Page layout in a flow visualization

• US 9,300,545 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Fenghui, Mui, Lik, Li, Peng, Liao, Lin, Xu, Zhiting
• Primary Examiner(s): Phung, Luat
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waqas, Saad A
• Application Number:
  US13/271,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating a flow visualization of network traffic. A scoring function is used to prioritize which traffic paths are displayed in the visualization.

Claims

1. A method of generating data indicative of Internet traffic data, comprising:

accessing data representative of a plurality of nodes and traffic paths between nodes;

determining a first level for each node of the plurality of nodes, the first level representing a position of the each node relative to a start node;

calculating, by a processing circuit, a first score for each traffic path by multiplying a traffic volume weight factor based on traffic along the each traffic path and a level weight factor based on a number of levels difference between a traffic path start node and a traffic path end node connected by each traffic path, the level difference based on the determined first levels for each of the plurality of nodes;

determining, by the processing circuit, an arrangement for the plurality of nodes, wherein determining the arrangement comprises;

calculating a first aggregate score for a first arrangement of the plurality of nodes based on the calculated first scores,

modifying the first level for a node of the plurality of nodes to be a second level for the node of the plurality of nodes,

calculating a second score for each traffic path by multiplying the traffic volume weight factor of each traffic path and a second level difference between the traffic path start node and the traffic path end node connected by the traffic path based on the second level for the node of the plurality of nodes,

calculating a second aggregate score for a second arrangement of the plurality of nodes based on the calculated second scores,

comparing the first aggregate score to the second aggregate score, and

selecting the second arrangement responsive to the second aggregate score exceeding the first aggregate score;

generating visualization data configured to cause an electronic display to display two or more of the nodes and one or more traffic paths between the displayed two or more nodes according to the second arrangement; and

providing the visualization data to an electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a node of the plurality of nodes comprises a cluster of URLs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each node is displayed only once in the display.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a connections parameter indicative of an amount of traffic paths to display, wherein the visualization data is generated based in part on the connections parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a nodes parameter indicative of an amount of nodes to display, wherein the visualization data is generated based in part on the nodes parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualization data comprises indicia of traffic that does not go to a displayed node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first level or the second level corresponds to a step in an online process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more displayed traffic paths comprise indicia of the traffic volume along the one or more displayed traffic paths.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a displayed traffic path comprises a backwards path.

10. A system for generating data indicative of network traffic comprising:

a processing circuit configured to;

access data representative of a plurality of nodes and traffic paths between nodes,

determine a first level for each node of the plurality of nodes, the first level representing a position of the each node relative to a start node,

calculate a first score for each traffic path by multiplying a traffic volume weight factor based on traffic along the each traffic path and a level weight factor based on a number of levels difference between a traffic path start node and a traffic path end node connected by each traffic path, the level difference based on determined first levels for each of the plurality of nodes

determine an arrangement for the plurality of nodes, wherein determining the arrangement comprises;

calculating a first aggregate score for a first arrangement of the plurality of nodes based on the calculated first scores,

modifying the first level for a node of the plurality of nodes to be a second level for the node of the plurality of nodes,

calculating a second score for each traffic path by multiplying the traffic volume weight factor of each traffic path and a second level difference between the traffic path start node and the traffic path end node connected by the traffic path based on the second level for the node of the plurality of nodes,

calculating a second aggregate score for a second arrangement of the plurality of nodes based on the calculated second scores,

comparing the first aggregate score to the second aggregate score, and

selecting the second arrangement responsive to the second aggregate score exceeding the first aggregate score,

generate visualization data configured to cause an electronic display to display two or more of the nodes and one or more traffic paths between the displayed two or more nodes according to the second arrangement, and

provide the visualization data to an electronic device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a node of the plurality of nodes comprises a cluster of URLs.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each node is displayed only once in the display.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to receive a connections parameter indicative of an amount of traffic paths to display, wherein the visualization data is generated based in part on the connections parameter.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive a nodes parameter indicative of an amount of nodes to display, wherein the visualization data is generated based in part on the nodes parameter.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the visualization data comprises indicia of traffic that does not go to a displayed node.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein a displayed traffic path comprises a backwards path.

17. The system claim 10, wherein the one or more displayed traffic paths comprise indicia of the traffic volume along the one or more displayed traffic paths.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the first level or the second level corresponds to a step in an online process.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

accessing data representative of a plurality of nodes and traffic paths between nodes;

determining a first level for each node of the plurality of nodes, the first level representing a position of the each node relative to a start node;

calculating a first score for each traffic path by multiplying a traffic volume weight factor based on traffic along the each traffic path and a level weight factor based on a number of levels difference between a traffic path start node and a traffic path end node connected by each traffic path, the level difference based on the determined first levels for each of the plurality of nodes;

determining an arrangement for the plurality of nodes, wherein determining the arrangement comprises;

calculating a first aggregate score for a first arrangement of the plurality of nodes based on the calculated first scores,

modifying the first level for a node of the plurality of nodes to be a second level for the node of the plurality of nodes,

calculating a second score for each traffic path based in part on the traffic volume along the by multiplying the traffic volume weight factor of each traffic path and a second level difference between the traffic path start node and the traffic path end node connected by the traffic path based on the second level for the node of the plurality of nodes,

calculating a second aggregate score for a second arrangement of the plurality of nodes based on the calculated second scores,

comparing the first aggregate score to the second aggregate score, and

selecting the second arrangement responsive to the second aggregate score exceeding the first aggregate score;

generating visualization data configured to cause an electronic display to display two or more of the nodes and one or more traffic paths between the displayed two or more nodes according to the second arrangement; and

providing the visualization data to an electronic device.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein a node of the plurality of nodes comprises a cluster of URLs.