Method and apparatus for arranging entities in a two-dimensional lattice

• US 6,654,009 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seth Rubin
• Original Assignee: Seth Rubin
• Inventors: Rubin, Seth
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sealey, Lance W.
• Application Number:
  US09/863,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 345/765, 345/788, 345/173, 345/418, 345/420, 345/764, 345/677, 345/700, 345/716, 382/305, 382/304, 382/311, 382/312, 706/11, 706/55, 715/517, 715/530, 715/518, 715/519, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 345/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18

Abstract

A method for arranging entities in a two-dimensional lattice including the steps of determining all applicable two-dimensional lattice forms from a predetermined group of lattice forms for a predetermined number of entities to be arranged; determining the dimensions of a bounding region and a uniform separation distance between a center point of each entity for each applicable lattice form; selecting an optimal applicable two-dimensional lattice form; and plotting positions of each of the predetermined number of entities within the optimal applicable two-dimensional lattice form.

Claims

1. A method in a graphics display system for arranging entities in a two-dimensional lattice, the method comprising the steps of:

determining all applicable two-dimensional lattice forms from a predetermined group of lattice forms for a predetermined number of entities to be arranged;

determining the dimensions of a bounding region and a uniform separation distance between a center point of each entity for each applicable lattice form;

selecting an optimal applicable two-dimensional lattice form; and

plotting positions of each of the predetermined number of entities within the optimal applicable two-dimensional lattice form.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms consisting of a first lattice form having the same number of entities in each row, a second lattice form having the same number of entities in each column, a third lattice form having an even number of interleaved rows in which all rows contain the same number of entities, a fourth lattice form having an odd number of interleaved rows in which all rows contain the same number of entities, a fifth lattice form having an odd number of rows in which the number of entities in adjacent rows alternates between C and C+1, a sixth lattice form having an odd number of rows in which the number of entities in adjacent rows alternates between C+1 and C, and a seventh lattice form having an even number of interleaved rows in which the number of entities in each row alternates between C and C+1.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms each having a series of rows and columns wherein the distance between adjacent rows is uniform.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms each having a series of rows and columns wherein the distance between adjacent columns is uniform.

5. A method in a computer system for displaying visual elements as part of a display in a graphical user interface, the method comprising the steps of:

determining all applicable two-dimensional lattice forms from a predetermined group of lattice forms for a predetermined number of visual elements to be arranged as part of a display;

determining the dimensions of a bounding region and a uniform separation distance between a center point of each visual element for each applicable two-dimensional lattice form;

selecting an optimal two-dimensional applicable lattice form; and

displaying the predetermined number of entities within the optimal two-dimensional lattice form on a display.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms consisting of a first lattice form having the same number of entities in each row, a second lattice form having the same number of entities in each column, a third lattice form having an even number of interleaved rows in which all rows contain the same number of entities, a fourth lattice form having an odd number of interleaved rows in which all rows contain the same number of entities, a fifth lattice form having an odd number of rows in which the number of entities in adjacent rows alternates between C and C+1, a sixth lattice form having an odd number of rows in which the number of entities in adjacent rows alternates between C+1 and C, and a seventh lattice form having an even number of interleaved rows in which the number of entities in each row alternates between C and C+1.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms each having a series of rows and columns wherein the distance between adjacent rows is uniform.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms each having a series of rows and columns wherein the distance between adjacent columns is uniform.

9. An article of manufacture, which comprises:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for causing a predetermined number of entities to be arranged in a two-dimensional lattice form, the computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture including;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to select applicable two-dimensional lattice forms from a group of two-dimensional lattice forms;

computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine a bounding region and a uniform separation distance between a center point of each entity for each selected applicable two-dimensional lattice form;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to select an optimal applicable two-dimensional lattice form from the selected applicable two-dimensional lattice forms; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to plot positions of the predetermined number of entities within the optimal applicable two-dimensional lattice form.

10. An article of manufacture according to claim 9, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms consisting of a first lattice form having the same number of entities in each row, a second lattice form having the same number of entities in each column, a third lattice form having an even number of interleaved rows in which all rows contain the same number of entities, a fourth lattice form having an odd number of interleaved rows in which all rows contain the same number of entities, a fifth lattice form having an odd number of rows in which the number of entities in adjacent rows alternates between C and C+1, a sixth lattice form having an odd number of rows in which the number of entities in adjacent rows alternates between C+1 and C, and a seventh lattice form having an even number of interleaved rows in which the number of entities in each row alternates between C and C+1.

11. An article of manufacture according to claim 9, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms each having a series of rows and columns wherein the distance between adjacent rows is uniform.

12. An article of manufacture according to claim 9, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms each having a series of rows and columns wherein the distance between adjacent columns is uniform.

13. A computer data signal embodied in a transmission medium, which comprises:

a code segment including instructions for selecting applicable two-dimensional lattice forms from a group of two-dimensional lattice forms;

a code segment including instructions for determining a bounding region and a uniform separation distance between a center point of each entity for each selected applicable two-dimensional lattice form;

a code segment including instructions for selecting an optimal applicable two-dimensional lattice form from the selected applicable two-dimensional lattice forms; and

a code segment including instructions for plotting positions of the predetermined number of entities within the optimal applicable two-dimensional lattice form.

14. A computer data signal embodied in a transmission medium according to claim 13, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms consisting of a first lattice form having the same number of entities in each row, a second lattice form having the same number of entities in each column, a third lattice form having an even number of interleaved rows in which all rows contain the same number of entities, a fourth lattice form having an odd number of interleaved rows in which all rows contain the same number of entities, a fifth lattice form having an odd number of rows in which the number of entities in adjacent rows alternates between C and C+1, a sixth lattice form having an odd number of rows in which the number of entities in adjacent rows alternates between C+1 and C, and a seventh lattice form having an even number of interleaved rows in which the number of entities in each row alternates between C and C+1.

15. A computer data signal embodied in a transmission medium according to claim 13, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms each having a series of rows and columns wherein the distance between adjacent rows is uniform.

16. A computer data signal embodied in a transmission medium according to claim 13, wherein the applicable two-dimensional lattice forms are selected from a group of lattice forms each having a series of rows and columns wherein the distance between adjacent columns is uniform.