Methods, systems and computer program products for providing tree diagram graphical user interfaces having secondary expansion capabilities

• US 7,290,222 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2003
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McMahan, Paul Franklin, Leah, Robert Charles, Guido, Patrick Rocco
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/736,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,415 Days
• Field of Search: 715/853, 715/854, 715/733, 715/857, 715/858, 715/825, 715/826, 715/805, 715/783
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

Methods for displaying a set of hierarchical data and a set of non-hierarchical data on an electronic display comprise displaying at least part of the set of hierarchical data in a tree diagram that has a plurality of levels with one or more nodes present at each level, and displaying the set of non-hierarchical data in a plurality of auxiliary nodes that are provided in between levels of the tree diagram. Expansion handles may also be displayed adjacent nodes in the tree diagram. These expansion handles may be configured to expand or collapse the tree diagram at the node they are adjacent to. The expansion handles may optionally be configured to display or hide selected of the auxiliary nodes.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for displaying a set of hierarchical data and a set of non-hierarchical data, comprising:

a plurality of nodes that display at least a portion of the set of hierarchical data, wherein the plurality of nodes are arranged in a plurality of levels to form a tree diagram;

a plurality of auxiliary nodes that display at least a portion of the set of non-hierarchical data, wherein the plurality of auxiliary nodes are arranged in one or more auxiliary levels that are positioned between adjacent levels of the tree diagram;

a plurality of expansion handles, wherein each of the plurality of expansion handles is associated with one of the plurality of nodes and is configured to expand or contract the tree diagram at the respective one of the plurality of nodes; and

a secondary expansion handle that is located between two adjacent ones of the plurality of expansion handles, wherein the secondary expansion handle is associated with one of the plurality of auxiliary nodes and is configured to display or hide the one of the plurality of auxiliary nodes.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of expansion handles comprises a first type of icon and wherein the secondary expansion handle comprises a second type of icon that is different than the first type of icon.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of horizontal connectors, wherein at least some of the plurality of nodes comprise one of the plurality of expansion handles and a data entry connected by a respective one of the plurality of horizontal connectors.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the secondary expansion handle is on or adjacent to one of the plurality of horizontal connectors.