Method and apparatus providing a graphical user interface for representing and navigating hierarchical networks

• US 8,185,824 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bainbridge, David K., Mitchell, Frederick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US11/880,853
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 715734-740, 715853-855, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 715/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/044 comprising hierarchical management structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/20 Network management software packages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided which present hierarchical data to a user via a graphical user interface. In the interface, hierarchical data is represented by nodes, beginning with one or more top nodes and extending into lower hierarchical levels by the display of child nodes, child'"'"'s child nodes, and so forth. The arrangement of nodes on the graphical user interface is such that scaling portrays the various hierarchical levels, and nodes do not spatially interfere with one another. Navigation through the hierarchical data is provided by allowing the user to select any visible node, at which point a zoom-in or zoom-out view to the selected node as a centrally located node on the interface is performed.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

at least one input device;

an output device;

a memory device;

a processing unit coupled to the input device, the output device and the memory device, the processing unit executing a computer program stored in the memory device, the computer program controlling the output device to display a graphical user interface and controlling the at least one input device to accept input to manipulate a view of objects displayed within the graphical user interface;

the graphical user interface displaying objects derived from hierarchically arranged data wherein each object displayed is graphically scaled in size, proportion, and relative position according to a hierarchical level of each object, and wherein the number of objects displayed are limited to within a predetermined number in which, if the data exceeds the predetermined number, at least one object represents multiple objects.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the processing unit is adapted to accept data, grouped automatically or manually, that are represented by said at least one object.

3. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined number is about seven.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein an object hierarchically related directly above another object in the hierarchy is a parent object and the graphical user interface includes at least one centrally located parent and an object hierarchically related directly below an object in the hierarchy is a child object and is displayed radially adjacent to the parent object;

and wherein the input device may be used to select a child object on the graphical user interface and, in response, the computer program will generate a zoom-in view of that child object including any child objects related to that child object.

5. The computer system of claim 4 wherein

the graphical user interface displays a first view of individually selectable hierarchically arranged objects including a parent object and a plurality of child objects peripherally arranged about the parent object;

and

upon a zoom-in selection of a child object with the at least one input device, the processing unit executes the computer program to transform the display of the graphical user interface to a zoomed-in view in which the parent object is relocated and proportionally increased in size to appear as grand-parent object and the child object selected is relocated and proportionally increased in size to appear as a centrally located parent object and wherein previously undisplayed child objects that are hierarchically related below the child object selected become displayed and peripherally arranged about the centrally located parent object.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein upon selection of the child object, the grand-parent object becomes no longer displayed and the centrally located parent object is relocated and proportionally increased in size to appear as a new grand-parent object.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein an object hierarchically related directly above another object is a parent object and an object hierarchically related directly below another object is a child object;

and wherein the input device may be used to select a parent object and, in response, the computer program will generate a zoom-out view of that parent object by removing any child objects previously displayed and by displaying all child objects related to the selected parent object to a specific level of detail in the hierarchy of data.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein

the graphical user interface displays a first view of individually selectable hierarchically arranged objects including a grand-parent object, a centrally located first parent object and a plurality of child objects peripherally arranged about the centrally located parent object;

and

upon a zoom-out selection of the grand parent object with the at least one input device, the processing unit executes the computer program to transform the display of the graphical user interface to a zoomed-out view in which child objects disappear from the graphical user interface and the first parent object is proportionally reduced in size to appear as a child object and the grand-parent object is relocated and proportionally reduced in size to appear as a centrally located parent object and the child object and other previously undisplayed child objects are hierarchically related below the centrally located parent object become displayed and peripherally arranged about the centrally located parent object.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit executes the computer program to allow the input device to specify a number of hierarchy levels to be displayed and the computer program controls the output device to display, on the graphical user interface, a total number of objects that is dependent upon the number of hierarchy levels specified.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface further includes a locale map providing a user with an indication of where in the hierarchy the objects exist that are currently on display in the graphical user interface.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the hierarchically arranged data associated with any object displayed represents data associated with a managed device on a computer network.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the color of an object on the graphical user interface depicts information concerning the state of the managed device which the object represents.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein if an object having associated corresponding data in the hierarchy contains a fault, the fault is reflected in the data for that object in the hierarchy of data and is reflected to objects above that object in the hierarchy of data such that, in the graphical user interface, objects that are displayed and that are hierarchically related above the faulted device include a visible indication of the presence of the fault located below that object, thus providing an indication on the graphical user interface of a selected object path to follow to find the fault.

