System and method for placing thematically-related clusters into a display

• US 7,609,267 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuix North America Inc. (Nuix Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Attenex Corp. (FTI Consulting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Evans, Lynne Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier; Jeffery A
• Application Number:
  US11/901,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20080007556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 345/635
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/287 Visualization; Browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/358 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A system and method for determining a spatial arrangement of thematically-related clusters is provided. A convex cluster is selected from a set of convex clusters, which each include shared concepts and terms. A center of mass is determined for the selected convex cluster, which is placed along a vector. An anchor point including at least one open edge formed on the selected convex cluster at an intersection of the vector defined from the center of mass and an edge of the selected convex cluster is located. One or more of the remaining convex clusters in the convex clusters set is selected. The one or more remaining convex clusters are arranged with a center of mass originating outside of the anchor point and on the vector of the selected convex cluster. Overlap of the arranged convex clusters is limited. The arranged convex clusters are displayed.

Claims

1. A display system for placing thematically-related clusters into a display, comprising:

a placement module to group stored clusters sharing a common theme comprising shared concepts and terms, comprising;

a list building submodule to select one of the stored clusters and to determine an anchor point located on an open edge of the selected cluster and at an intersection of a vector defined from a center of the selected cluster; and

a cluster placement submodule to select a further stored cluster sharing the common theme with the selected cluster and to form the grouped clusters by placing a center of the further selected cluster on the vector outside of the anchor point and adjacent to the selected cluster to limit overlap of the selected cluster and the further selected cluster and by placing one or more of the remaining stored clusters sharing the common theme along the vector and adjacent to a previously placed cluster having an anchor point, each placed remaining cluster having a center originating on the vector outside of the anchor point of the previously placed cluster;

a display module to display the grouped clusters; and

a display processor within the display system to execute the modules.

2. A display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a grouping module to form a cluster spine comprising those of the clusters having their center on the same vector.

3. A display system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a grafting module to form a further cluster spine comprising clusters from another grouping of stored clusters and to place the further cluster spine at an anchor point on one of an endpoint cluster and a midpoint cluster in the cluster spine.

4. A display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a measurement module to determine a size of each stored cluster, wherein the stored clusters are selected for placement along the vector based on the size.

5. A display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a grouper module to display singleton clusters that were not placed with the grouped clusters.

6. A method for placing thematically-related clusters into a display, comprising the steps of:

grouping stored clusters sharing a common theme comprising shared concepts and terms, comprising;

selecting one of the stored clusters and determining an anchor point located on an open edge of the selected cluster and at an intersection of a vector defined from a center of the selected cluster; and

selecting a further stored cluster sharing the common theme with the selected cluster and forming the grouped clusters by placing a center of the further selected cluster on the vector outside of the anchor point and adjacent to the selected cluster to limit overlap of the selected cluster and the further selected cluster and by placing one or more of the remaining stored clusters sharing the common theme along the vector and adjacent to a previously placed cluster having an anchor point, each placed remaining cluster having a center originating on the vector outside of the anchor point of the previously placed cluster; and

displaying the grouped clusters,

wherein the steps are performed by a display processor located within a display system.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

forming a cluster spine comprising those of the clusters having their center on the same vector.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

forming a further cluster spine comprising clusters from another grouping of stored clusters; and

placing the further cluster spine at an anchor point on one of an endpoint cluster and a midpoint cluster in the cluster spine.

9. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining a size of each stored cluster, wherein the stored clusters are selected for placement along the vector based on the size.

10. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

displaying singleton clusters that were not placed with the grouped clusters.

11. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 6.

12. A display system for determining a spatial arrangement of thematically-related clusters, comprising:

a placement module to select a convex cluster from a set of convex clusters, which each comprise shared concepts and terms, to determine a center of mass for the selected convex cluster and to place the selected convex cluster along a vector at the center of mass, to locate an anchor point comprising at least one open edge formed on the selected convex cluster at an intersection of the vector defined from the center of mass and an edge of the selected convex cluster, to select one or more of the remaining convex clusters in the convex clusters set, and to arrange the one or more remaining convex clusters with a center of mass originating outside of the anchor point and on the vector next to the selected convex cluster, wherein overlap of the arranged convex clusters is limited;

a display module to display the arranged convex clusters within a display; and

a display processor within the display system to execute the modules.

13. A display system according to claim 12, wherein each convex cluster represents visualized data for a semantic concept space.

14. A display system according to claim 12, further comprising:

an organizer to order the convex clusters by a number of concepts contained in each convex cluster, wherein those convex clusters sharing at least one semantically relevant concept are selected from the ordered convex clusters as thematically-related clusters.

15. A display system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a list generator to generate a list of the convex clusters sharing the semantically relevant concept; and

a placement submodule to place the list of convex clusters into a grouping with one or more lists of other convex clusters.

16. A display system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a grouping module to form a cluster spine with the arranged convex clusters comprising at least one of a same type of convex clusters and different types of convex clusters, wherein the types of convex clusters include at least one of a circle, square, octagon, triangle, and oval.

17. A method for determining a spatial arrangement of thematically-related clusters, comprising the steps of:

selecting a convex cluster from a set of convex clusters, which each comprise shared concepts and terms;

determining a center of mass for the selected convex cluster and placing the selected convex cluster along a vector at the center of mass;

locating an anchor point comprising at least one open edge formed on the selected convex cluster at an intersection of the vector defined from the center of mass and an edge of the selected convex cluster;

selecting one or more of the remaining convex clusters in the convex clusters set;

arranging the one or more remaining convex clusters with a center of mass originating outside of the anchor point and on the vector next to the selected convex cluster, wherein overlap of the arranged convex clusters is limited; and

displaying the arranged convex clusters within a display,

wherein the steps are performed by a display processor located within a display system.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein each convex cluster represents visualized data for a semantic concept space.

19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

ordering the convex clusters by a number of concepts contained in each convex cluster, wherein those convex clusters sharing at least one semantically relevant concept are selected from the ordered convex clusters as thematically-related clusters.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising:

generating a list of the convex clusters sharing the semantically relevant concept; and

placing the list of convex clusters into a grouping with one or more lists of other convex clusters.

21. A method according to claim 17, further comprising:

forming a cluster spine with the arranged convex clusters comprising at least one of a same type of convex clusters and different types of convex clusters, wherein the types of convex clusters include at least one of a circle, square, octagon, triangle, and oval.

22. A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to claim 17.