its position in the last representation;

the paths of the first and second moving elements not being parallel straight lines.

19. The method of claim 18, including accepting said signals indicating edits from a plurality of edit sources.

20. A method of presenting node-link representations on a display;

the method comprising;

receiving signals from a plurality of sources of edits, requesting at least two separate changes in a first node-link structure;

based on the signals, obtaining change data indicating the requested changes in the first node-link structure, the requested changes including at least one insertion and at least one deletion in the first node-link structure;

after the signals are received, using the change data and a first data structure defining the first node-link structure to obtain a second data structure defining a second node-link structure, the second node-link structure being a version of the first node-link structure in which the requested changes have been performed; and

performing a sequence of steps including a first step, a last step, and at least one intermediate step;

the first step presenting a first representation that represents the first node-link structure;

the last step presenting a last representation that represents the second node link structure;

the first and second node-link structures both including a set of shared elements, the shared elements including a moving element that is represented by features that have different positions in the first and last representations;

each intermediate step presenting an intermediate representation that includes features representing a subset of the shared elements that includes the moving element, each of the subset also being represented by features in both the first and last representations;

the feature representing the moving element having object constancy through the sequence of steps.