Navigation of a graphical representation

• US 9,507,490 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arokiaraj, Francis S., Venkatesan, Senthil K., Bantupalli, Sairam, Valmeti, Sreenivasulu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US14/197,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 715/734
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

Embodiments include a system, method and computer program product for navigating a graphical representation displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI). According to one embodiment, the method includes receiving, at a computer system, a first input indicating a selection of a source element, receiving a second input indicating a relationship for the source element, identifying one or more target elements having a relationship with the source element, and displaying the one or more target elements identified within a visible area of a display.

Claims

1. A computer system for navigating a graphical representation displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI), the computer system comprising a processor operable to:

display a diagram illustrating a plurality of visible elements;

receive a first input indicating a selection of a source element from the plurality of visible elements;

receive a second input indicating a relationship for the source element;

identify one or more target elements having the relationship with the source element, wherein the one or more target elements include at least one of the plurality of visible elements and at least one element that is not visible in the diagram; and

display, in response to receiving the second input, the one or more target elements within an overlay on the display, wherein the overlay displays the source element and the one or more of the target elements including the at least one element not visible in the diagram.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive as an input a selection of the target element;

link the source element and the selected target element; and

remove the overlay from the display after linking the source element to the selected target element.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to:

determine a direction of navigation of from the source element;

identify the target element in the direction of navigation; and

indicate visually the target element in the direction of navigation.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further operable to link the source element and the target element in the direction of navigation on receiving an input.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the overlay is at least partially transparent.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine a distance a cursor of a graphical input interface is moved from the source element;

identify said target element responsive to the distance; and

indicate visually said target element.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

identify said target element proximate to a cursor of a graphical user interface; and

link the source element and said target element being proximate to the cursor.

8. A computer program product for navigating a graphical representation displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI), the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon;

first program instructions executable by a computer system to display a diagram illustrating a plurality of visible elements and to receive a first input indicating a selection of a source element from the plurality of visible elements;

second program instructions executable by the computer system to receive a second input indicating a relationship for the source element;

third program instructions executable by the computer system to identify one or more target elements having the relationship with the source element, wherein the one or more target elements include at least one of the plurality of visible elements and at least one element that is not visible in the diagram; and

fourth program instructions executable by the computer system to display, in response to receiving the second input, the one or more target elements within an overlay on the display, wherein the overlay displays the source element and the one or more of the target elements including the at least one element not visible in the diagram.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising the non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon fifth program instructions executable by the computer system to:

receive as an input, a selection of the target element;

link the source element and the selected target element; and

remove the overlay from the display after linking the source element to the selected target element.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising the non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon sixth program instructions executable by the computer system to:

determine a direction of navigation of from the source element;

identify the target element in the direction of navigation; and

indicate visually the target element in the direction of navigation.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising the non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon seventh program instructions executable by the computer system to link the source element and the target element in the direction of navigation on receiving an input.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the overlay is at least partially transparent.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising the non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon eighth program instructions executable by the computer system to:

determine a distance a cursor of a graphical input interface is moved from the source element;

identify said target element responsive to the distance; and

indicate visually said target element.