Process communication method and system

• US 9,558,525 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Senescu, Reid Robert, Haymaker, John Riker
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mazumder, Tapas
• Application Number:
  US13/253,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20120169710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention is implemented in a web browser that facilitates the visualization of dependencies between digital information and situations where changes in one piece of information or project can affect another. In such an embodiment, the user is presented with two personalized home page windows: a hierarchy view and a graph view. The hierarchy view is used to navigate through a hierarchy of documents or other digital information. The graph view is used to graphically display certain dependencies and is further used to graphically display changes to any dependencies.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing changes in digital data using a data visualization system comprising a processor and a memory connected to the processor via a data bus, the method comprising:

receiving a first metadata for a first source, wherein the first metadata includes information relating to the first source;

receiving a second metadata for a second source, wherein the second metadata includes information relating to the second source;

creating a first node associated with the first source, wherein the first node is created within a dependency graph;

creating a second node associated with the second source, wherein the second node is created within the dependency graph;

associating first digital information with the first node, wherein the first digital information includes content of a first file type, the first file type being associated with a first software application;

associating second digital information with the second node, wherein the second digital information includes content of a second file type, the second file type being associated with a second software application;

rendering a first graphical element indicating the first node;

rendering a second graphical element indicating the second node;

receiving input for a dependency relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information;

rendering a relational graphical element indicating the dependency relationship;

receiving an indication that the first digital information has changed;

altering the first graphical element to indicate that the first digital information has changed;

determining that the second digital information is out-of-date based on the dependency relationship and the received indication that the first digital information has changed; and

altering the second graphical element to indicate that the second digital information is out-of-date.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the first and second digital information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metadata and second metadata include status information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the indication that the first digital information has changed is stored within the first metadata.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metadata includes a name for the first digital information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second metadata includes a name for the second digital information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relational graphical element includes an arrow between the first digital information and the second digital information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a direction of the arrow indicates a manner of dependency between the first digital information and the second digital information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein altering the first graphical element to indicate that the first digital information has changed is indicated by changing a color of the first graphical element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that the first digital information has changed is determined by comparing a first version of the first digital information to a second version of the first digital information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first digital information is an electronic file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second digital information is an electronic file.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first software application is different from the second software application.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metadata includes information indicating the first file type.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second metadata includes information indicating the second file type.

16. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing processor instructions, where execution of the instructions by a processor causes the processor to perform a process comprising:

receiving a first metadata for a first source, wherein the first metadata includes information relating to the first source;

receiving a second metadata for a second source, wherein the second metadata includes information relating to second source;

creating a first node associated with the first source, wherein the first node is created within a dependency graph;

creating a second node associated with the second source, wherein the second node is created within the dependency graph;

associating first digital information with the first node, wherein the first digital information includes content of a first file type, the first file type being associated with a first software application;

associating second digital information with the second node, wherein the second digital information includes content of a second file type, the second file type being associated with a second software application;

rendering a first graphical element indicating the first node;

rendering a second graphical element indicating the second node;

receiving input for a dependency relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information;

rendering a relational graphical element indicating the dependency relationship;

receiving an indication that the first digital information has changed;

altering the first graphical element to indicate that the first digital information has changed;

determining that the second digital information is out-of-date based on the dependency relationship and the received indication that the first digital information has changed; and

altering the second graphical element to indicate that the second digital information is out-of-date.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising receiving the first and second digital information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first metadata and second metadata include status information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the indication that the first digital information has changed is stored within the first metadata.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first metadata includes a name for the first digital information.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second metadata includes a name for the second digital information.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the relational graphical element includes an arrow between the first digital information and the second digital information.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein a direction of the arrow indicates a manner of dependency between the first digital information and the second digital information.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein altering the first graphical element to indicate that the first digital information has changed is indicated by changing a color of the first graphical element.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the indication that the first digital information has changed is determined by comparing a first version of the first digital information to a second version of the first digital information.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first digital information is an electronic file.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second digital information is an electronic file.

28. A computing device comprising:

a data bus;

a memory unit coupled to the data bus;

a processing unit coupled to the data bus and configured to;

receive a first metadata for a first source, wherein the first metadata includes information relating to the first source;

receive a second metadata for a second source, wherein the second metadata includes information relating to the second source;

create a first node associated with the first source, wherein the first node is created within a dependency graph;

create a second node associated with the second source, wherein the second node is created within the dependency graph;

associate first digital information with the first node, wherein the first digital information includes content of a first file type, the first file type being associated with a first software application;

associate second digital information with the second node, wherein the second digital information includes content of a second file type, the second file type being associated with a second software application;

render a first graphical element indicating the first node;

render a second graphical element indicating the second node;

receive input for a dependency relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information;

render a relational graphical element indicating the dependency relationship;

receive an indication that the first digital information has changed;

alter the first graphical element to indicate that the first digital information has changed;

determine that the second digital information is out-of-date based on the dependency relationship and the received indication that the first digital information has changed; and

alter the second graphical element to indicate that the second digital information is out-of-date.

29. A method for visualizing changes in digital data using a data visualization system comprising a processor and a memory connected to the processor via a data bus, the method comprising:

receiving a first metadata for a first file, wherein the first metadata includes a first set of information relating to the first file, the first set of information including a filename, a filename extension, a time stamp, and a status indicator;

receiving a second metadata for a second file, wherein the second metadata includes a second set of information relating to the second file, the second set of information including a filename, a filename extension, a time stamp, and a status indicator;

creating a first node associated with the first file and the first metadata, wherein the first node is created within a dependency graph;

creating a second node associated with the second file and the second metadata, wherein the second node is created within the dependency graph;

associating first digital information with the first node, wherein the first digital information includes content of a first file type, the first file type being associated with a first software application;

associating second digital information with the second node, wherein the second digital information includes content of a second file type, the second file type being associated with a second software application, wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of the first digital information and the second digital information contains a description of a three-dimensional object;

rendering a first graphical element indicating the first node;

rendering a second graphical element indicating the second node;

receiving input for a dependency relationship between the first digital information and the second digital information;

rendering a relational graphical element indicating the dependency relationship;

receiving an indication that the first digital information has changed;

altering the first graphical element to indicate that the first digital information has changed;

determining that the second digital information is out-of-date based on the dependency relationship and the received indication that the first digital information has changed; and

altering the second graphical element to indicate that the second digital information is out-of-date.