Panoptic visualization document navigation

• US 9,524,342 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Hadley, Brent L, Eames, Patrick J., Rodgers, Michael K., Floyd, Joseph F., Miller, Stephen P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Padmanabhan, Kavita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garmon, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/414,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 715/202, 715/203, 715/209, 715/243
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• 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: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A panoptic visualization document navigation system includes a navigation engine and request interface, and is configured effect navigation of components of a document collection in a layout, panoptically arranged in a manner that reflects logical relationships between their content, which may in turn reflect relationships between the subjects or their objects depicted by the content. These logical relationships may be established by links between document components, which may be identified by information provided in associated metadata for the document components. Navigation options for navigating the layout may likewise be selected according to the associated metadata. This type of arrangement and its navigation may enable a user to see the content in a single view, and in an arrangement that facilitates a better understanding of the relationships between the content and their subjects or objects, which may be otherwise difficult to comprehend.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a layout of document components of a panoptic visualization document collection having a plurality of document components each of which includes respective media content and has associated metadata providing information about the respective document component, the layout including a panoptic arrangement of visual representations of the document components of the layout according to the associated metadata of the respective document components;

selecting one or more navigation options from a plurality of navigation options for navigating a visual presentation of the layout, the navigation options being selected according to the associated metadata for the document components of the layout;

communicating the selected navigation options to a graphical user interface for presentation to a user along with the visual presentation of the layout, the selected navigation options thereby being selectable by the user to request an adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout;

receiving a request according to one or more of the selected navigation options presented by the graphical user interface; and

in response thereto,

effecting an adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout according to the request; and

communicating the adjustment to the graphical user interface for presentation to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the document components of the layout are of one or more electronic documents of the panoptic visualization document collection, and wherein the navigation options are selected according to a type of the respective electronic documents, the type being indicated in the associated metadata for the respective document components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation options are selected according to the media content of the document components of the layout, the media content being indicated in the associated metadata for the respective document components.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein effecting the adjustment includes effecting the adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout without adjustment of the layout.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein effecting the adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout includes adjustment of the layout.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the layout of document components comprises a layout of first document components, and the selected navigation options comprise first navigation options, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a layout of second document components of the panoptic visualization document collection, the second document components including one or more document components other than in the first document components, the layout of second document components including a panoptic arrangement of visual representations of the second document components of the layout according to the associated metadata of the respective document components;

selecting one or more second navigation options from the plurality of navigation options for navigating the visual presentation of the layout of second document components, the second navigation options being selected according to the associated metadata for the second document components and including one or more navigation options different from the first navigation options; and

communicating the selected navigation options.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request for media content and identifying a document component including the requested media content, the identified document component being of the panoptic visualization document collection;

selecting a layout model from a plurality of layout models for panoptically-arranged visual representations of document components of the plurality, the layout model being selected according to the associated metadata for the identified document component; and

generating the layout of document components including the identified document component and one or more other document components identified according to the associated metadata for the identified document component, the respective metadata further including information identifying one or more links between the identified document component and respective one or more other document components, the layout being generated according to the selected layout model, and the respective document components and associated metadata for the respective document components.

8. An apparatus for implementation of a panoptic visualization document navigation system, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to implement at least:

a navigation engine configured to receive a layout of document components of a panoptic visualization document collection having a plurality of document components each of which includes respective media content and has associated metadata providing information about the respective document component, the layout including a panoptic arrangement of visual representations of the document components of the layout according to the associated metadata of the respective document components,

wherein the navigation engine is configured to select one or more navigation options from a plurality of navigation options for navigating a visual presentation of the layout, the navigation options being selected according to the associated metadata for the document components of the layout, and

wherein the navigation engine is configured to communicate the selected navigation options to a graphical user interface for presentation to a user along with the visual presentation of the layout, the selected navigation options thereby being selectable by the user to request an adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout; and

a request interface coupled to the navigation engine and configured to receive a request according to one or more of the selected navigation options presented by the graphical user interface, the request interface also being configured to communicate the request to the navigation engine,

wherein the navigation engine is further configured to effect an adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout in response to the request and according to the request, and

