Visualizing object behavior

• US 8,341,540 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haynes, Jeremy S., Friedman, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): ITURRALDE, ENRIQUE W
• Application Number:
  US12/365,093
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 715/772, 715/736, 715/745, 715/760, 715/839, 715/853, 715/854, 715/866, 705/14.4, 705/14.41, 705/14.45, 705/14.53, 705/14.58
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

A visualization service generates a graphical representation or visualization of each user'"'"'s behavior within a network resource, such as a website. In one example, the visualization service provides a dynamic visualization of each user accessing the network resource. Each user is graphically represented in the visualization with an indicium, such as a point or dot. The visualization (and thus, the position of each indicium representing a user) is dynamically updated as each user accesses data files from the network resource and thus, moves from state to state (or page to page) over time. The effect is similar to watching cars move along a complex highway system.

Claims

1. A system for graphically representing user behavior while users are accessing files from a network resource, the system comprising:

a data source that identifies files accessed by users from the network resource and times at which the files were accessed by said users, the identified files organized into a hierarchy having a plurality of nodes, each node representing a category of one or more identified files; and

a computing device that executes;

a first processing component operative to generate a path record for each user using the identification of files and times identified by the data source, the path record identifying the user, each file accessed by the user from the network resource, and the time at which each file was accessed by the user from the network resource; and

a second processing component operative to generate a graphical representation based on the path records of the users for display, the graphical representation comprising;

a user indicium representing at least one individual user;

a first node indicium representing a first node of files in the hierarchy;

a second node indicium representing a second node of files in the hierarchy; and

the user indicium graphically migrating from the first node indicium to the second node indicium to graphically represent the transition of the at least one individual user from a file from the first node to a file from the second node between the time at which the file from the first node was accessed by the at least one individual user and the time at which the file from the second node was accessed by the at least one individual user;

wherein the second processing component is further operative, following selection of the first node indicium, to generate a graphical representation comprising a sub-node indicium for each of two or more files associated with the node represented by the first node indicium, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates among the sub-node indicium for each of the two or more files associated with the node represented by the first node indicium, to graphically represent a transition of the at least one individual user among the two or more files.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second node in the hierarchy has a plurality of sub-nodes, each sub-node representing a sub-category of one or more identified files.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second indicium is selectable such that, when selected, the second processing component is further operative to generate a graphical representation comprising a sub-node indicium representing each sub-node of the second node.

4. The system claim 3, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates among the sub-node indicia representing the sub-nodes of the second node.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the files are web pages.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates from the first node indicium to the second node indicium over a path determined using a parametric equation.

7. A computer-implemented method of graphically representing user behavior while users are accessing files from a network resource, the method comprising:

as implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions,

generating a path record for each of a plurality of users that access files from the network resource, wherein the path record is generated based at least in part on information identifying files accessed by the users from the network resource and times at which the files were accessed by said users, the path record for each user identifying the user, each file accessed by the user from the network resource, and the time at which each file was accessed by the user from the network resource, wherein the files from the network resource are organized into a hierarchy having a plurality of nodes, each node representing a category of one or more files;

generating a graphical representation based at least in part on the path records of the users for display, the graphical representation comprising;

a user indicium representing at least one individual user,

a first node indicium representing a first node of files in the hierarchy; and

a second node indicium representing a second node of files in the hierarchy;

the user indicium graphically migrating from the first node indicium to the second node indicium to graphically represent the transition of the at least one individual user from a file from the first node to a file from the second node between the time at which the file from the first node was accessed by the at least one individual user and the time at which the file from the second node was accessed by the at least one individual user; and

based at least in part on a selection of the first node indicium, generating a graphical representation comprising a sub-node indicium for each of two or more files associated with the node represented by the first node indicium, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates among the sub-node indicium for each of the two or more files associated with the node represented by the first node indicium, to graphically represent a transition of the at least one individual user among the two or more files.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the second node in the hierarchy has a plurality of sub-nodes, each sub-node representing a sub-category of one or more identified files.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising, based on a selection of the second node indicium, generating a graphical representation comprising a sub node indicium representing each sub-node of the second node.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates among the sub-node indicia representing the sub-nodes of the second node.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the files are web pages.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates from the first node indicium to the second node indicium over a path determined using a parametric equation.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising updating the graphical representation to collapse two or more sub-node indicia into a node indicium.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein at least one node indicium is expanded based at least in part on an automatic trigger event.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having a computer-executable component, the computer executable component comprising:

a visualization component operative to;

generate a path record for each of a plurality of users that access files from the network resource, wherein the path record is generated based at least in part on information identifying files accessed by the users from the network resource and times at which the files were accessed by said users, the path record for each user identifying the user, each file accessed by the user from the network resource, and the time at which each file was accessed by the user from the network resource, wherein the files from the network resource are organized into a hierarchy having a plurality of nodes, each node representing a category of one or more files;

generate a graphical representation based at least in part on the path records of the users for display, the graphical representation comprising;

a user indicium representing at least one individual user,

a first node indicium representing a first node of files in the hierarchy; and

a second node indicium representing a second node of files in the hierarchy;

the user indicium graphically migrating from the first node indicium to the second node indicium to graphically represent the transition of the at least one individual user from a file from the first node to a file from the second node between the time at which the file from the first node was accessed by the at least one individual user and the time at which the file from the second node was accessed by the at least one individual user; and

based at least in part on a selection of the first node indicium, generate a graphical representation comprising a sub-node indicium for each of two or more files associated with the node represented by the first node indicium, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates among the sub-node indicium for each of the two or more files associated with the node represented by the first node indicium, to graphically represent a transition of the at least one individual user among the two or more files.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second node in the hierarchy has a plurality of sub-nodes, each sub-node representing a sub category of one or more identified files.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the visualization component is further operative to, based at least in part on a selection of the second node indicium, generate a graphical representation comprising a sub-node indicium representing each sub-node of the second node.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates among the sub-node indicia representing the sub-nodes of the second node.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the files are web pages.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the user indicium graphically migrates from the first node indicium to the second node indicium over a path determined using a parametric equation.

21. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the visualization component is further operative to update the graphical representation to collapse two or more sub-node indicia into a node indicium.