Interactive visualization of sender and recipient information in electronic communications

• US 8,819,002 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Figueroa, Sarah Christine, Ng, Kenney, Rauch, Thyra Lynne
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US13/859,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 707/726, 707797-798, 707/803, 707/736, 707/734, 707/747, 370/254, 709/206
• US Class Current: 707/726
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

An approach is provided that visually distinguishes between entity types in a communication system. A Data store with entities is queried, with entities connected to one another as senders and receivers, resulting in a query result. A node data structure corresponding to each of the entities is created and an edge data structure corresponding to each of the connections between the entities is also created. Nodes corresponding to the node data structures are displayed, along with edges (e.g., connection lines) corresponding to the edge data structures. A user selects one of the nodes that is displayed, and the selected node is visually highlighted. Different types of non-selected nodes are identified based on the selected node. Types of nodes may include sender type nodes, receiver type nodes, and sender/receiver type nodes. The types of identified nodes are highlighted in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

querying a data store using a query, wherein the data store comprises a plurality of entities connected to one or more other entities included in the data store, the querying resulting in a first query result;

creating a node data structure corresponding to each of a plurality of entities included in the first query result and an edge data structure corresponding to each of one or more connections between the plurality of entities included in the first query result;

displaying a plurality of nodes corresponding to the created node data structures and a plurality of edges corresponding to the created edge data structures;

receiving a node selection corresponding to one of the displayed nodes;

re-querying the data store using a refined query based on the received node selection, the re-querying resulting in a second query result; and

re-performing the creating and displaying based on the second query result.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field, the method further comprising:

updating one or more connection fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of nodes based on the received node selection; and

updating one or more role fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of nodes based on the received node selection.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node; and

visually highlighting the identified non-selected nodes in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a receiver type to the selected node; and

visually highlighting the identified non-selected nodes in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being both a sender type and a receiver type to the selected node; and

visually highlighting the identified non-selected nodes in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field, the method further comprising:

identifying a plurality of types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node, one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a receiver type to the selected node, and one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being both a sender type and a receiver type to the selected node; and

during the identifying, updating the connection field corresponding to each of the plurality of non-selected nodes so that a connection type is identified from a group consisting of a direct type, an indirect type, and no type, and updating the role field corresponding to each of the plurality of non-selected nodes so that a role type is identified from a group consisting of a sender, a receiver, both a sender and a receiver, and no role.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each edge data structure includes a connection field and a role field, the method further comprising:

updating one or more connection fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of edges based on the received node selection; and

updating one or more role fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of edges based on the received node selection.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

identifying a first set of one or more edges that are outgoing from the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the first set of identified edges as a recipient type edge;

identifying a second set of one or more edges that are incoming to the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the second set of identified edges as a sender type edge;

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are directly connected to the selected node as direct connections; and

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are not directly connected to the selected node as indirect connections.

9. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

a nonvolatile storage medium accessible by at least one of the processors;

a display device accessible by at least one of the processors; and

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

querying a data store using a query, wherein the data store comprises a plurality of entities connected to one or more other entities included in the data store, the querying resulting in a first query result;

creating a node data structure corresponding to each of a plurality of entities included in the first query result and an edge data structure corresponding to each of one or more connections between the plurality of entities included in the first query result;

displaying a plurality of nodes corresponding to the created node data structures and a plurality of edges corresponding to the created edge data structures;

receiving a node selection corresponding to one of the displayed nodes;

re-querying the data store using a refined query based on the received node selection, the re-querying resulting in a second query result; and

re-performing the creating and displaying based on the second query result.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and wherein the actions further comprise:

updating one or more connection fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of nodes based on the received node selection; and

updating one or more role fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of nodes based on the received node selection.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying one or more types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node, one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a receiver type to the selected node, and one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being both a sender type and a receiver type to the selected node; and

visually highlighting the identified non-selected nodes in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types.

12. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying one or more types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node, one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a receiver type to the selected node, and one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being both a sender type and a receiver type to the selected node; and

during the identifying, updating the connection field corresponding to each of the plurality of non-selected nodes so that a connection type is identified from a group consisting of a direct type, an indirect type, and no type, and updating the role field corresponding to each of the plurality of non-selected nodes so that a role type is identified from a group consisting of a sender, a receiver, both a sender and a receiver, and no role.

13. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein each edge data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and wherein the actions further comprise:

updating one or more connection fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of edges based on the received node selection; and

updating one or more role fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of edges based on the received node selection.

14. The information handling system of claim 13 wherein the actions further comprise:

identifying a first set of one or more edges that are outgoing from the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the first set of identified edges as a recipient type edge;

identifying a second set of one or more edges that are incoming to the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the second set of identified edges as a sender type edge;

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are directly connected to the selected node as direct connections; and

setting the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are not directly connected to the selected node as indirect connections.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable memory device;

first program instructions to query a data store using a query, wherein the data store comprises a plurality of entities connected to one or more other entities included in the data store, the querying resulting in a first query result;

second program instructions to create a node data structure corresponding to each of a plurality of entities included in the first query result and an edge data structure corresponding to each of one or more connections between the plurality of entities included in the first query result;

third program instructions to display a plurality of nodes corresponding to the created node data structures and a plurality of edges corresponding to the created edge data structures;

fourth program instructions to receive a node selection corresponding to one of the displayed nodes;

fifth program instructions to re-query the data store using a refined query based on the received node selection, the re-querying resulting in a second query result;

sixth program instructions to re-perform the creating and displaying based on the second query result; and

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable memory device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and further comprising:

seventh program instructions to update one or more connection fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of nodes based on the received node selection;

eighth program instructions to update one or more role fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of nodes based on the received node selection; and

wherein the seventh and eighth program instructions are stored on the computer readable memory device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising:

ninth program instructions to identify one or more types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node, one or more of the non-selected nodes as being a receiver type to the selected node, and one or more of the non-selected nodes as being both a sender type and a receiver type to the selected node;

tenth program instructions to visually highlight the identified non-selected nodes in a manner that visually distinguishes each type from the other types; and

wherein the ninth and tenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable memory device.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein each node data structure includes a connection field and a role field further comprising:

eleventh program instructions to identify one or more types of non-selected nodes in relation to the selected node, wherein one or more of the non-selected nodes are identified as being a sender type to the selected node, one or more of the non-selected nodes as being a receiver type to the selected node, and one or more of the non-selected nodes as being both a sender type and a receiver type to the selected node;

twelfth program instructions to, during the identifying, update the connection field corresponding to each of the plurality of non-selected nodes so that a connection type is identified from a group consisting of a direct type, an indirect type, and no type, and updating the role field corresponding to each of the plurality of non-selected nodes so that a role type is identified from a group consisting of a sender, a receiver, both a sender and a receiver, and no role; and

wherein the eleventh and twelfth program instructions are stored on the computer readable memory device.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein each edge data structure includes a connection field and a role field, and further comprising:

thirteenth program instructions to update one or more connection fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of edges based on the received node selection;

fourteenth program instructions to update one or more role fields corresponding to one or more of the plurality of edges based on the received node selection; and

wherein the thirteenth and fourteenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable memory device.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

fifteenth program instructions to identify a first set of one or more edges that are outgoing from the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the first set of identified edges as a recipient type edge;

sixteenth program instructions to identify a second set of one or more edges that are incoming to the selected node in relation to the selected node and marking each of the role fields for each of the second set of identified edges as a sender type edge;

seventeenth program instructions to set the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are directly connected to the selected node as direct connections;

eighteenth program instructions to set the connection fields of each of the edges in the first and second sets that are not directly connected to the selected node as indirect connections; and

wherein the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable memory device.