US 2003/0210284 A1Published application

Navigational display of hierarchically structured data

AssigneeThe Government of the United States of America

InventorsStanley E. Vandruff, Robert R. Donath

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The navigational display of hierarchically structured data, including elements contained within constructs, is disclosed. A center node is displayed as one of the elements or constructs. The center node has as first-level nodes elements and/or constructs that are contained within and/or contain the center node. The first-level nodes are displayed within a concentric ring around the center node, and spokes are displayed between the center node and the first-level nodes. The first-level nodes may each have as second-level nodes those of the elements and/or the constructs that are contained within and/or contain the first-level node. The second-level nodes of such first-level nodes are displayed within another concentric ring around the center node. Spokes are displayed between each of these first-level nodes and the second-level nodes of the first-level node. A user may navigate within the display of the data, including zooming, panning, rotating, and expanding and collapsing the data displayed.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method for displaying hierarchically structured data including a plurality of elements hierarchically contained within a plurality of constructs, each construct containing one or more elements and/or one or more other constructs such that each construct except a root construct of the plurality of constructs and each element is contained by one of the plurality of constructs, the method comprising:

displaying a center node as one of the plurality of elements and the plurality of constructs, the center node having as first-level nodes those of the plurality of elements and/or those of the plurality of constructs that are contained within the center node and/or that contain the center node;
displaying the first-level nodes within a first-level concentric ring around the center node and displaying spokes between the center node and the first-level nodes, each of one or more of the first-level nodes having as second-level nodes those of the plurality of elements and/or those of the plurality of constructs that are contained within the first-level node and/or that contain the first-level node;
and,
displaying the second-level nodes of the one or more of the first-level nodes within a second-level concentric ring around the center node outside of the first-level concentric ring and displaying spokes between each of the one or more of the first-level nodes and the second-level nodes of the first-level node.

1 more element

A computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform a method for displaying hierarchically structured data including a plurality of elements hierarchically contained within a plurality of constructs, each construct containing one or more elements and/or one or more other constructs such that each construct except a root construct of the plurality of constructs and each element is contained by one of the plurality of constructs, the method comprising:

displaying a center node as one of the plurality of elements and the plurality of constructs, the center node having as first-level nodes those of the plurality of elements and/or those of the plurality of constructs that are contained within the center node and/or that contain the center node;
displaying the first-level nodes within a first-level concentric ring around the center node, each of one or more of the first-level nodes having as second-level nodes those of the plurality of elements and/or those of the plurality of constructs that are contained within the first-level node and/or that contain the first-level node;
and,
displaying the second-level nodes of the one or more of the first-level nodes within a second-level concentric ring around the center node outside of the first-level concentric ring.

1 more element

A system comprising:

a display;
a computer-readable medium storing hierarchically structured data including a plurality of elements hierarchically contained within a plurality of constructs, each construct containing one or more elements and/or one or more other constructs such that each construct except a root construct of the plurality of constructs and each element is contained by one of the plurality of constructs;
and,
a display mechanism to
display on the display a center node as one of the plurality of elements and the plurality of constructs, the center node having as first-level nodes those of the plurality of elements and/or those of the plurality of constructs that are contained within the center node and/or that contain the center node;
display on the display the first-level nodes within a first-level concentric ring around the center node and displaying spokes between the center node and the first-level nodes, each of one or more of the first-level nodes having as second-level nodes those of the plurality of elements and/or those of the plurality of constructs that are contained within the first-level node and/or that contain the first-level node;
and,
display on the display the second-level nodes of the one or more of the first-level nodes within a second-level concentric ring around the center node outside of the first-level concentric ring and displaying spokes between each of the one or more of the first-level nodes and the second-level nodes of the first-level node.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.