Automated stratification of graph display

• US 9,177,041 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Lewis Jr. Jackson
• Original Assignee: Robert Lewis Jr. Jackson
• Inventors: Jackson, Robert Lewis Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini, Javid A
• Application Number:
  US13/413,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20130235040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9024 Graphs; Linked lists G06F16/9027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a graphical depiction of related data are provided. Non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to identify a graph wherein a node represents a stored object having one or more application-specific attributes associated with a primary application, wherein the primary application includes other than a presentation of nodes in a graph drawing, and wherein edges represent stored relationships between said objects, which include a relevancy to the primary application. The computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to receive a selection formula wherein the selection formula is based on the one or more application-specific attributes of the objects, and wherein the formula classifies the objects based on at least one of predetermined and selectable values of the attributes; and depict a visual representation of the graph.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by a processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

identify a graph having a plurality of nodes, wherein a node represents a stored object having one or more attributes associated with a primary application, and edges represent stored relationships between objects, an attribute being any information associated with an object other than information pertaining to an edge relationship;

receive a selection formula, wherein the formula classifies the objects into categories of attributes and values of attributes within the categories; and

automatically depict a visual representation of the graph on a display, wherein two distinct organizations of the graph are portrayed simultaneously;

in the first organization, the edge relationships between objects are preserved and displayed; and

in the second organization, nodes are organized into and displayed as a plurality of visually distinct classification node areas based upon the formula;

wherein;

the classification node areas correspond to different attribute values within a category; and

the classification node areas are not differentiated based upon any edge relationships, but rather upon values of attributes.

2. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

identify an order between or among the categories; and

depict the graph with the corresponding classification node areas ordered according to the identified order.

3. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

identify a second formula for classification of the objects; and

subpartition at least one classification node area based upon the second formula.

4. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to receive an identification of the objects and their classifying attributes from a data collection, using at least one of automatic programmatic selection of stored data objects and attributes, and user-interactive selection of stored data objects and attributes.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to display an interactive interface to a user associated with objects of the graph, said interface enabling the user to perform at least one of:

(a) viewing the objects based upon user selected criteria; and

(b) allowing predefined updating operations, including at least one of creating new node objects, modifying node objects, and deleting node objects.

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to display an acyclical hierarchy of primary edges without any primary edge lines crossing any other primary edge lines.

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media in accordance with claim 6, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to display edges not contained in the hierarchy of primary edges in a manner visually distinguished from depiction of the primary edges.

8. A computer-implemented method for generating a visual depiction of related data using attributes of the data to position representations of the data on a display, said method comprising:

identifying a graph having a plurality of nodes, wherein a node represents a stored object having one or more attributes associated with a primary application, and edges represent stored relationships between objects, an attribute being any information associated with an object other than information pertaining to an edge relationship;

receiving a selection formula, wherein the formula classifies the objects into categories of attributes and values of attributes within the categories; and

automatically depicting a visual representation of the graph on a display wherein two distinct organizations of the graph are portrayed simultaneously;

in the first organization, the edge relationships between objects are preserved and displayed; and

in the second organization, nodes are organized into and displayed as a plurality of visually distinct classification node areas based upon the formula, wherein;

the classification node areas correspond to different attribute values within a category; and

the classification node areas are not differentiated based upon any edge relationships, but rather upon values of attributes.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

identifying an order between or among the categories; and

depicting the graph with the corresponding classification node areas ordered according to the identified order.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising:

identifying a second formula for classification of the objects; and

subpartitioning at least one classification node area based upon the second formula.

11. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising receiving an identification of the objects and their classifying attributes from a data collection, using at least one of automatic programmatic selection of stored data objects and attributes, and user-interactive selection of stored data objects and attributes.

12. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising displaying an interactive interface to a user associated with objects of the graph, said interface enabling the user to perform at least one of:

(a) viewing the objects based upon user selected criteria; and

(b) allowing predefined updating operations, including at least one of creating new node objects, modifying node objects, and deleting node objects.

13. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising displaying an acyclical hierarchy of primary edges, wherein no primary edge line crosses any other primary edge line.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising displaying edges not contained in the hierarchy of primary edges in a manner visually distinguished from depiction of the primary edges.

15. Apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processor coupled to the display and programmed to;

identify a graph having a plurality of nodes, wherein a node represents a stored object having one or more attributes associated with a primary application, and edges represent stored relationships between objects, an attribute being any information associated with an object other than information pertaining to an edge relationship;

receive a selection formula, wherein the formula classifies the objects into categories of attribute and values of attributes within the categories; and

automatically depict on the display a visual representation of the graph wherein two distinct organizations of the graph are displayed simultaneously;

in the first organization, the edge relationships between objects are preserved and displayed; and

in the second organization, nodes are organized into and displayed as a plurality of visually distinct classification node areas based upon the formula;

wherein;

the classification node areas correspond to different attribute values within a category; and

the classification node areas are not differentiated based upon any edge relationships, but rather upon values of attributes.

16. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

identify an order between or among the categories; and

depict the graph with the corresponding classification node areas ordered according to the identified order.

17. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

identify a second formula for classification of the objects; and

subpartition at least one classification node area based upon the second formula.

18. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to receive an identification of the objects and their classifying attributes from a data collection, using at least one of automatic programmatic selection of stored data objects and attributes, and user-interactive selection of stored data objects and attributes.

19. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to display an interactive interface to a user associated with objects of the graph, said interface enabling the user to perform at least one of:

(a) viewing the objects based upon user selected criteria; and

(b) allowing predefined updating operations, including at least one of creating new node objects, modifying node objects, and deleting node objects.

20. Apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to display an acyclical hierarchy of primary edges without any primary edge lines crossing any other primary edge lines.