System and method for flow visualization and interaction with network traffic

• US 9,021,361 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Pettinati, Lucas Visvikis, Mui, Lik, Zhang, Fenghui, Liao, Lin, Li, Peng, Xu, Zhiting, Wattenberg, Martin, Fox, Doug, Martinez, Manuel, Vigas, Fernanda
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parker, Jeanette J
• Application Number:
  US13/271,222
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 715/736
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating visualization data representing network traffic flow in or out of one or more nodes, each node representing the network traffic for one or more web pages. The method includes visualizing data configured to connect the one or more nodes with one or more connectors, each connector configured to connect two nodes, the one or more connectors configured to have a dimension that indicates a number of visits between two nodes. The network traffic capable of being highlighted when a user selects the one or more nodes or connectors.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating visualization data representing internet traffic flow into or out of a plurality of nodes, each node of the plurality of nodes representing one or more web pages, the visualization data connecting the plurality of nodes with a plurality of connectors,

each connector of the plurality of connectors connecting two or more nodes, each connector of the plurality connectors having a dimension that indicates a number of visits between two or more nodes;

receiving user input to highlight traffic flowing through a selected node or a selected connector; and

highlighting a path of all traffic flowing through the selected node or the selected connector,

wherein the highlighted path includes a first portion of an unselected connector, the first portion having a first height dimension indicative of a first number of visits to the selected node or the selected connector that flowed through the unselected connector,

the unselected connector having a second portion having a second height dimension indicative of a second number of visits that flowed through the unselected connector that did not flow through the selected node or the selected connector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a selection of a node of the plurality of nodes or a connector of the plurality of connectors generates an overlay display that provides information regarding the amount of traffic through the node or the connector.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the user to view the traffic sorted by at least one of visitor parameter, traffic source parameter, or system parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein visitor parameter comprises at least one of city, language, country, region, or mobile;

wherein traffic source parameter comprises at least one of campaign, source or medium; and

wherein system parameter comprises at least one of web browser, operating system, screen resolution, or flash enabled.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying information regarding the selected node or the selected connector, the display of information including overlaying a chart that shows an amount of traffic that left the node and an amount of traffic that continued to another node.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein displaying information includes displaying the percentage of total traffic that went through the node or connector to other nodes or connectors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visualization of the visualization data is divided into columns, each column having up to six nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating visualization data comprises indicating the portion of the network traffic that exited a node of the plurality of nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimension of the connector that indicates a number of visits between two or more nodes is a height of the connector.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating an overlay display that provides information regarding the amount of traffic through a node of the plurality of nodes or a connector of the plurality of connectors in response to a mouseover of the node or the connector.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a menu in response to a selection of the selected node or the selected connector, the menu having options to highlight traffic through the selected node or the selected connector, show a group including the selected node or the selected connector in a flow visualization, or display information regarding the selected node or the selected connector.

12. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the processing module, cause the processing module to perform operations comprising;

generating visualization data representing internet traffic flow into or out of a plurality of nodes,

each node of the plurality of nodes representing one or more web pages, each node of the plurality of nodes having a dimension that indicates a number of visits to the each node, plurality of nodes connected to a plurality of connectors,

each connector of the plurality of connectors connecting two or more nodes, each connector of the plurality of connectors having a dimension that indicates a number of visits between two or more nodes;

receiving user input to highlight traffic flowing through a selected node or a selected connector; and

highlighting a path of all traffic flowing through the selected node or the selected connector, wherein the highlighted path includes a first portion of an unselected connector, the first portion having a first height dimension indicative of a first number of visits to the selected node or the selected connector that flowed through the unselected connector,

the unselected connector having a second portion having a second height dimension indicative of a second number of visits that flowed through the unselected connector that did not flow through the selected node or the selected connector.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising allowing the user to view the traffic sorted by at least one of visitor parameter, traffic source parameter, or system parameter.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein visitor parameter comprises at least one of a city, language, country, region, or mobile;

wherein traffic source parameter comprises at least one of a campaign, source or medium; and

wherein system parameter comprises at least one of a web browser, operating system, screen resolution, or flash enabled.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the visualization of the visualization data is divided into columns, each column having up to six nodes.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable storage device stores instructions that cause the processing module to perform further operations comprising:

generating an overlay display that provides information regarding the amount of traffic through a node of the plurality of nodes or a connector of the plurality of connectors in response to a mouseover of the node or the connector.

17. The system of claim 12,

wherein the computer-readable storage device stores instructions that cause the processing module to perform further operations comprising:

displaying a menu in response to a selection of the selected node or the selected connector, the menu having options to highlight traffic through the selected node or the selected connector, show a group including the selected node or the selected connector in a flow visualization, or display information regarding the selected node or the selected connector.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored therein, the instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

generating visualization data representing internet traffic flow into or out of a plurality of nodes,

each node of the plurality of nodes representing one or more web pages, the visualization data connecting the plurality of nodes with a plurality of connectors,

each connector of the plurality of connectors connecting two or more nodes, each connector of the plurality of connectors having a dimension that indicates a number of visits between two or more nodes; and

highlighting a path of all traffic flowing through the selected node or the selected connector, wherein the highlighted path includes a first portion of an unselected connector, first portion having a first height dimension that indicates indicative of a first number of visits to the selected node or the selected connector that flowed through the unselected connector,

the unselected connector having a second portion having a second height dimension indicative of a second number of visits that flowed through the unselected connector that did not flow through the selected node or the selected connector.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein highlighting the path of all traffic includes highlighting traffic in more than one node.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein a selection of a node of the plurality of nodes or a connector of the plurality of connectors

generates an overlay display that provides information regarding the amount of traffic through the node or the connector.