wherein the navigation engine is configured to communicate the adjustment to the graphical user interface for presentation to the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the document components of the layout are of one or more electronic documents of the panoptic visualization document collection, and wherein the navigation engine is configured to select the navigation options according to a type of the respective electronic documents, the type being indicated in the associated metadata for the respective document components.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the navigation engine is configured to select the navigation options according to the media content of the document components of the layout, the media content being indicated in the associated metadata for the respective document components.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the navigation engine is configured to effect the adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout without adjustment of the layout.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the navigation engine is configured to effect the adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout including adjustment of the layout.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the layout of document components comprises a layout of first document components, and the selected navigation options comprise first navigation options,

wherein the navigation engine is further configured to receive a layout of second document components of the panoptic visualization document collection, the second document components including one or more document components other than in the first document components, the layout of second document components including a panoptic arrangement of visual representations of the second document components of the layout according to the associated metadata of the respective document components,

wherein the navigation engine is configured to select one or more second navigation options from the plurality of navigation options for navigating the visual presentation of the layout of second document components, the second navigation options being selected according to the associated metadata for the second document components and including one or more navigation options different from the first navigation options, and

wherein the navigation engine is configured to communicate the second navigation options.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, the apparatus being for implementation of a panoptic visualization system including the panoptic visualization document navigation system and further including a panoptic visualization document layout system, the memory storing further executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to further implement:

a search engine configured to receive a request for media content and identifying a document component including the requested media content, the identified document component being of the panoptic visualization document collection; and

a layout engine coupled to the search engine and navigation engine, the layout engine being configured to select a layout model from a plurality of layout models for panoptically-arranged visual representations of document components of the plurality, the layout model being selected according to the associated metadata for the identified document component,

wherein the layout engine is configured to generate the layout of document components including the identified document component and one or more other document components identified according to the associated metadata for the identified document component, the respective metadata further including information identifying one or more links between the identified document component and respective one or more other document components, the layout being generated according to the selected layout model, and the respective document components and associated metadata for the respective document components.

15. A computer-readable storage medium that is non-transitory and has computer-readable program code portions stored therein that, in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least:

receive a layout of document components of a panoptic visualization document collection having a plurality of document components each of which includes respective media content and has associated metadata providing information about the respective document component, the layout including a panoptic arrangement of visual representations of the document components of the layout according to the associated metadata of the respective document components;

select one or more navigation options from a plurality of navigation options for navigating a visual presentation of the layout, the navigation options being selected according to the associated metadata for the document components of the layout;

communicate the selected navigation options to a graphical user interface for presentation to a user along with the visual presentation of the layout, the selected navigation options thereby being selectable by the user to request an adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout;

receive a request according to one or more of the selected navigation options presented by the graphical user interface;

effect an adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout in response to the request and according to the request; and

communicate the adjustment to the graphical user interface for presentation to the user.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the document components of the layout are of one or more electronic documents of the panoptic visualization document collection, and wherein the apparatus is caused to select the navigation options according to a type of the respective electronic documents, the type being indicated in the associated metadata for the respective document components.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is caused to select the navigation options according to the media content of the document components of the layout, the media content being indicated in the associated metadata for the respective document components.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is caused to effect the adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout without adjustment of the layout.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is caused to effect the adjustment of the visual presentation of the layout including adjustment of the layout.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the layout of document components comprises a layout of first document components, and the selected navigation options comprise first navigation options, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium has further computer-readable program code portions stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to further:

receive a layout of second document components of the panoptic visualization document collection, the second document components including one or more document components other than in the first document components, the layout of second document components including a panoptic arrangement of visual representations of the second document components of the layout according to the associated metadata of the respective document components;

select one or more second navigation options from the plurality of navigation options for navigating the visual presentation of the layout of second document components, the second navigation options being selected according to the associated metadata for the second document components and including one or more navigation options different from the first navigation options; and

communicate the second navigation options.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable storage medium has further computer-readable program code portions stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to further:

receive a request for media content and identifying a document component including the requested media content, the identified document component being of the panoptic visualization document collection;

select a layout model from a plurality of layout models for panoptically-arranged visual representations of document components of the plurality, the layout model being selected according to the associated metadata for the identified document component; and

generate the layout of document components including the identified document component and one or more other document components identified according to the associated metadata for the identified document component, the respective metadata further including information identifying one or more links between the identified document component and respective one or more other document components, the layout being generated according to the selected layout model, and the respective document components and associated metadata for the respective document components.