Data visualization

• US 9,575,644 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abe, Eduardo, Carnec, Julien, Le Bras, Yves, Zeleznik, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ulrich, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US14/147,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20140195967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A graphical processor, method, and/or computer program product controls a display of user controls on a graphical user interface. A display tool displays a screen view of a data image on a display, wherein the screen view includes one or more graphical objects. A magnifier tool displays a zoomed-in view of a portion of the screen view, wherein the zoomed-in view is superimposed on the screen view, and wherein the zoomed-in view remains turned on until turned off by the user. A crosshair tool targets a graphical object in the zoomed-in portion of the view. A decoration tool displays a user control for a targeted graphical object.

Claims

1. A graphical processor comprising:

a display tool for displaying a screen view of a data image on a display, wherein the screen view includes one or more graphical objects;

a magnifier tool for displaying a zoomed-in view of a portion of the screen view, wherein the zoomed-in view is superimposed on the screen view, and wherein the zoomed-in view remains turned on until turned off by the user, and wherein the magnifier tool is enabled to display a zoomed-in view that is not part of a current screen view;

a crosshair tool for targeting a graphical object in the zoomed-in portion of the view; and

a decoration tool for displaying a user control for a targeted graphical object.

2. The graphical processor according to claim 1, wherein the display tool controls a panning of the screen view, and wherein the magnifier tool is controlled independently of the panning of the screen view.

3. The graphical processor according to claim 2, wherein the magnifier tool continues to display the zoomed-in view after the screen view has panned away from the portion of the screen view.

4. The graphical processor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a targeting tool for targeting one or more graphical objects in the zoomed-in view and providing one or more interaction controls for targeted graphical objects.

5. The graphical processor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a highlighting tool for highlighting targeted graphical objects in the display.

6. The graphical processor according to claim 1, wherein the user control is displayed in the zoomed-in portion of the view.

7. The graphical processor according to claim 1, wherein a zoomed-in portion of the view is displayed away from a targeted graphical object in the screen view.

8. The graphical processor according to claim 1, wherein the magnifier tool is controlled by touch events to zoom in or out of the screen view.

9. The graphical processor according to claim 1, wherein the crosshair tool is enabled to trigger tool tips when hovering over a graphical object on the screen view.

10. A method comprising:

displaying, by one or more processors, a screen view of a data image on a display, wherein the screen view includes one or more graphical objects;

displaying, by one or more processors, a zoomed-in view of a portion of the screen view, wherein the zoomed-in view is superimposed on the screen view, and wherein the zoomed-in view remains turned on until turned off by the user, and wherein the zoomed-in view is not part of a current screen view;

targeting, by one or more processors, a graphical object in the zoomed-in portion of the view; and

displaying, by one or more processors, a user control for a targeted graphical object.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

panning the screen view to control a display of the screen view of the data image on the display; and

magnifying the zoomed-in view independently of said panning.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

continuing to display the zoomed-in view after a screen view has panned away from the portion of the screen view.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

targeting one or more graphical objects in the zoomed-in view; and

providing one or more interaction controls for targeted graphical objects in the zoomed-in view.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

highlighting the targeted graphical objects in the zoomed-in view.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the user control is displayed in the zoomed-in portion of the view.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the zoomed-in portion of the view is initially displayed away from a targeted graphical object in the screen view.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the zoomed-in view is controlled by touch events to zoom in or out.

18. A computer program product for controlling a graphical user interface, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored and encoded thereon;

first program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to display a screen view of a data image on a display, wherein the screen view includes one or more graphical objects;

second program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to display a zoomed-in view of a portion of the screen view, wherein the zoomed-in view is superimposed on the screen view, and wherein the zoomed-in view remains turned on until turned off by the user, and wherein the zoomed-in view is not part of a current screen view;

third program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to target a graphical object in the zoomed-in portion of the view; and

fourth program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to display a user control for a targeted graphical object.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising:

fifth program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to pan the screen view to control a display of the screen view of the data image on the display; and

sixth program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to magnify the zoomed-in view independently of said panning.