×

System and method for browsing hierarchically based node-link structures based on an estimated degree of interest

  • US 6,944,830 B2
  • Filed: 12/21/2000
  • Issued: 09/13/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for displaying hierarchically linked information, said hierarchically linked information comprised of a plurality of nodes each having one or more links to other of said plurality of nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

  • a) dynamically identifying a focus node for any of said plurality of nodes;

    b) generating a degree of interest (DOI) value for each of said plurality of nodes, said degree of interest value relative to said focus node and sibling node order and corresponding to a node size; and

    comprising the steps of;

    b1) assigning a DOI value of 0 to the focus node and any parent node up to a root of the tree structure;

    b2) assigning a DOI value of 0 to most interesting child node at user defined number of levels below focus node;

    b3) assigning a DOI value of −

    1 to siblings of nodes with value 0; and

    b4) assigning a DOI value of one less than the parent node for all the rest of the nodes; and

    c) laying out said plurality of nodes positioned based on associated links and sized based on associated degree of interest values in a tree structure;

    d) identifying and performing any node compression necessary for boundedly displaying said hierarchically linked information based on the layout of said plurality of nodes; and

    e) displaying said hierarchically linked information based on the layout of said plurality of nodes and node compression on a display area.

View all claims
  • 6 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×