DISPLAYING PIE CHARTS IN A LIMITED DISPLAY AREA

• US 20100253686A1
• Filed: 04/02/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MeLLmo Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: MeLLmo Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Alsbury, Quinton, Becerra, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,810,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A system and a method are disclosed for visually displaying data points using pie charts on a display screen with limited display area. Detailed information is presented for individual sectors compared to other sectors displayed. The sector is selected for displaying detailed information based on its orientation with respect to a centerline axis of the chart. The pie chart can be rotated to cause detailed information to be displayed for different sectors. The mechanism is used to display detailed information of data points for other kinds of charts including multi-series pie charts and donut charts.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of displaying a pie chart on a display screen of a mobile device, the pie chart including a plurality of sectors, the method comprising:

displaying the pie chart on the display screen in a first orientation, wherein first additional information associated with a first of the plurality of sectors is displayed in addition to the pie chart; and

responsive to receiving a user input, displaying the pie chart in a second orientation, wherein second additional information associated with a second of the plurality of sectors is displayed in addition to the pie chart, and the first additional information is not displayed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the pie chart is rotated from the first orientation to the second orientation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the pie chart is rotated in a direction that causes minimum rotation from the first orientation to the second orientation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a pointer region that is fixed with respect to the pie chart and is displayed adjacent to a sector that displays additional information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input identifies the second of the plurality of sectors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes a swiping gesture across the chart.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the speed of the rotation of the chart region is determined by the user input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes physically tilting the display screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a rate at which the chart is rotated is dependent at least in part upon the degree of tilt of the display screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pie chart is rotated from the first orientation to the second orientation until a fixed centerline axis passing through the pie chart coincides with a sector axis passing through the second of the plurality of sectors.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein an audio feedback is provided as the chart is rotated each time a fixed centerline axis passing through the pie chart coincides with a side of a sector.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein an audio feedback is provided as the chart is rotated each time a fixed centerline axis passing through the pie chart coincides with a sector axis passing through a sector.

13. The method of claim 1, further displaying on the display screen an overlapping pie chart, the overlapping pie chart including an overlapping plurality of sectors, the method further comprising:

displaying the overlapping pie chart on the display screen in a first orientation, wherein third additional information associated with a first of the overlapping plurality of sectors is displayed in addition to the overlapping pie chart; and

responsive to receiving a user input, displaying the overlapping pie chart in a second orientation, wherein fourth additional information associated with a second of the overlapping plurality of sectors is displayed in addition to the overlapping pie chart, and the third additional information is not displayed.

14. A computer implemented method of displaying a donut chart on a display screen of a mobile device, the donut chart including a plurality of slices, the method comprising:

displaying the donut chart on the display screen in a first orientation, wherein first additional information associated with a first of the plurality of slices is displayed in addition to the donut chart; and

responsive to receiving a user input, displaying the donut chart in a second orientation, wherein second additional information associated with a second of the plurality of slices is displayed in addition to the donut chart, and the first additional information is not displayed.

15. A system for displaying on a display screen of a mobile device a chart representing a plurality of data points, the system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program modules configured to execute on the computer processor, the computer program modules comprising;

an input/output driver module configured to;

display the pie chart on the display screen in a first orientation, wherein first additional information associated with a first of the plurality of sectors is displayed in addition to the pie chart; and

responsive to receiving a user input, display the pie chart in a second orientation, wherein second additional information associated with a second of the plurality of sectors is displayed in addition to the pie chart, and the first additional information is not displayed.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pie chart is rotated from the first orientation to the second orientation.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the pie chart is rotated in a direction that causes minimum rotation from the first orientation to the second orientation.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the input/output driver module is configured to further:

display a pointer region that is fixed with respect to the pie chart and is displayed adjacent to a sector that displays additional information.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the speed of the rotation of the chart region is determined by the user input.

20. A computer program product having a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code for displaying on a display screen of a mobile device a chart representing a plurality of data points, the code comprising:

an input/output driver module configured to;

display the pie chart on the display screen in a first orientation, wherein first additional information associated with a first of the plurality of sectors is displayed in addition to the pie chart; and

responsive to receiving a user input, display the pie chart in a second orientation, wherein second additional information associated with a second of the plurality of sectors is displayed in addition to the pie chart, and the first additional information is not displayed.