Method, a system and a computer program for signal display

• US 7,486,293 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ahlert, Dirk, Guenther, Christian, Tesch, Guido, Skutela, Ariane
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amini; Javid A
• Application Number:
  US10/498,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20060192773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 345/204
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A method is provided to display a plurality of signals, on a display screen with an intuitive graphical interface, wherein a user has ability to monitor overall data from a single view. A plurality of signals having different frequencies and remaining in a complex relationship with each other may be visualized. Each signal may be displayed by using a symbol, wherein a quasi static signal is graphically depicted using a limit symbol while the dynamic signals are visualized using bar symbols. The symbols may be arranged horizontally, on multiple image planes, in close proximity to each other. A limit symbol may be positioned on the topmost image plane in such a way that if one bar reaches the limit symbol, the bar symbol is at least partially covered. The spatial relationship among the symbols is such that the user can easily determine if an actual signal output matches planned or scheduled output or if it does not exceed the total available capacity. A plurality of symbols may be allocated to correspond to a plurality of numeric values in such a way that numerical data directly corresponding to the graphical depiction is located in the same horizontal line as the symbols. Additionally, the user may be able to oversee the changes in signal in consecutive time segments.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a set of signals comprising at least four signals on a display screen, the signals having different frequencies, one of the signals having a frequency being substantially below the frequencies of the other signals, the method comprising:

displaying of a limit symbol on a first image plane representative of the one of the signals that has the frequency being substantially below the frequencies of the other signals; and

displaying of a bar symbol for each one of the other signals on at least a second image plane, the first and second image planes being superimposed on each other, wherein the limit symbol is positioned in such a way that if one of the bar symbols reaches the limit symbol, the limit symbol positioned on a topmost image plane will at least partially cover one of the bar symbols positioned on the second image plane, and wherein the gray values or colors of the bar symbols correspond to the frequencies of the signals that are represented by the respective bar symbols.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the limit symbol and the bar symbols constitute a first symbol group, the method further comprising:

freezing of the display of the first symbol group at the end of a first time interval; and

displaying a second symbol group comprising the limit symbol and the bar symbols for a second time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image plane is the top plane.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the limit symbol represents a quasi static signal and wherein the bar symbols represent dynamic signals.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein one of the bar symbols is a center bar symbol positioned on a center line of its group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the bar symbols are oriented horizontally, aligned with the center bar symbol representing the signal of the set of signals with the highest frequency and the other bar symbols representing signals of lesser frequency are adjacent to the center bar.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image planes are superimposed on each other and wherein the gray values or the colors are chosen in proportion to the signal frequencies or inversely proportional to the signal frequencies.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein numerical tabular data, corresponding to actual signal values of the set of signals, is displayed in the same horizontal line as the limit symbol and the bar symbols.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the limit symbol representative of one of the signals is displayed on the first image plane and the bar symbols representative of other signals are displayed on the second image plane with the center bar symbol positioned on the center line and the other bar symbols aligned horizontally along the center line.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the limit symbol representative of one of the signals is displayed on the first image plane, the bar symbol representative of the signal with the highest frequency is displayed on the second image plane, the bar symbol representative of the signal with the lower frequency than the bar symbol positioned on the second image plane is displayed on the third image plane and the bar symbol representative of the signal with the lowest frequency value out of the set of signals is displayed on the fourth image plane.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the center bar symbol has the highest gray value and the other bar symbols have lower gray values in proportion to the respective frequencies of the signals that are represented.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the center bar symbol has a gray value that is inversely proportional to the frequency of the signal that it represents and the other bar symbols have gray values in proportion to their respective frequencies.

13. A system of displaying a set of signals comprising at least four signals on a display screen, the signals having different frequencies, one of the signals having a frequency being substantially below the frequencies of the other signals, the system comprising:

a) means for displaying of a limit symbol on a first image plane representative of one of the signals; and

b) means for displaying of a bar symbol for each one of the other signals on at least a second image plane, the first and second image planes being superimposed on each other, wherein the limit symbol is positioned in such a way that if one of the bar symbols reaches the limit symbol, the limit symbol positioned on a topmost image plane will at least partially cover one of the bar symbols positioned on the second image plane.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a display of signals is generated based on data retrieved from a plurality of data sources.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein numerical tabular data, corresponding to actual signal values of the set of signals, is displayed in the same horizontal line as the limit symbol and the bar symbols.

16. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for displaying a set of signals, comprising:

displaying of a limit symbol on a first image plane representative of one of the signals; and

displaying of a bar symbol for each one of the other signals on at least a second image plane, the first and second image planes being superimposed on each other, wherein the limit symbol is positioned in such a way that if one of the bar symbols reaches the limit symbol, the limit symbol positioned on a topmost image plane will at least partially cover one of the bar symbols positioned on the second image plane.