System and method for grouping and visualizing data

• US 7,889,888 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Jonathon P., Harm, Christopher R., Truitt, Daniel P., Deardorff, Thomas P., Hennessy, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KANJIBHAI B
• Application Number:
  US11/769,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 382/113, 382/173, 382/178, 382/180, 382/224, 382/225, 382/284, 382/298, 382/312, 345/632, 345/660, 345/635, 701/55, 701/200, 701/208, 701/209, 701/210, 340/990, 340/995, 340/1, 34099511-99519, 358/1.2
• US Class Current: 382/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

A method for visualizing data comprises allocating the data to one or more groups. The method further comprises displaying one or more non-overlapping symbols on a map to represent the groups. The method further comprises merging the non-overlapping symbols into a lesser number of non-overlapping symbols when the map is zoomed out. The method also comprises splitting the one or more non-overlapping symbols into a greater number of non-overlapping symbols when the map is zoomed in.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing data, comprising

allocating, by a computer system, data to one or more groups;

displaying, by the computer system, one or more non-overlapping symbols to represent groups on a map;

merging, by the computer system, the one or more non-overlapping symbols into a lesser number of non-overlapping symbols when the map is zoomed out;

splitting, by the computer system, the one or more non-overlapping symbols into a greater number of non-overlapping symbols when the map is zoomed in; and

preventing for any view of the map, by the computer system, the one or more non-overlapping symbols from overlapping.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein merging the one or more non-overlapping symbols comprises merging two symbols into one symbol based on their proximity to one another.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein splitting the one or more non-overlapping symbols comprises creating two or more non-overlapping symbols.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the decision to merge symbols is based at least in part on the distance between the centers of the two symbols.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein symbols are merged until a pre-set number of symbols is displayed on the map.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbols are split until a pre-set of number of symbols is displayed on the map.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein different symbols are used to represent different groups on the map.

8. The method of claim 1, the density of data within a group is based at least in part on shading of the symbol.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the density of data within a group is based at least in part on the size of the symbol.

10. An apparatus comprising:

an electronic display operable to display one or more non-overlapping symbols to represent one or more groups on a map; and

a processor operable to;

allocate data to the one or more groups;

merge the one or more non-overlapping symbols into a lesser number of non-overlapping symbols when the map is zoomed out;

split the one or more non-overlapping symbols into a greater number of non-overlapping symbols when the map is zoomed in; and

prevent, for any view of the map, the one or more non-overlapping symbols from overlapping.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to merge two of the non-overlapping symbols into one symbol based at least in part on their proximity to one another.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to merge the symbols until a pre-set number of symbols is displayed on the map.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein different symbols are used to represent different groups on the map.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operable to vary the size of the non-overlapping symbols to represent the density of data within the group.

15. Logic embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the logic operable to:

allocate data to one or more groups;

display one or more non-overlapping symbols to represent groups on a map;

merge the one or more non-overlapping symbols into a lesser number of non-overlapping symbols when the map is zoomed out;

split the one or more non-overlapping symbols into a greater number of non-overlapping symbols when the map is zoomed in; and

prevent, for any view of the map, the one or more non-overlapping symbols from overlapping.

16. The logic of claim 15, the logic further operable to merge two symbols into one symbol based on their proximity to one another.

17. The logic of claim 16, the logic further operable to merge symbols based at least in part on the distance between the centers of the two symbols.

18. The logic of claim 15, the logic further operable to use different symbols to display different groups on the map.

19. The logic of claim 15, the logic further operable to vary the shading of the one or more overlapping symbols to represent the density of data within the group.

20. The logic of claim 15, the logic further operable to vary the size of the one or more overlapping symbols to represent the density of data within the group.