# US 10,373,127 B2 · Visualizing hierarchical time-series data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,373,127 B2 - Document ID: US10373127B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/992,712 - Filed: 2018-05-30 - Published: 2018-09-27 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-11 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Takashi Sakairi; Ai Yoshino; Heather D. Achilles - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373127B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/30: Administration of product recycling or disposal - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06T 11/26: Drawing of charts or graphs - G06F 17/10: Complex mathematical operations {(function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544)} - G06F 17/18: for evaluating statistical data {, e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis (forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04)} - Y02W 90/00: Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract Methods and systems for visualizing data include forming hierarchically related graphs having a common time-series axis. The hierarchically related graphs are displayed in a linear arrangement, such that shared values on the common time-series axis align for each graph. The hierarchically related graphs are automatically updated in accordance with a user selection of an element in a data hierarchy by removing graphs below a lowest-order common ancestor in the data hierarchy between the user selection and a previously displayed selection and replacing the removed graphs with new graphs that reflect the user selection. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for visualizing data, comprising: forming a plurality of hierarchically related graphs having a common time-series axis; displaying the plurality of hierarchically related graphs in a linear arrangement, such that shared values on the common time-series axis align for each graph; and automatically updating the plurality of hierarchically related graphs in accordance with a user selection of an element in a data hierarchy by removing graphs below a lowest-order common ancestor in the data hierarchy between the user selection and a previously displayed selection and replacing the removed graphs with new graphs that reflect the user selection. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a graph that is lower-order in the hierarchy shows a more detailed breakdown of at least one element of a respective graph that is higher-order in the hierarchy. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each graph that includes multiple categories arranges the multiple categories in a vertical bar with magnitudes of each of the multiple categories adding to form a magnitude of the vertical bar. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein automatically updating the plurality of hierarchically related graphs comprises removing graphs that are not included in a hierarchy of the user selection and replacing the removed graphs with new graphs that reflect the user selection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying information regarding a category in a graph in response to a user's interaction with the graph through an input interface. ### Claim 6 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program for visualizing data, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of: forming a plurality of hierarchically related graphs having a common time-series axis; displaying the plurality of hierarchically related graphs in a linear arrangement, such that shared values on the common time-series axis align for each graph; and automatically updating the plurality of hierarchically related graphs in accordance with a user selection of an element in a data hierarchy by removing graphs below a lowest-order common ancestor in the data hierarchy between the user selection and a previously displayed selection and replacing the removed graphs with new graphs that reflect the user selection. ### Claim 7 A system for visualizing data, comprising: a graphing module comprising a processor configured to form a plurality of hierarchically related graphs having a common time-series axis; and a user interface configured to display the plurality of hierarchically related graphs in a linear arrangement, such that shared values on the common time-series axis align for each graph, and further configured to automatically update the plurality of hierarchically related graphs in accordance with a user selection of an element in a data hierarchy by removing graphs below a lowest-order common ancestor in the data hierarchy between the user selection and a previously displayed selection and replacing the removed graphs with new graphs that reflect the user selection. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to display the plurality of hierarchically related graphs such that a graph that is lower-order in the hierarchy shows a more detailed breakdown of at least one element of a respective graph that is higher-order in the hierarchy. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein, for each graph that includes multiple categories, the user interface is further configured to arrange the multiple categories in a vertical bar with magnitudes of each of the multiple categories adding to form a magnitude of the vertical bar. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface comprises a graph plane that includes the plurality of hierarchically related graphs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a data category plane that accepts user input in a hierarchy of data categories to select which data categories to display in the plurality of hierarchically related graphs. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to remove graphs that are not included in a hierarchy of the user selection and to replace the removed graphs with new graphs that reflect the user selection. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to display information regarding a category in a graph in response to a user's interaction with the graph through an input interface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a control plane that includes user-selectable options for altering one or more display properties of the plurality of hierarchically related graphs.