14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the objects displayed appear circular in nature and wherein the computer program employs fractal geometry to properly display each object without overlapping other objects and properly scales each object in relation to a hierarchy of all objects in the hierarchically arranged data.

29. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display zoomed-in and zoomed-out views of various combinations of the displayed objects, wherein in each of the possible zoomed-in and zoomed-out views each object displayed is graphically scaled in size, proportion, and relative position according to a hierarchical level of each object.

15. A computer system comprising:

at least one input device;

an output device;

a memory device;

a processing unit coupled to the input device, the output device and the memory device, the processing unit executing a computer program stored in the memory device, the computer program controlling the output device to display a graphical user interface and controlling the at least one input device to accept input to manipulate a view of objects displayed within the graphical user interface;

the graphical user interface (i) displaying objects derived from hierarchically arranged data, wherein each object displayed is graphically scaled in size, proportion, and relative position according to a hierarchical level of each object, (ii) is adapted to accept zoom-in and zoom-out requests from a user to view the objects in selectable scales, and (iii) applies animation in changing scales.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein each object displayed on the graphical user interface is depicted graphically as being interconnected to other objects to which it is directly related to in a hierarchy of the data, so as to form a graphical representation of the hierarchical nature of each object as it relates to other objects.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein an object hierarchically related directly above another object in the hierarchy is a parent object and the graphical user interface includes at least one centrally located parent and an object hierarchically related directly below an object in the hierarchy is a child object and is displayed radially adjacent to the parent object;

and wherein the input device may be used to select a child object on the graphical user interface and, in response, the computer program generates a zoom-in view of that child object including any child objects related to that child object.

18. The computer system of claim 17 wherein

the graphical user interface displays a first view of individually selectable hierarchically arranged objects including a parent object and a plurality of child objects peripherally arranged about the parent object;

and

upon a zoom-in selection of a child object with the at least one input device, the processing unit executes the computer program to transform the display of the graphical user interface to a zoomed-in view in which the parent object is relocated and proportionally increased in size to appear as a grand-parent object and the child object selected is relocated and proportionally increased in size to appear as a centrally located parent object and wherein previously undisplayed child objects that are hierarchically related below the child object selected become displayed and peripherally arranged about the centrally located parent object.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein upon selection of the child object, the grand-parent object becomes no longer displayed and the centrally located parent object is relocated and proportionally increased in size to appear as a new-grand-parent object.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein an object hierarchically related directly above another object is a parent object and an object hierarchically related directly below another object is a child object;

and wherein the input device may be used to select a parent object and, in response, the computer program will generate a zoom-out view of that parent object by removing any child objects previously displayed and by displaying all child objects related to the selected parent object to a specific level of detail in the hierarchy of data.

21. The computer system of claim 20 wherein

the graphical user interface displays a first view of individually selectable hierarchically arranged objects including a grand-parent object, a centrally located first parent object and a plurality of child objects peripherally arranged about the centrally located parent object;

and

upon a zoom-out selection of the grand parent object with the at least one input device, the processing unit executes the computer program to transform the display of the graphical user interface to a zoomed-out view in which child objects disappear from the graphical user interface and the first parent object is proportionally reduced in size to appear as a child object and the grand-parent object is relocated and proportionally reduced in size to appear as a centrally located parent object and the child object and other previously undisplayed child objects that are hierarchically related below the centrally located parent object become displayed and peripherally arranged about the centrally located parent object.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein upon selection of the grand parent object, an object hierarchically above the grand parent object becomes displayed as a new grand parent object.

23. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processing unit executes the computer program to allow the input device to specify a number of hierarchy levels to be displayed and the computer program controls the output device to display, on the graphical user interface, a total number of objects that is dependent upon the number of hierarchy levels specified.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein the graphical user interface further includes a locale map providing a user with an indication of where in the hierarchy the objects exist that are currently on display in the graphical user interface.

25. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the hierarchically arranged data associated with any object displayed represents data associated with a managed device on a computer network.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the color of an object on the graphical user interface depicts information concerning the state of the managed device which the object represents.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein if an object having associated corresponding data in the hierarchy contains a fault, the fault is reflected in the data for that object in the hierarchy of data and is reflected to objects above that object in the hierarchy of data such that, in the graphical user interface, objects that are displayed and that are hierarchically related above the faulted device include a visible indication of the presence of the fault located below that object, thus providing an indication on the graphical user interface of a selected object path to follow to find the fault.

28. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the objects displayed appear circular in nature and wherein the computer program employs fractal geometry to properly display each object without overlapping other objects and properly scales each object in relation to a hierarchy of all objects in the hierarchically arranged data.