US 2013/0174074 A1Published application

Method and device for arranging information that is linked in complex ways and for pathfinding in such information

AssigneeMr. Peter Strzygowski

InventorPeter Strzygowski

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Abstract

The invention concerns the field of displaying information, specifically the automated arrangement of displayed data that are linked in complex ways in limited display areas, e.g., computer screens, or in limited space for three-dimensional displays. Using the method, interlinked information (one-dimensional or multi-dimensional, directed and undirected graphs, finite multigraphs, and even “quivers”) can be displayed in the form of a navigable user interface through the special arrangement of the representatives standing for the information content, for example to display the relationships in social networks, genealogies, scientific work. The novelty resides in the method of the arrangement of the representatives of the information content, in the resulting arrangement and the resulting user interface for exploring content of said graphs. Representatives may be words or graphic symbols (areas, circles, etc.). The invention further enables small computers and devices like braille interfaces to display content of complex graphs.

Claims25

Dependent claims

1) Computer-implemented method, executed by means of a DP system comprising at least one computer unit, for arranging representatives of content that can be represented by a graph comprising information elements (at least nodes and edges), the content elements (nodes) of which graph are connected by edges of at least one category, whereby the representatives may be suitable to receive input commands, wherein the improvement comprises

the output of representatives of the category/categories and content element/elements is arranged with different directional vectors in different geometric or logical directions or dimensions,
influencing variables located inside or outside the DP system or the program exert an effect on the computations of the spatial arrangement of the output representatives of the information elements on the output device, by the means that the number and the geometric arrangement of the representatives and the visibility of the representatives are adapted to the given output interface, wherein
the geometry of the output interface, its size, extent, display capacity, or other externally determined influencing variables (time, duration, physical phenomena, control data, predefined parameters, device-specific settings) are taken into account in this process whereby
the method comprises at least one selection process,
a content element or a category can be set as active as a result of the selection,
after the selection of a category, at least a portion of the content elements of this category is output if no content element is active,
after the selection of a category, at least a portion of the content elements of this category that are connected to the currently active content element is output,
after the selection of a content element, at least a portion of the categories in which this active content element is classified is output,
after the selection of a content element, at least a portion of all other content elements that are connected to this active content element in the currently active category is output,
an output takes place of at least the representatives of the categories and content elements determined and arranged in accordance with said method steps,
the output takes place fully, in abbreviated form, or in symbolic form.

8 more elements

22) A user interface generating apparatus comprising an application program execution unit displaying an interface for observing content of a graph (nodes and edges, whereby categories are defined by edges and the content elements (nodes) of which graph are connected by edges of at least one category) using a method to arrange the representatives of content of the graph onto a limited output area or space determine the arrangement whereby the geometry of the interface or the output device, its size, extent, display capacity, or other externally determined influencing variables (time, duration, physical phenomena, control data, predefined parameters, device-specific settings) are taken into account in this process whereby

the method comprises at least one selection process,
a content element or a category can be set as active as a result of the selection,
after the selection of a category, at least a portion of the content elements of this category is output if no content element is active,
after the selection of a category, at least a portion of the content elements of this category that are connected to the currently active content element is output,
after the selection of a content element, at least a portion of the categories in which this active content element is classified is output,
after the selection of a content element, at least a portion of all other content elements that are connected to this active content element in the currently active category is output,
an output takes place of at least the representatives of the categories and content elements determined and arranged in accordance with said method steps,
the output takes place fully, in abbreviated form, or in symbolic form.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/555,051Filed 20 Jul 2012
Priority: DE 10 2011 108 079.521 Jul 2011
Published: 4 Jul 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G06Q 10/10
Administration; Management: office automation; Time management
G06F 3/048
Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer: interaction techniques based on graphical…
G06Q 10/40
Administration; Management: business processes related to social networking or social networking services
B33Y 50/00
Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing