System and method for controlling a dynamic display of data relationships between static charts

• US 6,590,577 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Yonts, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sajous, Wesner
• Application Number:
  US09/323,164
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 345/441, 345/112, 345/113, 345/121, 345/133, 345/140, 345/520, 345/522, 345/523, 345/4, 345/5, 345/10, 345/11, 345/30, 345/35, 345/473, 345/474, 345/619, 345/629, 345/630, 345/632, 345/636, 345/475, 345/440.1, 345/440.2
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/162 for displaying digital inputs as analog magnitudes, e.g. curves, bar graphs, coordinate axes, singly or in combination with alpha-numeric characters cathode-ray oscilloscopes for displaying analog inputs, singly or in combination with alpha-numeric characters G01R13/20; television receiver circuitry for displaying supplementary, e.g. alpha-numeric, information H04N5/445

Abstract

Method and system aspects for controlling a dynamic display of static chart data are described. The aspects include obtaining data from first and second static charts, displaying data from the first static chart as a beginning chart, and adjusting the displayed data from the first static chart to visually indicate a change in the data required by the data from the second static chart as an ending chart in a direction and with a delay based on a selected display control event. Display control events include play forward, play reverse, fast forward, fast reverse, slow forward, slow reverse, and stop.

Claims

1. A method for providing control of the display of dynamically displayed charts, the method comprising:

obtaining data from first and second static charts;

displaying data from the first static chart as a beginning chart;

adjusting the displayed data from the first static chart to visually indicate a change in the data required by the data from the second static chart as an ending chart in a direction and with a delay based on a selected display control event, including determining a number of steps desired between the first and second static charts, selecting an interpolation algorithm to process changes in data between the first and second static charts, generating intermediate charts from the obtained data wherein the number of steps desired determines a number of intermediate charts generated, and displaying the intermediate charts through overlaying of one intermediate chart over another in the direction and with a preset delay interval to visually indicate the change in data between the intermediate charts.

2.The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a forward direction and with the preset delay interval for a play forward control event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a reverse direction and with the preset delay interval for a play reverse control event.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a forward direction and with a delay interval shorter than the preset delay interval for a fast forward control event.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a reverse direction and with a delay interval shorter than the preset delay interval for a fast reverse control event.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a forward direction and with a delay interval longer than the preset delay interval for a slow forward control event.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a reverse direction and with a delay interval longer than the preset delay interval for a slow reverse control event.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting with an infinite delay interval for a stop control event.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and intermediate charts have similar data in a consistent display.

8. A system for controlling a dynamic display of static chart data, the system comprising:

memory storage for storing data from at least two static charts;

a display for displaying the stored data; and

a processor coupled to the display and to the memory storage for supporting a process of obtaining data from first and second static charts stored in the memory, displaying the data from the first static chart as a beginning chart on the display, and adjusting the displayed data from the first static chart to visually indicate a change in the data required by the data from the second static chart to display an ending chart on the display in a direction and with a delay based on a selected display control event, including determining a number of steps desired between the first and second static charts, selecting an interpolation algorithm to process changes in data between the first and second static charts, generating intermediate charts from the obtained data wherein the number of steps desired determines a number of intermediate charts generated, and displaying the intermediate charts through overlaying of one intermediate chart over another in the direction and with a preset delay interval to visually indicate the change in data between the intermediate charts.

9. The system of claim 9 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a forward direction and with the preset delay interval for a play forward control event and adjusting in a reverse direction and with the preset delay interval for a play reverse control event.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a forward direction and with a delay interval shorter than the preset delay interval for a fast forward control event and adjusting in a reverse direction and with a delay interval shorter than the preset delay interval for a fast reverse control event.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting in a forward direction and with a delay interval longer than the preset delay interval for a slow forward control event and adjusting in a reverse direction and with a delay interval longer than the preset delay interval for a slow reverse control event.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein adjusting further comprises adjusting with an infinite delay interval for a stop control event.

19. The system of claim 9 wherein the first, second, and intermediate charts have similar data in a consistent display.

13. A method for controlling a dynamic display of data between two static charts, the method comprising:

determining a number of intermediate charts between first and second static charts;

retrieving data for the first static chart;

retrieving data for the second static chart;

generating the number of intermediate charts;

displaying the first static chart; and

overlaying the display with each generated intermediate chart in a direction and with a delay based on a selected control event to control the dynamic display of the data from the first static chart to the second static chart.

14. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected control event further comprises one of the group consisting of a play forward control event, a play reverse control event, a fast forward control event, a fast reverse control event, a slow forward control event, a slow reverse control event, and a stop control event.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the first, second, and intermediate charts have similar data in a consistent display.

15. The method of claim 15 further comprising overlaying in a forward direction for a play forward control event and overlaying in a reverse direction for a play reverse control event.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising overlaying with a smaller than normal delay for a fast control event, with a larger than normal delay for a slow control event, and with an infinite delay for a stop control event.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising selecting a displayed indicator associated with a control event to provide the selected control event.